alay13's review against another edition
4.0
Uneven, as just about any short story anthology is, but mostly these stories were smart AND funny.
inliterarylove's review
5.0
Laugh out loud funny, reading with my daughter. A favorite was the letter writing between Trixie and her grandpa. We absolutely loved this book.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know if these were the funniest stories ever, but several of them did make me laugh out loud. A great mix of fiction and non-fiction, including some comics, by an all-star cast of women. Recommended for grades 4 & up.
crizzle's review
3.0
I picked this out for Moo at the library because I noticed our favorite graphic novelists -RAINA TELGEMEIER (squeeeeeeeal!!!) and Cece Bell! I would definitely recommend this for 5th - 7th grade girls. For me, the best part of the book was the intro by the editor, Betsy Bird, who recounts her middle school invisible ninja skills until the day in which she realizes her true super power - humor - and encourages girls to laugh at themselves and their situation instead of becoming humiliated and letting it have power over them. Reminds me of that verse in Proverbs, "she can laugh at the days to come."
abigailbat's review
3.0
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!)
tami_provencher's review
4.0
I truly enjoyed Funny Girl. Edited by Betsy Bird, Funny Girl is a collection of poems, stories, comics, and essays by women authors, aimed specifically at girls around the 3rd to 6th grade demographic. The contents are both fictional and personal experiences, by turns witty and inspiring. Many of the best voices in current children's literature have contributed to this book and it shows! Accessible and thoroughly entertaining stories are fused with the strong message from these women to young girls everywhere: find your own voice and have the courage to use it--and laugh a little on the way.
Populated by authors such as Shannon Hale, Rita Garcia-Williams, Ursula Vernon, Jennifer Holm. Raina Telgemeier, Cece Bell, Lisa Graff and Lenore Look--among others--there is a variety of style and story here that makes this one of the best story collections I have ever read for this age group.
Alison Decamp's Dear Grandpa: Give Me Money was so funny I immediately went to my library site and reserved her book My Near-Death Adventures 99% true!. I realized I had actually checked it out before but, for whatever reason, had returned it without reading it. I am now excited to pick it up again and dive in! The zany, hilarious, over-the-top comedy of errors in Lisa Graff's Over and Out and Shannon Hale's Babysitting Nightmare had me chuckling out loud. I was thrilled to see One Hot Mess by Carmen Agra Deedy (whose book The Cheshire Cheese Cat I loved!) in which she relates an example of how your family can feel normal to you before the day you realize not every family does things the way you do. Akilah Hughes' storytelling stood out to me so much in Swimming Is For Other Kids that I looked her up at the library and discovered she has a 2019 memoir out called Obviously: stories from my timeline which I have also reserved and look forward to reading in the next week or so! The comics from Cece Bell and Amy Ignatow are both clever and delightful. And Mitali Perkins' Brown Girl Pop Quiz: All of The Above openly expresses her frustration with Indian stereotypes in a way that's both humorous and pointed.
I started and finished Funny Girl in one sitting but because it is a collection of stories it's the perfect book to reach for when you just want a short, self-contained entertaining story. I highly recommend this one as an independent read for girls ages 9 - 11, or it would be a fun mother-daughter read! (I would totally use it as one if my daughter were still in the target audience for this book!)
Populated by authors such as Shannon Hale, Rita Garcia-Williams, Ursula Vernon, Jennifer Holm. Raina Telgemeier, Cece Bell, Lisa Graff and Lenore Look--among others--there is a variety of style and story here that makes this one of the best story collections I have ever read for this age group.
Alison Decamp's Dear Grandpa: Give Me Money was so funny I immediately went to my library site and reserved her book My Near-Death Adventures 99% true!. I realized I had actually checked it out before but, for whatever reason, had returned it without reading it. I am now excited to pick it up again and dive in! The zany, hilarious, over-the-top comedy of errors in Lisa Graff's Over and Out and Shannon Hale's Babysitting Nightmare had me chuckling out loud. I was thrilled to see One Hot Mess by Carmen Agra Deedy (whose book The Cheshire Cheese Cat I loved!) in which she relates an example of how your family can feel normal to you before the day you realize not every family does things the way you do. Akilah Hughes' storytelling stood out to me so much in Swimming Is For Other Kids that I looked her up at the library and discovered she has a 2019 memoir out called Obviously: stories from my timeline which I have also reserved and look forward to reading in the next week or so! The comics from Cece Bell and Amy Ignatow are both clever and delightful. And Mitali Perkins' Brown Girl Pop Quiz: All of The Above openly expresses her frustration with Indian stereotypes in a way that's both humorous and pointed.
I started and finished Funny Girl in one sitting but because it is a collection of stories it's the perfect book to reach for when you just want a short, self-contained entertaining story. I highly recommend this one as an independent read for girls ages 9 - 11, or it would be a fun mother-daughter read! (I would totally use it as one if my daughter were still in the target audience for this book!)
backonthealex's review
3.0
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.
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.
scostner's review
4.0
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.
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.
hsquared's review
5.0
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
*NetGalley digital advanced reader copy