What to read after... the Baby Aliens series by Pamela Butchart

Published on: 21 September 2023

Pamela Butchart’s Izzy series (starting with Baby Aliens Got My Teacher) are a huge favourite amongst many readers. The magic of her storytelling lies in her ability to craft stories that mirror the joys and challenges of growing up. Children instantly connect with her lovable characters, each one brimming with their own unique quirks and endearing traits.

As they follow the escapades of Izzy and her friends, young readers find themselves navigating a world filled with friendship, imagination, and a whole lot of laughter. But once you’ve completed the series, readers can often struggle knowing where to explore next. Never fear, we’re here to point you in the direction of some other fantastic books that you’ll love!

Illustrated giggles

Jump into The Accidental Diary of B.U.G by Jen Carney and join Billie Upton Green as she navigates life and school. The books are written as a diary so they’re quick and easy to read. They’re also massive hits with all readers too.

Planet Omar by Zanib Mian is a perfect illustrated read that shows the accidental troubles that Omar gets involved in. Including somehow getting lost on a school trip on the London Underground (as a teacher, reading it gave me heart palpitations). You’ll fall in love with Omar and luckily there are plenty of sequels to keep you busy!

Maz Evans has long been known as one of children’s books comedy queens. The Exploding Life of Scarlett Fife is another perfect book for fans of Pamela Butchart, with giggles and mishaps a plenty!

Funny longer novels

Greta and the Ghost Hunters by Sam Copeland is a little longer than Pamela’s books, but it is equally as funny and brilliant as them. I could have chosen any of his books, as they are all hilarious.

David Solomons’ A Beginner's Guide to Ruling the Galaxy is a step up in terms of length of books. But the story is exciting and funny enough to make the extra 100ish pages worth it. A great step into longer books and improving your reading stamina.

Little Horror by Daniel Peak is one of my favourite hidden treasures. It made me laugh so much and I love recommending it to anyone who’ll listen. A genius two year old must go on the run to evade capture. At times you’ll be on the edge of your seat whilst other times you’ll be belly laughing. You won’t regret jumping into this comedy adventure!

Silly Schools

Joanna Nadin and Rikin Parekh have created another class that you’ll love investing your time in. In The Worst Class in the World, join 4B and their unfortunate adventures. They don’t mean to be the worst class in the world, somehow it just happens...

Aron Nels Steinke’s Mr Wolf’s Class is a well-loved graphic novel that captures life in an American fifth-grade class (Year 6 over here). You’ll quickly fall in love with all of the characters and you’ll be seeking out the sequels!

More by Pamela Butchart

For younger readers (or just fans searching for more of Pamela’s trademark humour) you can’t go wrong jumping into the Wigglesbottom Primary series. Much like the Izzy books, the class constantly exaggerate or misunderstand ordinary situations, which leads to all kinds of mishaps. Each book contains three mini stories so they’re perfect for those who need shorter or easier to read tales.

Fans will also be pleased to know that Pamela was chosen to write another Secret Seven adventure using Enid Blyton’s well-loved characters. As a huge fan of the originals when I was younger, I loved the new updated adventure!

There is also Petunia Perry (fabulously illustrated by Gemma Correll), which is all about fitting in and being different. Petunia’s adventures are based at secondary school so they’re a little step up from Izzy but still suitable for primary children.

Hopefully we’ve given you enough books to satisfy your cravings for hilarious books. Fingers crossed you love them too!

Dean Boddington is an Assistant Headteacher, parent and Book Blogger. He creates a monthly reading newsletter – 'No Shelf Control' – as well as producing recommendation resources for schools. Check out misterbodd.wordpress.com and Facebook.com/no-shelf-control-reviews