22 Feb.: Laugh With Me!

We need more of these! We need more books for that center Black teens and Black girls that mare readers chuckle, laugh out loud, or even groan at the corniness. We do know that Black people aren’t always serious, don’t we?

I notice how popular stand up comedians are across all streaming platforms, and how quick we are to share funny videos, so where are the humorous books for young people? You know, the books that cause us to laugh at ourselves, that relieve stress, or remind us that stuff just isn’t that deep. Mind you, I was looking for books by Black authors but, this reminded me a lot of looking for funny greeting cards. Blacks get the serious prayer-filled cards but not the silly ones about getting to be so old there’s no more room for candles or a slice-tacular joke about pizza. Black people smile, laugh and tell jokes y’all. C’mon!!! Wanda Sykes. Keke Palmer. Def Comedy. Kings of Comedy.

Please drop the angry stereotype. Please know we find kittens cute, farts funny, and judging people hysterical. And, who gave you yo’ mama jokes??

What I found is that funny books for Black kids are so rare, even the bookmarks are looking for them. I saw a lot of humorous middle grade books with male characters, few with female characters and very few for YAs. I think this generalization plays out across racial and ethnic groups. Sometimes, our children just need a good laugh

Running in Flip Flops From the End of the World by Justin A. Reynolds. (Scholastic, 2024)
When twelve-year-old Eddie Gordon Holloway and his friends are left home from Beach Bash, aka the greatest party of the year, only to realize that everyone in town has disappeared without a trace, they do what any smart, responsible kids would do . . . have the best day ever!

No parental supervision sounds fun for a while, but forever is a long time. And soon the gang starts to notice strange things happening around town, and they’re only getting stranger. They have to figure out what happened to their families. It seems like getting to the beach will answer all their questions . . . but the only problem is that some mysterious force seems determined to prevent them from making it there. Eddie knows that this is a clear sign — obviously they should be focused on having as much fun as possible for as long as possible. But everyone deals with the fear differently, and soon the friendships begin to fracture. Can Eddie find a way to get all his friends on the same page? And will they ever make it to the beach?

Second to None by Destiny Howell. (Scholastic, 2024)
Every school has their number ones: the class president, the first chair in band, the spelling bee champion. And behind every high rolling high achiever? A kid in second place. Twelve-year-old DJ has a reputation for being the go-to kid for solving just about any problem. Need help getting an unfair teacher or bully off your back? DJ is your guy. He knows the social order of Ella Fitzgerald Middle School like the back of his hand. So when the usual winners start losing — all at the same time — he knows something is wrong. Very wrong.

With the help of his usual crew, Audrey, Monty, and Connor, DJ is determined to get to the bottom of what’s happening. Maybe it’s all in his head. Or maybe there’s a conspiracy at work. DJ and his friends will have to figure it out — before the school saboteur comes for them.

Obviously: Stories from My Timeline by Akilah Hughes (Razorbill, 2019)
In Akilah Hughes’s world, family–and life–are often complicated, but always funny. Through intimate and hilarious essays, Akilah takes readers along on her journey from the small Kentucky town where she was born–and eventually became a spelling bee champ and 15-year-old high school graduate–to New York City, where she took careful steps to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer and performer. Like Tiffany Haddish’s The Last Black Unicorn or Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? for the YA set, Akilah pens revealing and laugh-out-loud funny essays about her life, covering everything from her racist fifth grade teacher, her struggles with weight and acne, her failed attempts at joining the cheerleading team, how to literally get to New York (hint: for a girl on a budget, it may include multiple bus transfers) and exactly how to “make it” once you finally get there.

Marcus Makes a Move by Kevin Hart (Yearling, 2022) 
Marcus is NOT happy to be stuck in after-school film class . . . until he realizes he can turn the story of the cartoon superhero he’s been drawing for years into an actual MOVIE! There’s just one problem: he has no idea what he’s doing. So he’ll need help, from his friends, his teachers, Sierra, the strong-willed classmate with creative dreams of her own, even Tyrell, the local bully who’d be a perfect movie villain if he weren’t too terrifying to talk to.

Making this movie won’t be easy. But as Marcus discovers, nothing great ever is—and if you want your dream to come true, you’ve got to put in the hustle to make it happen.

Jake the Fake Keeps it Real (series) by Craig Robinson (Yearling)
For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate comes the first book in a side-splitting illustrated series from comedian and film star Craig Robinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Mansbach, and NAACP History Maker recipient and cartoonist Keith Knight.

The Last Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles. (VErsify, 2020)
Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town—and each other—before time stops for good.

Kings of B’More by R. Eric Thomas. R. Eric Thomas (Kokila, 2023)
With junior year starting in the fall, Harrison feels like he’s on the precipice of, well, everything. Standardized testing, college, and the terrifying unknowns and looming pressures of adulthood after that—it’s like the future wants to eat him alive. Which is why Harrison is grateful that he and his best friend, Linus, will face these things together. But at the end of a shift at their summer job, Linus invites Harrison to their special spot overlooking the city to deliver devastating news: He’s moving out of state at the end of the week.To keep from completely losing it—and partially inspired by a cheesy movie-night pick by his dad—Harrison plans a send-off à la Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that’s worthy of his favorite person. If they won’t be having all the life-expanding experiences they thought they would, Harrison will squeeze them all into their last day together. They end up on a mini road trip, their first Pride, and a rooftop dance party, all while keeping their respective parents, who track them on a family location app, off their trail. Harrison and Linus make a pact to do all the things—big and small—they’ve been too scared to do. But nothing feels scarier than saying goodbye to someone you love.

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