- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–10
- Comedy
I am Still Not a Loser
Book 2 of 11 in Barry LoserView the full series
The second Barry Loser book keeps the school-based comic chaos coming, with even more confidence in the doodly, joke-packed voice. It is a strong continuation for children who enjoyed Barry's mix of bravado, embarrassment and made-up slang.
- Best for7–10
- FormatIllustrated
- Length240 pp
- Read aloud~3 hr25 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Absurdist
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Barry Loser is back, and he is still absolutely not a loser, at least according to Barry Loser. This second book continues the comic diary-style adventures of a boy whose confidence, invented language and intense need to seem cool keep colliding with ordinary school life. Barry's world is full of friendship muddles, rivalries, family interruptions, dramatic declarations and small embarrassments treated as if they are enormous disasters. Jim Smith's cartoons are integral to the reading experience, breaking up the prose with visual jokes, exaggerated expressions and doodly asides that keep the pace moving quickly. The book is especially well suited to children who like funny, heavily illustrated chapter books, and to readers who are ready for something longer than an early reader but still want plenty of pictures and jokes on every spread.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Wimpy kid fans
- Tom gates fans
- School comedy
- Doodle heavy reading
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Needs calm bedtime read
- Dislikes silly slang
- Prefers plot driven adventure
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Making friends
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A riotously silly illustrated series in a one-of-a-kind voice — catnip for reluctant readers and a classroom-library favourite.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific kick is the surname not going away — Barry still insisting he isn't a loser despite the surname Loser, the comic gap between his self-image and the visible evidence getting wider. The second Barry Loser, where the series locks into its rhythm.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Friendship and belonging
- Revenge on adults
Why parents love it
The Barry Loser sequel that consolidates the formula — surname-status comedy, school disasters, Bunky and Nancy as foils. Reliable second volume for any child who liked book one. Best read in sequence; the running jokes accumulate.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Barry Loser.
11 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Jim Smith.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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