How to Read the My Weird School Series
Dan Gutman’s massive My Weird School franchise is best approached by following its publication order. Because the characters—led by the school-hating second-grader A.J. and his brainy rival Andrea—grow up and progress through school very slowly across the different subseries arcs, reading the main series in order keeps their school-year transitions and recurring jokes in context. However, the individual books within each arc are highly episodic, meaning young readers can easily pick up almost any book as a standalone story without feeling lost.
The Recommended Reading Path
- My Weird School (Original Series): The best starting point. This 21-book series introduces the core cast, Ella Mentry School, and the bizarre staff, beginning with Miss Daisy Is Crazy!.
- My Weird School Daze: A 12-book follow-up series where the kids move on to the third grade, introducing a new set of wacky school staff.
- My Weirder School: Another 12-book arc filled with even weirder guest stars, teachers, and municipal figures.
- My Weirdest School: This 12-book subseries continues the third-grade antics with increasingly ridiculous situations.
- My Weirder-est School: A 12-book run featuring dental visits, snow days, and maker-space madness.
- My Weird-tastic School: The latest ongoing arc, launched in 2023, keeping the Ella Mentry traditions alive with new characters like Miss Banks and Professor Pitt.
Understanding the Subseries and Spin-Offs
Over the years, the Ella Mentry universe has expanded beyond the main narrative arcs. Here is where the companion series, graphic novels, and holiday specials fit in:
My Weird School Specials
These are longer, holiday-themed books that feature bonus puzzles, trivia, and games at the back. While they were published alongside the main arcs, they function as fun, seasonal standalones that can be read at any time. Popular titles include It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green! and Deck the Halls, We're Off the Walls!.
My Weird School Fast Facts
If your reader loves non-fiction trivia, this spin-off is perfect. Narrated by A.J. and Andrea, these books cover real-world topics like sports, geography, science, and history, blending educational facts with the characters' signature bickering and humor.
My Weird School Graphic Novels
For kids who prefer visual storytelling, Gutman teamed up with illustrator Jim Paillot to create full-color graphic novels like Mr. Corbett Is in Orbit! and Get a Grip! We're on a Trip!. These offer the same quirky humor but in a comic-strip layout ideal for visual learners.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into the books, it helps to understand why the series is formatted the way it is. The books are designed specifically to appeal to reluctant readers, featuring short chapters, simple vocabulary, repetitive sentence structures, and plenty of illustrations. A.J.'s running gag of hating school is balanced by Andrea's love for it, creating a fun, relatable dynamic for elementary school children. While the grown-ups are outrageously incompetent or bizarre, the underlying themes always circle back to friendship, teamwork, and finding sneaky ways to enjoy learning.