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Tales to Tickle the Funnybone

Lawn Boy One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. . . . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism. Supply and Demand. Diversify labor. Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's groovy, man," said Arnold. If I'd known what was coming, I might have climbed on my mower and putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew. So did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's when my 12th summer got really interesting. Ages 10 up • Hardcover • Buy this book
The Amazing Life of Birds The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech Zit monster. Puberty Werewolf. Potty Boy. Doo Doo Rules! I’m Duane. Duane Homer Leech. Don’t ask. I’m 12. And one week. What I want to know is, where is this whole puberty thing going? So far it’s just something put on earth to destroy me. And I don’t have a clue what’s coming next. Ages 10-14 • Hardcover • Buy this book
Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day Today, Molly: Learned her wacky grandma was coming to spend the day at school with her; Lost her Notebook with Everything that Matters in it, including her homework; Got a black eye. Tore her skirt. And it’s only 9 a.m. Could things get any worse? You bet! Ages 8-12 • Hardcover • Trade Paperback • Buy this book
The Glass Cafe: Or the Stripper and the State; How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous Read an excerpt Twelve-year-old Tony and his mother, Al, get along great. Al works nights as an exotic dancer at the Kitty Kat Club, and together they are a family. When Tony discovers the beauty and power of art, his drawings of dancers at the Kitty Kat Club spark attention from social services. Are they pornographic drawings or artistic sketches? Is Al a responsible mother making money for her family, a skilled storyteller, or a woman simply taking off her clothes? It’s the case of the stripper vs. the state, and Al isn’t giving up Tony without a fight. Gary Paulsen is the distinguished author of many critically acclaimed books. Ages 9-12 up • Hardcover • Paperback • Buy this book
The Boy Who Owned the School Jacob Freisten's goal in life is to go about unnoticed. He's perfect at gliding past the jocks' lockers and sneaking into his English class. That was, until now. If Jacob wants to pass English, he must work for extra credit on the stage crew of the school production of The Wizard of Oz. Jacob, who is usually in a fog anyway, has the the job of running the fog machine. The problem is that Maria Tresser, the girl of his dreams, is cast as the Wicked Witch. Jacob's already made a fool of himself in front of Maria. How can he face her again? Ages 9-12 up • Trade Paperback • Buy this book
The Schernoff Discoveries Harold Schernoff, 14-year-old science whiz and social nerd, has a theory for every problem, from dating, to bullies, to making money, to sports, to how to buy a car when you're underage. When he and his buddy team up to put his theories to the test, nothing goes according to plan. A ski lesson becomes: Mass x Acceleration x Slope of hill = eeeAAGGHHH. As for first dates, only Harold could mastermind such disaster. Only Harold could go fishing and get caught by the fish. And only Gary Paulsen could write such a wonderfully funny story of friendship. Ages 10-14 • Trade Paperback • Buy this book