Ready for chapter books
Start with Miss Daisy Is Crazy! in the original My Weird School series.
Book Series · 80 Books
In order from Miss Daisy Is Crazy! to Mr. DiPilla Is a Gorilla!.
Dan Gutman's fast, joke-packed school stories follow reluctant reader A.J. and his classmates through a growing set of chapter-book series, holiday specials, graphic novels, nonfiction, and early readers.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
For the continuing chapter-book route, read My Weird School, My Weird School Daze, My Weirder School, My Weirdest School, My Weirder-est School, and My Weirdtastic School in that order. Read each line by its printed number; the cast and school change gradually across the sequel lines.
The holiday specials can be added independently. The graphic novels tell separate adventures in a visual format, while Fast Facts and the I Can Read books are optional nonfiction and easier-reader branches. Jokes, Games, and Puzzles is an activity companion, not another numbered story.
A.J. is proudly skeptical about school, and the comedy relies on absurd adults, exaggeration, insults, gross-out jokes, rule-breaking, and repeated claims that he hates reading. The books are designed to make reading feel approachable, but children may echo the characters' language and attitudes.
Peril and conflict are cartoonish rather than intense. The series works well for newly independent readers who want short chapters and rapid jokes; parents can simply frame A.J. as an entertaining narrator whose opinions are not always the lesson of the story.
Start with Miss Daisy Is Crazy! in the original My Weird School series.
Start with the first My Weird School graphic novel; these are separate adventures, so no prose background is required.
Try the My Weird School I Can Read books for shorter nonfiction introductions to favorite topics.
A second-grader navigates the challenges of school with the help of his unorthodox teacher, Miss Daisy.
21 books · Published 2004–2008
A second-grader navigates the challenges of school with the help of his unorthodox teacher, Miss Daisy.
A mischievous student's prank sets off a chain of events that changes the way his school approaches learning and discipline.
A second-grader tries to uncover the truth about his school librarian's mysterious behavior
A second-grade boy navigates his dislike for art class and his rivalry with a classmate, while learning about the value of creativity and friendship.
A second-grader navigates the challenges of gym class with a quirky teacher and a rival classmate.
A second-grader's music teacher is replaced by a cool new teacher who turns the class into a hip-hop experience.
A second-grade student navigates the challenges of school and crushes while trying to uncover the truth about the school nurse
A student navigates the challenges of school and friendships while dealing with a series of misadventures in the cafeteria
A second-grade student navigates the challenges of school and friendships while dealing with a mysterious and powerful school custodian
A third-grade boy navigates the challenges of school and friendships while learning about science from his eccentric teacher, Mr. Docker.
A boy navigates the challenges of school and friendships while dealing with a series of misadventures on his school bus
A boy navigates a series of misadventures with his friends and a new substitute teacher.
A group of friends go trick-or-treating on Halloween night and encounter a series of spooky and supernatural events
A boy navigates the challenges of school and the holiday season
A student navigates the challenges of school and friendships while learning about U.S. presidents
A student is forced to participate in a school's National Poetry Month and unexpectedly discovers his own poetic talents.
A young boy navigates the challenges of school and friendships while dealing with the visit of a famous children's book author.
A student navigates the challenges of school and friendships while dealing with the introduction of new technology and a quirky computer teacher.
A student tries to navigate a chaotic school year with a new principal who is determined to impose strict discipline and order.
A third-grade class navigates the ups and downs of Valentine's Day, with a focus on the complexities of love and relationships
A group of students go on a field trip to a natural history museum and get into various misadventures
12 books · Published 2008–2011
The next 12 A.J. adventures after the original line.
A second-grade class navigates the challenges of the last days of school, including a chaotic graduation ceremony.
A boy navigates the challenges of summer vacation with his friends and a pesky classmate.
A third-grade student navigates the challenges of school while dealing with a mysterious teacher who may be an alien.
A boy joins a football team and learns to work with his teammates to win games.
A school security guard goes on a wild goose chase to solve the mystery of a missing peanut butter and jelly sandwich, leading to a series of absurd events and unexpected revelations
A student navigates a chaotic week at school while the principal is away at a conference, leading to a series of misadventures and unexpected lessons.
The story follows a mischievous elementary school student as he navigates friendships, school, and his own antics.
A school is threatened with closure due to budget cuts, and the students must find a way to save it.
A school's Recess Enrichment Program is hijacked by an imposter teacher.
A student teacher named Miss Mary causes chaos in a classroom with her unorthodox teaching methods and her boyfriend Zack, a musician who becomes a viral sensation.
A boy navigates the challenges of his mom going back to work and him being enrolled in an after-school program.
A student navigates the challenges of a new health teacher who is obsessed with healthy eating and exercise.
12 books · Published 2011–2014
Twelve more numbered stories with a new group of unusual adults.
A third-grade class goes on a field trip to the zoo, where they encounter various animals and learn about their habitats and characteristics.
A school celebrates its 50th birthday with a visit from its namesake, but things quickly go awry when the power goes out and the guest of honor goes missing.
A group of students create a school newspaper with the help of a reporter, but things quickly spiral out of control as they start to print false and embarrassing stories about their teachers and classmates.
The town's mayor is cutting funding for the school, but the discovery of a valuable treasure in the playground might just change everything.
A school participates in a reality TV show.
A third-grade class holds an election for president, with two main candidates, A.J. and Andrea, vying for the top spot
A fourth-grader navigates a series of misadventures at school.
A third-grader navigates a series of misadventures as he prepares for a big test.
A school carnival is held to raise money for new playground equipment.
A.J. learns self-defense techniques from a mysterious instructor named Mr. Jack.
A boy's school gets a therapy dog to help with reading, but things don't go as planned
A group of students participate in a talent show at their school, with a secret grand prize at stake
12 books · Published 2015–2018
The continuing numbered adventures at Ella Mentry School.
A third-grade class is visited by an alien spaceship and their teacher is taken away by his fellow aliens.
A school starts a TV station with a million-dollar donation from a mysterious benefactor.
A group of third-grade students participate in a competition called the Brain Games, where they must use their creativity and problem-solving skills to win.
A third-grader navigates the challenges of school and friendships while learning about fire safety from a quirky firefighter.
A.J. navigates a series of wacky events and encounters at school
A group of students navigate a chaotic school environment when their teachers go on strike and are replaced by eccentric substitutes.
A third-grader navigates the challenges of Picture Day, including a surprise encounter with a zombie.
A group of students start a company to sell a high-tech toilet seat.
A third-grade class learns about astronomy and puts on a play about the solar system.
A.J. and his friends try to teach a TV weather reporter about the weather after she loses her cue cards.
A student tries to get ice cream from a truck parked outside his school despite the objections of the school's principal.
A boy navigates the challenges of school and friendships while trying to avoid eating vegetables.
12 books · Published 2019–2022
Another 12-book stage of A.J.'s school story.
A student at Ella Mentry School participates in a science fair that quickly spirals out of control
A fourth-grader navigates a week with a new substitute teacher, a personal digital assistant, that is taking over the school.
A boy navigates a series of misadventures on National Dessert Day at school.
A boy joins the Beaver Scouts and learns about teamwork and survival skills.
A young boy's birthday party descends into chaos when a series of unexpected events unfold, including the arrival of multiple party entertainers and a surprise appearance by Darth Vader.
A third-grader learns to play the tuba and navigates the challenges of being in a school band.
A student navigates a series of wacky misadventures as he prepares to take a standardized test that will determine the fate of his school.
A group of students create a robot that becomes self-aware and starts causing chaos.
A third-grader navigates a week of geography lessons with a mysterious substitute teacher.
A third-grade class challenges a rival school to a softball game to raise money for charity.
A new principal takes over a school and tries to make a good impression on the students and teachers.
A third-grader navigates the challenges of school and friendships while trying to figure out the truth about his school's mysterious events.
11 books · Published 2023–2026
The newest continuing line of numbered A.J. adventures.
A fourth-grader navigates the challenges of a new school year with a quirky teacher who loves to play pranks on her students.
A fourth-grade class goes on a surprise mystery field trip to a TV studio where they participate in the taping of a children's show called Funderama, hosted by Uncle Fred.
A fourth-grade student creates a sculpture that becomes a sensation in the art world, leading to unexpected opportunities and challenges.
A fourth-grade class starts a vegetable garden at school, but things don't go as planned.
Can A.J. and friends find their place in bizarre after-school clubs?
A math teacher makes numbers weirdly fun, but can A.J. and friends handle the chaos?
Can students mend the rift between feuding teachers in shop class?
A flood in the school bathroom leads to a quirky plumber's investigation. Is A.J. to blame?
A viral video sparks a quest for fame with wild stunts at school.
A safety expert's extreme measures threaten chaos at a quirky school.
Can a mysterious mascot help A.J. and friends finally defeat their rivals?
13 books · Published 2013–2025
Seasonal stand-alone adventures that can be read around the main sequence.
A boy named A.J. navigates the challenges of Halloween, including a mysterious Halloween Monster and a magical invention that can make things bigger.
A young boy named A.J. meets Santa Claus at the mall, but things don't go as planned
A boy navigates an Easter egg hunt and discovers a sinister plot by the mayor and his wife to steal a golden egg filled with money.
A girl named Andrea shares her thoughts and feelings about school and her life as she prepares for the new school year.
A third-grade class gets a new exchange student from France who shakes things up on Valentine's Day
A boy is visited by a series of ghosts who try to teach him a lesson about his behavior.
Can A.J. and Andrea win the Presidents' Day Challenge despite A.J.'s quirky knowledge?
A group of students try to catch a leprechaun that is causing mischief in their school.
Students and teachers clash in a prank war. Who will win the ultimate candy prize?
A.J.'s summer plans vanish at a bizarre camp. Fun or flop?
School holidays are canceled. Can quirky celebrations save the day?
A.J. must craft a winning poem to claim a secret prize and outshine his rival in a school contest.
A sleepover turns spooky when campfire tales might awaken a lurking monster.
3 books · Published 2021–2023
Full-color, stand-alone comic adventures rather than adaptations of the prose books.
A group of students go on a field trip to NASA and accidentally launch a rocket into space, leading to a series of unexpected events.
A group of students and their principal go on a trip to an amusement park after reading 5,000 books, but their fun is threatened when the evil Dr. Carbles tries to blow up their school
Kids lost in NYC must navigate chaos without their guide.
8 books · Published 2016–2019
A.J. and Andrea introduce real-world topics with series-style humor.
A book about geography that covers the basics of the subject in a humorous and engaging way
A collection of weird and interesting facts about sports.
A humorous and informative book about the history of the United States.
Discover bizarre science facts with A.J. and Andrea. Uncover mysteries like Jupiter's moons and Einstein's brain.
Discover bizarre dinosaur facts with A.J. and Andrea. Uncover the truth about prehistoric giants and fossilized surprises.
A collection of fun facts about animals.
Discover bizarre ancient history facts with A.J. and Andrea.
A humorous book about food and its history.
4 books · Published 2016–2018
Shorter nonfiction books for children building reading confidence.
A girl and her classmate go on a field trip to an art museum.
A student struggles to find his talent for the class talent show.
A class votes on a new pet and chooses a snake, but things don't go as planned.
A young boy forms a curling team with his friends and they compete in a big match with the help of their coach, a famous athlete.
1 book · Published 2018
Jokes, games, and puzzles—not another story in the numbered sequence.
Dive into a world of weird jokes, games, and puzzles with A.J. and friends.
There are 80 books in the main My Weird School story so far, organized into 6 chapter-book series. It begins with Miss Daisy Is Crazy! in 2004, and the newest published main-story book is Mr. DiPilla Is a Gorilla! from 2026.
Start with Miss Daisy Is Crazy! and follow the story arcs in the order shown above. Book numbering restarts at #1 within each arc.
The series is best for ages 6–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
The people who bring My Weird School to life.
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