What reading level is the Bad Guys (Scholastic) series?

Bad Guys (Scholastic) books are at a grades 2–3 reading level (average grade level 2.5), and HootRated recommends the series for ages 5–12. There are 21 books in the series.

What order should I read the Bad Guys (Scholastic) books?

Series numbers aren't available for most Bad Guys (Scholastic) books, so HootRated lists them by publication date: The Bad Guys (2016); The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable (2016); The Bad Guys in The furball strikes back (2016); The BAD GUYS - Guide to Being Good (2017); The Bad Guys in Attack of the Zittens (2017); and 16 more.

What age is the Bad Guys (Scholastic) series appropriate for?

HootRated recommends Bad Guys (Scholastic) for ages 5–12. Content is gentle to mild (HootRated intensity 1–2 out of 5). Intensity stays consistent across the series, so a reader who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.

Bad Guys (Scholastic) Books in Order

Bad Guys (Scholastic) is a 21-book series by Aaron Blabey for ages 5–12, at a grades 2–3 reading level, with gentle to mild content (HootRated intensity 1–2 out of 5).

Books: 21; By publication date
Reading level: Grades 2–3; Average grade level 2.5
Recommended ages: Ages 5–12; From HootRated age ratings
Content intensity: Gentle to mild; HootRated 1–2 out of 5 · avg 1.3

Bad Guys (Scholastic) Reading Order

Series numbers aren't available for most Bad Guys (Scholastic) books, so they're listed by publication date (oldest first).

#	Title	Reading Level	Ages	Content
1	The Bad Guys Ann Howard Creel] [Jul-2007] 2016	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
2	The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable 2016	Level 2-3	5-8	Mild
3	The Bad Guys in The furball strikes back 2016	Level 2-3	5-8	Mild
4	The BAD GUYS - Guide to Being Good 2017	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
5	The Bad Guys in Attack of the Zittens 2017	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
6	The Bad Guys in intergalactic gas 2017	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
7	The bad guys in Alien vs. Bad Guys 2018	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
8	The bad guys in do-you-think-he-saurus? 2018	Level 2-3	5-8	Mild
9	The Bad Guys in Superbad 2018	Level 2-3	5-8	Mild
10	The Bad Guys in the baddest day ever 2019	Level 2-3	5-8	Mild
11	The Bad Guys in the Big Bad Wolf 2019	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
12	Bad Guys in the Dawn of the Underlord 2020	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
13	One?! 2020	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
14	The Bad Guys in Cut to the Chase 2021	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
15	The Bad Guys in They're Bee-Hind You! 2021	Level 2-3	5-8	Mild
16	Bad Guys #15 Book 15 · 2022	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
17	The Bad Guys The Others? 2022	Level 2-3	9-12	Gentle
18	Bad Guys #18 Book 18 · 2023	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
19	The Bad Guys in Let The Games Begin! 2023	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
20	Bad Guys #20 Book 20 · 2024	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle
21	Bad Guys in the Serpent and the Beast (the Bad Guys #19) Book 19 · 2024	Level 2-3	5-8	Gentle

Content Intensity Across the Series

Consistent

Content stays at a steady intensity level throughout the series.

First book Latest book

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 Guys (Scholastic) (21 books by Aaron Blabey) lands at a grades 2–3 reading level, with average content intensity 1.3/5. Intensity stays consistent across the series, so a reader who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.

The reading-order table above lists every book with per-volume reading level, age and intensity ratings 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.

All Bad Guys (Scholastic) Books

The Bad Guys

Aaron Blabey

The Bad Guys

Aaron Blabey

Bad Guys (Scholastic) Books in Order

Bad Guys (Scholastic) Reading Order

Content Intensity Across the Series

All Bad Guys (Scholastic) Books

The Bad Guys

The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable

The Bad Guys in The furball strikes back

The BAD GUYS - Guide to Being Good

The Bad Guys in Attack of the Zittens

The Bad Guys in intergalactic gas

The bad guys in Alien vs. Bad Guys

The bad guys in do-you-think-he-saurus?

The Bad Guys in Superbad

The Bad Guys in the baddest day ever

The Bad Guys in the Big Bad Wolf

Bad Guys in the Dawn of the Underlord

One?!

The Bad Guys in Cut to the Chase

The Bad Guys in They're Bee-Hind You!

Bad Guys #15

The Bad Guys The Others?

Bad Guys #18

The Bad Guys in Let The Games Begin!

Bad Guys #20

Bad Guys in the Serpent and the Beast (the Bad Guys #19)

Series Like Bad Guys (Scholastic): What to Read Next

Questions about the Bad Guys (Scholastic) series