Parents' Guide to

I Funny: A Middle School Story

By Barbara Lawrence, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Middle school humor mixes with moving disability subplot.

Book James Patterson , Chris Grabenstein Humor 2012
I Funny: A Middle School Story Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

LNCL25
LNCL25 Adult
August 29, 2022
age 11+

Not what I thought

I’ll admit I did not vet this book at all. I was at the library, saw the title, recognized the author and grabbed it. Very heavy stuff for a book with the word “Funny” in title. Super detailed description of how his family was killed in a car accident, including his little sister, Jenny. My mouth was on the floor as my son read it to me after he came down upset. So he did say it had funny parts, but this book is definitely not all giggles.
hi78
hi78 Adult
March 22, 2019
age 9+
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Jamie Grimm has had some tough knocks and he is now living with his aunt and her family, the humorless Kosgroves. He uses a wheelchair and lives in his aunt's garage. To make matters worse, his cousin Stevie is the school bully. Jamie uses humor to make friends as well as help himself out of difficult situations. His goal is to be the world's first "sit-down comic" and win the Planet's Funniest Kid Contest. Although he's had his share of hardship, revealed later in the book, he manages to pursue his dream. With the help of his kindhearted Uncle Frankie, as well as an assortment of friends, Jamie navigates his new life, follows his dream, and establishes a supportive community for himself.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (7 ):

Fans of James Patterson's Middle School books will enjoy I FUNNY: A MIDDLE SCHOOL STORY. This fast-paced, story-driven plot uses Laura Park's clever illustrations to tell much of the story. There's enough humor to hold a middle schooler's interest, as well as insight into school life -- friends, cafeteria food, homework, bullies, and snarky text messages. But underneath the humor is a moving story of a teen in a wheelchair, who's had to face more than his fair share of tragedy. Jamie's resilience, perseverance, and desire to achieve his goal of being the world's first sit-down comedian will keep readers' cheering for him.

This book is also a compendium of some of the best and worst one-liners. Keep your rim shots ready.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why books about middle school are so popular. Which ones have you read that get it right?

  • Jamie suffers when viral texts shared among his schoolmates accuse him of succeeding only because people feel sorry for him. Why does mean-spirited gossip have such a strong affect on us?

  • When Jamie starts making his friends the butt of his jokes, he feels uncomfortable but the crowd loves it. Why is mean humor on TV, in the movies, and in real life so popular and contagious?

Book Details

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