What books are similar to The Bad Guys?

The 10 closest matches to The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey on ReadingList include Awkward, Primer, Allergic, Coraline, and Skeleton Key. Each is scored on shared themes (animals, heroes, and rescues), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Bad Guys reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like The Bad Guys

If you liked The Bad Guys, read Awkward, Primer, or Allergic — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey (Graphic Novel · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of animals, heroes, and rescues. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Awkwardgrades 3–5: Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Primergrades 4–8: Shares themes of graphic novel, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Allergicgrades 4–6: Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Coralinegrades 3–5: Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Skeleton Keygrades 3–5: Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
A Boy Called Batgrades 3–5: Shares themes of animals and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Dog Man Unleashedgrades 3–6: Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Dramagrades 5–9: Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Giants Bewaregrades 3–5: Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Real Friendsgrades 2–8: Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →

Books like The Bad Guys for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Bone by Jeff Smith · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel) and overlapping grades (2–8).
Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle · grades K–2 — Shares themes of animals.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo · 450L — Shares themes of animals and overlapping grades (K–3).
Picture Purrfect (Bodega Cats #1) by Hilda Eunice Burgos · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of animals and overlapping grades (2–5).
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of animals and overlapping grades (2–5).

Books like The Bad Guys for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

The Big Bad Fox by Benjamin Renner · grades 3–5 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson · grades 3–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s).
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass · grades 3–5 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).
Athlete vs. Mathlete by W. C. Mack · grades 3–5 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).

Books like The Bad Guys for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson · grades 3–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s).
Bone by Jeff Smith · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel) and overlapping grades (2–8).
Class Act by Jerry Craft · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel) and overlapping grades (4–8).
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix · grades 4–6 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).

Books like The Bad Guys for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans · grades 6–9 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list and the same era (2010s).
Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Graphic Novel).
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–9 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s).

Book data last updated 2026-07-07. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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