Need a Laugh? Funny Books for Teens

Need a laugh? Of course you do! Laughter is the best medicine, after all. Maybe you’re looking for a chuckle, but you want to expand your horizons (or maybe you love romantic comedies and are looking for something new!). Luckily, humor can be found in all sorts of places, from memoirs to graphic novels to sci-fi/horror. Regardless of what you’re looking for, Henrico County Public Library has it all, online and ready to go. Check out these titles on Overdrive and Hoopla digital!

Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse by Shane Burcaw – Many people might think you can’t find humor in something that seems it would cause lifelong struggle, but Shane Burcaw wants to fix that. His short essays on his life with Spinal Muscular Atrophy will change your worldview and keep you laughing with him the whole way.

American Panda by Gloria Chao – Expectations and reality collide with hilarious results as 17-year old Mei navigates family tradition, college, and romance. A great #OwnVoices book, this fun and heartfelt story will have you laughing the whole way!

Around Harvard Square by C.J. Farley – The best humor makes you think while you’re laughing. This thought-provoking book will appeal to readers of all ages interested in exploring the complicated roles race and class play in higher education.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green – If you are in the mood for a rom-com, pick up this book by Green. The idea of a boy dating, and being dumped by, nineteen girls named Katharine sounds like the set-up for a joke. The main character also deals with the pains of growing up and the adventures of a road trip. Never has heartache been so delightfully awkward.

Let’s Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry – Preparing for the apocalypse has never been this funny. Ellis’ new friend Hannah fuels her severe anxiety about the end of the world. Together, the two friends question friendship, faith, love, and everything in between.

#MurderTrending and #MurderFunding by Gretchen McNeil – This is a great read for fans of dark humor and satire. Imagine a world where pop culture and reality TV mix with criminal justice and capital punishment, and you have the #MurderTrending series. But what happens when the system gets it wrong, and an innocent teen finds herself next in line for “execution?”

Giant Days by Non Pratt – This series of graphic novels follows three young women as they navigate college and independence. The awkwardness of everyday life, and the hijinks that come from three very different people coming together, are hilarious and altogether relatable. You’ll laugh over and over at their misadventures.