Where to Start Your Fly Guy Adventure
For young readers embarking on their first literary adventures, there is no better starting point than the very first book: Hi! Fly Guy (2005). This award-winning book introduces Buzz, a young boy searching for a smart pet to enter into the Amazing Pet Show, and Fly Guy, a clever fly who can buzz his new friend's name. It establishes their unique bond, proving to both Buzz's parents and the pet show judges that a fly can indeed make a loyal and intelligent companion.
While the books are designed to be episodic and standalone, reading the first book first is essential because it sets up the running gag of their friendship. From there, you can easily read the rest of the series in publication order, ensuring that characters like Fly Girl are introduced naturally before they appear in team-up titles or spin-off adventures.
Complete Fly Guy Books in Order
Below is the complete reading list of the 22 books in the Fly Guy universe as tracked in the database, ordered by their original publication dates. This list includes the main early reader stories, the special picture book formats, and the initial Fly Guy & Fly Girl spin-offs.
- Hi! Fly Guy (2005) – The book that started it all. Buzz and Fly Guy meet, form their friendship, and win the Amazing Pet Show.
- Super Fly Guy (2006) – Fly Guy accompanies Buzz to school and ends up causing a hilarious commotion in the cafeteria.
- Shoo, Fly Guy! (2006) – When Buzz goes on a trip, Fly Guy searches for his favorite smelly garbage food and gets lost.
- There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy (2007) – A funny parody of the classic nursery rhyme. Grandma accidentally swallows Fly Guy, leading to a chain reaction.
- Fly High, Fly Guy! (2008) – Buzz and his family go on a road trip, and Fly Guy tag-alongs to save the day when they get lost in the dark.
- Hooray For Fly Guy! (2008) – Fly Guy tries to play football with Buzz and his team, showing that even small players can make big plays.
- I Spy Fly Guy! (2009) – Buzz and Fly Guy play hide-and-seek, but things get wild when Fly Guy hides in a trash can that gets hauled to the city dump.
- Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl (2010) – Buzz and Fly Guy meet Liz and her pet, Fly Girl. A sweet friendship develops between the two clever flies.
- Buzz Boy and Fly Guy (2010) – A superhero-themed story written as a comic book by Buzz, featuring the duo saving the world from alien pirates.
- Fly Guy vs. the Flyswatter! (2011) – Fly Guy faces his ultimate nemesis during a field trip to a flyswatter factory.
- Ride, Fly Guy, Ride! (2012) – Fly Guy goes for a wild, accidental ride on a variety of fast-moving vehicles.
- There's a Fly Guy in My Soup (2012) – A fancy restaurant setting becomes the stage for comedic chaos when Fly Guy accidentally lands in a bowl of soup.
- Fly Guy and the Frankenfly (2013) – A spooky, kid-friendly Halloween tale where Buzz draws a monster fly that seemingly comes to life in Fly Guy's dream.
- Fly Guy and Fly Girl: Friendly Frenzy (2013) – Liz and Fly Girl team up with Buzz and Fly Guy for a fun outdoor adventure at the park.
- A Pet for Fly Guy (2014) – A special, larger-format picture book detailing Fly Guy's quest to find a pet of his own, just like Buzz has him.
- Fly Guy's Amazing Tricks (2014) – Fly Guy shows off his coolest tricks to impress Buzz, but a run-in with a bully fly tests his skills.
- Prince Fly Guy (2015) – Buzz is tasked with writing a fairy tale for homework, casting Fly Guy as a brave prince.
- Fly Guy's Ninja Christmas (2016) – Fly Guy meets Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and uses his ninja training to save the holiday.
- Fly Guy's Big Family (2017) – Buzz hosts a picnic where Fly Guy's massive, buzz-happy family shows up unexpectedly.
- Fly Guy and the Alienzz (2018) – Buzz and Fly Guy star in another homemade movie, this time defending Earth from gooey outer space invaders.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Fly Guy! (2019) – A funny homage to classic giant monster movies, where Fly Guy gets super-sized after eating radioactive trash.
- Night Fright (2020) – A spooky zoo adventure featuring both Fly Guy and Fly Girl finding strange noises in the dark.
Understanding Fly Guy Spin-Offs & Companion Works
Tedd Arnold has expanded the Fly Guy universe to appeal to different reading levels and interests. When navigating the library shelves, it is helpful to categorize the books into three distinct formats:
The Main Early Reader Series
Most of the 22 books listed above are standard early reader books published by Scholastic. These are characterized by short chapters, large text fonts, standard comic-book formatting, and comic word balloons. They are specifically written to support children transitioning from picture books to early chapter books.
The Picture Books
Books like A Pet for Fly Guy (2014) are published as traditional picture books rather than early readers. They are physically larger, feature more detailed illustrations, and have a slightly different narrative pacing. They are fantastic for bedtime read-alouds with younger preschoolers.
Fly Guy & Fly Girl Subseries
Beginning with Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl (#8 in the main series), Tedd Arnold introduced Liz and her pet fly, Fly Girl. These two characters proved so popular that they began starring in their own joint books, such as Friendly Frenzy and Night Fright. These books follow the same formatting as the main series but highlight the dynamic between the two duos.
Fly Guy Presents (Nonfiction Series)
Aside from the fiction stories, Tedd Arnold wrote a highly successful series of educational nonfiction books under the banner Fly Guy Presents. In these books, Buzz and Fly Guy go on field trips to learn about real-world topics. Popular subjects include dinosaurs, space, sharks, snakes, insects, weather, and castles. These books combine Arnold's signature cartoon illustrations with real-world photography and fact sheets. They can be read in any order and do not impact the continuity of the main fictional books.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
Because each Fly Guy book tells a self-contained story, you do not need to worry about a complex chronological timeline. The characters do not age, and the setting remains a colorful, timeless cartoon suburbia. However, following the publication order is the best approach for two reasons:
- Character Introductions: Reading in order ensures that Liz and Fly Girl are introduced in Book 8 before they show up as established friends in later adventures.
- Illustration Evolution: Tedd Arnold’s distinct, bug-eyed art style and use of media (such as colored pencils and watercolor washes) refine slightly over the fifteen-year run of the series, making chronological reading visually satisfying.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Fly Guy, parents and educators should know that the series is widely celebrated for its accessibility. The books are written at a Guided Reading Level of H to J (equivalent to late Kindergarten to 2nd-grade reading levels). The series is particularly famous for engaging reluctant readers—especially young boys—thanks to its slapstick humor, gross-out jokes involving garbage, and dynamic comic-book panels. Tedd Arnold's work on the series has been highly decorated, earning Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors for both Hi! Fly Guy in 2006 and I Spy Fly Guy! in 2010.