Skip to main content

Books to Read...When You Want to Laugh

Everyone loves a good laugh. And what better way to laugh than to read a silly, funny story? Here are five of my very favorite books for ages 8-11 that can always produce a smile and laugh from me.
By Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Skottie Young
New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2013. Fiction.

This book is nonsensical fun the whole way through! I absolutely loved how it was about everything and yet nothing. Everything in the sense that you get volcano gods, pirates, aliens, and dinosaur inventors all in the same story, and nothing in the sense that it is simply about a father getting the milk for his children's breakfast cereal. This is a funny, fast-paced book that will make a terrific read-aloud for anyone just wanting a nonsensical ride in a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier.
Illustrated by Tim Heitz 
New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. Fiction.

So I actually love the entire Wayside School series, (and they are ALL sure to make you laugh) but this is the newest installment in the series. With laugh-out-loud moments, bizarre happenings, and a class full of your favorite students on the thirtieth floor, this book is sure to bring on the giggles!

Written by Chris Harris
Illustrated by Lane Smith
New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2017. Informational.

Want to read some hilarious poetry? I absolutely loved this treasury of ridiculous, witty, crazy poems! Reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, these poems are upbeat and funny, leaving you with the same feeling you probably had as a kid jumping on the bed. (Which, let's be honest, is probably the point.)


Written by Norton Juster
Illustrated by Jules Feiffer
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2015. Fiction.

Enter a world of imagination where play-on-words and whimsical characters rule the day! Full of hilarious moments and nutty characters who will win your heart, this classic children's book will produce laughter as well as food for thought.
By John Erickson
Austin, Tex. : Texas Monthly Press, 1988. Fiction.

The entire Hank the Cowdog series is absolutely hilarious. Follow Hank on all of his crazy adventures as he takes on the many responsibilities as Head of Ranch Security. He'll encounter singing coyotes, ridiculous buzzards, and a host of other threats to the ranch. You'll laugh the whole way through.

 

Come to the library soon and check out one of these funny books that will leave you laughing out loud! 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Alice with a Why

Alice with a Why By Anna James New York: Penguin, 2026. Fiction. 240 pgs. In 1919, in the aftermath of the first World War, Alyce is living with her grandmother in the English countryside. Her grandmother, also named Alice, tells Alyce (with a y) stories from her childhood adventures in a wonderful land filled with white rabbits and mad hatters. Alyce doesn't really believe the silly stories, she just misses her father who was killed in the war. One day, Alyce receives a mysterious invitation to tea, and subsequently falls into a pond where she is transported to Wonderland. Her grandmother, of course, is that Alice. Alyce is prompted by the Mad Hatter, Dormouse, and March Hare to seek out the Time Being and put an end to the war between the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon. Thus begins Alyce's adventure through Wonderland. I have a certain soft spot for the original story of Alice in Wonderland. It is one of my particular favorites and I often have a hard time reading new int...

Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages.  Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...