Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Education, Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Science & Nature, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education
Laugh-out-Loud Books
Our Laugh-out-Loud Books Collection highlights titles that bring levity to literature through satire, dark humor, or hilarious dialogue. Representing genres ranging from romantic comedies to classic children's titles, this Collection features titles to tickle every reader's funny bone.
The Homework Machine
The House of God
The Humans
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Innocents Abroad
The Invalid's Story
The Juvie Three
The Kaiju Preservation Society
The Kid Who Ran for President
The Landry News
The Last Devil to Die
The Last Kids on Earth
The Last Kids on Earth and the Monster Dimension
The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade
The Last Straw
The Librarianist
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Education, Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Science & Nature, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education
Publication year 1978
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Trust & Doubt
Tags Satirical Literature, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Health
The House of God is a novel written by American author and doctor Samuel Bergman under the pseudonym Samuel Shem and originally published in 1978. The book is heavily based on Bergman’s own experiences as a medical intern in the early 1970s, and the fictional hospital “the House of God” is a thinly veiled fictional version of the Beth Israel teaching hospital associated with Harvard Medical School. The novel is a satire in the vein... Read The House of God Summary
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Community, Literature
Tags Science Fiction, Depression & Suicide, Love & Sexuality, Mental Illness, Relationships, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Humor
The Humans is a contemporary novel by Matt Haig. First published in 2013, the book follows an alien visitor, inhabiting a dead human’s body, who explores what it means to be human, and the true meaning of life. The book received multiple award nominations, and critics praise it for its unusual blend of science fiction, humour, and domestic life. Haig is the internationally bestselling, award-winning author of adult and children’s books. He’s best known for... Read The Humans Summary
Publication year 1895
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Social Class, Sexual Identity
Tags Victorian Period, Comedy & Satire, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Humor, Classic Fiction
The Importance of Being Earnest, a comedy, is Oscar Wilde’s final play. It premiered at St. James’ Theatre in London on February 14, 1895 and skewered the contemporary habits and attitudes of the British aristocracy. The opening was hugely successful, but Wilde’s ongoing conflict with the Marquess of Queensberry, his lover’s powerful father, led the play to close prematurely after Wilde was charged with “gross indecency” for having sex with men. Despite this setback, The... Read The Importance of Being Earnest Summary
Publication year 1869
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Action & Adventure, Humor
In 1867, the San Francisco Alta Californian assigned its 31-year-old reporter Mark Twain to cover a steamboat pleasure trip to the Mediterranean. Twain’s account of the trip was published in 1869 as The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrim’s Progress. The book would become the most popular and bestselling work of Twain’s career, acclaimed by both critics and readers. Twain’s travelogue chronicles a voyage through Europe and the Holy Land attended by a group of... Read The Innocents Abroad Summary
Publication year 1874
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Fear, Death, Grief, Friendship, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Humor
Mark Twain’s short story “The Invalid’s Story,” published in his 1882 collection The Stolen White Elephant, Etc., is a tall tale involving a mix-up between a coffin and a box full of guns. Traveling on a train with what he believes to be the coffin, the first-person narrator mistakes the odor of pungent cheese for that of the decaying corpse. Disparaged by critics for its crudeness at its time of publication, the story deals with... Read The Invalid's Story Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, The Past, Future, Coming of Age
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor
The Juvie Three (2008) is a young adult novel by Gordon Korman. It is a unique coming-of-age story about personal transformation and found family, and a commentary on the stigmas that often burden those held back by their pasts. Korman challenges these societal perceptions and shows that we all have the power to change. This study guide references the 2008 paperback edition from Hyperion Books.Plot SummaryGraham Fosse, known as “Gecko,” drives a stolen getaway car... Read The Juvie Three Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Animals, Environment, Teamwork
Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Appearance & Reality, Politics & Government, Truth & Lies
Tags Humor, Politics & Government, Satirical Literature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Childhood & Youth, Teamwork, Education, Justice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Journalism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
The Landry News is a young adult novel by Andrew Clements, published in 1998. It centers on a school newspaper and the lives it touches, the lessons it teaches, and the power it gives people to stand up for their beliefs. The book received the William Allen White Children's Book Award in 2002 and has been translated into five languages. American author Andrew Clements (1949-2019) penned many books for young readers, including his most famous work, Frindle... Read The Landry News Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Aging, Friendship, Death, Perseverance
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Family
Tags Humor, Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Action & Adventure
The Last Kids on Earth—a New York Times bestseller and winner of the Texas Bluebonnet Award, which is determined by the popular vote of grade school students throughout Texas—is a post-apocalypse graphic novel for young readers, filled with illustrations, humor, friendship, and zombie survival. The story is written by Max Brallier and drawn by Douglas Holgate, and was originally published in 2015, but has since gone on to become a seven-book series; this is the... Read The Last Kids on Earth Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Shame & Pride, Good & Evil, Conflict
Tags Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense
Publication year 2016
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear
Tags Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Childhood & Youth, Siblings, Masculinity
Tags Humor, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Literature, Friendship, Memory, Aging, Death, Self Discovery, Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, World History
Publication year 2001
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Masculinity, Nation, War
Tags Comedy & Satire, Humor, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Irish Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Family, Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Coming of Age, Friendship, Justice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Humor
Publication year 1759
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Literature, Fathers, Family, Birth
Tags Classic Fiction, Satirical Literature, Humor, British Literature, Age of Enlightenment, World History
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a nine-volume novel published between 1759 and 1767 by English novelist Laurence Sterne. The novel is considered by many scholars as an early forerunner of postmodern literature due to its metafictional commentary on its own narrative. Contemporary critics did not view the novel favorably, though its humor and sentimentalism helped it find an audience. The novel has been adapted for radio and opera and as a... Read The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman Summary
Publication year 1993
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Community, Race, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Language, Future
Tags American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Relationships
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is a collection of 24 loosely connected short stories by writer Sherman Alexie; all are set on or near the Spokane Reservation in Washington state. As a Salish descendant (his mother was of Spokane heritage and his father of Coeur d’Alene) and celebrated author, Alexie has become a mouthpiece for Northwestern American Indigenous tribes. Two stories cut from the original 1993 publication have been reinserted in the... Read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Summary