{"id":2477,"date":"2025-04-28T13:48:30","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T13:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/?p=2477"},"modified":"2025-11-03T21:14:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T21:14:55","slug":"why-funny-kids-books-are-an-important-part-of-your-childs-library-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/2025\/04\/28\/why-funny-kids-books-are-an-important-part-of-your-childs-library-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Funny Kids\u2019 Books Are an Important Part of Your Child\u2019s Library"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about which books your child reaches for most. If you\u2019re like many parents, the first thing that comes to mind is \u201cfunny kids\u2019 books\u201d!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scholastic research shows that humour in books is the top characteristic kids look for when making their reading selections. According to the latest edition of the Scholastic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholastic.ca\/readingreport\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kids &amp; Family Reading Report<\/a>, 46% of children say they look for books that make them laugh. Parents feel similarly: 45% of parents say they want their kids\u2019 books to be funny. When humour is involved, the whole family enjoys reading more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funny kids\u2019 books provide a positive and uplifting interaction that encourages regular reading habits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMost people enjoy a good laugh \u2014 kids included,\u201d says Jessica Wollman, Senior Vice President of Classroom &amp; Library Publishing at Scholastic Education. \u201cHumourous books pull kids in and make reading fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When children enjoy what they read, they\u2019ll want to read more \u2014 but funny books are more than just a means of entertainment. They can be a doorway to <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/2023\/03\/10\/6-strategies-to-improve-reading-comprehension\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">better reading comprehension<\/a>, improved social-emotional skills, and overall well-being. Here are the three major benefits of humour in books for your child.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Humour &#8216;Makes Teaching Stick&#8217;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Humour plays a big role in a child\u2019s stages of development. How a child uses humour is a reflection of their developing cognitive and linguistic abilities. Introducing children to humour through books is one way to build lasting skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHumour can be an effective way to improve retention, or \u2018make teaching stick,\u2019 in kids from kindergarten through college,\u201d says Wollman. \u201cAfter all, humour triggers our sense of wonder, which is the root of all learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Experts agree: Funny kids\u2019 books teach lessons that prime readers for the wider world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFunny books can absolutely provide a learning experience,\u201d says Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer of Scholastic. \u201cSeries like <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/search?cgid=root&amp;prefn1=itemType-cec-ca&amp;prefv1=N&amp;prefn2=languageCode-cec-ca&amp;prefv2=English%7CFrench%7CAnglais%7CFran%C3%A7ais&amp;prefn3=seriesName&amp;prefv3=Dog%20Man%7CCat%20Kid%20Comic%20Club%7CSuper%20Chien%7CMini%20Chat%20et%20son%20Club%20BD&amp;collid=Dog-Man&amp;start=0&amp;sz=20&amp;collid=Dog-Man&amp;navFilterId=seriesName&amp;navFilterValue=Dog%20Man%7CCat%20Kid%20Comic%20Club%7CSuper%20Chien%7CMini%20Chat%20et%20son%20Club%20BD&amp;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dog Man<\/a> by Dav Pilkey provide lessons to enhance social-emotional skills and good decision-making, while they entertain kids with puns, jokes and amusing illustrations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Humour Is Empowering<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Humour also gives kids the confidence to try new things. By reading about characters who slip up or fail in an amusing way, or who take many attempts to succeed, children feel more comfortable embracing their fears and hesitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHumourous books can be empowering for young readers,\u201d says Newman. \u201cRather than being overtly told that they need to behave in a certain way, these stories show that it\u2019s okay to make mistakes! Kids can relate to characters like <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/search?q=Junie+B.+Jones&amp;prefn1=itemType-cec-ca&amp;prefv1=N\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Junie B. Jones<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/search?q=Diary+of+a+Wimpy+Kid&amp;prefn1=itemType-cec-ca&amp;prefv1=N\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Greg Heffley (the Wimpy Kid)<\/a>, who mess things up in hilarious ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through funny books, children also get a window into what it\u2019s like to be an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAdult characters are often depicted as misguided or confused in these books,\u201d Newman says. \u201cPopular series such as <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/search?cgid=root&amp;navFilterId=seriesName&amp;navFilterValue=The%20Bad%20Guys\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Bad Guys<\/a> illustrate that \u2018grown-ups\u2019 mix things up, too. This can be reassuring for kids, and turns the table so that they are assessing decisions made by people who are generally in a position of authority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Humour Is Therapeutic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good joke is better when it\u2019s shared. In this way, reading becomes a group activity when children can share the laughs \u2014 and form bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHumour is also inherently social, and it\u2019s highly contagious,\u201d says Wollman. \u201cWhenever young readers connect over funny books, like Dav Pilkey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/-the-adventures-of-captain-underpants-\/2311421-cec-ca.html?cgid=root#cgid=root&amp;navFilterId=seriesName&amp;navFilterValue=Captain+Underpants&amp;start=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Captain Underpants<\/a> and Tedd Arnold\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/search?cgid=root&amp;navFilterId=seriesName&amp;navFilterValue=Fly%20Guy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fly Guy<\/a>, they\u2019re also engaged in authentic community building.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But perhaps the most enduring legacy of funny kids\u2019 books is their ability to help children navigate difficult times and difficult situations. Laughter may enhance a child\u2019s literacy in many ways, but it\u2019s the old expression \u201claughter is the best medicine\u201d that hints at its true benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDuring these tumultuous times, we are seeing that both caregivers and children are looking for books that provide therapeutic benefits,\u201d Newman says. \u201cIn particular demand are books that address social-emotional concerns, mindfulness, understanding differences, and kindness. And, of course, laughter increases endorphins released by the brain, which reduces stress and promotes a sense of well-being. That\u2019s something everyone could use more of these days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shop best-selling funny kids\u2019 books and activities at <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Scholastic Book Clubs<\/strong><\/a><strong>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:3px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Originally published by Scholastic Parents on March 31, 2025. Versioned for Scholastic Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Think about which books your child reaches for most. If you\u2019re like many parents, the first thing that comes to mind is \u201cfunny kids\u2019 books\u201d! Scholastic research shows that humour&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2478,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[5,6,14,84,64,70,7,38],"class_list":["post-2477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-topics","tag-book-clubs","tag-book-fairs","tag-books","tag-families","tag-funny-books","tag-may","tag-parents","tag-reading"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Funny Kids\u2019 Books Are an Important Part of Your Child\u2019s Library | Scholastic at School Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scholastic.com\/parents\/books-and-reading\/raise-a-reader-blog\/funny-kids-books.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Funny Kids\u2019 Books Are an Important Part of Your Child\u2019s Library | Scholastic at School Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Think about which books your child reaches for most. 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