Jory John and Pete Oswald teamed up to create The Food Group series. These books are not only entertaining for kids, but they also are a great tool for SEL and character education. I want to share activities and writing crafts you can pair with The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, The Cool Bean, and The Couch Potato.

The Food Group Series by Jory John and Pete Oswald

The Food Group series includes books written by Jory John and Pete Oswald. Each book focuses on a character who faces a challenge and learns a lesson along the way. Click on any of the titles below to learn about each book.
- The Bad Seed
- The Good Egg
- The Cool Bean
- The Couch Potato
- The Smart Cookie
- The Sour Grape
- The Big Cheese (coming fall 2023)
This duo has also written these books featuring characters from The Food Group series:
- The Great Eggscape
- The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky
- The Good Egg and the Talent Show
- The Bad Seed Goes to the Library
- As Cool as it Gets
And if you really want to bring these characters to life, check out this 2-sided plush for The Bad Seed and The Good Egg:
Here are all of the characters they have made (so far):
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Activities for Books by Jory John
I have put together several activities for each story in The Food Group series. Each book companion has a large focus on comprehension and vocabulary. You’ll find a handful of questions to help guide the discussion as you read. Students can also respond to the questions in writing.

After reading each book, students can put the story back together with a sequencing activity.

Once students have practiced sequencing each story, they are ready to retell or summarize. There are several different graphic organizers to choose from. Students can also focus on the story with a story elements spinner.

For vocabulary, I selected 12 words and phrases for each story. Each vocabulary card has a matching definition. Students can play a memory matching game or use the cards in a pocket chart center. To continue working with these words, students can complete a fill-in-the-blanks page or vocabulary match-up activity.

Each resource also includes two character pages (not shown) along with several book extension activities that match the theme of each book.

Crafts for Jory John’s Books
After reading each book, students can put together a writing craft. I have included several suggestions for writing prompts, but you can always choose your own. If you don’t want to add a piece of writing, each craft can stand alone.




Digital Activities for Jory John’s Books
With many classrooms going digital, I decided to add some digital options to each book companion. In addition to the printable PDF, you will find a Google Slides link that can be used with Google Classroom. I have also included a fillable student PDF. Please note: these digital options do not include the crafts. Instead, there is a slide with an image of the book’s character and a text box for a student response.

You can find all of these activities in my Jory John Book Companion Bundle. This bundle also contains mini activity packs for As Cool as it Gets, The Great Eggscape, The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky, and more!
The book companions are also available separately:
If you enjoy these resources, be sure to check out the rest of my book activities.
Happy Reading!


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