31 Days, 31 Books: 2021 Older Funny Books

In 2017 I published the anthology Funny Girl. The concept was clear. My attempt was to gather together the funniest women writing funny books for kids. Would I change things if I made it today? Absolutely. I didn’t, for example, include any funny trans women, and had I thought about it I would have included Dana Simpson in a red hot minute. In any case, over the years I’ve made sure to collect the funny books for kids that come out each year. As you know, I already tackled funny picture books this year. It is time now to turn our attention to funny books for older readers. Because heaven knows that this year we need humor desperately. And who better to appreciate that fact than our kids?

On today’s list you’re going to find comics mixed with early chapter books mixed with middle grade fiction, and even the occasional memoir. Don’t fret it. Each is funny and worthy of the time and attention of your young readers. Cause if we can’t bring them the funny once in a while, what good are we?

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2021 Funny Books for Older Readers

Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, ill. Asiah Fulmore

I’m always a little baffled when a property gets remade, but this new book appears to be desperately hiding that fact from its reading public. When Shannon and Dean did a young Wonder Woman story last year, we weren’t all that surprised. Now the DC Graphic Novels for Kids line (which, when it isn’t being penned by the Hales, gets a little wonky) has redone Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld. One would be forgiven for thinking it an original tale. Certainly when I hear “Amethyst” I think of Steven Universe’s character first. In this case, however, the Hales have a bit of a challenge. They have a svelte 156 pages with which to establish character development and change, world building, a bad guy, and fancy ballroom gowns. What can I say? These guys know what they’re doing. My daughter in particular appreciated the jokes which come fast and tight on an inside curve. Hard not to like this book. She may be a recycled property, but this Amethyst will make loads of new fans.

Cardboardia: The Other Side of the Box by Richard Fairgray and Lucy Campagnolo, ill. Richard Fairgray

[Previously Seen on the Unconventional List]

Okay, one of these days I’m just gonna have to meet Richard Fairgray once and for all. The man has such a keenly skewed sense of humor. It’s the kind of humor we need to see more of in our children’s literature. Now I know that when you look at this book you might, like me, wonder how similar it is to Cardboard by Doug TenNapel (a comic creator that could give Fairgray a run for his money in the weirdness department). There are some similarities in the logistics of a cardboard world, but I’d say this book has an entirely different feel and take. I also adored the hidden jokes. Fairgray cannot physically draw a sign on a wall in a school without making it funny. Some personal favorites: “Make Every Day Spaghetti Wednesday”, “Name Calling Is for Dweebs”, “Viva La Evolution”, and a personal favorite of “Comedy = Tragedy + Time” made into a pyramid. Wherever this crazy train is going, I wanna ride it to the end.

It also wins the Best Dedication of the Year Award:

The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity, ill. Christopher Baldwin

Marketed as YA, I say bah to all of that. I’ve got a 5th grader in my home that loves anything with even a hint of romance, and this book is so perfectly midl that it more than suits the bill. Certainly someone who has read gothic romances will get more out of it, but I’m hoping that it proves to be a gateway drug to Jane Eyre and all the others. In this story, a girl with a deep and abiding love of all things gothic is accidentally transported to a small dimension straight out of one of her books. There’s a haunted mansion, a surly housekeeper, three brothers, and The Bile. The Bile, for the record, is the part that doesn’t fit. Suddenly she must aid the brothers in defeating The Bile, all while vacillating between Maiden and Heroine. The jokes in this book land with a solid frequency that I truly enjoyed. Loved the art style, the writing, and the weirdness. Just an all around good egg.

Dog Man: Mothering Heights by Dav Pilkey

Okay, we all know Dog Man, so there’s not much point even really putting it on a list. I acknowledge that freely. Also, the poop jokes get really cranked up in this book. I’m talking European poop joke levels here (though, unlike the Europeans, while you do see a plentiful amount of pee, you’re only getting poop-related jokes and not any visuals of the real thing). So why even mention it? Because the whole reason to even read Dog Man, as far as I’m concerned, is to find that moment when Pilkey breaks out of the silly jokes and includes something meaningful. And nine times out of ten you’ll find that moment if you follow Petey. Not L’il Petey. Petey Senior. The formerly evil cat. In this book we discover that after a mishap in his youth, Petey served his time and tried to go straight. Trouble was, because of his prison record he couldn’t get a job or a place to live. There’s a part where he’s being booted out of the 2nd Chance Diner where a sign in the window reads, “No Recidivists”. So yeah. Petey’s my guy. And doggone it, I’m including this book here. Ain’t like it isn’t funny, after all.

The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin

Poor Yevgeny. Growing up in Cold War Russia, all he wants is to find his talent, the way his figure-skating older brother has. But nothing Yevgeny does ever seems to turn out well. Will he ever find his genius gift? It took me a while but I’ve really warmed up to Eugene Yelchin’s wacky style. I wasn’t a huge fan of Breaking Stalin’s Nose back in the day, but ever since then it’s like the man can do no wrong. Now he’s lightly fictionalized his own memoir for kids and it is FASCINATING. Particularly the part where Mikhail Baryshnikov defects and Eugene ends up with his blue jeans. I interviewed him about this and asked him if that was true and it most certainly is. Probably the funniest, most accurate depiction of living in Cold War Russia you’re ever going to see in a children’s book.

Jojo Makoons: The Used-To-Be-Best-Friend by Dawn Quigley, ill. Tara Audibert

[Previously Seen on the Easy Book / Early Chapter Book List]

What do you do when your best friend doesn’t want to sit with you at lunch anymore? Meet Jojo Makoons, an Ojibwe seven-year-old just trying to navigate school and her own kooky inclinations. A slam dunk on representation, and a perfectly good set of stories. Jojo as a character is very much in the Ramona tradition of flawed heroines you identify with. She’s one of those gals that has some work to do, but you still find yourself kind of rooting for her all the way. Love her hair, by the way. Just fantastic.

Long Road to the Circus by Betsy Bird

[Previously Seen on the Middle Grade Novel List]

Yeah yeah. I know. Second list I’ve added this book to this month. What can I say? I’m shameless. If you haven’t heard of it before, this book was born out of a crazy coincidence. You see, my grandmother’s no good uncle used to skip out on his farm chores when she was a kid. Why? Because he’d walk on over to an elderly ex-circus performer’s house to try to learn how to teach the farm horses circus tricks. The name of this performer? Madame Marantette. Fast forward to the future and Caldecott Award winning illustrator David Small actually lives IN the Marantette House! I thought a picture book might come out of this story. David, however, saw it as a novel. The end result? A kooky story about Suzy, a girl determined to get out of small town Michigan and into the big bright world. And how’s she gonna do it? Well… you ever seen a lady ride an ostrich side saddle? You will. It’s a goofy little thing, but I’m fond of it.

The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy by Mary Winn Heider

[Previously Seen on the Middle Grade Novel List]

Siblings Louise and Winston encounter a series of weird happenings at their school. Do these oddities have anything to do with why their teachers are behaving so oddly? Additionally, the two hope their football player dad returns home after disappearing suddenly. Consider this a Chicago-based mix of absurd humor and heartbreak. Readers of this book get to take a deep dive into a truly wacky series of unpredictable events. Mind you, the whole reason that this works is that Heider never abandons the heart of the novel, even in the midst of chaos. Loved the jokes. Loved the characters. Loved how prevalent Darth Vader’s “Imperial March” was. Like nothing else out there.

Otto: A Palindrama by Jon Agee

I have a proposal. Years from now, when Jon Agee has left us, and the world has turned around the sun for a while, I propose that someone write a retrospective biography of him called something like FEARLESS: THE LIFE AND CHOICES OF JON AGEE. I say this because I can think of few people working in the field of children’s literature that try, so consistently, to do their own thing, regardless of the trends of the world. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but part of what I love about Agee’s books is their strange timelessness. Nobody does what he does or produces books that look like his. And now, as if answering a prayer we didn’t even know we could have prepared, he has given us a graphic novel. A comic! A big long comic predicated on a premise so ludicrous that were it any other author/illustrator I would have said it couldn’t be done. He’s written a comic book entirely in palindromes. A “palindrama” if you will. Now that sounds like a joke that could get old fast, but you’re only saying that because you haven’t read it. With hints of Alice in Wonderland to it, we follow Otto. He’s trying to find his dog Pip and he runs into an array of wild adventures searching the world. The kicker is how funny the book is. I kept guffawing loudly in my workroom lunchroom when I came across the page of characters like Evil Cara Clive or Regan Amy Trapp, Party Manager. But he really shines when it comes to advertisements. Feeble Tom’s Motel Beef. Lonely Tylenol. Feilert: Safe Fast Relief. In his Acknowledgments, Agee pays full tribute to each and every person or source he used to find some of these. Many, however, are his own creation like “No one made killer apparel like Dame Noon” or my personal favorite “Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo.” Not sure if I should dock him half a point for his cheat on “Museseum” but it seems petty. This book is a joy to go through with kids. My 7-year-old can attest to that.

Pity Party by Kathleen Lane

[Previously Seen on the Middle Grade Novel List]

A deft and daring collection of stories, quizzes, advertisements, and more. A book for anyone who has ever wanted a funny, strange, sad book to soothe their anxieties. I’d call this a pretty good example of not judging a book by its cover. This is essentially “Black Mirror” for kids. Or maybe it’s more Ray Bradbury. Whatever it is, it’s short fiction and a lot of fun. Some stories circle around and around. Some come up and then disappear again. This is the rarest of all beasts: child satire. It has a dry sense of humor, and embraces nonsense in a rather refreshing way. My favorite story is probably “Imposter” because it feels specific enough to be eerie, and is so universal at the same time.

Too Small Tola by Atinuke, ill. Onyinye Iwu

[Previously Seen on the Easy Book / Early Chapter Book List]

Tola lives in an apartment in Lagos, Nigeria with her Grandmommy, brother, and sister. Smaller than everyone, Tola soon learns that it isn’t size that makes you mighty, and that tiny isn’t bad. Atinuke is at the top of her game with this book and that’s all there is to that. And what a treat to discover the art of Onyinye Iwu! Atinuke always gets the best illustrators and this book is no exception. The stories are quick, funny, and always incredibly interesting. But even better than all of that is the fact that you get this emotional connection to the main character that grows and grows with each subsequent story. Raises the bar for all the other early chapter books out there, I can tell you that much.

Trubble Town: Squirrel Do Bad by Stephan Pastis

Little actions have big consequences when Wendy the Wanderer feeds sugar to a squirrel and ultimately ends up with her whole town in shambles. It’s very difficult for me not to recommend a new Stephan Pastis book. Even better than the Timmy Failure series, this is a book that pushes the envelope on absurdity. It’s as if Pastis wants to consistently see how far he can push his jokes. Remarkable in its ridiculousness, it’s also one of the few comics that consistently made me laugh out loud. I completely understand if it’s not your cup of tea, but I cannot in good conscience keep it out of contention. It’s just too much fun. 

The Wild Huntsboys by Martin Stewart

[Previously Seen on the Middle Grade Novel List]

Set in a futuristic England at war, three boys find themselves in danger when they anger the fairies and must battle enemies on every side. I just regret it took me this long to read this book. After reading a lot of “meh” fantasies this year, I needed a book with great writing that was funny and smart. This book fits the bill. Few authors could successfully meld dystopia with fairies in a middle grade title, but Mr. Stewart manages it. I highly recommend that you listen to the audiobook as well. Right from the get-go you’ll enjoy the reader. He has to do a wide range of accents and rarely disappoints. We’re going to need some fun fantasies on our shelves and this gets my vote.

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Enjoy these older funny titles? Would like to see more lists of the same? Then be sure not to miss these:

• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017

And here’s what else we have happening this month:

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Board Book Reprints & Adaptations

December 3 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books

December 4 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – CaldeNotts

December 8 – Picture Book Reprints

December 9 – Math Books for Kids

December 10 – Books with a Message

December 11 – Fabulous Photography

December 12 – Wordless Picture Books

December 13 – Translated Titles

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 16 – Middle Grade Novels

December 17 – Poetry Books

December 18 – Easy Books & Early Chapter Books

December 19 – Older Funny Books

December 20 – Science Fiction Books

December 21 – Fantasy Books

December 22 – Informational Fiction

December 23 – American History

December 24 – Science & Nature Books

December 25 – Autobiographies *NEW TOPIC!*

December 26 – Biographies

December 27 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 29 – Best Audiobooks for Kids

December 30 – Comics & Graphic Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2021, Booklists