Title: Noggin
Author: John Corey Whaley
Summary: At sixteen Travis was diagnosed with cancer and to beat the disease he had head detached from his body, frozen, and then reattached to a new body five years later. Travis must deal with how his friends and family have changed in the past five years and understand this new version of himself.
Where the book was found: Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library
Why you chose it to be highlighted: I think this book is a good example of the kind of funny books I like. Judging from the bits I read and the reviews on Goodreads this book has more to it then its humor and the absurd medical procedure Travis goes through. Maybe having your head attached to another body will be a common practice one day but right now the idea is a little crazy. However, I think Travis is dealing with other issues in this book such as his identity and growth. He feels like he has been left behind. His loved ones have grown up, while he's been frozen for five years. I think that's something many teens could relate to, the feeling of missing out and being forgotten. I think the voice of the narrator, Travis, is also hilarious and adds to the humor of the book. Overall, I think this book should included in the category of funny books because it has humor but it also has important themes that teens and other readers could relate to.
Title: The Pants Project
Author: Cat Clarke
Summary: Liv is starting his first year of middle school and struggles because he was born a girl but he is a boy. The dress code at Liv's new middle school requires boys to wear pants and girls to wear skirts and this poses a problem for Liv who hasn't revealed his identity.
Where the book was found: Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library
Why you chose it to be highlighted: I was looking through the books in the YA section of my library when I came across this one. I thought the title was kind of funny and I wanted to know what a "pants project" could be about. Once I read the inside cover and a couple of pages I realized this is both a funny and important book to read. In recent years more YA books about transgender teens have been published and this is definitely a positive thing. The voice of Liv is entertaining to read and also interesting. Her perspective is important because we can begin to understand the feelings of individuals who are transgender and the issues they face in society. In Liv's case it's a school that thinks he is a girl because he was born female. However, Liv's fight to be able to wear pants is inspiring to read. I think both high schoolers and middle schoolers would benefit from reading this book.
Title: Winger
Author: Andrew Smith
Summary: Ryan Dean West is fourteen-years-old and a junior at a prestigious boarding school and struggles to fit in with the older students.
Where the book was found: Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library
Why you chose it to be highlighted: I have always wanted to know what this book was really about. The cover drew me in and I'm sure this has happened to others as well. Ryan Dean is definitely a young teenage boy and this is proven with how he thinks and speaks. I think this is a funny book because of Ryan Dean's humor and illustrations, but I also think some may find this book to be offensive because of the type of humor. From reading a few pages and reading some reviews on Goodreads people definitely have issues with how crude Ryan Dean can be and the language he uses. But if we are being honest I think a lot of teenagers would find this book to be funny because of how Ryan Dean acts. I think some school librarians could have an issue with adding this book to their libraries because of the language and other behavior in the book.
Title: Beauty Queens
Author: Libba Bray
Summary: A large group of teen girls are on their way to compete for the Miss Teen Dream Pageant when the plane they're traveling on crashes on an uninhabited island.
Where the book was found: Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library
Why you chose it to be highlighted: I have yet to read a book by Libba Bray but there are so many I want to read! I think this book could definitely be considered a funny book because of the topic. When you read the inside flap and learn that it's about teen pageant contestants you can't help but find that a little funny. I also looked through the book a bit and saw that footnotes are included. I have seen this characteristic in a few books such E. Lockhart's The Boyfriend List. The footnotes provide an explanation about something in the book but they do it in a very humorous way. This book is different from the other books I highlighted because it is in third person. This different type of narration doesn't mean it is less funny or more funny than the other books I discussed. I just find it interesting that a lot of funny books I find tend to be in first person. However, I know there are many books out there that may go against this opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment