Humor

Effie Starr Zook Has One More Question
Martha Freeman
“An excellent addition to middle grade collections.” —School Library Journal (starred review) After being shipped off to stay with her aunt and uncle in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania, city girl Effie Starr Zook stumbles upon a mystery that leads her to an old family feud in this “accessible and exciting” (School Library Journal, starred review).A rich girl from New York City, Effie Starr Zook isn’t afraid of much. When her parents go on a dangerous round-the-world adventure in a solar airplane, she’s packed off to her aunt and uncle’s farm for the summer. Expecting boredom, she runs smack dab into a family secret. Why does the neighbor kid want to avoid her? What are her aunt and uncle so worried about? And what does “bad blood” mean, anyway? Effie’s got a brand-new bicycle, time on her hands, and an unlimited capacity for asking questions. With these, she sets out to uncover whatever it is the grownups are hiding. Along the way, she’ll contend with crackpot politics, serve coffee in a bookstore café, and learn more than she bargained for about her famous great-grandfather, the inventor of the barf bag. Fast-paced and funny, this is a story about having the courage to find out who you really are. Look out, world—when Effie Starr Zook has questions, she won’t take no for an answer!
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The Bolds to the Rescue
David Roberts, Julian Clary
The Boldsthe hyena family successfully impersonating as humanshave become legendary in the animal kingdom. Soon their house is full of visitors hoping to learn how to pass as humans too. There's a crocodile who can't quite tame her appetite, a poodle who wants to be a famous singer, and runaway racehorses hiding from their owner. With so many houseguests, the Bolds have their hands (ahem, paws) full. Can they teach these outcast critters to survive in the human world?
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down
The pressure’s really piling up on Greg Heffley. His mom thinks video games are turning his brain to mush, so she wants her son to put down the controller and explore his “creative side.” As if that’s not scary enough, Halloween’s just around the corner and the frights are coming at Greg from every angle. When Greg discovers a bag of gummy worms, it sparks an idea. Can he get his mom off his back by making a movie . . . and will he become rich and famous in the process? Or will doubling down on this plan just double Greg’s troubles?
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Welcome to Wonderland #1 Home Sweet Motel
“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate seriesFrom the bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author with James Patterson of I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters, comes a hilarious illustrated series about all the wacky things that happen when you live in a motel! Eleven-year-old P. T. Wilkie may be the greatest storyteller alive. But he knows one thing for a fact: the Wonderland Motel is the best place a kid could ever live! All-you-can-eat poolside ice cream! A snack machine in the living room! A frog slide! A giant rampaging alligator! (Okay, that last one may or may not be made up.) There’s only one thing the Wonderland doesn’t have, though—customers. And if the Wonderland doesn’t get them soon, P.T. and his friend Gloria may have to say goodbye to their beloved motel forever. They need to think BIG. They need to think BOLD. They need an OUTRAGEOUS plan. Luckily for them, Gloria is a business GENIUS, and OUTRAGEOUS is practically P.T.’s middle name. With Gloria’s smarts and P.T.’s world-famous stories and schemes, there’s got to be a way to save the Wonderland! BONUS: Includes fun extras like P. T. Wilkie’s outrageous (and sometimes useful) things you learn living in a motel. Installment 1: How to say “Help! The toilet is clogged!” in over twenty languages!Here's What People are saying about Welcome to Wonderland!* A New York Times Bestseller * Sunshine State Young Readers Award List * Winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award * “Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars! Kids who check into this madcap motel will want to stay forever!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series"So funny I fell off my bed!"--Izzy B., age 10"Classic Grabenstein. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein’s “Mr. Lemoncello” followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. This new series should be a hit."—School Library Journal“A delight. P.T. is a hoot and a half. A funny, madcap dash. Grabenstein . . . threads in a mystery that blooms in the last act and that puts this particular read over the top."—Kirkus Reviews “Charm galore. Easy and breezy, this well-paced novel . . . belongs in the hands of any readers wanting their bad guys bad, their good guys great, and a little of Wonderland’s promised fun in the sun.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
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Skunks Dance
Spivey Spillane's grandmammy always said there were only two good reasons to kill a man -- for cheating on a woman, and for serving drinks to a Yankee. She may have had a hand in winning the Revolutionary War, but even she never met the likes of Alabama Sam. Sam robs a bank under Spillane's name, casts him in an obscene one-man play wearing only a pink tutu, and starts a betting pool on how many wieners he has. Despite the indignities Spillane suffers, he chases Sam across Gold-Rush-era California because Sam is the only one who knows the location of a hidden fortune buried somewhere in the hills. Meanwhile in the present, seventeen-year-olds Amanda and Jet have rekindled an old childhood rivalry. Amanda is obsessed with finding the treasure of her infamous ancestor Spivey Spillane. Jet and Amanda's feud comes to a head over an extended incident involving a broken window, an exploded car, and a charge of sexual assault with a candy Batman. Jet vows that he is going to find to Spillane's gold before Amanda does, but it doesn't take them long to realize that someone may have come this way already -- someone who wants the past to stay buried. Inspired by the rickety world of 1960s British-made Westerns, SKUNKS DANCE is a tale of revenge, greed, and men in tutus.
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Heavy Sketches Among Worldly Distractions
Zombies, pizza, aliens, video games, and the apocalypse … these are just a few of the worldly distractions that capture Red’s wandering mind. After 25 years of sketching and a history of never finishing projects, Red finally focuses - creating the ultimate graphic novel anthology unlike any seen before. The pages are jam-packed full of engaging stories on Vikings, pirates, Lincoln, Greek Mythology, TV & more. Accompanied by hundreds of captivating sketches, Mini-Comics, Drawing Tips, Facts, and Spoofs. Heavy Sketches features all this and more - - compiled together in ONE massive book. Heavy Sketches is a book that breaks the mold. It has broad appeal to engage avid & reluctant readers, comic fans, and art enthusiasts alike. The extraordinary combination of original illustrations, facts, fiction and educational content strikes the perfect balance between the likes of kids and adults. Now get ready...the time has come for Heavy Sketches, a groundbreaking graphic novel of EPIC proportions.
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From the Publisher

"Milo won't fall asleep because he thinks the monsters in the basement are gonna get him. And, if he can't get to sleep, no one will. Mom and Dad better hope his
wild imagination doesn't get the best of him!"
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From the Publisher

My Ass: A Cheeky Book for the Naughty Child in Us All
A silly play on words about donkeys. Humor suited for all ages. View trailer here https://youtu.be/0Bgn7fKRM_U
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Full of Beans
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award Five Starred Reviews!A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, 2016Grown-ups lie. That’s one truth Beans knows for sure. He and his gang know how to spot a whopper a mile away, because they are the savviest bunch of barefoot conchs (that means “locals”) in all of Key West. Not that Beans really minds; it’s 1934, the middle of the Great Depression. With no jobs on the island, and no money anywhere, who can really blame the grown-ups for telling a few tales? Besides, Beans isn’t anyone’s fool. In fact, he has plans. Big plans. And the consequences might surprise even Beans himself.Return to the wonderful world of Newbery Honor Book Turtle in Paradise through the eyes of Turtle’s cousin Beans!"A surprising coming-of-age story with a remarkably honest message." —The New York Times"[Holm] captures this colorful slice of Depression history with her usual vivacious wit. . . . Children will love Beans." —Shelf Awareness, Starred"A novel as entertaining as the motion pictures [Beans] loves to see."—The Horn Book Magazine, Starred“Inspired by actual events, Holm’s talent for writing historical fiction is on full display. . . . Interesting family and small-town dynamics further enrich this fascinating account of a young boy’s life in Florida’s ‘Recovery Key.’” —Booklist, Starred"Filled with humor, heart, and warmth." —Kirkus Review, Starred"Entertaining and illuminating historical fiction." —Publishers Weekly, Starred
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Lucy & Andy Neanderthal
Jeffrey Brown, Jeffrey Brown
From the author of the New York Times bestselling Jedi Academy books comes a hilarious graphic novel series about two young cave kids living 40,000 years ago.“Lucy & Andy are Stone Age rock stars! I loved this book!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series Lucy and Andy are a sister and brother who get into trouble much like any sister and brother. Only difference? Lucy and Andy live in the Stone Age! Discover their laugh-out-loud adventures as the Paleo pair take on a wandering baby sibling, bossy teens, cave paintings, and a mammoth hunt. But what will happen when they encounter a group of humans?Includes extra information about Neanderthal life that's sure to appeal to future paleontologists and science phobes alike! And don't miss Lucy and Andy's next outing, Lucy & Andy Neanderthal: The Stone Cold Age -- coming soon!A New York City Public Library Best 50 Books for Kids 2016!A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2016!"Jeffrey Brown returns from a galaxy far, far away to bring us a whole new slew of kid-friendly characters! Just beware of mammoth dung!" —Keith Knight, author of Jake the Fake and The Knight Life Every kid will love to go back in time with LUCY & ANDY!" —Judd Winick, author of Hilo: The Boy Who Saved the World