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Better Nate Than Ever Tim Federle The lights of Broadway have always been a beacon of hope for perpetual outcast Nate Foster, and when the creators of E.T.: The Musical announce an open casting call, eighth-grader Nate is certain that he has finally found a way to escape his provincial life for the big city. With the help of his pal and fellow show-tune aficionado, Libby, Nate devises a plan to make it to New York and back without having to alert his conservative parents, but things go awry when Nate gets a callback (he wasn’t prepared for actual success) and Libby has to cover for him back home. From his obsession with the first franchise restaurant he sees in New York (“the Cadillac of Applebee’s”) to his infectious enthusiasm for city-life (“A cab honks and then another one does . . . everything is so flipping jubilant here”), Nate is the quintessential starry-eyed small-town boy in the Big Apple. The outrageousness of his rookie mistakes as a newbie to both the concrete jungle (he asks a homeless woman to make change) and the competitive auditioning scene (he reads all the parts for his audition, making it an impromptu one-man show) are made additionally hilarious by his matter-of-fact, rapid-fire narration and endearing unawareness. Between the hijinks and the humor, however, Nate reveals himself to be a kid who accepts that he is a disappointment to his conventional family and yet still remains solidly himself, optimistically certain that there is a place for guys like him somewhere in the world. There’s plenty of substance to go along with the razzle-dazzle here, so sit back and enjoy the show. 2013, Simon, Ages 10 to 13, $16.99. REVIEWER: Kate Quealy-Gainer (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books).
ISBN: 9781442446892 |
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Bad Kitty School Daze Nick Bruel Bad Kitty (and her attitude) are back in her sixth illustrated chapter book, and roughhousing has earned both her and Puppy a trip to Diabla Von Gloom’s School for Wayward Pets. Throughout, Bruel has fun defying readers’ expectations: despite the teacher’s name (and that the school resembles a haunted mansion), she’s patient and kind, believing there is no such thing as “bad” pets. And despite Bad Kitty’s reputation, she might be right. Chapters take readers through school day activities that range from arts and crafts time (while Puppy is a dog of few words, it turns out he’s a savant when it comes to art and music) to show and tell (Bad Kitty’s contribution: a hairball). Additional comedy comes from two classmates, an ill-mannered rabbit who believes he’s a “mutant supervillain,” and a temperamental cat-hating bulldog, who has decided that Bad Kitty is actually a cow (much to the cat’s relief). Facts about cat-dog interaction–courtesy of a familiar face, Uncle Murray–are a bonus, but as usual it’s Bad Kitty’s personality that rules the day. 2012, Roaring Brook, Ages 7–10, $13.99. REVIEWER: Publishers Weekly. ISBN: 9781596436701 |
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Bink & Gollie, Two For One Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee Follow the adventures of Bink and Gollie, two friends, as they attend the state fair. First, Gollie goes with Bink to the Whack-a-Duck booth where Bink tries her hand at throwing a ball to knock over ducks on shelves. The winner’s prize is the world’s largest donut. With Bink throwing the ball to whack a duck, the man operating the booth ends up with more than he bargained. There’s an amusing twist at the end of this first chapter. Next, Gollie tries out for the amateur talent show. She has some difficulties when she’s on the stage and Bink ends up saving the day for Gollie. The final stop for the two friends is at Madame Prunely’s booth. Madame Prunely gazes into her crystal ball to reveal the past and the future for the twosome. The color illustrations provide some necessary information to the plot, like the results of Bink’s efforts at the Whack a Duck booth, Gollie’s performance at the talent competition, and Madame Prunely’s talent for seeing the past. This book is a sequel to Bink and Gollie. Readers may enjoy the humor and friendship in the story. 2012, Candlewick Press, Ages 6 to 8,$15.99. REVIEWER: Carrie Hane Hung (Children’s Literature). ISBN: 9780763633615 |
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Carter’s Unfocused, One-Track Mind : A Novel Brent Crawford. Will Carter, fifteen, an athletic and gifted actor who is wildly, yet sweetly, horny, funny, and insecure, is now a sophomore at Merrian High. He and his equally goofy posse of devoted “boys” are involved in many of the same hi-jinks that saw them all through the first two entries in this series (Carter Finally Gets It [Hyperion, 2009], and Carter’s Big Break [Hyperion, 2010/VOYA June 2010]). Hormones and bloodletting rule the day. They participate in a fight club, improving dramatically when a fellow thespian, who is grateful for Carter’s defense of his sexual orientation, shares some of his martial arts secrets. Carter renews wooing gorgeous Abby, who is on her way to the prestigious New York Drama School and wants Carter to come with her, a slim possibility due to his wretched grades. There is also the matter of the murderous Scary Terry, from the first book in the series, who seems determined to break every bone in Carter’s body. By turns laugh-out-loud hilarious, groan-out-loud gross, and head-shakingly appalling due to the utter lack of responsibility in some of the actions (binge drinking, unprotected sex, and oh yes, a near-forest fire), Crawford nevertheless adds an appealing level of self-examination and tender insight into Carter’s unexpectedly courageous efforts to turn his life around. Crawford nails his intended audience’s world with a book that will make parents cringe, even as they will be surprised by the decency of the adults portrayed in Carter’s world. 2012, Hyperion, Ages 12 to 18, 16.99. REVIEWER: Beth E. Andersen (VOYA, December 2012). ISBN: 9781423144458 |
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Dodger Terry Pratchett. On a stormy night in a reimagined Victorian London, a young woman tumbles from a carriage, pursued by thugs intent on delivering a sound thrashing before they drag her back. Help comes from two quarters: a shabby but gallant young man rises out of the sewer wielding a crowbar and a set of brass knuckles that he uses to chase away the miscreants, while a pair of gentlemen, Mr. Dickens and Mr. Mayhew, set about helping the young woman. Thus Charlie Dickens makes the acquaintance of Dodger and engages him in uncovering the mysteries that have led to the young woman’s present predicament. An expensive ring on her finger indicates that she is foreign and important, but she’s unwilling to explain her situation to anyone but Dodger, and even then she withholds her name, calling herself Simplicity when it is clear that she is anything but. Taking up Simplicity’s cause leads Dodger into the company of the wealthiest and most powerful people in London, including Benjamin Disraeli, Sir Robert Peel, and Angela Burdett-Coutts. Pratchett weaves fact and fiction seamlessly here, altering both while keeping the flavor of the city vibrantly real. Dodger, for instance, achieves fame and fortune when he avoids a fatal haircut by disarming Sweeney Todd, and he takes a young Joseph Bazalgette on an enlightening tour through the London sewers. Dickens himself takes out his notebook whenever Dodger says something particularly interesting about, say, a “bleak house,” or when noting his “great expectations” for Dodger’s prospects, and other such sly jokes abound. The genius of Pratchett is that readers need not understand all of the clever witticisms and subtle allusions in order to appreciate the exciting plot twists. Getting the jokes, however, adds a wealth of pleasure for alert and knowledgeable readers; an extensive author’s note offers suggestions for those who have been inspired to learn more about Victorian London, real and imagined. 2012, Harper/HarperCollins, Ages 12 to 15, $18.89. REVIEWER: Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books). ISBN: 9780062009494 |
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Jangles : A Big Fish Story David Shannon. A father tells his son about the fish he let get away. The fish, a giant trout, had fooled fishermen for years and wore the lures they had tried to catch him with. He jangled as he swam. Jangles was so big he was known to eat eagles out of trees and full-grown otters off the bank. People tried to catch him with whole turkeys as bait. But he escaped them all until the storyteller, when he was about 10 or so, happened to be fishing by himself late in the day. He snagged an old fishing rod with his new fishing rod and on the old rod was Jangles. Well, that big ol’ fish pulled the boy down to his fishy house. But to the boy’s amazement, he could still breathe. Jangles told him all kinds of wonderful stories about the creatures living before humans arrived and the wise old trees and silly animals. When the boy got sleepy, Jangles carried him back to his boat. But the boy did a mean thing. He tangled Jangles in fishing line and turned him upside down. Jangles was stunned and his feelings were hurt. He convinced the boy to let him go, but not before the boy took out all the old lures stuck in Jangles’ jaws. The boy could have proven to the whole world that he had indeed caught that giant fish by showing off the collection of lures. Instead, he kept the adventure a secret until he shared the story and lures with his son. A cute story with nice pictures. 2012, Blue Sky Press/Scholastic Inc, Ages 6 to 10m $17.99. REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan (Children’s Literature). ISBN: 9780545143127 |
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The Little Golden Book of Jokes and Riddles Peggy Brown
Illustrated by David Sheldon Sections of jokes and riddles are arranged by subjects appearing in spreads containing one to four pages. Topics include: It’s About Time, Knock Knock, Elephunnies, Oink Yoinkers, The Chicken and the Egg, Prehistoric Jokes, Purrfectly Funny, Riddles in Black-and-White, Spooky and Kooky, I’ve Got a Million of ‘Em, and How Do You Say Goodbye…. Most of the entries are familiar and are likely to be new only to the youngest of children, although enough unusual twists and turns appear to keep older children engaged. It is possible that these youngsters will take pride in knowing many of the answers before reading or hearing them. Colorful cartoon illustrations fill the pages with action and whimsy. Multiethnic children and a variety of realistic and imaginary animals join in the fun, sometimes in unexpected ways. This book continues the over sixty-year tradition of presenting small and simple books for young children to treasure. 2013, Golden Books/Random House, Ages 3 to 6, $3.99. REVIEWER: Phyllis Kennemer (Children’s Literature). ISBN: 9780307979162 |
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Malcolm at Midnight W. H. Beck Illustrated by Brian Lies Escapades, humor, and romance weave together in this madcap elementary school adventure from first-time author Beck. When fifth-grade teacher Mr. Binney mistakes Malcolm, a small rat, for a mouse and purchases him as a classroom pet, Malcolm develops an identity crisis. He soon learns that rats are held in low esteem by both humans and other animals, first from Mr. Binney’s read-aloud of The Tale of Despereaux (“Was that what people really thought of rats? That they are sneaky, conniving, lazy, greedy?”), and then when Midnight Academy members (pets from other classrooms) accept him only after he self-identifies as a mouse. Longing to prove his worthiness through “valor and merit,” Malcolm faces numerous challenges: Honey Bunny the rabbit’s distrust, Snip the cat’s evil plans against “the nutters” (children), and his forbidden friendship with fifth-grader Amelia. Lies’s (Bats at the Ballgame) detailed spot illustrations are a lively complement to the story, which is written in second person by an unnamed (but identifiable) narrator as an anonymous letter, complete with assigned classroom vocabulary and footnotes. A first-rate debut. 2012, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Ages 9 to 12,$16.99. REVIEWER: Publishers Weekly. ISBN: 9780547681009 |
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OCD, the Dude, and Me Lauren Roedy Vaughn. When life spirals out of control, we attempt to regain order any way we can. For some of us, we regroup by walking along the beach, cleaning the house, or reading a book. For Danielle Levine, a senior with OCD, compartmentalizing every person, idea, or thing inside her mind is a ritual that enables her to maintain control. She pairs up hats and Chuck Taylors by color and uses writing to process everything going on–and there is plenty happening to, and around, Danielle. She is seeing a counselor named Marv, harboring feelings for her friend’s boyfriend, attending a social skills group, and coping with the violent death of her best friend. As graduation time gets closer, Danielle becomes a person who transcends from allowing her condition to isolate her to trusting herself to navigate through its boundaries. Vaughn employs various mediums such as emails, English essays, and letters to structure the plot of this novel. This literary style creates a multidimensional view of Danielle and humanizes obsessive-compulsive disorder. Little nuances like italicizing every vocabulary word in Danielle’s writing and presenting different emotional, mental, and physical aspects of her condition connect readers to the main character and encourage them to empathize with her. This novel would be a great addition to any classroom or library because adolescents will learn about perseverance from a typical teenager who has a unique way of viewing and interacting with world. 2013, Dial/Penguin, Ages 11 to 15, $16.99. REVIEWER: Anjeannette Alexander-Smith (VOYA, February 2013). ISBN: 9780803738430 |
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Planet Tad Tim Carvell Illustrated by Doug Holgate Based on a column that Carvell, head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, has written for Mad magazine since 2005, this episodic illustrated novel presents a year’s worth of blog entries from Tad, an underachieving, none-too-popular kid in the vein of Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley. Without a narrative arc, the book’s momentum comes from Carvell’s distinctive sense of humor. While Tad’s musings often feel like they’ve been pulled from the mind of a stoner at 2 a.m. rather than that of a 12-year-old boy (“You know what I bet would suck? If you died and went to heaven, but really hated harp music”), the target audience ought to find them hilarious. Amid familiar entries about family trips, a lawn-mowing business scheme, and a secret admirer, Tad watches a lot of TV, which lets Carvell riff on the pop culture pantheon, from Avatar (both the James Cameron and air-bending versions) to The Legend of Zelda. Holgate’s cartoon spot art, not all seen by PW, is a good fit, underscoring the awesomeness of an eight-horned unicorn or the absurdity of Hannah Montana’s “disguise.” 2012, Harper, Ages 8–12, $12.99. REVIEWER: Publishers Weekly. ISBN: 9780061934360 |
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Ricky Vargas: Born to be Funny Alan Katz Illustrated by Stacy Curtis Ricky Vargas is considered to be the funniest kid in the world. But how would anyone really know for sure if they have never met each and every kid in the whole wide world? Well, basically that is beside the point. Needless to say, Rick Vargas is a very funny kid. He tells hilarious jokes, pokes fun of himself, and is generally well-liked. But, one day Ricky became very serious. He wore a suit to school, he read the paper, and was not funny at all during class time. It was up to all of the students to devise a plan to get Ricky cracking them up once again. Another story has Ricky preparing for the school talent contest. All of the competitors are sure he will win. But, Ricky spends his time using the jokes he would need to have for his stage presence. As a result he is wondering why no one is laughing. This three part tale of this very silly character is a quick read and predominately aimed at boys. Short sentences and cartoon illustrations will have any beginner reader flipping through the pages over and over. The back of the book has jokes readers can share with friends and family as they embark on their journey to becoming the funniest kid in the world. 2012, Scholastic, Ages 9 to 12, $4.99. REVIEWER: Kristi Bernard (Children’s Literature). ISBN: 9780545313964 |
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Silly Classroom Jokes Erika L. Shares The title here says it all. These are the jokes that young elementary children would love. All of them involve word play and/or puns and to an adult may seem extremely corny. They are reminiscent of the jokes that used to be found on bubblegum wrappers. These jokes or riddles are built around a theme: the classroom. This book is one of a series which includes such titles Jokes about Animals, Jokes about Bugs, Jokes about Food, etc., and as such all the jokes are loosely connected to the classroom, i.e., “Why did the dog do so well in the classroom?” Answer: “Because he was the teacher’s pet.” Another sample, “Why did the computer squeak?” Answer: “Someone stepped on the mouse.” All these jokes are accompanied by colorful graphics. The actual book is thin, although it is in hardback, so the price tag of over $21.00 may or may seem steep depending on the budget and the potential clientele. ISBN: 9781429675635 |
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Secret Agent Splat! Rob Scotton. Anne Pechnyo (Children’s Literature)?In Scotton’s newest book following Splat the Cat, Splat finds himself in the middle of a mystery that needs to be solved. Splat loves the toy ducks his father makes in the shed and has even named every one. However, the ducks are disappearing at night and returning a day later with no beaks! Luckily, Secret Agent Splat and his trusty sidekick, Seymour the mouse are ready to solve the case. Who has been stealing the toy ducks and removing their beaks? And, more importantly, why? After setting an elaborate plan, Secret Agent Splat has clues to analyze and follow and finds himself incredibly close to the solution. In true Splat the Cat fashion, readers will be laughing the whole way through this latest tale. Scotton’s textured and detailed illustrations bring Splat and his surroundings to life, down to the details of Splat’s fuzzy fur coat and Seymour’s kinked tail. This title can be used in home libraries and classrooms to emphasize courage, problem solving, and friendship. 2012, Harper/HarperCollins, $16.99. Ages 3 to 7. REVIEWER: Anne Pechnyo (Children’s Literature ISBN: 9780061978715 |
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Stick Dog Tom Watson Illustrated by Ethan Long and Tom Watson Stick Dog has a problem. It’s not that he’s from the wrong side of the tracks–literally, since he lives in an empty pipe running under Highway 16. And it’s not because he doesn’t have friends, because he does: a poodle named Poo-Poo, a Dalmatian named Stripes, a dachshund named Karen, and a mutt named–Mutt. No, his problem is getting food, and when he smells hamburgers being grilled in a nearby park, he decides that he and his friends need to swing into action and bring those burgers home. This is the story of the dogs’ adventures as they discuss, scheme, and finally launch their battle plan, with surprising and tummy-warming results. Told in first person, this is a funny story that unfolds the way a kid would tell it. The vocabulary range is good, and the content is not only comical but family friendly. The font is clean, sharp, and easy to read. The book cover, which has some 3-D effects, is attractive as well as an attention-grabber. The artwork is endearing. Even though the narrator explains that he can’t really draw, and that stick dogs are the best that he can do, no reader is going to complain. This book will appeal to boys, but girls will also enjoy the humor. The text and the illustrations are designed to deliver maximum laughs, and they succeed. The measure of the author’s success is that by the end of the book, the reader will be as hungry as Stick Dog himself. 2013, Harper/HarperCollins, Ages 9 to 12, $12.99. REVIEWER: Leona Illig (Children’s Literature). ISBN: 9780062110787 |
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Two Crafty Criminals! : And How They Were Captured by the Daring Detectives of the New Cut Gang Philip Pullman. The mean streets of nineteenth-century London are about to get a bit nicer now that preteens Thunderbolt Dobney, his pal Benny Kaminsky, and a few of their fellow classmates are in the amateur detective business. Their first case unfortunately has Thunderbolt taking a hard look at the criminal possibilities in his own family, as a series of counterfeit coins seems to lead to the off-limits laboratory in Thunderbolt’s ramshackle house. After solving that case and clearing Thunderbolt’s family name (and relieving his suspicions), the kids investigate a theft at the local gas-fitters’ hall and manages to do some matchmaking on the side. The two stories, originally published separately in the UK twenty years ago, together carry enough old-world charm and good old-fashioned sleuthing to entice fans of Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew to pursue mysteries across the pond. Peppered with British slang and steeped in the gritty-but-glamorous streets of ?Victorian England, the mysteries bring a distinct sense of place to what are otherwise fairly straightforward plots. A nice bit of slapstick humor and a host of quirky but noble characters, from the hot-chestnut hawker intent on getting his visage in the waxworks museum to the painfully shy guy looking for love, round out the cast and give the entire endeavor a pleasingly wholesome feel. Occasional monochromatic line illustrations, with delicate, slightly eccentric styling, mirror the text’s jocular tone. 2012, Knopf, Ages 9 to 12, $19.99.REVIEWER: Kate Quealy-Gainer (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books). |
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Unlucky Charms Adam Rex Cereal never tasted so good, thanks to Intellijuice. Nimue–who is kind of like a fairy anti-godmother and owns Goodco Cereal Company–has been adding Intellijuice to cereals in order to turn children around the world into zombies. Fortunately, Scott and his eclectic team of do-gooders that include a leprechaun, an oversized librarian, a pixie prince, a man with a rabbit head, three children, and a few others have been seeking out ways to expose the evil Goodco Cereal Company and find the Queen of England–she’s been kidnapped. Just when the storyline begins to make sense, it gets even more complicated with time jumps, alternate universes, and the true history of Merlin the Magician, who actually turns out to be a non-magical, but intelligent man from the future. Rex returns with his second episode of the “Cold Cereal Saga.” Like his first book, this one oozes hilarity, silliness, and downright weirdness; to say it is interesting would be an understatement. Clearly, a creative tale meant to engage reluctant readers, its suggested 8 to 12 year old audience falls awkwardly out of earshot of the complex literary devices espoused. A large cast, multiple plots, flash backs, divergent worlds, and the fact that this is a continuation of another story will keep even advanced readers struggling to catch up. Regardless, this book is too ridiculous to put down. Scott and his team split up to save the Queen, but end up trapped in Pretannica, an alternate world once a part of our own. For its resolution readers will have to stay tuned for the next tasty installment. ISBN: 9780062110787 |
Humor
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Humor
“The more you laugh/The more you fill with glee/And the more the glee/The more we’re a merrier we!” goes the song from Mary Poppins. It’s true; laughter is contagious. Get the giggles going with these fun books! Contributor: Peg Glisson
Web links to additional information and activities about humor follow these reviews. |
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