Does anyone have recommendations for funny middle grade? Ya is OK, too. Not like Diary of Wimpy Kid or Captain Underpants funny, but like Absolutely True Diary of A Part-time Indian funny.
Does anyone have recommendations for funny middle grade?
Have you tried Carl Hiaasen? Chomp is YA, a quite amusing send-up of "reality" TV set in the Everglades.
Terry Pratchett wrote some books that could count as MG and YA - humor with some real tooth under the surface. Try the Tiffany Aching series (starting with The Wee Free Men), or The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. (Wasn't quite as fond of his Bromeliad trilogy - first book titled Truckers - which felt more juvenile and obvious, but it might be worth a go.)
Eoin Colfer writes some MG you might look into; try his standalone The Wish List, about a dead girl who must help an old man fulfill his bucket list. (His Artemis Fowl books also are fun, though I thought they wore thin after the third book.)
Jonathan Stroud writes some great upper MG books; his Bartimaeus series (first book: The Amulet of Samarkand) mixes hilarity with bite.
Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz series (first book: Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians) is a hilarious send-up of fantasy tropes and books in general.
I got a real kick out of Platte F. Clarke's Bad Unicorn and Wade Albert White's The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes, too, though they might skew a bit silly for you.
Everything Brightdreamer said (Bartimaeus is one of my favorite book series, period), but also:
Jack Gantos is the funniest writer on the planet, Dead End in Norvelt was a great Newbery pick. Also the Jack's Book series, and Joey Pigza for slightly younger.
Jackie Ha-Ha by Chris Grabenstein and James Patterson is one of the funniest MG novels I've read in a while, with a sweet, funny, and kind of gross girl MC. I highly recommend this one!
The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman, fast-talking, funny New York kid with a cool premise.
Adam Rex is funny as hell and sends up both fantasy and sci-fi tropes brilliantly. I often worry he's too esoteric for kids, but they LOVE him.
I think I mentioned Ursula Vernon earlier in this thread, all her stuff is pretty perfect for everyone, great mix of snarky and heart. Like Adam Rex, she's very into messing around with tropes and genre in weird and funny ways.
Hillary McKay isn't necessarily comedy per se, mixes in a lot of angst and real life issues, but definitely enough British humor for everyone.
(I'm running out of superlatives, but these are all great books)
Hiassen is great - Chomp, Hoot, Scat and Flush are all good, funny kidlit. (Hoot was also made into a movie a few years ago.) He's best known for his slightly raunchy adult mysteries, though, so be careful which books you're picking up!Have you tried Carl Hiaasen? Chomp is YA, a quite amusing send-up of "reality" TV set in the Everglades.
Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz series (first book: Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians) is a hilarious send-up of fantasy tropes and books in general.