Laugh Out Loud:
Funny Books for Teens

Call numbers for the Duluth Public Library are in ( ).

 

Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Trilogy, Book 1.)
Arthur Dent sets off on a trip through outer space after the Earth is slated for destruction by aliens who want to construct an interplanetary highway. (YA Fic SF  Adams)

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. (YA Fic  Alexie)

Allen, William Stuart. Swords for Hire: Two of the Most Unlikely Heroes You'll Ever Meet
In the ancient kingdom of Parnall, 16-year-old Sam Hatcher and an eccentric Royal Guard set out on a mission to rescue the rightful king, who has been imprisoned in a faraway dungeon by his evil brother. (Juv Fic SF  Allen)

Azuma, Kiyohiko. Azumanga Daioh, #1
Studying for exams, the rigors of P.E., and crazy teachers are just some of the things Tomo, Yomi, Osaka, Kagura, Chiyo-chan and Sakaki face as they go through high school together. (YA 741.5  Azuma)

Banks, Steven. King of the Creeps
In 1963, when a nerdy, unpopular high school senior notices his resemblance to Bob Dylan, he leaves home for Greenwich Village to become a folk singer. (YA Fic  Banks)

Bat Boy Lives!: The Weekly World News Guide to Politics, Culture, Celebrities, Alien Abductions, and the Mutant Freaks That Shape Our World
Stories about mutants, aliens, scandals, freaks of nature, and conspiracies that have been featured in the "Weekly World News" over the last twenty-five years. (YA 001.9 Bat)

Bauer, Joan. Thwonk
A cupid doll comes to life and offers romantic assistance to A.J., a teenage photographer suffering from unrequited love. (YA Fic  Bauer)

Beddor, Frank. Looking Glass Wars
Cast out of Wonderland by her evil aunt Redd, young Alyss Heart finds herself living in Victorian Oxford as Alice Liddell and struggles to keep memories of her kingdom intact until she can return and claim her rightful throne. (YA Fic SF  Beddor)

Blacker, Terence. Boy2girl
As a prank, 13-year-old Sam dresses up as a girl for school, but it soon gets out of hand. (YA Fic  Blacker)

Cabot, Meg. All-American Girl. (followed by Ready or Not)
A sophomore girl stops a presidential assassination attempt, is appointed Teen Ambassador to the United Nations, and catches the eye of the very cute First Son. (YA Fic  Cabot, D-9394 Book on Disc YA)

Colfer, Eoin. The Wish List
Poised between Heaven and Hell, Meg Finn has returned to Earth trying to tip the scale to the good by helping her last victim. (YA Fic  Colfer)

Danziger, Paula. This Place Has No Atmosphere
In the year 2057, Aurora is devastated when her parents get jobs on the moon and the family has to move. Life there is bound to be miserable--how many guys could there be in a colony of only 750 people? (YA Fic  Danziger)

Ferris, Jean. Love Among the Walnuts
Sandy, his wealthy and eccentric parents, and their servants become victims of a vicious plot by his greedy uncles to incapacitate them and take their money. (YA Fic  Ferris)

Fleischman, Paul. A Fate Totally Worse Than Death
In this horror novel parody, 3 self-centered members of Cliffside High School's ruling clique are beginning to age rapidly and become convinced that the new exchange student is the ghost of the girl whose death they caused the year before. (YA Fic M  Fleischman)

Gallagher, Fred. Megatokyo, #1
Two Americans, Piro, an obsessed anime/manga fan, and Largo, a hardcore gamer, fly to Japan on a whim but find themselves stranded, unable to afford the fare home. (YA 741.5  Gallagher)

Goldman, William. The Princess Bride
This story has everything: Fencing. Fighting. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles. (YA Fic SF  Goldman)

Grantis, John. Technically, It's Not My Fault: Concrete Poems (followed by Blue Lipstick)
Robert's hilarious views on the world are expressed through a series of concrete poems in which words, ideas, type and art combine to make pictures and patterns. (YA 811.6  Grantis)

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just Ella
Continuing the Cinderella story, 15-year-old Ella finds that accepting Prince Charming's proposal ensnares her in a suffocating tangle of palace rules and royal etiquette, so she plots an escape. (YA Fic  Haddix, C-12572 Book on Tape YA)

Hiaasen, Carl. Flush
With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah and his sister must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home. (YA Fic  Hiaasen)

Howe, Norma. The Adventures of Blue Avenger (Blue Avenger series, #1)
On his 16th birthday, David Schumacher changes his name to Blue Avenger and things start to happen. Within 24 hours he becomes a national hero, starts dating an extraordinary girl named Omaha Nebraska Brown, and bakes an imperfect pie. And that's not all. (YA Fic  Howe)

Jaffe, Michele. Bad Kitty
While vacationing with her family in Las Vegas, 17-year-old Jasmine stumbles upon a murder mystery that she attempts to solve with the help of her friends. (YA Fic M  Jaffe)

Kindl, Patrice. Goose Chase
Rather than marry a cruel king or a seemingly dim-witted prince, an enchanted goose girl endures imprisonment, capture by several ogresses, and other dangers, before learning exactly who she is. (Juv Fic SF  Kindl)

Korman, Gordon. A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag
Luckless Raymond Jardine becomes Sean Delancey's 11th-grade-English project partner and talks him into a wacky scheme (involving a long-deceased, obscure Canadian poet) that will help them pass the course and win a vacation to a luxurious Greek island. (YA Fic  Korman)

LaRochelle, David. Absolutely, Positively Not
Trying to convince himself that he's not gay, Steven attempts to fit in at his Minnesota high school by becoming a macho, girl-loving, "Playboy" pinup-displaying heterosexual. (YA Fic  LaRochelle)

Limb, Sue. Girl, 15, Charming But Insane
15-year-old Jess knows that her soul mate is Ben Jones, a divine mixture of Leonardo diCaprio, Prince William, and Brad Pitt who oozes mystery and charisma. But the campaign to get Ben to notice her brings on a cavalcade of mortification and disaster, including, but not limited to, a minestrone soup explosion that takes place in her bra and a schoolwide viewing of a videotape that features a topless Jess referring to her breasts as "Bonnie" and "Clyde." (YA Fic  Limb)

Lockhart, E. The Boyfriend List: (15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs, and Me, Ruby Oliver)
In the past 10 days, Ruby Oliver lost her boyfriend and her best friend, did something suspicious with a boy, did something advanced with a boy, drank her first beer and got caught by her mom, had a panic attack, lost a lacrosse game, failed a math test, became a social outcast and had graffiti written about her in the girls' bathroom. (YA Fic  Lockhart)

Lubar, David. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie
While navigating his first year of high school and awaiting the birth of a baby brother, Scott loses old friends and gains some unlikely new ones as he hones his skills as a writer. (YA Fic  Lubar, D-10439 Book on Disc YA)

Lynch, Chris. Slot Machine (Followed by Extreme Elvin.)
When Elvin Bishop is sent to camp for overweight kids at St. Paul's Seminary Retreat Center, he and his two best friends are forced to try out various sports in order to find out where they belong. (YA Fic  Lynch)

McCants, William D. Much Ado About Prom Night
Advising her classmates on their daily problems, peer counselor Becca Singleton struggles with her own difficulties: the gorgeous editor of the school paper attacks the peer counseling program as a waste of time. (YA Fic  McCants)

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things
Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family (all thin, brilliant, and good-looking), 15-year-old Virginia tries to deal with her self-image, her first physical relationship, and her disillusionment with some of the people closest to her. (YA Fic  Mackler)

Madison, Bennett. Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls
When someone steals her purse and her identity, high-school junior and reluctant girl sleuth Lulu Dark investigates. (YA Fic M  Madison)

Manes, Stephen. The Obnoxious Jerks
High school sophomore Frank Wess tells his experiences as a member of the Obnoxious Jerks, an elite body dedicated to exposing both official and unofficial stupidity. (YA Fic  Manes)

Maxwell, Katie. The Year My Life Went Down the Loo (Emily series. #1)
16-year-old Emily's family moved from Seattle to England and she has to adjust to a whole new lingo, new friends, and, worst of all, no malls. (YA Fic  Maxwell)

Nodelman, Perry. Behaving Bradley
Recruited by his best friend to gather student input for the proposed Code of Conduct at his high school, Brad encounters obstinate faculty members, monstrous bullies, spineless student leaders, and personal agendas. (YA Fic  Nodelman)

O'Connell, Tyne. Pulling Princes (The Calypso chronicles, #1)
Hoping to become more popular at her elegant English boarding school, 15-year-old Californian Calypso Kelly invents a fake handsome boyfriend, until she realizes that her wit and skill at fencing may be enough to attract the attention of a real-life handsome prince. (YA Fic  O'Connell)

Pinkwater, Jill. Buffalo Brenda
Determined to make their mark on their high school, ninth graders India Ink and her zany best friend Brenda Tuna organize an underground newspaper and then provide a live buffalo as a mascot for the football team. (YA Fic  Pinkwater)

Plummer, Louise. The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman
Kate is disgusted by melodramatic romance novels, but she is inspired to write her own--with the assistance of The Romance Writer's Phrase Book--after her older brother's friend Richard comes to stay at their house during Christmas vacation. (YA Fic  Plummer)

Powell, Randy. Three Clams and an Oyster
A 4-man flag football team that calls itself Three Clams and an Oyster is short one shellfish. The guys know they have to get serious if they really want to go to Nationals and scramble to find a replacement before the September deadline. (YA Fic  Powell)

Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men (A Tiffany Aching adventure, #1.)
A young witch-to-be named Tiffany teams up with the Wee Free Men, a clan of 6-inch-high blue men, to rescue her baby brother and ward off a sinister invasion from Fairyland. (Juv Fic SF  Pratchett, C-16208 Book on Tape Juv SF, D-9961 Book on Disc Juv SF)

Rees, Douglas. Vampire High
When his family moves from California to New Sodom, Mass. and Cody enters Vlad Dracul Magnet School, many things seem strange, from the dark-haired, pale-skinned, supernaturally strong students to Charon, the wolf who guides him around campus on the first day. (YA Fic M  Rees)

Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (Georgia Nicolson Diaries, #1)
Georgia has an insane cat who is prone to leg-shredding "Call of the Wild" episodes and embarrassing parents who make her want to escape to Stonehenge and dance with the Druids. (YA Fic  Rennison)

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, #1)
12-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. (Juv Fic SF  Riordan, D-9971 Book on Disc Juv SF)

Shulman, Polly. Enthusiasm
Julie and Ashleigh, high school sophomores and Jane Austen fans, seem to fall for the same Mr. Darcy-like boy and struggle to hide their true feelings from one another while rehearsing for a school musical. (YA Fic  Shulman)

Shusterman, Neil. The Schwa Was Here
A Brooklyn 8th-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone. (YA Fic  Shusterman)

Spinelli, Jerry. Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?
The sibling rivalry between 12-year-old Megin and her older brother Greg intensifies after she ruins his science project and he retaliates by throwing her favorite hockey stick into the pond. (YA Fic  Spinelli)

Strasser, Todd. How I Changed My Life (Time Zone High, #1.)
Overweight high school senior Bo decides to change her image while working on the school play with a former star football player who is also struggling to find a new identity for himself. (YA Fic  Strasser)

Strong, Jeremy. Stuff: The Life of a Cool Demented Dude
14-year-old Simon, known as Stuff, struggles with his new stepfamily, tries to avoid a giant attack rabbit, hopes to break up with his girlfriend and connect with a new one, and creates cartoons of "Punykid's battle with drooling dorkoids." (YA Fic  Strong)

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Flipped
The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the 2nd grade, but not much has changed. Now in 8th grade everything gets turned upside down. (YA Fic  Van Draanen)

Vande Velde, Vivian. Never Trust a Dead Man
Selwyn, wrongly accused of murder, teams up with Farold, the murder victim currently resurrected as a bat, to find Farold's true killer. Using a variety of "clever disguises," such as a young woman and her songbird or a pilgrim and his bat, the two investigate the increasingly lengthy list of potential murderers. (YA Fic M  Vande Velde)

Wilson, Jacqueline. Girls in Love (Girls, #1)
Ellie is starting 9th grade and is dead set on finding a boyfriend. Her two best friends seem to have all the luck in the love department, but Ellie will stop at nothing to join the ranks. (YA Fic  Wilson)

Wrede, Patricia C. Dealing with Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)
Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart. . . .and bored. So she runs away to live with a dragon, and there she finds the family and adventure she's been looking for. (Juv Fic SF  Wrede)

YM the Best of (Say Anything)
YM magazine's readers sent in these hilarious, humiliating, mortifying, and totally embarrassing moments. (YA 152.4 YM)

Young, Karen Romano. The Beetle and Me: A Love Story
Daisy decides she wants to single-handedly restore the car of her dreams, the old purple Volkswagen Beetle from her childhood. (YA Fic  Young)


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8/27/10
Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802