Issue Three - Humor

Did you know that laughing—much like yawning—is contagious? It is! And who doesn’t love to laugh? Seriously! You can bet that we—the WRN? girls—have had a blast finding books (and our first hilarious YouTube video) to add to our humor issue this month.

So…let’s get our issue kicked off with a joke.

Q:  What is a books favorite food?
A:   A bookworm, of course!

OK,  kinda’ lame, we know!  But these books cracked us up and we bet they'll do the same for you!

We are super-excited to chat about A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker. This debut novel had us laughing out loud—literally.  Fiona is excited for senior year of high school. She’s confident that she and hottie Gabe—her lifelong crush—will finally get together. But on day one, at a school assembly, the principal announces that all seniors have a new requirement for graduating. They must marry a fellow senior for the entire year. They only way Fiona knows she’ll survive is if she’s paired up with Gabe, but tragedy strikes in epic fashion when she and her arch-enemy’s beau Todd are forced to take each other’s hand in marriage under the plastic arch. Todd and Fiona are at odds throughout the course and this makes for the most hilarious moments of the book. And just when Fee thinks life can’t get any worse, she finds out that her BFF Marcie has been secretly seeing Gabe for months.  With help from an unlikely friend, Fiona is forced to reevaluate her self-centeredness and find a way to make her marriage last before she becomes another divorce statistic.

Kerry: so…it's really hard for me to find a book that actually makes me lol, but this one had me on the floor!
Jill: yeah, I almost never "lol" when I read books, but I certainly did for this one!
michelle: some VERY funny parts *giggle*
Jill: like Fiona's parents...hilarious!
Kerry: I think the pranks between Fee and Todd were the highlights for me
michelle: loved Fee's parents...like my marriage
Jill: really? that's awesome!
Kerry: Yes, M, it was like you and your hubby!
michelle: for me their banter
michelle: what was your funniest part?
Jill: for me, definitely their plays on each other, and their nicknames
Kerry: the nicknames were the best!
michelle: i loved....
Jill: funniest part...hmm...I loved it when she crowned him with the epic "slacks" nickname at the dance...

Josh Berk

Hiya WRNers!  This month we have the funny (and somewhat deranged) Josh Berk, whose debut novel The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin debuted in February.  The book is the story of Will (a.k.a. Hamburger) Halpin, an overweight, deaf guy finding it hard to fit in at his new mainstream school.  When the star quarterback tumbles to his death in a coal mine, Hamburger teams up with the second least popular guy to solve the mystery in a not-so-Hardy-Boys manner. 

1. Hey Josh!  So, we like to start by asking everyone whatcha reading now because, well, it’s obvious isn’t it?

Obvious? I have no idea what you're talking about... But what I'm reading are a lot of parenting books. I have a three year-old and I don't think it's right that he keeps biting people... But as far as fiction? I'm part of the Tenners (YA/MG authors who debut in 2010) and I've been reading all their books. So many great ones! Currently I'm into 'Eighth-Grade Superzero' by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. It's wonderful!

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood - by Eileen Cook

 

Helen and Lauren have been friends for forever. They were born in the same hospital only one day apart, and have been inseparable ever since. Yet, somehow, throughout the girl’s lives Lauren always upstaged Helen. Not that Helen minded…at first.

But when the girls begin eighth grade, Lauren does the absolute worst thing you could ever do to your so-called best friend. She ruins Helen’s reputation, ditches her to climb the social ladder of popularity and gets the entire school to hate her, all in one day.  Then and only then, does Helen realizes that Lauren isn’t, (and has never been) the forever friend she had in mind.

Helen thinks her life is over. Not only is she without her best friend, she’s been labeled by the entire student body as the school “snitch.” But then, the universe seems to offer Helen an olive branch. Her dad accepts an out-of-state transfer, and just like that, Helen has the opportunity to forget her past and start new.

Once settled in her new city, Helen looses weight and gets a new nose, both of which change her looks, significantly. She’s not even totally unpopular at her new school, yet, she still can’t…won’t forget the extreme measures Lauren took to end their friendship, and ruin her life.  Helen stalks Lauren’s Facebook page, only to discover that Lauren’s plan for popularity has worked. She’s officially become the “Queen Bee” of their old school. Obsessively, Helen sifts through the Lauren’s world while loathing/drooling over the pictures of Lauren and the life that doesn’t, and never has, included her.

During senior year, lightening strikes a second time for Helen. Her parents drop the bombshell that they’re going to live in an “alternative medicine” camp for a year, and Helen will be going back to stay with her grandmother. That means, she’ll be going back to her old school, with none other than Lauren Wood. At first, Helen is outraged. She can’t imagine reliving the horrors that Lauren inflicted upon her. But then it dawns on Helen: going back to her old school, is actually an opportunity-- an opportunity for revenge. And the best part is, Helen knows with her new looks, Lauren Wood won’t even see her coming.

Eileen Cook delivers sheer comedy in Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood. Not for one moment, does she scrimp on all the juicy, (albeit often cringe-worthy) details that any good revenge plan demands. From deliberately sabotaging her lead in the school play, to swiping the guy—the one guy that Lauren truly loves—out from under her, Helen’s revenge plan is flawless. Seamless, that is, until Helen starts to realize that the person she’s becoming is much like the person she set out to destroy in the first place

.
Cook is a mastermind in creating a Helen that every reader will cheer for, and a Lauren that ever reader will secretly plot against.  But Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood also delivers the timeless, all-true message:  even the best laid plans of revenge aren’t as sweet when put into action.

Finally - by Wendy Mass

Rory wants to be 12 like yesterday because her utterly-overprotective parents will Finally let her shave her legs, drink coffee, wear make-up, get a pet, go to boy-girl parties, and best of all, get her a cell phone. When the big day finally arrives, Rory makes a chart filled with all her deepest desires and proudly displays it in the living room. Tired of being blah and boring, Rory is set on standing out a little more. When news that teen heart-throb Jake Harrison will be filming a movie at Rory’s school, she and her friends decide to try out as extras. What better way to break-free of her “baby” image, right?

As Rory fumbles through her list—and gets a role in the movie,--she flip-flops in her longing between the comfort of what’s always been and the fear of what’s new; between confidence and insecurity. We’re lucky to have front row seats as we watch Rory grow-up before our eyes. Her mishaps and embarrassments are the highlights of the story which will have you laughing out loud. Finally, when Rory discovers that most things on her list are more work than they’re worth, she realizes that being plain ‘ol Rory isn’t a bad thing after all and that she actually has a very unique gift inside her.

Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog
by Adrienne Sylver

Who knew that Americans eat enough hot dogs in July to circle the Earth seven times?

This and other fun facts are included in Adrienne Sylver’s Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog  Readers can follow the saga from the hot dog’s humble beginnings through space travel and beyond.  (Do you know who ate the first hot dogs in space?).  Comical sidebars cover everything from languages to famous moments in hot dog history.  Weiner lovers of all ages will enjoy the quirky trivia and appreciate the very real nutritional history about why hot dogs became so popular in the first place.

Cartoon illustrations by Elwood H. Smith are amusing and clever.  Comical drawings of the unexpected: nervous pigs, dinosaurs and famous historical figures make this book an undeniable treat. 
The wurst thing? There aren’t titles like this for hamburgers and fries and milk shakes and…well, you get the idea.  Because, frank-ly, non-fiction isn’t usually this much fun!

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Redda

Redda who?

Redda good book lately?

LOLOLOL  We have. In fact, we read a ton of funny books while we figured out which ones to feature for this issue. And, we’re giving some away, too! If you want to win a copy of A Match Made in High School, Finally, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, Big Nate, and more, answer the following question in a post on our Facebook wall or by email at contests@whatchareadingnow.com

What is your fave LOL book EVER? Be sure to tell us why, too!

Because we’re always looking for a good laugh, aren’t you? Winners will be drawn randomly from all entries. Whaddya waiting for? Get posting and tell your friends to post too.

Do you chuckle, giggle, cackle, snort or snicker, guffaw or tee-hee?  However you laugh, we’re sure you can find books on these lists that will amuse and entertain you!  In addition to our lists for Teens, Jennifer Rummel, our YA librarian extraordinaire has put together a video of her favorite funny reads.  And there are lists for Middle Grades and Picture Books, too!

You mighta’ noticed that all around the site the links take you to Amazon.  If you decide to purchase any books while you’re there, Amazon will contribute to WRN?  And while we really wanna’ get rich (I mean who doesn’t) we’ll be happy if you use our site to go to Amazon cuz it will help us pay for the site and cover the costs of mailing our contest books!!  Thanks for listening to our commercial—and now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming. 

 

By Jodi Turchin

Humor means different things to different people.  The world of children’s literature recently lost a talented author whose name is forever attached to humor – Sid Fleischman, author of Disappearing Act, The Whipping Boy, and a bunch of other great books.  To honor this master, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators named an award after him – the Sid Fleischman Humor Award, and he was its first recipient in 2003.  So this month, since it’s a humor theme, and to remember a man whose name is now synonymous with humor, the reading recommendations this month come from recent Sid Fleischman Humor Award winners.

Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-time, and So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee.  The first of these three absolutely wonderful books won the Fleischman award in 2004.  These three books all revolve around the title characters of Millicent, Stanford, and Emily, who are all friends, sort of.  Yee has a delightful sense of humor and timing, and each of these novels can be read as stand-alone books, or as a series, in any order.  Millicent is twelve, so these books are middle grades, but even I as a grown-up thought they were really good.  Millicent is an overachiever, smart, A-personality, and completely not sports oriented.  She’s taking college classes (having just completed 11th grade), and has been signed up for a volleyball camp by her mother.  She’s reluctantly tutoring Stanford, a family friend’s son, and meets Emily, a new girl in town, at volleyball camp.  Each book is told from the point of view of its title character.  These books are well worth the read.


Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle.   LaRochelle was the 2006 Sid Fleischman winner, and this debut YA novel deserved it!  Absolutely, Positively Not is the story of Steven, who knows one thing for certain – he’s absolutely, positively not gay . . . (except he is).  This is a boy who loves square dancing and who notices intricate details of his male health teacher’s body.  But he’s determined to be straight, and embarks on a series of very funny adventures in his quest to deny his own feelings.  These adventures include socializing with the jocks and actually dating girls.  This book is a sweet, funny story about a boy trying to discover who he is.


As If Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President! by Donna Gephart.  Another debut novel taking the Sid Fleischman Award was this book by South Florida writer Gephart, who won the title last year in 2009.  This funny story about Vanessa Rothrock, whose mother is running for President, will make you laugh even as the serious issues make you sympathize with what Vanessa must go through.  She is an ordinary girl dealing with extraordinary circumstances.  Puberty is hard enough – imagine going through puberty in the public eye!! 


All of these books are great reads.  The Sid Fleischman award is not given lightly.  I highly recommend all of them. 
Writing exercise this month:  Challenge yourself to write a funny story.  You choose whether it’s slapstick falling-on-the-floor funny, sarcastic funny, or darkly funny. 

By Phyllis Simon from www.kidsbooks.ca

As an independent children’s bookseller celebrating our 27th year of business, I continue to be energized by the wonderful books that are published each year and by the opportunity to recommend a book that no one has seen before.  Nothing pleases me more than seeing a kid return to Kidsbooks, demanding another fantastic book just like the one they just finished (preferably having read it under the blankets with a flashlight!). 

 
Picture Book Review: Big Bad Bun - by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross.  Andersen Press, 2009

You know, no matter what age you are, you’ll come away laughing when Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross collaborate on a picture book.  So who is Big Bad Bun? He’s a bunny who’s run away from home and has joined up with The Hell Bunnies, a real scary gang that makes the Hell’s Angels look like Mama’s boys!  The Hell Bunnyies eat wormburgers in initiation, wear leather and dye their tails.  You get the idea: Big Bad Bun is running with a baaaaad crowd!

The genius of this book is its wide ranging appeal which leaves the audience laughing along with the antics of this “troubled” bunny.  And when the reader finally realizes that this is not really a story of crime and misbehaviour, but rather a hilarious letter written by a bunny afraid to go home because of a bad report card, we want to hand an A+ to Willis and Ross for, yet another, brilliant joint effort. 

Middle Grade Novel Review:: 100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons.  Atheneum,  2009

A whole new take on the current werewolf obsession, 100% Wolf is the story of Freddy Lupin, the youngest in a long and noble line of werewolves.  After waiting one hundred and twenty-one months (that’s 10 years one month of human life), Freddy is ready to undergo his first transwolf-tation!   But hold it: instead of turning into a werewolf on the full moon, Freddy turns into a pink poodle!

This novel will keep the kids turning the pages at a furious pace.  They’ll want to follow the madcap intricacies of the plot and the dangers lurking everywhere.   Will Freddy foil the evil Dr. Foxwell Cripp and his plot to destroy all of his family and friends? Well….. Freddy may be small, pink and groomed, but he is 100% wolf!

Teen Book Review: Swim the Fly by Don Calame.   Candlewick Press, 2009 (pb ed April 2010)

You know you are in bona fide teen territory as soon as you open this riotously funny and raunchy first novel by screenwriter, Don Calame.   This is a story about Matt, Sean and Coop, who always aim high when it comes to setting their summertime goal.  And this year, it’s none other than to see a real live naked girl for the first time ever!   And that’s not so easy to accomplish when you aren’t exactly the hottest trio in town.

This is the kind of funny, kind of gross story that will have you laughing and groaning at the same time.    Calame’s experience as a screenwriter pays off, since he is masterful at producing dialogue that rings true and replicates, perfectly, the cadence of “teen talk.”   We look forward to more from this talented writer.

GOOGLE THESE GIGGLES
Funny Books for You

By Veronica L. Hernandez

In the midst of towering bookshelves at the bookstore or library, one does not know where to find a funny book.  Listening for giggles in the aisles might take a while, so read this list instead!

For humorous books, my recommendations start with I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb, the executive producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  It’s hilarious and features a tubby, 12-year-old “secret” tycoon.

Another funny book is Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson.  It features a young hero with a talent for breaking things and, believe it or not, that comes in handy.  And last but not least, I recommend Candide by Voltaire, a very old book that will entertain you and make your parents and teachers happy at the same time (well, forget that part).  This classic novel is filled with satire and witty observations about the world.

To help you out, I asked some other kids to give us their personal recommendations of books that made them laugh out loud.  Here are the results.

Henry, age 14
San Antonio, Texas
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
--“Because it reminds me of people I know!”

David, age 16
Punta Gorda, Florida
The Far Side books (collections of the old comic strips by Gary Larson)
--Q: What’s really funny about it?  A: “The animals.”

Nolani, age 11
Fort Myers, Florida
The Clique by Lisi Harrison
--“The people in the story make funny jokes.”

Manuel, age 17
Tampa, Florida
Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
--“These were books I read a while ago, but I still find hilarious.”

Nicholas, age 13
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jokelopedia: The Biggest, Best, Silliest, Dumbest Joke Book Ever by Ilana Weitzman, Eva Blank, Alison Benjamin, and Roseanne Green
--“The jokes are not really stupid ones that only two year olds like.  They have a great variety.”

Bianca, age 12
Orlando, Florida
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
--Q: What’s really funny about it?  A: “The concepts.”

Erica, age 15
Sarasota, Florida
Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech
--She loved it in fourth grade, and still likes it.
--She also recommended Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Tathyana, age 12
Lehigh, Florida
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
--Q: What’s really funny about it?  A: “Junie B. Jones and her baby brother.”

Juan, age 12
Fort Myers, Florida
Bailey School Kids series by Marcia Thornton Jones
--He loved “the time when they got really scared and screamed when they thought they saw a ghost.”

Jennifer, age 13
Immokalee, Florida
Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole? by Jerry Spinelli
--She says the characters make weird mistakes that are funny.

Juan, age 14
Mexico City, Mexico
The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Becky, age 15
Windermere, Florida
Dr. Seuss books
--Q: What’s really funny about them?  A: “The made up funny words.”

Mandy, age 15
Sarasota, Florida
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
--“The characters are funny, the way they act around each other.”

How about sending us your recommendations?  Email or Facebook us.

So what are you doing still staring at this article?  Get yourself to a library now!