The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

By Christopher Healy

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

This is one of those satirical books that was pretty fun to read, though you need to be in a certain mood to really enjoy it. I admit, it took me a while to get into this book, but I was determined to finish it because my friend said that she and her husband read it out loud and couldn’t stop laughing. This would’ve been a great read-out-loud book. It’s about four princes, who are each known as their kingdom’s “Prince Charming”. Liam is a hero who is the darling of his kingdom, until he meets sleeping beauty, Frederic has never been outside of his own castle and fell for adventurous and sheltered Cinderella, Duncan luckily stumbled across Snow White, a hermit, in the woods, and Gustav is known for being rescued by Rapunzel, who healed his blindness with her tears. The princes band together to save their reputations and find out if they really are hero material. What ensues is a hilarious satire of fairy-tale stories and all the stereotypes that happen. It’s clever and well done, kids love reading about these unlikely Prince Charmings, and adults laugh at the way the story pokes fun at the genre. Again I had a hard time getting into the story, it was a little too dumbed down for me, geared for children and not adults. Some books can easily bridge the gap, but this one fell a little flat for me.

I give it a 3 out of 5  

Where the Sidewalk Ends

By Shel Silverstein

Collected poems for children ranging from the silly to the serious.

If you’ve never read Shel Silverstein, you need to go to the library and pick up one of his many poetry books. He also wrote “The Giving Tree”, a sweet book that is well known. His poems carry a fun theme and kids love them. This is the first of his books of poems.

Freckle Juice

By Judy Blume

Andrew wants freckles so bad, he buys a recipe from a classmate that will make him grow freckles.

This is a pretty hilarious story about a kid who thinks freckles are the bomb and will do just about anything to get them. meant for kids grade 3-4. It's an older book, but just as funny as if it were written for today.

The Actor and the Housewife

By Shannon Hale

Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity heartthrob Felix Callahan. A few hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later something has happened, though nothing has happened…It isn’t sexual. It isn’t even quite love. But soon Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what’s hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends-talk-on-the-phone, drop-everything-in-an-emergency, laugh-out-loud-at-stupid-jokes best friends.
Becky’s loving and devoted husband, Mike, is mostly unconcerned. Her children roll their eyes. Her large extended family and neighbors gossip endlessly. But Felix and Becky have something special, something unusual, something that seems from the outside-and sometimes the inside too-completely impossible to sustain.
On the surface, Becky’s story of a steadfast housewife and the handsome star is the ultimate romantic fantasy. But the depth of emotion that Shannon Hale shows us in Becky is the strength that underpins only the strongest relationships. It is what makes this story resonate beyond the glitter of Felix’s movie-stardom to the deeper understanding of the kinds of true love we all dream of having.
Shannon Hale has created a magical and often hilarious story that explores what might happen when your not-so-secret celebrity crush walks right into real life, and changes everything.


Okay, I just want to say to Shannon Hale: You rock like a cradle. I was laughing so hard that I actually snorted, then laughed even harder. I can honestly say I have never laughed so hard in my whole life while reading a work of fiction. The witty banter was just too hilarious. And what made it better- this isn’t a book about adultery. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s about staying true and what being a friend is all about. And I will also admit to the astonishing fact that I can add this to the half-dozen books that I really cried at. But by the end I was laughing again. To get that range of emotion, you’ve got something magic. My only interesting comment is this: I’ve read all of Shannon’s books now and this is the only one that swears. I was a little let down by that fact, but I can see why she did it. She’s talking about real life, but she does it tactfully. I heartily enjoyed this book, just like all of Shannon’s previous works.
One of my favorite parts is when Felix tags along to a Mormon potluck and the people in the ward recognize him and think he’s Mormon. They all start saying, “I didn’t know you were LDS! Come over her Brother Callahan and we’ll get you some food.” It was then that, in a confused and slightly panicked voice Felix whispers to Becky, “Did I just get accused of using drugs?”
Yeah, and that’s one of the lesser funny moments. I just remembered it offhand because I didn’t get it and when I finally did I laughed my head off. (Yes, I’m pitifully slow sometimes).

Once Upon a Marigold

By Jean Farris

Christian is gaga for Princess Marigold. But he's just a commoner, and no match for royalty. Heck, he lives in a cave with a troll! And now he's discovered another reason to put his love-soggy heart on ice: Queen Olympia is scheming to take over the kingdom--and she'll bump off her own daughter to do it. Can Christian foil her diabolical plans?

Now this book was fun. It had just the right amount of everything. Light-hearted and funny, it follows Christian, a foundling boy that lives with the cave troll Ed, until his heart can't take just looking across the forest to where Marigold, his p-mail (pigeon mail) friend lives. The only problem is, she's a princess and he's a commoner. Hilarilous! It envolves a horrible plot to off the princess, who is just a bit strong minded, and has a pretty horrible curse on her. The book just made me smile the whole time, though it was very transparent, I just liked being along for the ride.

Castle in the Air

By Diana Wynne Jones

Abdullah has always lived in Zanzib, a lowly carpet merchant, spending his every free moment daydreaming. His life was pretty consistently boring until the day he was sold a thread-bare carpet that happened to be magically endowed to fly. This one event leads to Abdullah’s daydreams beginning to come true-he finds the love of his life, princess Flower-in-the-night, only to see her be whisked away by a powerful djinn. In an effort to save her, Abdullah starts on a magical journey with the aid of his magic carpet and an ornery genie. Mayhem is sure to be a step ahead of him as he finds himself in the land of Ingary; the self-same land that houses a certain wizard named Howl…

Oh, I just love Diana Wynne Jones! I read this hoping for another helping of Howl and all the characters in the previous book, and much to my delight, I found myself loving Abdullah and new characters just as much. This book is a great fantasy and reminiscent of Aladdin or Ali Babba and the fourty thieves, wrought with magic carpets, sultans, deserts, genies. While the first two-thirds of the book can be read without any foreknowledge of Howl’s Moving Castle, the last bit of the book will definitely confuse readers who haven’t read it. It makes me laugh just to think of this book and all the hilarious encounters that Abdullah has, and Howl and Sophie’s unconventional return! Read it if you liked Howl’s Moving Castle! Please do!

Howl's Moving Castle

By Diana Wynne Jones

When you are the eldest of three you are doomed to fail. Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters who was to inherit her father's hatshop and live a very dull life indeed. But after the Witch of the Waste comes in to buy a hat and doesn't find what she likes, she curses Sophie to be an old woman. Sophie decides she has nothing to stay for and leaves to find her fortune. Instead she falls in with the dubious Wizard Howl and his fire demon, getting herself into a bargain she didn't plan for. If she can break the contract between the wizard and his demon, then the demon will take the curse off of her. In an adventure full of magic, laughs, and wonderful twists, Sophie will find that perhaps it isn't so bad to be the eldest of three!

This book is my favorite. Diana has a style clearly her own that rings out with a dry and truly amusing humor. Her books are full of magic that is both easy to understand and very creative and new. And her characters are some you will never forget after reading. Howl is hilarious and one of my favorite characters in a book. Sophie will have you rolling with her antics. This book is just fun to read and purely entertaining. It's got everything a reader could want. I highly recomend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story and loveable characters with a great adventure to boot! (Just as a side note, my email is actually a line from this book, that's how much I love it!) Here comes green slime! ^_^

Fun Facts: Diana lives in England, so her stories have all the fun words like, 'bother' and 'drat'! in them. She has written over 30 books for youth. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci are great fun to read, as well as the Dalemark Quartet along with the two sequels to Howl's Moving Castle; Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways. If you like Howl, there's more where that came from! Also, Howl's Moving Castle was made into an animated movie that is very good, but very very different from the movie. While they are very different though, I like them both almost equally well. (The book is still better.)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

By Jeff Kinney
Greg is in middleschool. Big whoop. Life is a day-to-day system of torture, I mean, why can't they just play video games instead of going to Phys ed? They have football and stuff. And why is it that in middle school you're either scrawny and small, or hairy and gigantic? Well, Greg tells us all about middle school life in his diary...uh, I mean journal; because one day...he's going to be famous.
This book is pretty funny. Ok, it's outright hilarious. I re-lived some of my good ol' days in middle school with some of the stuff Greg writes. The cartoons are just to die for. Jeff Kinney knows his stuff and this book feels like it was written by a twelve-year old. And it comes with all the hilarity and drama of that age. Wow, this is just fun. I can tell why it is a best seller! You should pick it up and read it, it only took me about two hours, and I'm pretty slow. I'm laughing right now just thinking of the stuff in this book...

Austenland

By Shannon Hale

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a thirty-something woman in possession of a satisfying career and fabulous hairdo must be in want of very little…” Jane Hayes however, was in want of very much. And her obsession with Mr. Darcy (as played by Colin Firth) was getting in the way. But Jane just can’t let him go! So, in an attempt to put in all behind her, Jane accepts an invitation to Pembrook Park, a place where people live the life of Regency England, and are able to find a Mr. Darcy all their own. Jane believes that once she gets it out of her system, she will be able to finally throw out her Austen books, and her precious BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and live a normal life…but things never turn out the way you plan.

Hmm. This is Shannon Hale’s first book for adults, and it was funny at first. Then it got a little exasperating, then embarrassing, then funny again, then just really gushy. There were parts that I thought were absolutely hilarious and tickled my fancy, but other parts where I was going, ‘whoa horsey!’ in my head. There was a little too much candor in the character of Jane Hayes at times, and a little too much intensity with certain members of the opposite sex. For others it probably would be funny, but to me it seemed so utterly ridiculous that a woman would be so desperate. I clashed with Jane Hayes as a character, so I have very conflicting feelings toward this book. The whole context is just a little surreal and odd, flinging 21st century people into Austenland, where I was never sure who was for ‘real’ and who was acting. Neither was Jane, and that was the frustrating part. But it was a fun little read, a little under 200 pages, I stayed up until 3 A.M. finishing it, just because I can! I think most women who ever had a liking for Mr. Darcy and his declarations of ‘fine eyes’ will enjoy this little adaptation of trying to let go of the perfect model to find something real.

Funny Info: The book dedication states: “For Colin Firth, You’re a really great guy, but I’m married, so I think we should just be friends.” Shannon Hale makes me laugh.