Start with Charlie Joe's first guide
Begin with Guide to Not Reading, which introduces his anti-reading rules, best friend, school rivals, and the bargain that starts to unravel.
Book Series · 6 Books
Charlie Joe Jackson Books
In order from Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading to Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Growing Up.
Charlie Joe Jackson uses elaborate schemes to avoid reading, schoolwork, money trouble, relationships, and—eventually—growing up.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read the Charlie Joe Jackson Books
Read the six Charlie Joe guides in order, from Guide to Not Reading through Guide to Not Growing Up. The school-year comedy is episodic, but friendships and Charlie Joe's gradual growth continue across the sequence.
Jack Strong Takes a Stand, Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting!, and Pete Milano's Guide to Being a Movie Star are character spinoffs set in the same school world. They are optional side stories rather than books 7–9.
Sources: Macmillan official series page, Macmillan's official Katie Friedman spinoff page.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
Charlie Joe proudly dislikes reading and repeatedly schemes around homework, rules, and adult expectations. The joke is his unreliable confidence: his shortcuts create complications, and the stories ultimately value friendship, effort, and finding forms of learning that fit.
Expect teasing, lies, crushes, social embarrassment, school rivalry, and mild bathroom or gross-out humor. The abundant cartoons and short sections can help reluctant readers feel less intimidated by a full-length novel.
Where to start
Where Should My Child Start?
Interested in another classmate?
Read the six main guides first, then choose Jack, Katie, or Pete's spinoff for a different student's point of view.
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$1498
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2011
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading
By Tommy Greenwald, J.P. Coovert (Illustrator)
A middle schooler goes to extreme lengths to avoid reading a book.
224 pages· 31,573 words· Est. 3.5 hour read
$15.99Save 6%
Hardcover
Summary: Charlie Joe Jackson has never read a book cover to cover, and he's proud of it. But middle school presents new challenges, and his friend Timmy is no longer willing to help him dodge reading assignments. Desperate to maintain his record, Charlie Joe concocts wild schemes to escape the dreaded task. Will his antics succeed, or will he finally have to crack open a book? Dive into this hilarious tale of a boy's creative attempts to avoid reading at all costs.
In reading order
Charlie Joe Jackson Series
6 books · Published 2011–2016
#1
Sale price
$1498
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2011
A middle schooler goes to extreme lengths to avoid reading a book.
#2
Sale price
$1049
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Extra Credit
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2012
A reluctant reader must ace school to avoid summer camp, risking friendships and love.
#3
Sale price
$1139
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2013
A reluctant reader battles his worst nightmare: a summer camp dedicated to books and grammar.
#4
Sale price
$1049
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Making Money
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2013
A boy schemes to earn money with minimal effort, leading to unexpected chaos.
#5
Sale price
$1139
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Planet Girl
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2015
Middle schooler seeks love advice from a library book, but discovers unexpected feelings.
#6
Sale price
$1248
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Growing Up
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2016
Can Charlie Joe stop growing up before high school chaos begins?
From the same world
In-Universe Books
3 books · Published 2013–2016
Sale price
$674
Jack Strong Takes a Stand
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2013
A boy's couch protest against overscheduling spirals into unexpected chaos.
Sale price
$1199
Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting!
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2015
A wrong text leads Katie to a phone-free challenge for backstage passes. Can she and her friends disconnect for a week?
Sale price
$759
Pete Milano's Guide to Being a Movie Star
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2016
Class clown Pete faces fame's challenges when he lands a movie role. Can he keep his friends and girlfriend?
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Charlie Joe Jackson series?
There are 6 books in the Charlie Joe Jackson series. It began with Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading in 2011, and the newest book, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Growing Up, was published in 2016.
What order should you read the Charlie Joe Jackson books in?
Start with Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #6.
What ages are the Charlie Joe Jackson books best for?
The series is best for ages 9–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
The people
The Creatives Behind the Books
The people who bring Charlie Joe Jackson to life.
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