Something Funny Happened at the Library: How to Create Humorous Programs for Children and Young Adults

by American Library Association

"My job is to make kids laugh." This is how storyteller, librarian, and all-around jokester Rob Reid opens his delightful new book, Something Funny Happened at the Library. Wouldn't it be great if kids came home from the library holding their sides, eager to pass on the funny things they heard in the library that day? According to Reid, getting the attention of young people is to make them laugh. From easy-to-win-over preschoolers to unimpressed teens, this book will serve as your personal humor coach for even the toughest audiences out there. Being funny can be intimidating, but with tricks of the trade on how to warm up an audience, choose age-appropriate material, use facial and vocal expressions to lure them in, and select props, you're on your way to the comedy club. Young children won't be able to hold in their giggles after such programs as "The World's Worst Ice Cream Store," and intermediate age school kids will love to take part in book theme parties in honor of Captain Underpants or such special celebrations as "Boo Ha Ha." Even those middle and high school students, once convinced to participate in "Comedy Club" (a program that combines reading and "stand-up") or "Spoonerisms" (a wordplay game), will be rolling in the aisles. To enrich all of these programs, Reid also features the funniest ideas for readers' theater, how to host a lively library tour, and even rap songs that extol the virtues of reading and the library! An annotated bibliography lists more than 300 of the funniest books available, sorted by category and age, including picture books, fractured fairy tales, folklore, and the funniest children's authors and illustrators. A complete resource for getting children and young adults snickering and having fun in the stacks with innovative programming that uses humor, Something Funny helps you to connect with children and young adults and, along the way, make the library the hippest place in town!

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had this Rob Reid as my librarian growing up! What fun, playful ideas! I got a few fun ideas, stories and songs from this. Well, I'll be borrowing parts of this for my classes for sure! Some parts I think will be lost on kids these days as so much has changed but I see ways to tweak a lot and making it work. Also great fillers on weeks when I need a heavy program break. On the down side, while we get a ton of storytime recommendations, many of them are quite old now, outdated, weeded and out of print. I can see myself referencing these pages in the future.

[Ryan Fugitt]

Reid, R. (2003). Something funny happened at the library: how to create humorous programs for children and young adults. American Library Association.

Citation by: Ryan Fugitt

Type of Reference: Bibliography

Call Number: 027.62 R353s 2003

Content/Scope: A collection of ideas on how to keep the library a fun place.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This book is published by American Library Association which is held in high regards among the LMS community.

Arrangement/Presentation: There are 163 pages in this book. The pages include tricks of the trade, humor programs for younger children: preschool and primary grade humor and other resources for the upper grades.

Relation to other works: This book falls under children’s libraries and storytelling. This book will be a good addition to the teacher/librarian reference section in the school library.

Accessibility/Diversity: This book will be a resource for the LMS. This has great ideas to keep the library a fun place.

Cost: $42.00

Professional Review: Quenk, R. (2003). Something Funny Happened at the Library (Book Review) (Undetermined). Library Journal, 128(3), 175.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good RA for Storytime/Early Literacy Librarians.

The first time I read this I was very against it, but after a revisit, I have major respect for author and librarian Rob Reid.

He does a great job of relieving the stress of storytime, by making it fun, including some of his original ideas and a way to shake up storytime to make it fun;

though the title does say how to create humorous programs for children and young adults, the book is definitely catered to little ones AND families that may have older kids with them.

Now, on the flip side, since a lot of storytimes now feature more than just read alouds for kids (flannel graphs, finger plays, puppets, songs, dances, poems, and early literacy tips), this book is catered more towards the traditional style of storytime. However, Reid does a great job of showing off some 'themes' and a lot of picture books to go along with them, as well as a couple songs, or poems, and of course, how to make them silly and fun, without embarrassing or making the storytime person OR the families present, esp. the kids, uncomfortable.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book list as well as rhymes and songs. Too bad many of the books aren't in our system... sigh.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always find some fun and helpful suggestions from Rob Reid's books.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has some truly terrific and silly ideas for story time...lots of script examples, book lists, song lists, and whole program packages all tied up and ready to perform!

[Cassie]

Revisit this for more ideas!

[Octavia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ideas for story time for any age.