Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Playful books have jokes, lessons, some stereotypes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 21 parent reviews
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say the series features amusing stories and memorable characters that can engage young readers, yet it has sparked significant controversy due to its portrayal of gender stereotypes and inappropriate behavior among its characters. Critics argue that it promotes rudeness and disrespect, with the main character serving as a bad role model, leading many to believe it is unsuitable for children.
- engaging stories
- negative stereotypes
- bad role model
- promotes rudeness
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In the MY WEIRD SCHOOL series, second-grader Arlo Jervis (aka A.J.) hates school, and he does everything he can to cause the maximum disruption while doing the minimum amount of work. Sometimes, though, he's tricked into working hard, like when his new teacher, Miss Daisy, says she doesn't know how to do math and her entire class has to teach her addition. Or when the principal, Mr. Klutz, says he'd give the school a chocolate party and kiss a pig if they wrote 100,000 spelling words. With his friends Ryan and Michael, A.J. squares off against the girls, Andrea and Emily, in a constant boys-vs.-girls battle that stereotypes learning and school as nerdy and female and sports and rambunctious behavior as innately male.
Is It Any Good?
This beginning chapter book series is for any kid who doesn't like school, enjoys watching kids get away with pranks, or wants to see school as a sillier place than it is. Kids love reading the My Weird School series. The language is age-appropriate, the adult characters are as loopy as they come, and the friendships between the kids are real. But any reader who's felt the sting of schoolyard teasing, or who's sensitive to seeing kids pick on each other, or who doesn't like the "boys vs. girls" theme might have a hard time with the content.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the name-calling in the My Weird School series. Does it seem over the top to you, or do kids at your school insult one another this much?
What other books about school friends have you read? Is a school friend different from a neighbor friend?
Can jokes turn into bullying if taken too far? What can you do if someone bullies you or if you see someone else being bullied?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jim Paillot
- Genre : For Beginning Readers
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperTrophy
- Publication date : July 1, 2004
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 10
- Number of pages : 96
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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