CCBC-Net Archives

[CCBC-Net] Humor in Literature for Children and Young Adults

From: Kaminski Katie <Kaminski_Katie>
Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 18:26:35 -0600

During homeroom, I usually read aloud to the kids after homework checks and I've been trying to find really silly stuff. We read I Was A Rat last fall, and I'm currently reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School. I find myself stopping to laugh each time I read the latter.

 Message----From: Megan Schliesman To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Sent: 5/2/02 1:29 PM Subject: [CCBC-Net] Humor in Literature for Children and Young Adults

This month we will be looking at types of humor in literature for children and teenagers, including satire, irony, parody, slapstick, gross-out humor, and others.

Each year as we work on the CCBC's annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices, we inevitably get to a point where we say to ourselves, once again, how hard it is to find a truly funny book for children or young adults. This is not to say that there aren't many delightful books, and books with moments of great levity. But it's harder to find books that aim to be funny (even as they might deal with serious themes) and then succeed not only in creating humorous moments but in sustaining a sense of humor throughout.

Of course, one of the things so very edgy and difficult about humor is that what we find funny is so subjective. I think of the Cole Porter song, "Let's Fall in Love," when I think about humor: You say provocative, I say disturbing. Kids say delightful, I say disgusting....

As we discuss humor this month, ask yourself what are the funniest books for the young you've read recently (or ever)? Who are the authors and artists that you find consistently strong humorists? How do these works fit into various genres of humor?

Let's begin our exploration of various types of humor with satire. Louis Sachar's Holes comes to mind, as does Soinbhe Lally's A Hive for the Honeybee. Philip Pullman's I Was a Rat is a rollicking mix of satire, parody and more. What are other examples of satire that you have enjoyed? Do young readers always understand--or need to understand--satirical elements to enjoy satirical stories?

Megan



Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu

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Received on Thu 02 May 2002 07:26:35 PM CDT