Laugh 'til it Hurts: Humorous Realistic Fiction
Burger Wuss , by M.T. Anderson
Anthony has always been something of a pushover. Until, that is,
he finds his girlfriend Diana making out with another guy at a
party. Suddenly, Anthony has A Plan for revenge—a plan that
involves a fast-food job at O’Dermott’s (where girlfriend-stealing
Turner is a star employee), an anarchist, and a condiment troll.
Surely a plan this good can’t go wrong… right?
Slot Machine, by Chris Lynch
21 Nights with the Knights doesn’t sound so bad. 3 weeks
of camp, to find out what athletic slot Flagship Academy’s
incoming freshman belong in. It would be fine… except that
Elvin is an overweight, sarcastic fourteen-year-old with no athletic
abilities or inclinations, which turns 21 Nights with the Knights
into three straight weeks of physical pain and humiliation. Will
Elvin find anything he’s good at?
The Year of Secret Assignments, by Jaclyn Moriarty
As part of their 10th-grade English pen-pal assignment, Cassie,
Lydia, and Emily are matched with three boys from a rival high
school. The girls are mostly pleased with their matches—well,
two out of three, anyway—until one of the boys violates
the “spirit of harmony” the pen-pal program is supposed
to encourage. What starts out as a simple letter exchange soon
leads to secret missions, false alarms, lock picking, mistaken
identities, and an all-out war between the schools—not to
mention some really excellent kissing.
5 Novels, by Daniel Pinkwater
Horse races, junior high life, and an ice cream dish served in
a freshly laundered regulation army knapsack. It’s random,
it’s hilarious, it’s five books in one. If you fondly
remember Louis Sachar’s Wayside School stories or Norton
Juster’s Phantom Tollbooth, give Daniel Pinkwater a chance.
(The five novels are Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars; Slaves
of Spiegel; The Last Guru; Young Adult Novel; and The Snarkout
Boys and the Avocado of Death.)
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging : Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, by Louise Rennison
Georgia Nicolson is a 14-year-old British girl with some problems,
and only her diary to confess them to. Her parents are completely
embarrassing (whose aren’t?). Her cat terrorizes the neighbor’s
poodle. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien, but
couldn’t anybody have accidentally shaved off her eyebrows?
But still—there are boys to stalk, teachers to bait, and
even the possibility of snogging with the hottest guy ever. The
year might not be a total loss!
(Other books in this series are On the Bright Side, I’m
Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God; Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas;
Dancing in my Nuddy Pants; Away Laughing on a Fast Camel; and
Startled by His Furry Shorts. The books can be read in any order.)
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, by Dyan Sheldon
When Mary Elizabeth’s hippie single mother moves the family
out of New York City to the deadly dull suburbs of New Jersey,
Mary Elizabeth has no choice but to start over at the top. Renaming
herself “Lola,” she immediately runs up against the
reigning queen of her new high school, competing for concert tickets,
lead roles, and the respect of the student body.
(Lola’s drama queen days aren’t over at the end of
this book! Check out My Perfect Life for the next installment.)
The Schwa Was Here, by Neal Shusterman
Anthony, also known as "Antsy," is fascinated by "The
Schwa Effect"--the fact that no one ever sees Calvin Schwa.
Even when acting weird and dressed like a total freak, The Schwa
is only barely noticed. The two boys form a partnership and get
away with all kinds of mischief. With chapter titles like “Maybe
They Had It Right in France Because Getting My Head Lopped Off
by a Guillotine Would Have Been Easier,” you know this book
will be anything but boring!
The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian
Larry is something of a guru. Through his web site, he preaches
simple living and a belief in whittling down one’s material
possessions (Larry himself has only 75 things, including both
shoes.) Larry’s success sparks an advertising-free music
festival and a media circus. As Larry is under increasing scrutiny,
17-year-old Josh is getting closer to being exposed as the guru
behind the phenomenon.
(Look for the sequel to this title, Vote For Larry!, for more
of Josh/Larry’s adventures.)
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