Do they need to read the previous books first?

Not strictly. Each book is a standalone mystery, but the characters and the 'S.U.I.T.' agency are established in the first book. If your kid is a stickler for continuity, start at the beginning, but they won't be lost if they jump in here.

Is the humor appropriate for a 6 or 7-year-old?

Absolutely. It’s very much in the vein of SpongeBob or Phineas and Ferb. There’s some mild 'potty' humor, but it’s never mean-spirited or overly gross.

How difficult is the reading level?

It’s perfect for 2nd to 4th graders. The vocabulary is actually quite sophisticated because of the puns, but the visual context of the comic panels helps kids decode words they might not know yet.

InvestiGators: Weather or Not – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

InvestiGators: Weather or Not

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book

89%

WISE Score

Two alligator detectives, a deluge of puns, and a weather-themed mystery that makes middle-grade reading actually feel like a treat.

InvestiGators: Weather or Not

book

89%

WISE Score

Two alligator detectives, a deluge of puns, and a weather-themed mystery that makes middle-grade reading actually feel like a treat.

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Where to Read

Amazon

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Screenwise Verdict

If you're looking for the 'gateway drug' to get your kid to love reading, this is it. John Patrick Green's InvestiGators series is consistently funny, smart, and visually engaging. Weather or Not continues that streak with a mystery that’s just complex enough to keep them guessing without causing frustration.

It’s the kind of book a kid will read under the covers with a flashlight. It doesn't lecture, it doesn't try to be 'important,' and it doesn't talk down to them. It just delivers high-quality cartoon fun that happens to build visual literacy and vocabulary along the way.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 7-10 crowd. It's the natural next step for kids who have memorized every Dog Man book but want something slightly more 'spy-fi' and gadget-focused.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's built on teamwork and goofy friendship. While it thrives on chaos and puns, it lacks the mean-spiritedness found in some middle-grade humor.

Imaginative

The gadgetry (S.U.I.T. academy) and visual gags require kids to pay attention to details in the panels, rewarding observant readers.

Safe

Extremely safe. It's a graphic novel for 7-year-olds. Slapstick and bathroom humor are the only 'risks,' and they are very mild.

Enriching

A masterclass in puns and wordplay, which is stealthy vocabulary building. Excellent for reluctant readers who need high visual engagement.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Pun-heavy humor that rewards kids for understanding double meanings and wordplay.
Reluctant reader bait—the graphic novel format is fast-paced and visually dense without being overwhelming.
Clever world-building involving the S.U.I.T. (Special Undercover Investigation Teams) that sparks imaginative play.
Cooperative leads—Mango and Brash actually like each other and work together, modeling a healthy friendship.

⚠

What to Watch For

The toilet humor is present but generally stays in the 'potty joke' lane rather than anything gross-out or mean.
The chaotic pacing can be a lot for kids who prefer a linear, quiet story; it’s high-energy from page one.

Conversation Starters

"Which of Mango and Brash's gadgets would be the most useful in real life?"
"Did you catch the pun on page [X]? How does that word have two different meanings?"
"If you had to design a secret agent suit for a different animal, what would it do?"
"How did the weather play a role in the mystery, and could that happen in real life?"

Deep Dive

The Graphic Novel Gold Standard

We are living in a golden age of middle-grade graphic novels, and InvestiGators is currently sitting near the top of the heap. While Dog Man leans into the absurd and the irreverent, InvestiGators feels a bit more like a Saturday morning cartoon with a slightly higher IQ. The puns are relentless—seriously, if you hate wordplay, this will be your personal version of purgatory—but for a 7-to-10-year-old, it’s linguistic magic.

Why it works for the 'Screenwise' Family

Many parents worry that graphic novels are 'cheating' or 'lite reading.' That’s a mistake. The visual literacy required to follow the action in Weather or Not is significant. Kids have to track dialogue bubbles, interpret character expressions, and understand environmental cues all at once. For a kid who is used to the high-stimulus environment of YouTube or Roblox, this book provides a similar hit of dopamine but in a format that encourages focus and deep engagement.

The 'Dog Man' Comparison

If your kid is obsessed with Dav Pilkey, they will fall right into this. The main difference? InvestiGators is a bit more structured. There’s a procedural element to the mystery that feels like a kid-friendly version of a spy movie. It’s less about 'poop jokes' (though they exist) and more about 'gadget jokes.' It’s clean, it’s fast, and it’s genuinely funny enough that you might find yourself chuckling when you’re forced to read it aloud for the tenth time.

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