It Seemed Funny at the Time

Title: It Seemed Funny at the Time: A LARGE Collection of Short Humor

Author: David Lubar

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 

Publication Date: October, 2011

Genre/Format: Short Stories-Humor/eBook

Goodreads Summary: David Lubar has gathered his best magazine pieces from the past fifteen years, tossed in his most popular works from the early days of online humor, bundled up the comedy material from his national conference talks, and stuffed everything in one juicy volume.

     Health care, telemarketers, celebrity picture books, Amish buggy rides, pigeon shoots, tasteless sneaker ads, inept Olympic broadcasters, and lots more -- it all seemed funny at the time. And, happily, it still does. Along with a ton of humor aimed at a general audience, there are special sections for computer geeks, writers, librarians, teachers, and fans of young-adult novels. Check it out. It's a lot of funny for just a little money.

What I Think: Although this book is not all completely appropriate for the classroom, such a wonderful portion of it is. David Lubar's humor radiates off of the pages and although much of it is very specific, you YA and Kid Lit lovers and teachers will love much of it. I also loved how he set much of it up. Most stories were set up with an introduction followed by a hilarious list. For example, he has a list of renamed books that have no chance of being banned, a list of "knockoffs", book and TV mix-ups, the next wave of edgy books, and more while in the kid lit section there are lists of Halloween books, horror cross-overs, and weird author pairings. In the other sections of the book, there are a smattering of other stories that can be used in a classroom as well like Poe humor, little-known literary facts, kids writing FAQ and high school humor. Many of these shorts will be great conversation starters and would be wonderful as read-alouds in the classroom. 

Read Together: Varies by story; primarily 6 and up

Read Alone: Varies by story; primarily 7 and up

Snatch of Text: "Think about it - a team named after a poem. But not just any poem. This poem was written by the man who invented the detective story, the man who gave us tales of such horror that they've become classics in the genre. 

     The Ravens won their first game this season. They lost their second game. But I'm a loyal fan. I won't desert them. But I'm hoping that they won't stop with just the name change. There is so much more potential if they stick with the Poe theme. So, as the number one fan of the Ravens, I'd like to suggest that they adopt the following ideas: 

     Forget about a digital time display on the scoreboard. Use a huge clock with a pendulum. For extra excitement, install a pendulum over each end zone.

     Every player should grow a black little mustache." (Kindle Location beginning 566)

"Don't you just hate having your day interrupted to deal with a book challenge? Whether it's in the form of a shouting parent, a sign-waving picket line, or a smoldering pile of burning books setting off the sprinklers in the YA section, there's nothing like a protest to put a crimp in a peaceful afternoon spent monitoring Internet surfing or helping ninety-six eighth graders find information about some obscure prehistoric trilobite that nobody except their teacher has ever heard of. It might seem as if every book is going to offend some group. But that's not the case. There are some books that nobody could possibly object to. They are ban proof. It is our pleasure to provide the following list. 

     Where the Mild Things Are — To help his parents cope with the stresses of life, a teen crosses the country in search of the blandest food, tamest tourist spots, and least-threatening people. He stays in the right lane throughout the book.

     Boy Meets Buoy — kids go for a swim. There is no horseplay, body contact, or Speedos. All characters remain in safe, shallow water throughout the story." (Kindle Location beginning 1935)

Mentor Text for: Allusion, Puns, Word Play

Writing Prompts: After reading "Mean"- In your life, what are some things adults say that really means something else?; Research a banned or challenged book. Why was it banned? Write a letter to a challenger stating why you think the book should not be banned.

Topics Covered: YA Literature, Kit Lit, Banned Books, Editors, Careers, Idioms, Prequels and much more

I *heart* It:

 

**Thank you to David Lubar for providing a copy of his book for review**