Jeff Kinney changed children’s publishing by blending laugh-out-loud diary writing with cartoon-style illustrations. The enormously popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series captures the awkwardness, anxiety, and comedy of middle school so well that readers instantly recognize themselves in Greg Heffley’s disasters. If you love stories packed with school drama, embarrassing moments, and visual humor, there are plenty of other authors worth exploring.
If you enjoy reading books by Jeff Kinney then you might also like the following authors:
Dav Pilkey is the creator of the Captain Underpants series. The books follow George and Harold, two fourth-grade best friends who spend much of their time making comics and causing trouble at school.
After one particularly mischievous moment, they hypnotize their principal, Mr. Krupp, and accidentally turn him into Captain Underpants, an unlikely superhero wearing little more than underwear and a cape. The stories move quickly, lean hard into absurd comedy, and include comic-book sections drawn by the boys themselves.
Rachel Renée Russell writes the Dork Diaries series, which has strong appeal for readers who enjoy diary-style storytelling. The main character, Nikki Maxwell, records her thoughts after transferring to a fancy private school where she feels immediately out of place.
Her diary is filled with doodles, crushes, friendship drama, and the daily challenge of dealing with the queen bee, MacKenzie Hollister. One especially memorable storyline centers on Nikki trying to keep MacKenzie from learning an embarrassing secret about her dad’s job.
Lincoln Peirce is the author and illustrator of the Big Nate series. Nate Wright is a sixth-grader with enormous confidence and a talent for landing in trouble, all while remaining convinced he is destined for greatness.
In Big Nate: In a Class by Himself, a fortune cookie tells him, Today you will surpass all others. Nate takes that as a sign of coming glory, but the day quickly fills with detention, classroom clashes, and misguided schemes. Like Kinney’s books, the series uses cartoons and doodles to deepen the humor.
Liz Pichon writes and illustrates the Tom Gates series, another excellent choice for fans of handwritten pages, doodles, and everyday chaos. Tom keeps a journal overflowing with drawings and commentary about school, his irritating older sister Delia, and his band, DogZombies.
In The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, Tom is far more interested in snacks, music, and avoiding homework than in behaving himself. The appeal comes from his lively voice, scribbly presentation, and funny observations about family life and classroom nonsense.
Gordon Korman is known for funny, fast-moving stories that often unfold in school settings. His novel Ungifted follows Donovan Curtis, a prankster whose latest stunt accidentally gets him sent to the Academy for Scholastic Distinction.
Surrounded by brilliant students, Donovan has no real idea how he belongs there, but his improvisational style shakes up the entire school. The result is a mix of comedy, heart, and escalating chaos, including one very expensive robot disaster.
Aaron Blabey created The Bad Guys series, a set of illustrated chapter books with a goofy, energetic feel. The main characters are familiar “bad guy” animals—Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark—who suddenly decide they would rather be heroes.
Their first big mission is to rescue 200 dogs from a maximum-security dog pound, which is every bit as chaotic as it sounds. The books combine visual comedy, quick dialogue, and exaggerated action, making them especially good for reluctant readers.
Megan McDonald writes the Judy Moody series, starring a third-grader with strong opinions and even stronger moods. Judy reacts to ordinary events with maximum drama, which gives the books much of their charm.
In the first book, Judy Moody Was in a Mood, Judy begins third grade in an unimpressed state of mind. A class project involving a Me collage gives her something to throw herself into, and the story captures sibling bickering, school frustrations, and Judy’s very specific way of seeing the world.
Andy Griffiths, often working with illustrator Terry Denton, writes wildly imaginative and wonderfully chaotic books. Their stories are packed with visual jokes, silly ideas, and a nonstop sense of fun.
The 13-Storey Treehouse introduces Andy and Terry, who live in a spectacular treehouse complete with a bowling alley, a transparent swimming pool, man-eating sharks, and a marshmallow machine. They are meant to be writing a book, but distractions keep piling up in the form of flying cats, giant fruit, and complete mayhem.
Rene Goscinny, best known for Asterix, also wrote the Nicholas series (Le Petit Nicolas), illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé. These stories are narrated by a young French schoolboy whose innocent perspective makes ordinary childhood events especially funny.
Nicholas talks about his friends, including Alceste, who is always eating, and Rufus, whose father is a policeman. The humor comes from playground rivalries, classroom mishaps, and the small misunderstandings that loom large when you are young.
Terri Libenson creates graphic novels about middle school life with plenty of emotional insight and humor. Invisible Emmie centers on shy, artistic Emmie and confident, popular Katie, whose lives seem completely separate at first.
That changes when an embarrassing note written by Emmie falls into the wrong hands. The novel alternates between Emmie’s diary-like illustrated entries and Katie’s comic-panel perspective, giving readers two very different views of school, friendship, and social disaster.
Barbara Park created the beloved Junie B. Jones series. The books follow a hilarious and outspoken young girl whose distinctive voice makes even simple situations memorable.
In Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, Junie B. becomes so nervous about riding the bus home that she hides at school instead. What follows is a funny after-hours adventure that perfectly showcases her imagination, her stubbornness, and her unforgettable way of talking.
Jonathan Meres writes The World of Norm series, which follows a boy convinced that life is unfair in just about every possible way. Norm’s complaints, frustrations, and running commentary will feel familiar to readers who enjoy grumbling narrators.
In May Contain Nuts, Norm is grounded and cut off from TV, which only adds to his sense that the world is against him. Family embarrassments, annoying siblings, and everyday disasters keep piling up, and the humor comes from how intensely Norm reacts to all of it.
Louis Sachar writes books that balance humor with mystery, emotion, and deeper themes. His novel Holes follows Stanley Yelnats, who is wrongly sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp in the desert.
There is no green lake at all—just a dry lakebed where the boys are forced to dig one large hole each day. As Stanley begins uncovering the camp’s secrets, the story connects past and present in a clever, rewarding way that makes this a great next step for readers ready for something a little richer.
Nathan Hale (the author, not the historical figure) created the graphic novel series Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. These books bring American history to life through comics, humor, and vivid storytelling.
In One Dead Spy, the historical Nathan Hale, having been captured by the British, tells his own story and other Revolutionary War events to his captors just before his execution. The combination of lively art, maps, and witty dialogue makes the history feel surprisingly immediate and entertaining.
Matt Stanton writes and illustrates the Funny Kid series, which centers on Max, a boy determined to become the funniest kid in school. The books combine cartoon art with school-based comedy in a way that will appeal to many Jeff Kinney fans.
In Funny Kid for President, Max decides to run for class president after a humiliating moment with his teacher. Facing off against the popular and seemingly flawless Abby, he launches a campaign built on stunts, jokes, and sheer determination to prove he can win people over.
