The Bad Guys Reading Level: A Complete Guide

The Bad Guys Reading Level: A Complete Guide book cover

The Bad Guys, written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey, is a 137-page hybrid graphic novel about a wolf, a shark, a snake, and a piranha — animals with terrible reputations for being scary, dangerous, and well, bad — who decide they are done being bad guys and want to be heroes instead. Mr. Wolf has a plan: they will break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Their first good deed. They will be heroes. They will be the Good Guys Club. The problem is that Mr. Snake cannot stop eating Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark keeps smiling his terrible smile, and nobody — nobody — wants to be rescued by a wolf, a shark, a snake, and a piranha. First published in Australia in 2015 and released in the US by Scholastic, the series became an immediate phenomenon: a New York Times bestseller, eventually growing to twenty episodes and spawning a 2022 DreamWorks animated film. The format — bold black-and-white cartoon illustrations, speech balloons, short chapters, and maximum slapstick energy — sits between a graphic novel and an early chapter book, and it has proven to be one of the most effective reluctant-reader gateway series in children’s publishing since Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This complete guide covers The Bad Guys Episode 1’s reading level, recommended age, content, key characters, themes, and similar books — designed for parents, teachers, and students.

For Parents

A loud, funny, fast-moving hybrid graphic novel about notorious animal bad guys trying (badly) to do good things — one of the most reliable reluctant-reader gateway books in current children’s publishing. Ages 6–10, grades 1–4. No content concerns for the early volumes. Note: books 11 onward introduce supernatural/occult elements that some parents prefer to preview first.

For Teachers

A grades 1–4 classroom and library staple for reluctant readers and for children transitioning from picture books and early readers to longer texts. The hybrid format (graphic novel illustrations + chapter book text structure) makes it ideal for students who love comics but are ready for slightly more sustained text. The series’ message — that reputation is not destiny — supports SEL discussions about second chances and identity.

The Bad Guys Episode 1 at a Glance

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Author & IllustratorAaron Blabey (author & illustrator)
Published2015 (Scholastic Press / Scholastic Australia)
Grade Level1–4 (our assessment)
Recommended Age6–10
LexileNot published (hybrid format)
ATOS Level~2.5–3.0 (estimated)
Pages137
FormatHybrid graphic novel / early chapter book
GenreHumor / adventure / hybrid graphic novel
SeriesThe Bad Guys (20 episodes, 2015–2024; complete)

For official Lexile and AR levels, visit Lexile.com or AR BookFinder. ReadingVine provides independent editorial assessments.

What Reading Level Is The Bad Guys?

The Bad Guys Episode 1 does not have a widely published Lexile score — a consequence of its hybrid format, which sits between a graphic novel (scored on the GN Lexile scale) and a chapter book (scored on the standard Lexile scale) and does not fit either category cleanly. The ATOS level is estimated at approximately 2.5–3.0 based on the series’ interest level (grades 2–5) and the text complexity of comparable hybrid books. School Library Journal places it at grades 2–4; Scholastic recommends ages 7–10; Barnes & Noble lists it as grades 2–5.

In practice, the reading level scores are almost beside the point for this series. The Bad Guys is one of the most reliably effective reluctant-reader gateway books in current children’s publishing — the short chapters, the large illustrations, the speech balloon format, and the nonstop slapstick humor make it far more accessible than any formula score would indicate. The right question for most parents is not “what reading level is this?” but “will my child actually read it?” — and the answer to that question is almost always yes. For official Lexile and AR scores, visit Lexile.com or AR BookFinder. ReadingVine’s assessments are independent editorial judgments.

What Age Is The Bad Guys Appropriate For?

We recommend The Bad Guys Episode 1 for readers ages 6–10, grades 1–4. The first six to eight episodes are entirely appropriate for this age range — clean slapstick humor, cartoon-level peril, no significant content concerns. A note worth sharing with parents who plan to continue the series:

A Note on Later Episodes

While the early volumes (Episodes 1–10 approximately) are straightforwardly funny and appropriate for ages 6 and up, Episodes 11 onward introduce supernatural and demonic elements — including demon possession themes — that some parents prefer to preview before sharing with children. If you are selecting the series for a child under 10 or for a classroom, the first six to eight volumes are the safest range. The series was completed with Episode 20 (2024), so the full arc is now available for parents who want to preview the complete run.

What Is The Bad Guys About?

Mr. Wolf is done with his reputation. Yes, he has a rap sheet. Yes, he has eaten a few grandmothers. But he is tired of being feared and hated and generally considered a bad guy, and he has a plan: he and his most notorious animal associates will become heroes. They will be the Good Guys Club. They will do good deeds. They will save lives. He invites Mr. Snake (who loves eating small animals), Mr. Piranha (whose reputation in Bolivia’s rivers is legendary), and Mr. Shark (whose smile is absolutely terrifying) to a dinner meeting and presents his idea.

Their first mission: break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. It is an excellent plan. It would be an excellent plan for anyone other than a wolf, a shark, a snake, and a piranha. The dogs are understandably not thrilled to be rescued by their natural predators. Things go chaotically, hilariously, and mostly wrong before going mostly right. The Bad Guys are heroes. Kinda. They are definitely still bad. But they are trying, and that is the point of the whole series.

The Hybrid Format — Between Graphic Novel and Chapter Book

The Bad Guys occupies a format that has no precise name and that is one of its most important features for readers in the transitional stage between illustrated early readers and conventional chapter books. It is not quite a graphic novel — it has more sustained prose text than a graphic novel, organized into short chapters, with narrative passages that go beyond what speech balloons alone provide. It is not quite a chapter book — the illustrations are large, frequent, and integral to the jokes, not decorative. The format places it in the company of Dog Man, Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and similar hybrid texts that have proven enormously effective for children who love visuals but are ready for slightly more text.

The illustrations are rendered in black and white with Copic markers — Blabey’s loose, expressive cartoon style, full of exaggerated expressions and physical comedy timing that is part of the joke even in still images. A full-color edition of Episode 1 was subsequently released by Scholastic for readers who prefer color. The original black-and-white version is the one most commonly found in school libraries and is equally effective; the humor does not depend on color.

The Bad Guys Characters

Mr. Wolf The leader and the optimist — smooth-talking, vain, enthusiastic about the Good Guys Club project, and almost entirely responsible for everything that goes wrong through sheer force of overconfidence. Mr. Wolf is the straight man of the group in the comic sense: the one who insists the plan is working while everything around him collapses. His genuine desire to be good — despite being extremely bad at being good — is the series’ emotional engine.
Mr. Snake The skeptic and the saboteur — Mr. Wolf’s best friend and the one most convinced that this whole Good Guys project is a terrible idea. Mr. Snake cannot stop swallowing Mr. Piranha, which is a recurring problem for team cohesion. His grumpiness and pessimism are the series’ most reliably funny character note, and his eventual genuine investment in the group’s success is its most earned emotional arc.
Mr. Shark The gentle giant — enormous, friendly, genuinely enthusiastic about being good, and possessed of a smile so terrifying that everything he does to help makes things worse. Mr. Shark in a disguise is a recurring visual gag: his disguises fool no one. His sweet nature and his terrifying appearance in constant tension are the series’ most dependable physical comedy source.
Mr. Piranha The wildcard — tiny, ferocious, unpredictable, and regularly swallowed by Mr. Snake, which he takes personally. Mr. Piranha is the group’s most chaotic element and the most reliably surprising source of solutions when the chaos somehow resolves in their favor. His Bolivian river backstory is mentioned in passing and never explained, which is exactly right.

The Bad Guys Themes and Lessons

Reputation is not destiny Trying is the point Unlikely friends and misfits Anti-hero comedy with heart Second chances Being bad at being good — and doing it anyway

The series’ most important argument is embedded in its premise: reputation is not destiny. Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha are bad guys by reputation, by appearance, by instinct, and by history. They want to be good guys. The series’ comedy — and its genuine warmth — comes from the gap between what they are and what they are trying to become, and from the fact that the trying itself is more important than the succeeding. The Bad Guys fail constantly and spectacularly. They are also, unmistakably, good — in the sense that matters: they care about each other, they keep showing up, and they do not stop trying even when everything goes wrong.

This is an accessible and useful version of the growth mindset argument for children who find that framing preachy: the Bad Guys do not discuss growth mindset. They just fail enthusiastically and try again, which is both funnier and more honest about how growth actually works.

The series also has a genuine question at its center that the best middle readers will notice: can villains really change by deciding to be good? The early volumes hold this question open — the Bad Guys are still bad, they just want to be good, and the wanting matters even if the doing is chaotic. The later volumes develop the question considerably as the stakes escalate. For classroom discussion: is it enough to want to be good? What does actually being good require?

Talking with your child: Why does no one want to be rescued by the Bad Guys even though they’re trying to help? Is it fair to judge Mr. Wolf by his reputation? What makes someone a bad guy — is it who they are or what they do? Do you think the Bad Guys are actually becoming good guys?

The Bad Guys Film (DreamWorks, 2022)

The 2022 DreamWorks animated film, produced with Blabey as executive producer, significantly expands the cast, storyline, and visual style of the books — moving to full color, a heist-movie structure, and a broader ensemble. The film was well-received, earning strong reviews for its animation style (which has been compared to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and its voice cast. It is rated PG and runs approximately 100 minutes. Families who love the books will find the film a vivid and different companion; the film’s heist-movie register is more sophisticated than the books’ pure slapstick, making it more enjoyable for older family members while remaining appropriate for the same age range.

The Bad Guys Series

The Bad Guys is a complete series of 20 episodes, published 2015–2024, all by Aaron Blabey. The series was concluded with Episode 20: One Last Thing (2024). A spin-off series, Cat on the Run, began publication in 2023 and is ongoing. The main series is available in several boxed set configurations (five books per set), making it one of the most popular gift options in the children’s chapter book category. As noted in the age-appropriate section, Episodes 1–10 are the most straightforwardly appropriate for the youngest readers in the series’ range; Episodes 11 onward escalate in darkness and supernatural content.

Books Similar to The Bad Guys

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney · Grade 3–7 · Ages 8–12
The benchmark hybrid text series that demonstrated the format’s power for reluctant readers — and the closest comparison point for the Bad Guys’ approach to blending illustration and text. Both series have turned more non-reading children into readers than almost any other titles in recent publishing, and both do it by making the reading itself feel like the least effortful thing the book could be. Where the Bad Guys is pure slapstick comic adventure, Wimpy Kid is observational middle-school humor; both are reliably, undemandingly funny.
Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth
Judd Winick · Grade 2–5 · Ages 7–12
A graphic novel with the same combination of visual comedy, nonstop action, and genuine emotional warmth as the Bad Guys — and the same proven track record as a reluctant-reader gateway. Where the Bad Guys is funnier and simpler, Hilo has a slightly more developed emotional arc. Children who love one reliably love the other; libraries and classrooms that stock both see them checked out together constantly.
The Monster at the End of This Book
Jon Stone · Ages 2–6
A character who is entirely convinced of his own terrifying reputation and entirely wrong about it — the same comic premise as Mr. Wolf believing he can simply decide to be a hero. Grover’s self-important panic and Mr. Wolf’s self-important optimism are the same character note in completely different registers. The Monster at the End of This Book is for younger readers who are still in the picture book stage; the Bad Guys is the chapter book graduation point for the same sensibility.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Doreen Cronin · Ages 3–8
Animals with their own agenda operating in a world of humans who have underestimated them — the same fundamental comic dynamic as the Bad Guys. Both books find their humor in the gap between what animals are supposed to do and what they actually do when given the right motivation. Click Clack Moo is the picture book version; the Bad Guys is the chapter book escalation of the same premise.
The Day the Crayons Quit
Drew Daywalt · Grade K–2 · Ages 4–8
Objects (or animals) with strong opinions about their own identities staging a collective revolt against how others have defined them — the same premise as the Bad Guys rejecting their “bad guys” designation. Both books are at heart about the gap between how others see you and how you want to be seen, and both resolve in ways that involve accepting some of the old definition while changing others. The Day the Crayons Quit is the picture book version for the youngest readers.

About Aaron Blabey

Aaron Blabey was born in 1974 in Australia and studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) before working as an actor. He turned to writing and illustrating children’s books in the 2000s, publishing picture books including the Pig the Pug series (about an extremely ill-behaved pug dog) and Thelma the Unicorn (about a regular horse who wants to be a glamorous unicorn) before debuting The Bad Guys in 2015. The Bad Guys immediately became his most successful property: the series has now sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide, been translated into dozens of languages, and generated a major Hollywood film. Blabey served as executive producer on the 2022 DreamWorks adaptation. He lives in Australia. His illustration style — loose, expressive, maximum-energy cartoons rendered in ink and Copic markers — is immediately recognizable across all three of his major series and has been as influential in the hybrid graphic novel/chapter book format as any illustrator working in the genre today.

The Bad Guys: Frequently Asked Questions

What reading level is The Bad Guys?

The Bad Guys Episode 1 does not have a widely published Lexile score due to its hybrid format. ATOS is estimated at approximately 2.5–3.0. School Library Journal recommends grades 2–4; Scholastic recommends ages 7–10; Barnes & Noble lists grades 2–5. Our assessment: grades 1–4, ages 6–10. The reading level question matters less for this series than whether a child will read it — and they almost universally will. For official Lexile and AR scores, visit Lexile.com or AR BookFinder.

What is The Bad Guys about?

Mr. Wolf, Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Piranha — notorious bad guys with terrible reputations — decide they are done being bad and want to be heroes. Their first good deed: breaking two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Things go chaotically, hilariously, and mostly wrong before going mostly right. They are still bad. They are trying to be good. That is the whole series.

Is The Bad Guys appropriate for all ages?

Episodes 1–10 are appropriate for ages 6–10 with no significant content concerns — clean slapstick, cartoon-level peril. Episodes 11 onward introduce supernatural and demonic elements that some parents prefer to preview first. If selecting the series for children under 10 or for classroom use, the first six to eight volumes are the safest range. The complete series of 20 episodes was concluded in 2024.

Is The Bad Guys good for reluctant readers?

It is one of the most effective reluctant-reader gateway series in current children’s publishing. The hybrid format (lots of illustrations, speech balloons, short chapters, minimal dense prose), the nonstop slapstick humor, and the fast pacing make it far more accessible than its page count suggests. Children who say they hate reading routinely finish the first episode in a single sitting and immediately want Episode 2.

Is there a Bad Guys movie?

Yes — a 2022 DreamWorks animated film, rated PG, approximately 100 minutes. Blabey served as executive producer. The film significantly expands the cast and storyline from the books, adopts a heist-movie structure and full-color animation style, and received strong reviews for its visual ambition and voice cast. A natural companion to the books for family viewing.

How many Bad Guys books are there?

Twenty episodes in the main series (2015–2024), now complete with Episode 20: One Last Thing. A spin-off series, Cat on the Run, began in 2023 and is ongoing. The main series is available in five-book boxed sets. Episode 1 is the correct starting point; the series rewards reading in order as characters and storylines develop across volumes.