Humorous literature for middle school

[mom31257]

I am leading a book club next year, and I need at least one fun, humorous title. Everything I keep thinking I want to include has such serious themes. Any classic titles not to miss in the humorous genre?

 

 

ETA: Mixture of boys and girls (maybe more girls); more 6th and 7th graders than 8th graders

Edited April 6, 2016 by mom31257

[waa510]

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman? My Dd's enjoyed it quite a bit. Oh, or The Phantom Tollbooth? I have a hard time with what a true middle school book is as my kids have always been all over the map with their reading interests. 

Edited April 6, 2016 by waa510

[G5052]

I LOVE The Phantom Tollbooth. Both of mine read it in middle school, and I think I enjoyed it even more than they did!

[Jane Elliot]

Ds and I both loved The Wednesday Wars when he was 11, almost 12.  It's humorous, and it has serious themes; we laughed and cried. The book led to great discussions and cured his grudge against Shakespeare.

 

(He had previously said "I hate that William guy" when I had him memorizing one of the love sonnets. For a couple years, he couldn't even stand to hear the name Shakespeare. I think he felt I had insulted budding masculinity with making him memorize that love sonnet. Not my best homeschooling moment.   :huh: )

Edited April 7, 2016 by Jane Elliot

[Sahamamama]

I am leading a book club next year, and I need at least one fun, humorous title. Everything I keep thinking I want to include has such serious themes. Any classic titles not to miss in the humorous genre?

 

Mostly boys? Or mostly girls? A mix of both?

 

Rascal, by Sterling North

 

Owls in the Family, by Farley Mowat

 

The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster (many people say this is funny, I've never been able to get into it, though)

 

The Saturdays (and others), by Elizabeth Enright

 

The Penderwicks (and others), by Jeanne Birdsall

 

Anne of Green Gables (and others), by Lucy Maud Montgomery

 

Roughing It, by Mark Twain (laughed so hard, read at age 11)

 

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

 

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

 

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink

 

Caddie Woodlawn's Family, by Carol Ryrie Brink

 

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis (my girls think Reepicheep is hilarious)

[Jane Elliot]

Among the kids I know, Phantom Tollbooth is either a major hit or a major flop, one or the other, never a middle ground. Some kids say it's their favorite book; others say they hated it. 

 

[Bluegoat]

Possibly a Flavia de Luce novel?

 

The Princess' Bride

 

For younger kids, maybe a Gordan Korman book?

 

Probably anything by Roald Dhal.  I like the one with The Magic Finger.

[cintinative]

Half Magic by Edward Eager  

 

It's mostly fantasy but it is funny

[Tanaqui]

What other books have they read or do you have scheduled? Middle schoolers, even within that age range, can vary so much :)

 

I'll think on it myself and get back to you in the morning whether or not you've replied.

[Harriet Vane]

A Long Way from Chicago, by Richard Peck

 

The books are really well written AND you will all laugh out loud.

[Lucy the Valiant]

HIGHLY recommending Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder (as well as its sequels, A Long Way from Chicago & also Season of Gifts) - fully-dimensional characters, highly entertaining plot lines, endearingly strong connections (both family and community), and just a barrel of laughs all around. The Blackstone Audio version is a huge hit around here.

 

(*I might be mixing those 2 up; Long Way from Chicago may come first.)

 

Also - YMMV on this one - BUT - I read Gordon Korman's War with Mr. Wizzle as a middle schooler myself, and enjoyed it so much I hunted it down to share with my own middle schoolers here. There was rolling-on-the-living-room-floor, tears-streaming-down-faces laughter. (The book is dated in its approach to technology, but human nature is unchanging, and - my modern-tech kids just loved it.)

[Lucy the Valiant]

And p.s. - what a FANTASTIC idea for a book group! We have a middle school book club here, and I may very well copy your list. :)

[mc26]

My 6th grader and i just finished The Great Turkey Walk and we both enjoyed it.  Humorous and historical.   :001_smile:

[Lori D.]

The Ordinary Princess (Kaye)

The Reluctant Dragon (Graham)

Knight's Castle (Eager)

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem (Velde)

Truckers (Pratchett)

The Whipping Boy (Fleischman)

By the Great Horn Spoon (Fleischman)

The Great Turkey Walk (Kerr)

Ben and Me (Lawson)

Holes (Sacher)

Sideways Stories From Wayside School (Sacher)

The Pushcar War (Merrill)

The Great Brain (Fitzgerald)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Robinson)

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (Lord)

The True Meaning of Smekday (Rex)

Hoot (Hiaasen)

Edited April 7, 2016 by Lori D.

[mom31257]

And p.s. - what a FANTASTIC idea for a book group! We have a middle school book club here, and I may very well copy your list. :)

 

Copy away! I am actually hoping to use a different genre for each selection. I  have just started working on a list of possible books, so I don't know which genres I'll decide to use. 

 

We will meet 6 times throughout the school year scheduled as follows.

 

Book, Poetry Tea, Book, (Break for holidays) Book, Poetry Tea, Book

 

For each book, I'll plan hands-on, unit study type activities following events or themes in the book. 

 

For Poetry Tea, the kids will bring a favorite poem to share with the group. I'll pick a longer poem or two to read and discuss at the meeting. We'll have tea, cider, hot chocolate, and treats as well. 

[mom31257]

What other books have they read or do you have scheduled? Middle schoolers, even within that age range, can vary so much :)

 

I'll think on it myself and get back to you in the morning whether or not you've replied.

 

I'm adding to the group with children I don't know as well, so I can't say what any have already read. I have just started a list of possibilities and have nothing set in stone yet.  

[Sahamamama]

Copy away! I am actually hoping to use a different genre for each selection. I  have just started working on a list of possible books, so I don't know which genres I'll decide to use. 

 

We will meet 6 times throughout the school year scheduled as follows.

 

Book, Poetry Tea, Book, (Break for holidays) Book, Poetry Tea, Book

 

For each book, I'll plan hands-on, unit study type activities following events or themes in the book. 

 

For Poetry Tea, the kids will bring a favorite poem to share with the group. I'll pick a longer poem or two to read and discuss at the meeting. We'll have tea, cider, hot chocolate, and treats as well. 

 

We've been doing this for a few years (here at home), too, and we like to have the same routine as what you've outlined, with one slight difference. We work as follows:

 

Chapter Book, Poetry Tea, Chapter Book, Cocoa Classics (or Classics Cafe)

 

Instead of making tea, we make cocoa (or coffee -- a whole pot!). Instead of reading poetry, we read classic stories, such as "The Shoemaker & the Elves" or "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" or "Cupid & Psyche." We all enjoy the change of pace from chapter books and poetry, and the girls enjoy the cocoa or coffee. Just another idea for you. ;)

 

When you get your list finalized, please come back and post it. I'm following this thread to see what books you choose.

[ScoutTN]

This sounds like fun! I may try to do something like this for Dd and some of her friends.

[mom31257]

We've been doing this for a few years (here at home), too, and we like to have the same routine as what you've outlined, with one slight difference. We work as follows:

 

Chapter Book, Poetry Tea, Chapter Book, Cocoa Classics (or Classics Cafe)

 

Instead of making tea, we make cocoa (or coffee -- a whole pot!). Instead of reading poetry, we read classic stories, such as "The Shoemaker & the Elves" or "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" or "Cupid & Psyche." We all enjoy the change of pace from chapter books and poetry, and the girls enjoy the cocoa or coffee. Just another idea for you. ;)

 

When you get your list finalized, please come back and post it. I'm following this thread to see what books you choose.

 

Oh, I like the short story idea, too!  

 

I'll be glad to post it, but it might be awhile before I finalize it. Another mom will be planning books for 3rd-5th graders to be discussed at the same time. I've lead a book club for 5 years, so I could post several years' lists. Some years it was just a group of people at my house, and some were at a church with a larger group. One year I planned books along the same theme for 3 different age groups. Some years we watched movies, and some we did activity/unit studies.

Edited April 8, 2016 by mom31257

[Farrar]

Anything by Daniel Pinkwater. I especially like Alan Mendolsohn, the Boy From Mars.

 

Dead End in Norvelt is a complete riot. And it's a Newbery winner - a strangely underappreciated one from recent years.

 

My kids and I are in agreement that Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger is the funniest thing we've ever read together hands down.

 

We like all the Jennifer Holm historical fiction books and they all have a lot of humor (and sometimes also a lot of tragedy). Turtle in Paradise is pretty funny.

 

Seconding lots of the above suggestions - especially A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder.

 

 

[Tanaqui]

Farrar's ideas are pretty good.

 

The trouble is the funniest books are often not of terribly good literary quality :) So I'm going to make a secondary list, but I make no promises about the funny:quality ratio.

 

The Fourth Stall

 

Millicent Min, Girl Genius (a sorta trilogy kinda...?)

 

Year of the Dog (I wouldn't call it split-your-sides hilarious, but it's light-hearted)

 

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities

 

Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School

 

The Great Greene Heist (definitely not deep literature, but definitely funny)

 

Swindle (ditto - but, you know, I'm a Korman fan from waaaaay back in the day)

 

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer (might be a bit simple)

 

Misadventures of the Family Fletcher

 

Yeah, other than that, I'm tapped out right now :)

[kirstenhill]

My personal favorite humorous book in middle school was Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. But I haven't re-read since I was that age to know if most parents would find that appropriate...LOL. :-)

[mom31257]

May I ask a question about A Year Down Yonder? Could it be read without reading the first book, A Long Way from Chicago? Is one book funnier than the other?

 

 

[Lilaclady]

Yes it can be. The stories stand on their own and the grandma is just a hoot.

[Tanaqui]

May I ask a question about A Year Down Yonder? Could it be read without reading the first book, A Long Way from Chicago? Is one book funnier than the other?

 

Yes, the two are pretty much stand-alone. I don't know that one is funnier than the other, really, all Peck's historic fiction is pretty great, I just never can remember which comes first :)

[Emba]

I think Tom Sawyer is a very funny classic. Someone also mentioned The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which I also really like.  The Flavia de Luce novels are pretty funny, but I don't know if they're middle school level.

[texasmama]

I ran a literature analysis class for middle schoolers for a couple of years at our co-op, and the students and I really enjoyed The Phantom Tollbooth.  

[Holly]

Half Magic by Edward Eager  

 

It's mostly fantasy but it is funny

 

This is our current read aloud, and everyone has loved it!  After starting this, I realized we read very few funny RAs, so I'm definitely keeping an eye on this thread!