What reading level is the Bad Dog series?

The Bad Dog series by Martin Chatterton is at a Grades 5–5.3 reading level (average Grade 5.2). Intended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). There are 4 books in the series.

What order should I read the Bad Dog books?

The Bad Dog series has 4 books in order: 1. Bad Dog #1, 2. Bad Dog #4: Bad Dog Goes Barktastic, 3. Bad Dog and the curse of the president's knee, 4. Bad Dog and those crazy Martians.

What age is the Bad Dog series appropriate for?

The Bad Dog series is recommended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). The average content intensity is 1.3/5.

Bad Dog Books in Order

4 books by Martin Chatterton. Reading level: Grades 5–5.3. Middle Grades (Ages 9–12).

Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. Bad Dog (4 books by Martin Chatterton) lands at reading level Grades 5–5.3, with average content intensity 1.3/5. Intensity stays consistent across the series — a kid who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.

The reading-order table below lists every book with per-volume reading level and intensity badges so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.

Books

Grades 5–5.3

Reading Level

1.3/5

Avg. Intensity

Middle Grades

Content Intensity Across the Series

Consistent

Content stays at a steady intensity level throughout the series.

First book Latest book

Bad Dog Reading Order

#	Title	Reading Level	Content
1	Bad Dog #1 Martin Chatterton	Level 5	Gentle
2	Bad Dog #4: Bad Dog Goes Barktastic Martin Chatterton	Level 5-6	Mild
3	Bad Dog and the curse of the president's knee Martin Chatterton	Level 5-6	Gentle
4	Bad Dog and those crazy Martians Martin Chatterton	Level 5	Gentle

All Bad Dog Books

Bad Dog #1

Martin Chatterton

Bad Dog #1

Martin Chatterton

Level 5 Gentle

Bad Dog #4: Bad Dog Goes Barktastic

Martin Chatterton

Bad Dog #4: Bad Dog Goes Barktastic

Martin Chatterton

Level 5-6 Mild

Bad Dog and the curse of the president's knee

Martin Chatterton

Bad Dog and the curse of the president's knee

Martin Chatterton

Level 5-6 Gentle

Bad Dog and those crazy Martians

Martin Chatterton

Bad Dog and those crazy Martians

Martin Chatterton

Level 5 Gentle

Questions about the Bad Dog series

What reading level is the Bad Dog series?: The Bad Dog series by Martin Chatterton is at a Grades 5–5.3 reading level (average Grade 5.2). Intended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). There are 4 books in the series.
What order should I read the Bad Dog books?: The reading-order table above lists all 4 books with per-volume reading level and intensity ratings. Start with book 1 and read in publication order unless the table indicates a different recommended order for newer readers.
What age is the Bad Dog series appropriate for?: The Bad Dog series is recommended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). The average content intensity is 1.3/5. Check the intensity trajectory above to see whether content gets heavier across the series — if it does, sensitive readers may want to stop earlier in the run.