Funny Girl

by Betsy Bird (Editor), Lisa Brown, Adrianne Chalepah

Sharyn November at Viking has acquired Funny Girl, a humor anthology for girls ages 9-12, curated by Betsy Bird and featuring short stories, personal essays, comics, and poetry from nearly 30 female writers, including Lisa Graff, Cece Bell, Jenni Holm, Shannon Hale, and Rita Williams-Garcia. A portion of the proceeds will support WriteGirl, a creative writing and mentoring organization for teen girls. Publication is set for spring 2017; Stephen Barbara at Inkwell did the deal for U.S., Canadian, and open market rights.

Genres: Short Stories, Middle Grade, Humor, Juvenile, Childrens, Anthologies, Fiction

206 pages, Unknown Binding

First published May 9, 2017

About the author

Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, undisputed center of the universe, Betsy Bird (nee Elizabeth Ramsey) grew up and promptly left Michigan the moment her legs could propel her southward. She didn't get far. Obtaining a B.A. at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana (home of recorded jazz and don't let anyone tell you otherwise) she set her sights on Portland, Oregon. When that didn't pan out it was Minneapolis, Minnesota. Then New York, New York. In the midst of all this she somehow managed to get a library degree and a job at New York Public Library, eventually becoming their Youth Media Specialist (a.k.a. the person who bought all the kids' books for Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx). She created the children's literary blog A Fuse #8 Production and that led to reviewing for Kirkus and podcasting with her sister about picture books at Fuse 8 n' Kate (where they try to figure out which ones deserve to be "classics"). Betsy is the author of numerous picture books including "POP! Goes the Nursery Rhyme" as well as an anthology of some of the most hilarious women writing for kids today called "Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever," and her first middle grade novel for kids "Long Road to the Circus", illustrated by Caldecott award winner David Small. Betsy Bird is now the Collection Development Manager of Evanston, IL. Stop by. We'll have lunch. It'll be nice.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bit different. Here's an anthology that incorporates short stories with essays, comics, and more.

Here are my thoughts on the individual pieces:

"How to Tell a Joke" by Delaney Yeager & Mackenzie Yeager

This is sort of a how-to on joke telling. Unfortunately, it isn't funny. In fact, it's kind of offensive. Apparently, Mackenzie was really struck by an amputee former drug addict who came to talk to her school. Many of the jokes in this piece revolve around that. Are those really her jokes to tell? (It seems more like she's making fun of people with disabilities for her own benefit.) And the implication that any joke is funny if you tell it with confidence sounds like a great way for budding comedians to really get themselves into trouble. Not a great way to start off the book.
1 star

"In Which Young Raina Learns a Lesson" by Raina Telgemeier

This is a short comic that tells a story about the artist being stung by a bee. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel sorry for her, especially since she stomps on the bee for no apparent reason. I couldn't help feeling a little bit of Schadenfreude when she learned her lesson. Karma's a bitch.
2.5 stars

"Dear Grandpa: Give Me Money" by Alison DeCamp

I'm still cringing. In trying way too hard to be funny, the author just made the child come off as a spoiled little monster. She insults her grandfather throughout, all the while whining for money and even stooping so low as to threaten his cat. The grandfather takes it all in stride, but I had to wonder if he was regretting having the child who produced this insufferable annoyance. Not funny. Not sorry.
1.5 stars

"Grandma in Oil Country: A True Story" by Ursula Vernon

This story is actually pretty funny. It's one of those road trips where everything that can go wrong does, and it ends with mud and lightning and a terrifying clown in the backseat. I'm not sure what the pictures are all about (I haven't read any of the author's other stuff), but they're kind of cute.
4 stars

"One Hot Mess" by Carmen Agra Deedy

Great flaming bathtubs! This story is pretty amusing. It probably wasn't at the time, but it's likely something the family (as well as all the kids who witnessed the incident) have been laughing about ever since.
3.5 stars

"Fleamail" by Deborah Underwood

This advice column shtick is actually kind of cute. Rover (a dog... obviously) gives Bella (a cat) some advice on how to get adopted from a shelter. The advice ends up having unexpected consequences for both of them.
3.5 stars

"A Most Serious Recitation of the Poem 'Trees'" by Cece Bell

Aside from the goofiness of seeing the altered photos, this one is actually fairly stupid. The pig is annoying, and I'm not really sure what the point is. Kids might find it funny, though.
2.5 stars

"Things Could Be Verse" by Kelly DiPucchio

This is actually three poems. The first one, "Bad Hair Day", made me laugh out loud. It's probably worth picking up this book just for that poem alone. "My Secret" is sort of observational humour about bra shopping; it's fairly entertaining. "Breakaway" isn't all that funny; unless you're still in school, you probably won't feel much about it.
3.5 stars

"Swimming Is for Other Kids" by Akilah Hughes

Yikes! Poor Akilah. This little memoir details a harrowingly embarrassing incident involving a backyard pool, a cannonball, and a purple bikini. It's mortifying more than funny, but it's well written.
3 stars

"Dear Bella and Rover" by Deborah Underwood

The cat and dog from "Fleamail" are back, this time offering up advice to a parrot who's sick of crackers. Bella's advice is perhaps more helpful than Rover's; all the dog wants to do is eat the unwanted crackers.
3 stars

"The Thumb Incident" by Meghan McCarthy

This is a short comic anecdote about the time the author was using a stapler and accidentally stapled her thumb. Either there's some exaggeration involved, or the school was grossly negligent in letting a child use a high-powered stapler that was able to send the staple right into the bone. In any case, it's a somewhat amusing story, but not exactly laugh-out-loud funny.
2 stars

"Desdemona and Sparks Go All In" by Rita Williams-Garcia & Michelle Garcia

I don't like stories that try to be funny. This is one of those. The plot is ridiculous, and the middle schoolers aren't realistic (I get that it's a school for the gifted, but if 12-year-olds were really doing stuff like the kids in this story, we'd be living in some sort of utopia by now). Also, I couldn't get over the names. I know there are really idiotic parents who give their kids names like Sparkle, but pairing her with a Desdemona is a little much.
2 stars

"7 Things I Thought Were (Think Are) Funny but Were Really Kind of Sad, and That All Happened to My Little Brother" by Lisa Brown

This woman is easily amused if she thinks an acorn falling on her brother's head is funny. (Personally, I don't think her knocking out his tooth with a mini-golf club and him crashing their dad's car into a brick wall are particularly funny, either.) The first and last panels are funny because of the parallelism, but I wish the other five in the middle had actually been amusing.
1.5 stars

"Babysitting Nightmare" by Shannon Hale

I don't even know what this story is doing in this book. It's not funny. If it was supposed to be, it was trying way too hard... and it failed, anyway. (It almost seems like it wanted to be a horror story, but it wasn't particularly scary, either.) The writing wasn't terrible, but the story was stupid.
2.5 stars

"Dear Bella and Rover (Again)" by Deborah Underwood

The cat and dog duo are at it again, this time offering advice to a snail who can't keep up with her friends. Rover's comments are probably the most amusing here. There's not much else to say; this one is really short.
3 stars

"Can We Talk About Whiskers?" by Jennifer L. Holm, art by Matthew Holm

This one's fine for fans of Babymouse, I guess, but I can't count myself in that group. (Also, she's supposed to be in middle school, but she's going out to movies unchaperoned and bugging for whisker extensions. Seems more like high school to me, but that's kind of par for the course for this book.)
2 stars

"Brown Girl Pop Quiz: All of the Above" by Mitali Perkins

This is sort of cute. I learned a few things, too. While it's not laugh-out-loud funny, it's certainly amusing in a few spots.
3.5 stars

"Over and Out" by Lisa Graff

This story is just disgusting and sets a bad example. Basically, a kid accidentally poops on her sister's bra, and then has to get rid of the evidence. This leads to a number of incidents that are probably supposed to be funny, but aren't. At one point, she feeds chocolate to the neighbour's dog. Then, at the end, she flushes the bra down the toilet. I hope it floods and she has to pay for the plumber and any damage to the bathroom. (What the hell was wrong with the garbage chute?)
1 star

"Doodle" by Amy Ignatow

This is just an interesting little tidbit (in the form of a comic) about the importance of doodling. It was misspelled as "dooding" once, which I'm assuming was just a typo (if not, it was an attempt to be funny that didn't work).
2.5 stars

"Fleamail Pawed-cast" by Deborah Underwood

Our favourite advice columnists are back, this time teaching a lesson to a couple of fighting fish. Just like all the other stories involving this duo, this one is short but sweet.
3 stars

"How to Play Imaginary Games" by Leila Sales

This one is utterly repulsive. It's not funny at all, and makes fun of people in some of the worst situations imaginable. Being poisoned is funny? Starving is funny? Dying of consumption is funny? Why not call that last game "Auschwitz" and be done with it? (Wow. Who the hell thought this one was a good idea?)
0 stars

"Great Expectations" by Christine Mari Inzer

Boring and kind of stupid, this is just a short comic about a middle-school kid being visited by her future self. All she cares about is the fact that she doesn't yet have a boyfriend. It's not funny so much as exasperating.
1.5 stars

"A Public Service Announcement About Your Period from Sarah T. Wrigley, age 12¾" by Libba Bray

Aside from the mental image of a tampon Acropolis swelling up with apple juice, this one didn't offer much in the way of laughs. It's another fictional story, which I'm starting to dread (they're just not very strong in this book).
2 stars

"The Smart Girl's Guide to the Chinese Zodiac" by Lenore Look

This one was kind of annoying. There were so many puns and jokes, and I'm not sure how many of them middle-grade kids would actually pick up on. It's probably not all that accurate a look at the Chinese zodiac, anyway.
2.5 stars

"Bad Luck Dress" by Charise Mericle Harper

This is the second comic in this book that has a typo. Aside from that, this is a silly story about superstition. I mean, I get it; I once had a pair of shoes that were some sort of supernatural dog-poop magnet. Eventually, after hosing off the soles yet again, I accidentally forgot about them and they got left out in the rain. Serves them right for walking me straight into piles of dog poop, I guess. (I got rid of them after that, convinced they had some sort of evil poop-sensing powers.)
2.5 stars

"The World's Most Awkward Mermaid" by Sophie Blackall

This is a fairly funny story about tween girls and bad fashion choices in (probably) the 1980s. (Who else remembers batwing sleeves?) I kind of wish this one was longer, or that the author had written another story for the book.
3.5 stars

"Tell Your Future with Mad Libs®"

Do kids today understand how to do Mad Libs? In any case, this one could be fairly amusing if you were to play around with it with your friends (there were no instructions given, though, so readers might not get the most out of this one).
2.5 stars

"My Life Being Funny (and How You Can Do It, Too)" by Adrianne Chalepah

This piece is a few more amusing anecdotes taken from real-life experiences. It was just okay for me, well written but not laugh-out-loud funny like I hoped.
3 stars

For the most part, I really enjoyed the real-life stories. Some of the comics were okay. Most of the fictional short stories, however, just fell flat. They seemed like they were trying too hard to be funny. Some of them weren't funny at all; for me, "disgusting" or "scary" doesn't equal "funny".

Unfortunately, the book starts with a couple of the least funny pieces. It's too bad, because there are probably going to be some readers who get turned off and abandon the book before they get to the good stuff.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betsy Bird has brought together a diverse group of some of the funniest contemporary female writers in this hilarious anthology for middle-graders. Shannon Hale's hysterical short story about a baby-sitting nightmare is sure to have readers laughing out loud, as will Carmen Agra Deedy's story about her mom setting fire to the bathtub. Comic-type stories include Lisa Brown's brief memoir about her brother sticking a Tic-Tac up his nose. Leila Sales' how to for playing make-believe should be required reading. Sprinkled throughout the collection are mad libs, poetry, quizzes, and an ongoing pet advice column from a cat and dog duo created by Deborah Underwood. And budding comedians will want to soak up all the advice from professionals like Adrienne Chalepah. This much needed anthology has something to tickle every funny bone.

*NetGalley digital advanced reader copy

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not all that funny, imo. A little too earnest, imo.
No new-to-me authors (I already know about Raina Telgemeier and Adrianne Chalepah is not an author (but I will youtube for her comedy).

I'm going to just say that I'm not the target audience. Your young daughter/ niece/ inner child may like it much better.

[Percy {F͓̽a͓̽i͓̽r͓̽y͓̽ B͓̽o͓̽y͓̽} · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG. This book made me laugh so hard, so many times. It was like ugly crying, but it was ugly laughing.

I got this from an aunt for Christmas one year, and I will admit, I was a little skeptic at first. I hadn’t read any books that were a collection of short stories by a group of various authors before at the time. (I know there is a word for books like that, but I just can’t put my finger on it right now).
I love this book with all my heart. It is amazing if you need something to just laugh at.
It had some familiar authors for me; Libba Bray, Riana Telgemeier, Shannon Hale. But most of the rest of the authors were new to me. So I found that really great about it.

Some of my favourites were
1. A Most Serious Recitation of the Poem ‘Trees’ by Joyce Kilmer Rendered Most Seriously (and with the utmost care) by the Hand of Cece Bell.
I just loved the illustrations and for some reason it really got me.

2. Things Could Be Verse by Kelly DiPucchio.
I found the last poem ‘Breakaway’ to be the best because it was the most relatable. But really all of them were good.

3. Swimming is For Other Kids by Akilah Hughes.
I actually liked this one a lot because I feel like I can really relate with it. I have always had trouble swimming, like Akilah, and yes I would prefer ‘reading books on dry land and watching Nickelodeon from the couch’, just maybe without the Nickelodeon part.

4. Babysitting Nightmare by Shannon Hale.
I liked how this one was able to still be funny while still wrenching tremors from my soul. Not really, but it was kind of scary, especially as a fellow babysitter myself.

5. How to Play Imaginary Games by Leila Sales.
I really enjoyed some of the dark humour in this one.
For example, from ‘How to Play Orphanage’ “Write all of your orphans’ names down so you don’t forget them. Draw small portraits of each of them, making sure they all have sad eyes. Some may also have courage evident in their faces. Those are the ones who still pathetically cling to dreams of a better life”…”The game ends when all the orphans die from consumption”. And in ‘How to Play Capture’, “Necessary materials…..A dark evil inside of you” “Step two: The Bad Guy arrives. You don’t need an actual tangible Bad Guy….The Bad Guy is you…but don’t think too hard about that because that is very existential” “The Bad Guy brings with him a monorail bound for one destination only: prison camp.” “Drag them down the hall….have them weep audibly….these foolhardy plastic souls go tumbling down the stairs to the foyer, where hours later your father will step on them with bare feet and yell at you” “Stop play when the train reaches its prison camp destination: your mothers study. Everyone is crowded into little jail cells on your mother’s bookcase. Life as they knew it is now over. Abandon them, just as they have abandoned all hope. Go play with something else. Let your mother clean them up later.”
“How to determine the winner of this game: There are no winners.”

6. A Public Service Announcement About Your Period from Sarah T. Wrigly, Age 12 3/4 by Libba Bray.
This one I liked because, yes it does have some of those just random funniness things (yes these are words now), it makes having a period seem fun and could be nice for someone starting theirs to read.

7. The Smart Girl’s Guide to the Chinese Zodiac by Lenore Look
I liked this one because I am into astrology and zodiac sign and all that stuff, so that includes the Chinese zodiac. Plus it was fun to read the random lucky and unlucky things about each animal. And I liked reading the Chinese Story for how all the animals came to be, from a third person perspective for each different animal.

8. Mad Libs.
I liked this one because, well, let’s face it, mad libs are fun. The end.

9. My Life Being Funny (and How You Can Do It, Too) by Adrianne Chalepah.
This one is on my favourites list because for each of the points on being funny, Adrianne gave a story from her own life on how someone in her life was funny using this technique, and each and every one of them were hilarious.

Some that I didn’t find funny/ and/or a good short story in general include
1. Grandma in Oil Country: A True Story by Ursula Vernon
This one just didn’t hit me. It wasn’t that funny to me and I didn’t like it general. It’s not that it was bad, it just wasn’t what I like.

2. And 3. Desdemona and Sparks Go All In by Rita Williams-Garcia and Michelle Garcia and Great Expectations by Christine Mari Inzer
These two are mostly the same reasons as the last one.

4. Can We Talk About Whiskers by Jennifer L. Holm
This one was funny enough that it did emit a chuckle out of me. However it makes my younger siblings and cousin crack up every time I read it to them. Which just shows that some of these may be for different audiences.

And on that note, that is another great thing that I like about this book, it is ready to please anybody.

All in all it was a great read and I recommend it, if you want a quick read or something you can pick up and put down easily. Or if you just need to laugh.

The end, and goodbye lovelies :p

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not That Funny

I'm not in the age group intended for this book but I do teach them. There are the some jokes that are funny but some that mistake frenetic wording with funny. I'm sure there are kids who love this but so many of these books about nothing are becoming a dime a dozen and it would be great to try something else for this reading level.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humor for girls. Tweens and middle schoolers will enjoy this collection of short stories and anecdotes from some of today's favorite female authors; Raina Telgemeier, Jennifer Holm, and more.

[Colby Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really funny.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Editor Betsy Bird has collected some wonderfully funny writing, all by female writers. Well, there was one brother involved, but she assures us that they kept "him in line." (That would be Jennifer Holm's brother, Matt.) The book is a mix of graphic shorts, advice on various subjects, short stories (some semi-autobiographical), quizzes, and even MadLibs to predict your future. Whatever the chosen format, they are all humorous. There is Carmen Agra Deedy's story of her mother setting fire to the bathtub. Raina Telgemeier's "Killer Bee" incident. Mitali Perkins has a great "Brown Girl Pop Quiz" in which she points out that Western movies should be more like Bollywood productions. "Think of Jedi knights doing a choreographed number after the Death Star explodes," she suggests. The explanation of the Chinese Zodiac by Lenore Look includes things like lucky nail colors (if you are Rabbit, "None...The less noticeable your feet are, the better."), or unlucky career choices (for Monkey, "Involuntary astronaut in early space programs"). One of my favorites is the recurring "Fleamail" advice column by Bella and Rover, written by Deborah Underwood. This cat and dog team offer hilarious advice to other animals, once even trying out a "Pawed Cast" format.

If you know middle grade readers who are always asking for more "funny books," then you should add this to your shelf. Whether it is advice on playing imaginary games from Leila Sales or a babysitting comedy/horror tale from Shannon Hale, all the pieces in the collection fit the bill. On second thought, you had better buy multiple copies.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the diversity in this collection of funny short stories (and comics, mad libs, etc.) by female authors. Although this collection was written to entertain and to highlight funny females, there is also a strong message about girls having self-confidence and being positive about their bodies. "Funny" is hard for me to judge, but there's a little something for everyone in here. (Due out in May!)

[clara [inactive account] · Rating 3 out of 5]

so, as i did literally seconds ago, i'm reviewing a book just because i saw it in my feed. we're really in that mood right now aren't we?
ew why why why am i asking myself questions? hmmm maybe because i have no one else to talk to. obviously.

here i go just having an in-depth conversation with myself. fun.

anyway. i do too much of using the review box as an excuse to make bad jokes, lament about my life, and generally say weird stuff no one cares about, so we should really talk about the book now...
this book is an anthology. look it up. so it's really hard to rate, because, like most anthologies, some of the stories suck and some are great and most are in between.
of the stories, i enjoyed "dear grandpa give me money", "fleamail", "babysitting nightmare," "dear bella and rover," and "how to play imaginary games".

those of you who bothered to read this (estimated 0) and haven't read the book, sorry for making you incredibly bored. that's also what i probably also did to anyone who read this and did read the book, because i said like 3 sentences about the book and that's it. but whatever.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the train to and from NYC and Hershey, I did get to read this new anthology of stories edited by Betsy Bird. You've no doubt heard of all the authors who contributed to this work, and they are pretty funny. Among my favorites were "Dear Grandpa: Give Me Money" by Alison DeCamp, "Swimming is for Other Kids" by Akitah Hughes (and a story I can personally relate to), and "Brown Girl Pop Quiz: All of the Above" by Mitali Perkins. There are a wide variety of story topics but they are all definitely related to growing up girl.
A word of warning: if you are reading this on Amtrak, do not sit in the quiet car - loud laughing annoys the other passengers and interrupts their frantic scrolling on their phones to find something interesting to read.

[Theresa Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh My Goodness... this book is hysterical!! I laughed SO hard through most of the stories, my family was giving me strange looks. I made my 17 year old daughter read some of the stories as well. I dared her not to laugh. She did. My personal favorites were: Dear Grandpa Give Me Money, One Hot Mess, Fleamail, and (especially) A Public Service Announcement About Your Period. (Still wiping the laughter tears from my eyes over that one!) I plan to purchase this for my library and suggest this to the girls. Definitely a girls only book! I needed a good laugh. Thanks!!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for my 4th grader as it had her favorite author Raina Telegeier in it. My daughter loves it and rereads her favorites almost every night in bed. She wanted me to read her favorite which the Fleamail ones. I have to admit I had a smile on my face the whole time. They were absolutely delightful. I also really liked Dear Grandpa. It’s been a great way to introduce my daughter to new authors through short stories. I highly recommend it for young readers who already enjoy any of the featured authors other works.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focused on sharing the funny of a girl’s life, Bird collects popular middle grade and YA authors to write in the style that works best for them (graphic, short story, etc) about all the ridiculousness of being a girl and how sometimes you just need to shake it off.

Lighthearted and endearing but not earth-shattering. Just the right about of sweet and realism.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most short story collections that I've read, the quality of the stories varied. I enjoyed some of the stories a lot more than others. Some I found rather odd such as A Most Serious Recitation of the Poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer, Rendered Most Seriously (and with the utmost care) By The Hand of Cece Bell with a pasted in picture of Benjamin Franklin debating with a pig, amusing but really odd. There were several stories that were quite informative (sort of) such as How to Tell a Joke by Delaney Yeager and Mackenzie Yeager or Brown Girl Pop Quiz: All of the Above by Mitali Perkins.

My favorite stories were In Which Young Raina Learns a Lesson by Raina Telgemeier, which revolves around young Raina's unfortunate (but hilarious) encounter with a bee. Also, Dear Grandpa: Give Me Money by Allison DeCamp and One Hot Mess by Carmen Agra Deedy left me with sore ribs from laughing so hard. In the Dear Grandpa story, a young girl writes letters to her grandpa demanding money and her grandfather writes back. In One Hot Mess, a young Cuban American girl explains why her mother always sets the tub on fire when they move into a new place.

A couple of stories may concern some adults/young readers because of the topics, but are funny because of the truth they contain. The first such story is Over and Out by Lisa Graff which revolves around Riley's attempts to rescue her sister's fancy bra from a toilet tragedy which could result in her demise. A Public Service Announcement About Your Period from Sarah T. Wrigley, Age 12 3/4 by Libby Bray presents the advice of a young person about getting one's period which is irreverent but funny.

Other stories include a brief appearance from Babymouse (Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm) as well as an amusing presentation of the Chinese Zodiac. Some stories cover only a couple of pages, others a dozen pages.

The stories also vary in presentation, with most of the stories being regular prose, but others being in comic format, and still others combining text and illustration. I think what I enjoyed most about the book was the clear message that girls can be funny and let their senses of humor shine.

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Actually, it's a bunch of stories--funny stories about being a modern girl. If you're a fan of humor that comes in small doses, this is the book for you!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (getting your period, underwear, feminism) PG; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: Pretty sure MS girls will find these stories funnier than I did. ;) My favorite was "Over and Out" by Lisa Graff, detailing the misadventures of a pink bra. Strictly for girls!

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! My favorite was the introduction by Besty Bird. My teenage boys read a couple of the stories, ok I made them do it, but they laughed! My next two favorites were Dear Grandpa Give Me Money by Alison De Camp and One Hot Mess by Carmen Agra Deedy.

There are stories that will make adults laugh. There are also stories and activities geared just toward kids. Ultimately it is for kids, as advertised. Good stuff!

[Amber Kuehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was SO FUN! I didn’t read ALL of the stories with kids because some of the stories are mature and talk about puberty, bras and periods, so I figured something me students could find those and read them on their own. I did, however, read aloud Babysitting Nightmares by Shannon Hale and the kids were ROLLING with laughter! Definitely a fun one to read out loud (be prepared for the potty humor though). 😂

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betsy Bird has asked very funny female writers for young people, ages 9-12, to create a story whether in prose, poetry, or graphic novel format. The results of her edited book are amazing! Students and adults will absolutely love this realistic fiction/fantasy short story book. Whether you are reading about a babysitter who has a more than a horrible experience one night with twin girls, a mom who cleans a bathtub by setting it on fire, or a girl wearing a full costume for swimming class in the gym pool, this is a book that you must read! Just recently published in 2017, it will win awards in the year ahead!

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As television comedy writers Delaney and Mackenzie Yeager explain in their opening entry, "Joke-telling is the greatest superpower a gall can posses." Being a comedian takes confidence--a combination of audacity and courage to put yourself out there.

Short personal essays are among my favorites. In "One Hot Mess," Carmen Agra Deedy shares about the time her mother set a bathtub on fire to get rid of the germs, unwittingly melting the fiberglass tub in their new apartment. The collection ends with short biographical entries for each author. With this great range of stories, you're bound to find new authors you'd like to explore.

[C. L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of clever little stories from great female authors, designed to make the point to young kids that, yes, women can be funny. (Apparently that's still a thing.) Sleek and good for laughs. Recommended.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

We need more books like this one!!! This book is so funny and cute! There is not a bad short story in the bunch! I laughed so hard at so many places that it would take me hours to write this review if I wrote them all down. Please read this book! To the publishers and authors...please write and publish more funny books for tweens and teens...they need them!!! I am so excited to booktalk this gem!

[Ariel Cummins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most short story collections, this book has some chapters that were great and some that were not so great. Still, it's fun to have all theses female authors in one place, so that tweens can maybe discover a new favorite! Also enjoyed the graphic novel inclusions.

[Mrs. Mazzola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

Humorous, but uneven collection of short stories. Some stories were hilarious and others were not particularly compelling. I did enjoy the diversity in authors and styles and I know some readers that will enjoy this book.

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of funny stories, written by fantastic female authors, aimed at girls, and written in a wide variety of formats. My favorite chapter was written by Alison DeCamp; it was hilarious letters exchanged between Trixie and her Grandpa.

[Chloe Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun book is a ton of crazy and funny stories for girls, such as a babysitting horror story! This book is so good you should read it!

[Sara Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grabbing this for my 11 year old niece for her birthday. It is an anthology of short funny stories that middle schoolers will love.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with H. Especially loved the intro about being funny connected to confidence and all the types of ways and why's being a funny girl is empowering. Great for my soon to be 4th grader.

[Melanie Coombes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute, funny book that is actually a collection of very short stories written by over 20 women know for their humor. The book is written for a younger audience, perhaps age 10 to 13. It was fun to read. Some of the stories were comics, poems, a zodiac description, their was even a mad-lib. Many were just short stories that will appeal to young girls. It's a great book to empower girls while at the same time mixing in humor and sarcasm. I received a complimentary e-book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

[Lisa C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a personal favorite. I like the idea of this book more than I actually liked each of the stories.