Humor

Ribblestrop

When your school’s motto is “Life is dangerous,” you know that anything can happen—and everything does!This raucous tale of education gone awry is rife with “disgracefully dangerous high-octane fun,” according to the The Guardian, which awarded Ribblestrop the Children’s Fiction Prize. There’s no school that’s quite like Ribblestrop, complete with roofless dormitories, distracted teachers, and a perilous underground labyrinth. And then there are the students! You’ll meet Sanchez, a Colombian gangster’s son hiding from kidnappers; Millie, an excluded arsonist and self-confessed wild child; Caspar, the landlady’s spoiled grandson; the helpful but hapless Sam and his best friend Ruskin, plus a handful of orphans from overseas who are just happy to have beds—even if they are located in a roofless part of the building.

The Brilliant World Of Tom Gates

The top-selling U.K. series for middle-grade readers now crosses the pond! Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don’t have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures and write about stuff, like last summer’s worst camping vacation ever (five merits!), or how much he hates sitting next to nosy Marcus Meldrew, the most annoying boy at school. All Tom really wants is to score tickets to see the best band ever, Dude3, when they come to town, and to impress Amy Porter, who is very nice and smart (but is currently ignoring him). Tom’s teachers think he is easily distracted and “lacks focus,” but that’s a bit harsh — can he help it if his grumpy big sister, Delia, made him late for school (again), or that last night’s homework had to be sacrificed to stave off a vicious dog attack? Master of excuses, creative storyteller, and middle-school comedian extraordinaire, Tom Gates is guaranteed to get kids turning the pages — and keep them laughing.

Dark Lord: School’s Out

After acclimating to the inane customs of the blathering human fools, Dirk Lloyd has managed to make contact with his home in the Darklands. Unfortunately, his powers have betrayed him yet again. His new, and dare he say it, good friend Sooz has been transported to his Iron Tower of Despair, where she awaits what is sure to be a slow and painful end.

Bob’s Hungry Ghost

Bob wants a dog for his birthday, but instead he gets a ghost and its name is Fluffy. Unfortunately, Fluffy doesn’t fetch, sit or go for walks. But he does eat everything, and soon all of Bob’s things and even Bob himself end up in Fluffy’s belly.

The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee

Candice Phee isn’t a typical twelve-year-old girl. She has more than her fair share of quirks, but she also has the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to make sure everyone around her is happy—which is no easy feat when dealing with a pet fish with an identity crisis, a friend who believes he came from another dimension, an age-old family feud, and a sick mom. But she is on a mission. Her methods might be unique, but Candice will do whatever it takes to restore order to her world and make sure everyone is absolutely, categorically happy again.

Lord And Lady Bunny–Almost Royalty!

In this hilarious sequel to Mr. and Mrs. Bunny—Detectives Extraordinaire!—that even includes a guest appearance by J. K. Rowling a.k.a. “Oldwhatshername”—Madeleine wants nothing more than to save money for college, but her impractical, ex-hippie parents are broke. When the family unexpectedly inherits a sweet shoppe in England that has the potential to earn serious profit, they see an answer to all their problems. . . . Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Bunny—formerly of the detecting persuasion—are looking for new professions, and Mrs. Bunny decides she would like to be Queen.

Naughty Kitty

When Lily is finally allowed to have her very own kitten, strange things are afoot. Lily’s brand new, teeny-tiny Kitty shouldn’t be any trouble at all, but as soon as Lily leaves Kitty alone, hilarious hijinks are always around the corner. Kitty ruins the kitchen, Kitty ruins the den. And we won’t talk about what Kitty did to the rug. A loveable story that will have kids laughing out loud.

Popular, A Memoir

A touchingly honest, candidly hysterical memoir from breakout teen author Maya Van Wagenen. Stuck at the bottom of the social ladder at “pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren’t paid to be here,” Maya Van Wagenen decided to begin a unique social experiment: spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty Cornell. Can curlers, girdles, Vaseline and a strand of pearls help Maya on her quest to be popular? The real-life results are painful, funny and include a wonderful and unexpected surprise-meeting and befriending Betty Cornell herself. Told with humor and grace, Maya’s journey offers readers of all ages a thoroughly contemporary example of kindness and self-confidence.