Humor books for 3rd graders
Doctor De Soto
by: William Steig - (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990) 32 pages.
A very cheerful story about a mouse-dentist who treats mammals bigger than himself, wearing rubbers to keep his feet dry when he’s in their mouths. Steig’s cartoony color illustrations make up the bulk of the book, and they are nothing short of urbane and funny. The climax comes when a dapperly dressed but hungry fox comes for a new gold tooth, and the quick-witted dentist saves himself from ingestion by means of his professional skills. 32 pages.
Perfect for: Kids who like humor stories.
Find at your local library.
Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
by: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - (Random House, 2007) 96 pages.
The hook: The sixth installment of the Babymouse series finds our heroine at summer camp. She doesn’t like the great outdoors, but that fact shouldn’t get in the way of her having fun, right? Babymouse has her usual daydreams of how she’ll be the best camper around, but all she finds is trouble. Babymouse’s cabin-mates, the Buttercups, soon become frustrated with her shenanigans, as she racks up nothing but demerits for her team. The illustrations are as fun and humorous as ever, in the familiar black, white and pink. Graphic novels are incredibly popular with tweens and teens, so it follows that younger kids want them as well. And those for the very young — especially for young girls — are few and far between, but gaining a foothold. Here is a well-established series that fills that void with a spirited, likable, adventurous character.
Perfect for: Kids who like humor stories.
Find our favorites at your local library: , , ,.
Danny: The Champion of the World
by: Roald Dahl, illustrated by: Quentin Blake - (Knopf/Random House, 1975) 224 pages.
Kids who loved the recent movie version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will surely agree that Danny: Champion of the World is fabulous! Danny is a boy who has a great life with his father. Danny thinks he knows everything there is to know about his dad, until one day he learns about his father’s secret life. Danny’s dad is a poacher. If you want to know what a poacher does, and you want to laugh your way through Danny and his father’s dealings with a bad neighbor and pheasants, you must devour this hilarious book.
Perfect for: Kids who like humor stories.
Find at your local library.
Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook
by: Shel Silverstein - (HarperCollins Children's Books, 2005) 96 pages.
Nonsensical word play will entice readers to try reading this poetry aloud. A simple switch in the beginning letters of certain words makes language fun and the resulting sounds smile-crackingly funny.
Perfect for: Kids who like humor stories.
Find at your local library.
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger
by: Louis Sachar - (Morrow Junior Books, 1995) 169 pages.
Surely, Wayside School was already strange enough. The builders built a 30-story 九色视频 sideways with the rooms piled one on top of another – except for the 19th floor where Miss Zarves teaches class. There is no 19th floor, and there is no Miss Zarves. Nevertheless, there is a 13th floor, where nice Mrs. Jewls presides over her eccentric pupils. Mrs. Jewls, however, takes a maternity leave. Before she returns with her little stranger, Wayside School gets a little stranger. While reading this ridiculously funny book, children will not only be laughing, they will be learning.
Perfect for: Kids who like humor stories.
Find at your local library.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
by: Judi Barrett, illustrated by: Ron Barrett - (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1978) 32 pages.
Residents of the remarkable town of Chewandswallow don鈥檛 have normal weather like rain, wind, and snow. Instead they get food falling from the sky three times a day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It might be mashed potatoes, soup, pancakes, or hamburgers! But when the portions start getting larger, the town can鈥檛 keep up with the flood of food and something has to be done. Get ready to giggle at the absurd text and detailed illustrations. This 1978 story is a fun read-aloud for all ages and a good challenge for young readers.
Want to see the movie? The 2009 animated film takes the book鈥檚 idea of food-filled weather and runs with it.
Perfect for: Kids with a silly sense of humor.
Find at your local library.
George and Martha
by: James Marshall - (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972) 48 pages.
George and Martha are two hilarious hippo friends who invariably get themselves into sticky situations. Your child will love finding out what happens when George does not like the split pea soup that Martha has made for him in “Split Pea Soup,” just one of the five humorous stories in this collection.
Perfect for: Kids who like making friends.
Find at your local library.
Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society
by: Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers, illustrated by: Erik Brooks - (Henry Holt, 2007) 64 pages.
These short stories show life through a dog’s eyes. Some have historical settings like ancient Egypt, and some explain quirky dog behavior. All are told simply and humorously, as a dog might, so they are easily understood by younger readers.
Perfect for: Kids who like historical fiction.
Find at your local library.
Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom
by: Eric Wight - (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2010) 96 pages.
Frankie’s room is an atrocious mess — and that’s just how he likes it. When his mom tells him he never has to clean it again, the mess grows so big that navigating it becomes a wild adventure, culminating in a trip inside a closet so messy it threatens to overcome him. The first book in a series, this graphic novel is funny and appealing for reluctant readers.
Perfect for: Kids who loved Captain Underpants.
Find at your local library.
The 13-Story Treehouse
by: Andy Griffiths, illustrated by: Terry Denton - (Square Fish, 2015) 272 pages.
Imagine your dream treehouse. It probably has a bowling alley, a swimming pool, a game room — and a movie theater, of course. And don鈥檛 forget the lemonade fountain and marshmallow machine. Andy and Terry鈥檚 treehouse has all of this and more!
The two write books about life in their fantastical treehouse and their slapstick encounters with flying cats, giant bananas, and more. Cartoon-style line drawings and speech bubbles make it a breezy read.
Perfect for: Kids who crack up over goofy humor.
Find at your local library.