Revenge of the Green Banana reads like a memoir and many aspects of the fictional tale are true, but the book is considered a work of fiction – historical, humorous, and realistic. The story begins in 1958 with Jim Murphy beginning the sixth grade. He is determined that this year will be different than all of the others. This year, he will change his ways and become a serious student who is dedicated to academic excellence. Unfortunately, the teachers at St. Stephen’s Catholic School are not privy to Jim’s transformation. Jim finds himself a student in Sister Angelica’s class. Jim soon learns that Sister Angelica has a file on him and a chip on her shoulder. Jim’s journey into academic and social excellence is short lived and quickly transforms into a revenge plot to destroy his new teacher. Along the journey of revenge, Jim learns important life lessons both in and out of school. He soon questions his desire to destroy this new teacher and isn’t sure how to change the course of action. Kids will get a nice chuckle out of this book.
Tag Archives: humor
Truth or Dare
This coming-of-age story is funny and realistic, and it deals with issues that tween girls face today.
Lia Rollins’ mother was killed in a car accident. The other driver was busy texting when he collided with her mother’s car. Lia is still grieving her mother and refuses to use a cell phone. Lia is part of a group of friends who have known each other since childhood. All of the girls are growing up and hitting puberty at different times. The changes – physical and emotional – take their toll on this once tightly knit group of friends.There is a lot of talk about getting your period, cramps, and wearing a bra. The girls are starting to notice boys, too. Most of Lia’s friends are starting summer vacation by attending the same camp. Lia chooses not to go, but to stay with her aunt Shelby, her mother’s sister, instead of attending summer camp with her friends. When summer is over and the girls return to school, there is tension in the air. The girls are growing up and going their separate ways based on interest and, in some cases, based on poor treatment of one another. Identities are being discovered and shaped, girls are pushing each other’s buttons, and their once strong friendship is fragmenting. Lia is at a crossroads with her friends and her feelings about herself, growing up and letting go. Lia’s family turns out to be a stronger support system than she realized, Lia discovers the meaning of friendship, and Lia learns that bodies change on their own schedule. Lia finally decides to get a cell phone and discovers that moving on doesn’t necessarily mean letting go.
The IT Girl
Anna Huntley wakes up one day to find her entire world changed because her dad is dating the super famous actress, Helena Montaine. Anna is thrust into the celebrity world as an IT girl. Unfortunately for Anna, she is not a typical IT girl. She lacks the refinement, grace, and fashion sense of her to-be 17-year-old step sister, Marianne. In this humorous first installment, Anna must learn to be an IT girl. She learns that the image doesn’t make the person and she discovers the true meaning of friendship. This quirky character will bring a smile to your face. Readers who enjoy The IT Girl will easily slip into the humorous world of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Series.
Team Awkward
Anna Huntley, Britain’s newest IT Girl, continues her zany adventure in this second installment of The IT Girl series. Anna continues to amuse and delight with her dog, DOG, her soon to be blended family, and her BFFs, Jess and Danny. The story picks up after spring break with Anna trying to prove that she is a girl of substance to her love interest, her classmates, and the world. Anna has an unexpected and unfortunate experience that lands her in a plant pot which happens to go viral on social media. Jess and Danny convince Anna that leading the school Puffin team to victory in track and field is just what she needs to restore her reputation and win Connor’s affection. Readers will laugh with Anna as she attempts to become a “sporty” person and sympathize with her when Connor starts spending time with the new girl, Stephanie.
The Bad Decisions Playlist
The Bad Decisions Playlist is a wildly funny story of a sixteen-year-old stoner, slacker, kid Austin, who cannot seem to make even one smart decision. All he wants to do is get high while writing and playing music. He uses self-deprecating humor to joke his way out of situation after situation, until he gets into so much trouble that he’s about to be shipped off to military prep school. Fortunately for him, its at this moment that his long-lost dad Shane, who Austin thought was dead (according to Mom), shows up on his door step.
Shane is, in fact, a rock-star who seems to have passed on to Austin his music talent, and also his bad habits of drugs, dropping out, and screwing up.
Austin is pulled into his father’s world of show business, and has the readers laughing as they follow along as Austin plays through his list of bad decisions.
The Complete Adventures of Johnny Mutton
A fun graphic novel that early elementary will enjoy.
Johnny Mutton is a sheep who was raised as a boy because Momma had “weak eyes and a warm heart” so she didn’t even notice. Johnny has a spunky, positive, can-do attitude. Lessons on kindness and making friends are subtly slipped into the story lines. The Complete Adventures of Johnny Mutton is three books with five short stories in each. Young readers will enjoy how each book is wrapped up with a section titled “where are they now”. Also included in the book are two extras, a Q & A with the author (James Proimos) and a section titled “I Believe” with some cute and silly statements written by Johnny ( I believe….. bees sting out of love …. mittens run away from home…if you bow after you say something people will applaud…). Body humor, colorful kid-like drawings and silliness will appeal to both boys and girls. And perhaps the messages on kindness, friendship and just being a good person (or sheep) will sink in as well.
Isabella for Real
Isabella Antonelli is living a lie. She didn’t intend to deceive all of her classmates and friends at her new private school. But it happened and she didn’t work very hard to correct their false assumptions. Plus, she starred in a video series for her cousin for a class project that wasn’t supposed to be posted to the Internet. Her luck was such that not only did the video get posted, but it went viral. Which, of course, meant all of her friends and classmates found out that Isabella is not a contessa’s daughter but a regular girl who ends up being a pretty funny reality tv character.
The story starts with Isabella hiding away from news cameras. When she finally leaves her room, it is to try to come up with a way to convince her friends that she really is a contessa’s daughter. She is also dodging her family to avoid having to admit to her ongoing charade and lies. Ultimately, she fails at her deceit. She must face her friends and her family as the real Isabella.
The book is mostly text, but is enhances with cartoon sections to that mostly show Isabella’s active imagination. This is a quick read which will have readers chuckling from time to time.
Tru & Nelle
The book “Tru & Nelle” written by G. Neri is interesting and great book. This fiction book combines couple genres. It’s mix of true story, mystery, adventure and historical facts. That makes this book interesting for readers.
When you read this book you fall into real friendship that starts from the childhood, and ends in adulthood. The main characters of this story are Tru (Truman Capote) and Nelle (Harper Lee). Tru is a seven year old boy, who came from New Orleans. His unreliable parents sent him to live for a couple years in “tiny town” of Monroeville, Alabama with his more caring relatives. Nelle is six, and she‘s always allowed to run by herself. She was born and lived in this small town Monroeville. In this story we can see how the friendship began between the city boy, Tru, who was out of place in this town, and a village girl, Nelle, who acts and looks like a tomboy. It shows us, that anyone could look and act very different, but also share a lot of interests, which bring them closer and results in real friendship. The same happens with the book’s main characters, Tru and Nelle, or as author called them “the prince and the pauper.” Even though they look different, they both share the same problems in their extraordinary families. They both love to read, especially the book “Sherlock Holmes,” which inspired these friends to have fun by creating their own investigations in a simple and boring town. When you are reading this book, you become a part of their mystery investigation team, trying to solve the robbery at the town’s drugstore. Although it takes you, as a reader, on many different adventures throughout this mystery, leading to a lot of fun and dangers along the way, like the threatening encounter with the Ku Klux Klan, or planing a high tension Halloween party. During this adventure, the children were daring and very funny the whole way through.
The author was very successful in demonstrating overall purpose of this book. He did a great job in describing the details of the town, families and their relationships, as well, as the people’s life. Especially in the short stories at the end of the book, that expend the overall story. They give us additional information about the main characters’ life in future with some picture.
I would recommend this book for children in elementary and middle school. Although, it’s also a great book for everyone, who enjoys intriguing adventure which is easy to read. I really enjoyed reading this book.
-Marianna
Framed! A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery
Florian Bates is not your typical 12 year old. True, he’s a seventh grader doing typical 7th grade activities: eating pizza and serving on the student council. His family recently relocated from Europe to Washington D.C. His mom works for an art museum and his dad’s in security. Florian meets and becomes friends with Margaret, a new neighbor who will be attending the same school as Florian in the fall, but this isn’t what sets him apart from other 12 year olds. Florian employs the power of observation to provide insight, explanation, and anticipation. Florian calls his observational skills T.O.A.S.T. which means, Theory of All Small Things. He teaches T.O.A.S.T. to Margaret and they practice this observational technique with friends and family and in numerous different locations. Florian and Margaret stumble upon clues that become important in solving a crime. Florian is secretly employed by the FBI to help solve the crime. This mystery is funny and suspenseful with enough twist and turns to keep the pages turning at a quick clip. A recommended who-done-it for mystery readers!
Rudy’s Windy Night
A hilarious remake of the story about a reindeer named Rudy and how he helps Santa at Christmas. Written as a rhyming poem with consistent cadence and some repeating phrases, it is a good book for beginning readers. The book has multiple, colorful ways of describing flatulence and my favorite is the use of “trump”. Eating too many sprouts can have unexpected results. Read aloud, this book will have everyone laughing!