Below is the complete list of James Patterson’s I Funny books in order of publication. This is the recommended reading sequence for the series.
I Funny Books in Publication Order
with Chris Grabenstein
- I Funny (2012)
View Book - I Even Funnier (2013)
View Book - I Totally Funniest (2015)
View Book - I Funny TV (2015)
View Book - School of Laughs (2017)
View Book - Laugh Out Loud (2017)
View Book - The Nerdiest, Wimpiest, Dorkiest I Funny Ever (2018)
View Book
About I Funny
James Patterson’s I Funny books are some of his most successful middle-grade novels because they balance broad humor with a surprisingly steady emotional core. The official series centers on Jamie Grimm and includes six main books: I Funny, I Even Funnier, I Totally Funniest, I Funny TV, I Funny: School of Laughs, and The Nerdiest, Wimpiest, Dorkiest I Funny Ever. Patterson’s own series pages present those titles as one connected run, and the books were written with Chris Grabenstein, with illustrations by Laura Park.
Jamie is the reason the series holds together so well. He wants to be a stand-up comedian, and that ambition gives the books their energy, but the deeper appeal comes from the way comedy becomes part of how he handles ordinary life, disappointment, embarrassment, and pain. He is not written as a fantasy version of a funny kid who effortlessly wins everyone over. Patterson and Grabenstein make him vulnerable, awkward, and resilient, which gives the humor a little more weight than simple joke delivery would on its own. The comedy matters, but so does the fact that Jamie keeps trying in situations where it would be easier to give up.
The first three books establish the essential arc of the series. I Funny introduces Jamie’s dream of becoming the funniest kid comic around, I Even Funnier pushes him further into competition and performance pressure, and I Totally Funniest continues that climb as his confidence and visibility grow. What makes these books readable in sequence is not just the contest structure, but the sense that Jamie is gradually building a public version of himself while still being a kid with family strain, school problems, and the constant unpredictability of adolescence. The books move quickly, but they are not empty. They are interested in what laughter can do for a person who needs it.
Once the series reaches I Funny TV, the scope widens. Jamie is no longer only trying to prove himself locally or in staged competitions; he is dealing with attention, visibility, and the strange pressures that come when success becomes public. Then I Funny: School of Laughs shifts the concept in a smart way by having Jamie teach comedy to other kids in an effort to help save the school library. That move fits the series well. It keeps the humor central, but it also lets the books become more openly about sharing confidence, finding voice, and turning performance into connection rather than just self-advancement.
By the time The Nerdiest, Wimpiest, Dorkiest I Funny Ever arrives, Jamie has already gone through enough public growth that the series can play with success itself. The later books understand that getting what you want does not magically remove insecurity. Jamie remains funny, but he also remains recognizably human, which is one of the main reasons the series avoids feeling mechanical across multiple installments. The voice stays upbeat, yet the character never becomes too polished to care about.
Within Patterson’s huge bibliography, I Funny stands out because it is lighter and kinder in spirit than many of his better-known thrillers, yet still clearly built for momentum. It belongs to the children’s and middle-grade side of his work, but it does not treat younger readers as though they only want noise and punchlines. Jamie Grimm’s story works because it understands that humor is often tied to vulnerability, and that making people laugh can be both a performance and a form of courage. That gives the series more staying power than its bright packaging might first suggest.