Humor & Comedy - Exodus Books

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You know a book's funny if you're reading it alone and laughing hysterically. Of course, the really great comic masterpieces are also deep reflections on humanity and life and death (like Huckleberry Finn or All Creatures Great and Small or Calvin & Hobbes). Frequently, though, you just need to guffaw, and the literary quality of the piece isn't quite as important as the laugh-factor.

Not that you want to read swill. Cheap laughs might be funny on the surface, but the jokes that actually say something are generally funnier than the ones that simply point and snicker. It's easy to think we're superior because we get the joke, but in reality a lot of modern comedy is no more than the absence of reverence. Real comedy is simply an incongruous presentation of a familiar idea that amuses with its absurdity while offering a new view.

Before you dismiss the need for humor on religious grounds (suggesting that Jesus is the Man of Sorrows, and so must we be in order to be like Him), remember that the "laughter is good medicine" image comes from the Bible (Proverbs 17:22), and that as the Creator of everything God invented laughter. He invented jokes. As the perfect man, Jesus probably told the best jokes ever.

We have a few of them—a rich person will enter heaven as easily as a camel getting through the eye of a needle, or the one about the Pharisee and the plebe who go into the temple at the same time to pray. Jesus clearly saw the absurdity of life (in both of the cases mentioned, the absurdity of human pride), and used it to direct people to the Author of Meaning.

Basically, laughter is really good and you should try it sometime. If you're a little rusty and need a boost, read a funny book: maybe the heartwarming but hysterical adventures of the Gilbreth clan in Cheaper by the Dozen, or the pure zaniness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or the heartwarming zaniness of Jeeves and Wooster. Whatever you do, smile more, frown less, and for goodness' sake take laughter seriously.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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	Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass Windermere Readers #5 by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Milo Winter 1954 edition from Rand McNally for 4th-9th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Ben and Me New and Astonishing Life of Ben Franklin as Written by His Very Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson from Little, Brown & Company Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson 1^st edition from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Betsy's Play School by Carolyn Haywood, illustrated by James Griffin from William Morrow & Company for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $15.00 (1 in stock)
	Big Bad Ironclad! Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #2 by Nathan Hale from Amulet Books for 4th-8th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $14.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford from Puffin Books for 3rd-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Clementine by Sara Pennypacker & Marla Frazee from Hyperion Books for Children for 2nd-4th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Colonel Meacham's Giant Cheese by Rosemary S. Nesbitt for 4th-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear by Edward Lear, collected and introduced by Holbrook Jackson from Dover Publications for 4th-6th grade in Poetry (Location: POET-GEN) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Double Fudge by Judy Blume from Puffin Books for 4th-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Eddie the Dog Holder by Carolyn Haywood from William Morrow & Company for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Ersatz Elevator Series of Unfortunate Events #6 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-6th grade in Humor & Comedy (Location: FIC-COM) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-6th grade 2002 Newbery Honor Book in Humor & Comedy (Location: FIC-COM) $4.00 (1 in stock)
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	Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume from Scholastic Press for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Gift of the Magi & Other Short Stories Dover Thrift Editions by O. Henry from Dover Publications for 4th-10th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $5.00 $2.00 (7 in stock)
	Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, illustrated by Kevin King from Simon and Schuster for 4th-10th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Giggle Box Funny Stories for Boys and Girls by Phyllis R. Fenner, illustrated by William Steig 1963 Printing from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Good American Witch by Peggy Bacon from E.M. Hale and Company for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $65.00 (1 in stock)
	Gopher, Tanker, and the Admiral by Shirley Climo, illustrated by Eileen McKeating from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $25.00 (1 in stock)
	Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald from Dial Press for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Great Brain - boxed set Great Brain #1-5 by John D. Fitzgerald, illustrated by Mercer Mayer from Dell Yearling Humorous Fiction for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $48.00 (1 in stock)
	Hank the Cowdog #08 Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse Hank the Cowdog #8 by John R. Erickson from Puffin Books for 2nd-5th grade in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Happy Yellow Car by Polly Horvath for 3rd-5th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Harriet Spies Again by Helen Ericson (based on Louise Fitzhugh) Reprint from Yearling for 3rd-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh 50th Anniversary from Delacorte Press Humorous Stories for 3rd-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.00 (1 in stock)
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	Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck First Edition from Dial Books for Young Readers for 4th-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.50 (1 in stock)
	Hippo Lemonade by Mike Thaler WRBC from HarperCollins for 2nd-4th grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Holes with Bonus Material Holes Series #1 by Louis Sachar 10th Anniversary Edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 4th-6th grade 1999 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Homer Price Puffin Modern Classics by Robert McCloskey from Puffin Books Humor for 3rd-6th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Igraine The Brave by Cornelia Funke from Scholastic Inc. for 3rd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $5.50 (1 in stock)
	Incredible Detectives by Don & Joan Caufield, illustrated by Kiyo Komoda from Harper & Row for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $7.00 (1 in stock)
	Junket by Anne H. White, illustrated by Robert McCloskey 2nd printing from Viking Press for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $14.00 (1 in stock)
	Loony Limericks from Alabama to Wyoming by Jack Stokes from Doubleday & Company for 3rd-6th grade in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Miserable Mill Series of Unfortunate Events #4 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Mishmash by Molly Cone, illustrated by Leonard Shortall 3rd printing from Houghton Mifflin for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay from Houghton Mifflin Humor for 4th-8th grade in Humor & Comedy (Location: FIC-COM) $14.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Night of the Crash-Test Dummies A Far Side Collection by Gary Larson from Andrews McMeel for 4th-Adult in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	No Mouse for Me by Robert Quackenbush from Franklin Watts for 2nd-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Noodles, Nitwits, and Numbskulls by Maria Leach, illustrated by Kurt Werth 1971 printing from World Publishing Company for 3rd-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $19.00 (1 in stock)
	Once the Hodja by Alice Geer Kelsey, illustrated by Frank Dobias from Hale-Cadmus for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Pippi Goes on Board Pippi Longstocking #2 by Astrid Lindgren from Viking Press Humor for 2nd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Pippi Longstocking Pippi Longstocking #1 by Astrid Lindgren from Scholastic Inc. Humor for 2nd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.00 (11 in stock)
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	Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary from HarperCollins for 2nd-4th grade 1982 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.39 $2.40 (1 in stock)
	Real Thief by William Steig from Houghton Mifflin for 3rd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Sir Charlie Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World by Paul Fleishman from Greenwillow Books for 4th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Snowbound with Betsy by Carolyn Haywood 6th printing, 1969 from Yearling for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $125.00 (1 in stock)
	Stand Up, Mr. Dickens A Dickens Anthology by Charles Dickens, edited and abridged by Edward Blishen, illustrated by Jill Bennett from Houghton Mifflin for 4th-8th grade in Adapted or Abridged (Location: SER-ABR) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Stanley's Christmas Adventure by Jeff Brown 1^st edition from HarperCollins for 2nd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting from J.B. Lippincott Co. for 3rd-4th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $10.00 (1 in stock)
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	Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George from HarperCollins for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.50 (1 in stock)
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	Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill from HMH Books for Young Readers for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Wanted...Mud Blossom by Betsy Byars from Dell Publishing for 4th-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $1.50 (1 in stock)
	While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away by Mary Nash from Little, Brown & Company for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1987 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $6.99 $3.00 (3 in stock)
	Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman First Scholastic Printing from Scholastic Inc. for 3rd-5th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman 1^st edition from Greenwillow Books for 3rd-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	William Shakespeare's Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Imperial Boxed Set Includes: Verily, a New Hope; The Empire Striketh Back; The Jedi Doth Return William Shakespeare Star Wars by Ian Doescher from Quirk Books for 4th-10th grade in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX) $47.97 $32.00 (1 in stock)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by David Stone from Golden Press Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by John Burningham from Viking Kestrel Books Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.00 (1 in stock)
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