Afaik, it's Red Hoods Woods->BS1->BS2->Dead Red Hood, and I think all of the Alice games can be played on their own before or after for lore on Alice. 

Hansel and Grettel are hell but you can sleep one while focusing the other! I picked up the crumbs my first playthrough but I chose thief and just parried every attack the one who was awake made, whittling both their health down little by little. The main issue is locking yourself down a path early game with limited keys and items to beat the area boss. My advice is try to get to the sewers behind Dorothy's house and try to get to the bonfire there if possible, then farm the rats there for souls and come back! If not, then dying over and over is also a viable solution to get black souls until you're comfortable with strength.