Dan Gutman is an author many young readers enjoy. His books often have humor, history, and characters that are quite unique. If you want to discover authors that create books with a similar feel, here are some you might find interesting.
Andrew Clements writes funny and thoughtful stories about kids navigating school life in clever ways. If you enjoy Dan Gutman’s entertaining school-based adventures, then check out Clements’ popular book “Frindle.”
In this story, fifth-grader Nick Allen decides to create a new word after a teacher challenges him about dictionary definitions. Soon, the funny-sounding word “frindle” spreads across classrooms, causing confusion, excitement, and even controversy.
Readers will root for Nick as he stands by his creative idea against unexpected obstacles. Andrew Clements captures school friendships, classroom battles, and childhood courage with sincerity, humor, and plenty of heart.
Gordon Korman is a children’s author known for his humorous adventures and memorable characters. If you enjoy fun, fast-paced stories by Dan Gutman, you’ll probably appreciate Korman’s “Ungifted”.
This story follows Donovan Curtis, a troublemaking student who accidentally ends up in a gifted school program because of an administrative mix-up. Donovan suddenly finds himself among kids who excel academically, a situation that leads to funny, awkward, and heartfelt moments.
Filled with clever humor, believable friendships, and a relatable main character, “Ungifted” delivers laughs and great storytelling.
If you enjoy Dan Gutman’s humorous style and relatable characters, you’ll probably also appreciate Jeff Kinney. Kinney is known for his hilarious “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, especially the first book, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
This book introduces us to Greg Heffley, a middle-schooler whose struggles with family, friendship, and everyday life will make you laugh out loud. Greg’s diary entries mix simple sketches and sharp wit to show the awkwardness of growing up.
From embarrassing parents to chaotic school events, Greg’s hilarious honesty makes him feel like a friend you’ve known forever.
Readers who enjoy Dan Gutman’s humorous, engaging style will also appreciate Louis Sachar’s entertaining stories. Sachar’s “Holes” follows Stanley Yelnats, a young boy sent unjustly to Camp Green Lake, a peculiar correctional facility.
The warden demands the boys dig endless holes in the dried-up lake bed. This seemingly pointless activity slowly reveals a mystery tied to Stanley’s own family history and an old curse.
With memorable characters, clever twists, and Sachar’s signature wit, “Holes” offers readers a story that blends humor, mystery, and warmth from start to finish.
Readers who enjoy Dan Gutman’s humorous storytelling and relatable young protagonists will find Judy Blume’s books equally entertaining. Blume writes candidly about childhood and adolescence in ways that feel honest and refreshing.
Her book “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” introduces readers to Peter Hatcher, a fourth-grader with an energetic and troublemaking younger brother named Fudge.
Peter tries hard to cope with his brother’s antics, especially when Fudge’s mischief threatens Peter’s own belongings, patience, and sanity.
With laugh-out-loud humor and relatable everyday struggles, Judy Blume captures the ups and downs of family life in a way that young readers will instantly recognize.
R.L. Stine is a favorite among readers who enjoy Dan Gutman’s imaginative and humorous style. He is best known for his Goosebumps series, packed with twists, memorable characters, and spooky adventures perfect for younger audiences.
One standout title is “Night of the Living Dummy,” about two sisters who come across a mysterious ventriloquist dummy named Slappy. Soon after the dummy arrives, strange events shake up their quiet household, filled with increasing tension and plenty of humor along the way.
Fans of Gutman’s lively plots and relatable characters often find Stine’s entertaining, fast-paced thrillers hard to put down.
If you enjoy Dan Gutman’s humorous storytelling and playful characters, you might like Dav Pilkey’s books too. Pilkey is best known for creating entertaining and funny children’s series such as “Captain Underpants.”
In “The Adventures of Captain Underpants,” readers meet George and Harold, two young classmates who love creating comics and playing pranks.
After pulling off a particularly wild joke, they accidentally hypnotize their grumpy principal, Mr. Krupp, into believing he is a superhero called Captain Underpants. This leads to hilarious adventures packed with funny situations and unforgettable villains.
Dav Pilkey blends humor, creativity, and friendship into stories that keep young readers laughing out loud.
Megan McDonald is an American children’s author known for her colorful characters and funny school-time adventures. Readers who enjoy Dan Gutman’s humorous style will find plenty to laugh about in McDonald’s “Judy Moody was in a Mood.”
In the story, Judy isn’t thrilled about starting third grade and must get used to a ton of changes: a new teacher, new classmates, and a seat right next to Frank, who eats paste.
McDonald packs this story with plenty of funny moments, playful problems, and relatable feelings about friendship and school life.
Readers who enjoy Dan Gutman’s humorous style will likely appreciate Chris Grabenstein, an author known for adventurous plots and witty characters that make reading fun.
In “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library,” Kyle Keeley is excited when he’s selected to spend the night in the town’s new, high-tech library designed by the eccentric game maker Luigi Lemoncello.
When the doors remain locked overnight, Kyle and his friends realize they’re actually in a clever puzzle-filled competition to find the secret escape route.
The puzzles, riddles, and bookish adventures throughout the story provide plenty of humor, enthusiasm, and creative challenges sure to appeal to fans of quick-paced, imaginative books.
Readers who enjoy Dan Gutman’s humor and relatable school adventures might also appreciate Lincoln Peirce’s entertaining stories.
Peirce is best known for his “Big Nate” series, which centers on the hilarious misadventures of Nate Wright, an energetic and mischievous sixth-grader convinced that he is destined for greatness.
In “Big Nate: In a Class by Himself,” Nate finds a fortune cookie predicting he’ll surpass everyone at something. His efforts to make this prediction come true lead to one comedic encounter after another at school.
Fans of school-based humor with funny sketches and lively characters will find plenty to enjoy in Lincoln Peirce’s books.
If you enjoy the humor and playful storytelling of Dan Gutman’s books, then you’ll probably have fun reading Tom Angleberger.
His book “The Strange Case of Origami Yoda” is a clever, funny story about a group of sixth-graders who encounter Dwight, a quirky kid with an origami finger puppet of Yoda. Dwight uses the paper Jedi to give mysteriously accurate advice to his classmates.
The story is narrated through hilarious case files as kids try to figure out if Origami Yoda really has special powers or if it’s all just goofiness from Dwight.
Angleberger mixes humor, school troubles, and friendship into a lively read that keeps young readers laughing and guessing.
Books by Kate Klise are full of playful stories, humor, and quirky adventures that fans of Dan Gutman often enjoy.
If you liked Gutman’s “My Weird School” series, check out Klise’s “Regarding the Fountain,” a funny mystery told through letters and memos exchanged between students, school staff, and a delightfully eccentric fountain designer.
The plot revolves around a dry, broken drinking fountain at Dry Creek Middle School and the uproar caused by the designer’s unusual ideas and the puzzling clues to a missing water source.
Kids looking for laughs, memorable characters, and imaginative storytelling will appreciate Klise’s lively and creative approach.
Jon Scieszka is an author who creates funny and imaginative children’s stories packed with twists and laughter. His book “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” offers hilarious parodies of classic fairy tales.
Each story surprises readers with silly scenarios and absurd characters, such as a Gingerbread Man replaced with a stinky cheese figure who nobody really wants to chase.
Readers who enjoy Dan Gutman’s humorous and quirky style in series like “My Weird School” will likely appreciate Scieszka’s playful sense of humor and lively storytelling.
Barbara Park was an author known for her humor and ability to capture kids’ voices perfectly. Her “Junie B. Jones” series is funny and charming, with plenty of school adventures and mishaps that fans of Dan Gutman’s “My Weird School” will easily connect to.
In “Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus,” Junie’s about to start kindergarten, but she’s not excited at all, especially about taking the school bus. She thinks it’s loud, it smells weird, and she heard the older kids pour chocolate milk on each other’s heads.
When the first day finally comes, Junie decides she isn’t going home on that bus no matter what, which kicks off a hilarious afternoon of hiding out and getting into all sorts of trouble at school.
If you liked the goofy school-day fun of Dan Gutman’s stories, Barbara Park’s books will make you laugh out loud, too.
Books by Jerry Spinelli often feature quirky characters and relatable situations that fans of Dan Gutman might appreciate.
In the book “Maniac Magee,” Spinelli introduces Jeffrey Magee, an unusual boy with legendary athletic skills and a knack for challenging the boundaries of his divided town.
Magee runs away from home and becomes somewhat of a local hero, known for his amazing feats and his fearless approach toward breaking down barriers between cultures.
It’s a story full of humor, excitement, and moments of genuine warmth, the kind of read that can make readers smile and think deeply at the same time.