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Quick answer: If you loved The Terrible Two, read Andrew Clements's Frindle, Lunch Money and The Landry News, then Aaron Blabey's The Bad Guys, then Tom Angleberger's Origami Yoda: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, and Jim Benton's Dear Dumb Diary and Judy Blume's Fudge-a-Mania, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge. All are funny pranks and school humour.
Mac Barnett and Jory John's The Terrible Two is about two pranksters at school. These picks share the laughs.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frindle | Andrew Clements | 8-12 | readers who like school pranks |
| The Bad Guys | Aaron Blabey | 5-9 | reluctant readers |
| Origami Yoda: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda | Tom Angleberger | 8-12 | Star Wars fans |
| Dear Dumb Diary | Jim Benton | 8-12 | kids who like sarcasm |
| Lunch Money | Andrew Clements | Ages 8-12 | entrepreneurs |
| The Landry News | Andrew Clements | Ages 8-12 | school newspaper |
| Fudge-a-Mania | Judy Blume | Ages 8-12 | family comedy |
| Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing | Judy Blume | Ages 7-11 | family comedy |
| Superfudge | Judy Blume | 7-11 | readers who want more Fudge |
| Dog Man | Dav Pilkey | 6-10 | young comic fans |
| Diary of a Worm | Doreen Cronin | 3–7 | diary-style humor |
| Baby Aliens Got My Teacher! | Pamela Butchart | Ages 6-9 | the Butchart start |
| Better Nate Than Ever | Tim Federle | Ages 10-14 | musical dreams |
| Awkward | Svetlana Chmakova | 9-13 | manga and graphic novel fans |
| New Kid | Jerry Craft | 8-12 | readers who like school stories |
1. Frindle by Andrew Clements
Nick Allen invents a new word for a pen, and the whole town joins in. Clever and sweet.
Best for: readers who like school pranks.
2. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
A wolf, a shark, a piranha and a snake try to be good. Comic-style humor.
Best for: reluctant readers.
3. Origami Yoda: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
A paper Yoda gives advice at school. Funny and clever.
Best for: Star Wars fans.
4. Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton
Jamie Kelly writes a hilarious, sarcastic diary about school, friends and enemies. Short and very funny.
Best for: kids who like sarcasm.
5. Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
A boy starts a business selling comic books at school. Funny and clever.
Best for: entrepreneurs.
6. The Landry News by Andrew Clements
A girl starts a newspaper in her classroom. Smart and fast.
Best for: school newspaper.
7. Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume
Peter's summer with his younger brother Fudge goes wrong. Funny and quick.
Best for: family comedy.
8. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Peter's little brother Fudge makes every day chaotic. Classic, warm and laugh-out-loud funny.
Best for: family comedy.
9. Superfudge by Judy Blume
Peter's family moves for a year, and Fudge starts kindergarten and a new baby sister appears. The direct sequel.
Best for: readers who want more Fudge.
10. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
A half-dog, half-man police officer fights crime in a silly comic. Perfect for reluctant readers.
Best for: young comic fans.
11. Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
A worm describes his day in short diary entries. Funny and clever.
Best for: diary-style humor.
12. Baby Aliens Got My Teacher! by Pamela Butchart
A girl is sure her teacher has been replaced by an alien. Silly and fast.
Best for: the Butchart start.
13. Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
A boy runs away to audition for a Broadway musical. Funny and sweet.
Best for: musical dreams.
14. Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
Penny tries to hide after an embarrassing moment and ends up on the Art Club. A sweet school story in manga style.
Best for: manga and graphic novel fans.
15. New Kid by Jerry Craft
Jordan, a Black seventh grader, starts at a prep school and navigates two worlds. Funny and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like school stories.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Terrible Two: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Terrible Two. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For pranks, read Frindle. For humour, try The Bad Guys. For school fun, pick Origami Yoda.
Related: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume: Summary and Key Takeaways · New Kid by Jerry Craft: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Terrible Two?
Mac Barnett and Jory John.
What age is it for?
About 8 to 12.
Is it a series?
Yes.
Which book here is best for readers who like school stories?
Try New Kid by Jerry Craft, which suits readers looking for readers who like school stories.
Which book here is best for manga and graphic novel fans?
Try Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, which suits readers looking for manga and graphic novel fans.
Which book here is best for musical dreams?
Try Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle, which suits readers looking for musical dreams.
Which book here is best for the Butchart start?
Try Baby Aliens Got My Teacher! by Pamela Butchart, which suits readers looking for the Butchart start.
Which book here is best for diary-style humor?
Try Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, which suits readers looking for diary-style humor.