I Funny by James Patterson Genre
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At my son's soccer practice earlier, my daughter brought this to read but then set it down to play frisbee. But as it was still 92° at 6 p.m., I declined to play. I also didn't bring a book for myself as I usually do because I'm Buddy reading with my 9 year old daughter. As she gets older and starts venturing closer to the YA section of the library, I find myself reading more middle grade books to see what she's reading, keep up with her interests and make sure everything stays age appropriate.
At my son's soccer practice earlier, my daughter brought this to read but then set it down to play frisbee. But as it was still 92° at 6 p.m., I declined to play. I also didn't bring a book for myself as I usually do because I'm suffering from a massive book hangover (looking at you ACoMaF)...so I picked this up to start skimming and so far it's pretty cute. I think I'll finish it.
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4 Stars.
This was pretty adorable.
This book is about Jamie Grimm, a middle schooler living with his Aunt, Uncle and 3 cousins in Long Island. Jamie is in a wheelchair.
Hi.
Presenting me. Jamie Grimm. The sit-down comic.
So, can you deal with this? Some people can. Some can't. Sometimes even I can't deal with it (like just about every morning, when I wake up and look at myself in the mirror).
But you know what they say: "If life gives you lemons, learn how to juggle."
Or, even better, learn how to make people laugh.
So that's what I decided to do.
Now admittedly, this is what really piqued my interest. Aside from Me Before You, I've never read a book with a MC in a wheelchair and I already expected it from MBY...in this case, it took me by surprise. My daughter had already told me all about what she had read so far in this book, but she skipped over that bit.
So we have Jamie, who uses humor to deflect bullies and serious conversation in general. All he really seems to want, is to be treated like he's no different from anyone else. He has two best friends, Pierce and Gaynor.
We head into school. Pierce and Gaynor don't grab hold of the chair's handles to push me like I'm a baby in a stroller. They just walk beside me -- like wingmen.
Like I'm a normal bud.
I think somebody once said that friends are the family we choose.
You don't know how lucky I am that Pierce and Gaynor chose me. These two guys are awesome.
The best.
The biggest school bully, Stevie, also happens to be Jamie's cousin/adopted stepbrother. To help avoid spending time with him, Jamie spends a lot of time after school and on weekends helping out at his Uncle Frankie's diner. While there one day, his Uncle Frankie tells him about a comic contest. A nationwide contest to find the nation's. funniest kid stand up comic. The Long Island local competition is coming up and he thinks Jamie should enter.
So Jamie goes and overcomes some stage fright and he wins! He gets to go on to the New York State competition. He is beyond thrilled...until some hateful blog posts pop up basically saying that the only reason Jamie won was because of the judges pitying him.
"The judges felt sorry for Jamie Grimm, a contestant as lame as the jokes he was telling. He didn't win. His wheelchair did."
All of a sudden, I feel like someone just socked me in the gut with a shovel. I can barely breathe. I want to hide under the table and never come out again.
The question now is whether or not Jamie can ignore the hurtful comments and have the confidence to go and try to win the state competition.
I won't give anything away, but I did really enjoy this book. I'm glad I picked it up and that my daughter was nice enough not to spoil it for me.
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Jamie Grimm is the main character. He uses a wheel chair. He's a middle schooler and is determined to enter the Planet's Funniest Kid Comic Contest. Throughout the novel we follow Jamie's journey through this quest. He entertains his audience through every page, until the very end. Does Jamie win the coveted title? Pick this book up, devote a few hours and find out!
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Jamie Grimm is a boy in a wheelchair. He lives on Long Island where he has been recently adopted by a humorless aunt and her humorless husband. He has become the p
This is absolutely the least funny humor book I have ever read. I like to think I have a good sense of humor, even when it's humor aimed at tween-age boys. I have LOLed plenty at Jeff Kinney, Dave Lubars, John Scieszka and Andy Griffths. But I didn't laugh at this book. I think, maybe once, I cracked half a smile. "I Funny" not funny.Jamie Grimm is a boy in a wheelchair. He lives on Long Island where he has been recently adopted by a humorless aunt and her humorless husband. He has become the prime target of their son, the neighborhood bully, and he's forced to sleep in an unheated garage so he can roll in and out through the garage door. For most of the book Jamie does not reveal how he came to be in a chair or adopted, but any adult and most young readers will guess at the back story.
The one thing Jamie has going for him his another uncle, Frankie, who runs the local diner. Jamie loves to crack jokes and he does it working the cash register at the diner. Everyone thinks he's hysterial. Everyone but me that is. The jokes are graciously attributed to their originators (George Carlin, Steven Wright, Billy Crystal, David Letterman to name a few) and some are Petterson's own material, but they're not funny. They range from one of my favorite Steven Wright's "You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" to Jamie's own "When zombies give you a hand, they really give you a hand." Ba-da-bing. Nevertheless, Uncle Frankie talks Jamie into competing in the Funniest Kid Comedian competition. Guess what happens?
The book does work as a story about accepting a kid in a chair, not treating him differently, and what it took for Jamie to get to this point. The accompanying cartoon-style illustrations are excellent. If only it had been funnier. Never mind funnier. I would have settled for funny.
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The book I funny, by James Patterson, was about a kid named Jamie Grimm who is in a wheelchair and his parents and his sister were killed in a car crash. Then Jamie moves to his cousins house the Smileys and their family doesn't laugh at all. That is hard for Jamie to deal with because he wants to become a stand-up comedian and eventually he enters a competition and eventually, becomes wins Long Island kid stand-up comedian and Jamie represent them in the state competition. But while all this is happening he is being bullied by his step brother, Stevie. Jamie also develops friendships and romantic relationships along the way.
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I am very disappointed in James Patterson.
Strengths: This is a notebook novel, so kids will pick it up. I like Chris Grabenstein's work, and I did appreciate that the story is about a boy who wants to be a comedian... who is also in a wheelchair, and not the other way around.
Weaknesses: Not sure I liked holding off on the explanation of why Jamie was in the wheelchair, especially when the reveal was rather melodramatic. Also, the references to "classic" comedians and their jokes might be lost on students.
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"He owns the oldest diner in the whole New York metropolitan area. It's so old, I think when it opened, Burger King was still a prince."
Ba-dumtssss. Anyway, that was my favorite joke from the book. I couldn't sa
This is my sister's book and I just picked it up for fun since I miraculously reduced my own TBR pile to nada. It's a light read and had lots of jokes-- some of which I really didn't get and some I did get, but only very few made me chuckle. (I say chuckle because I didn't really laugh)."He owns the oldest diner in the whole New York metropolitan area. It's so old, I think when it opened, Burger King was still a prince."
Ba-dumtssss. Anyway, that was my favorite joke from the book. I couldn't say much about this one as the humor used in this book isn't up my alley. I would have given this two stars, but I liked how Patterson wrote about people who liked to make others happy are often carrying a huge bundle of sadness in their heart. I remembered Robin Williams (Heaven hold him).
I like the inspiring message this book sends though. I just wish the jokes were relatable even to non-American readers. (And gosh, the only things I know about baseball are Babe Ruth and how a homerun happens!)
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I liked Jamie as a character. I especially liked the emphasis on him being treated like a normal kid despite the wheelchair. And how he can poke fun at himself and assure others it's okay to laugh with him. There is a line between comedy and cruel, and I like that Jamie worried about crossing that line at one point during the book. He was just an average kid
I picked this book up to have something to do during my lunch break. Patterson is always an easy read so I knew I could sit back and enjoy.I liked Jamie as a character. I especially liked the emphasis on him being treated like a normal kid despite the wheelchair. And how he can poke fun at himself and assure others it's okay to laugh with him. There is a line between comedy and cruel, and I like that Jamie worried about crossing that line at one point during the book. He was just an average kid who just happened to be in a wheelchair.
The jokes were hit or miss with me, but maybe they would play better spoken out loud? Definitely something to try with child readers. I think my favorite was the visual humor, though. That was where the drawings actually came in handy. The bumper stickers on the back of Jamie's chair, for example, were always changing. There were others as well so if you're reading, keep an eye out for them!
So if you want a good laugh and a sweet story behind it, go ahead and pick up this book. Recommending to everyone, because you're never too old to laugh and it actually might help improve your day!
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It's way cuter than I expected and I can hear the touches of Grabenstein. I loved his Lemoncello series. It's entertaining, tender, and yes, funny.
In the last few years, Jamie has had to move to a new community to live with his step-parents, who are really his mother's sister and her husband. The Kosgrove family is definitely the most humorless family you will ever meet, but that is OK. Jamie finds love and support in the form of his Uncle Frankie. Jamie gets an opportunity to practice his jokes at his uncle's diner.
School is also an adventure. First, he is picked on by the school bully ... who also happens to be his step-brother. He also has two of the best friends any guy could ever want in the extra-bright Pierce and the tattooed and pierced Gaynor. Then there is the cute Cool Girl who seems above his station, but is so much more. He is going to need all the support he can when he goes out for a contest to choose the funniest kid around!
This is really a fun read, though, the humor does go a bit over the top. It also has some really touching moments that help go into the idea of talking to people when you are hurting and the fact that you can't hide behind humor.
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I think Jamie is really funny but also brave and courageous.He stands up to bullies and is really nice to all of his friends.The setting of the story is really funny but it also has some really important things that shows that Jamie has more story than just being a joker.Even if people dont think he is funny he never stops.Jamie also loves to visit his uncle at his diner and help out sometimes.
Overall I think the book is really funny and it has some really well thought out characters in it.It also has some serious things and I think that in the next book that Jamie wins and becomes the funniest person.I also hope that James Patterson makes more books that are just as funny as this one.
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This is one of my favorite books I've ever read. I love the playful and humorous writing, as well a
I Funny by James Patterson features a boy named Jamie, who's goal is to become a comedian. His friends all tell him to enter a comedic contest, too. However, he lives with the Smileys, who never, ever smile. Jamie studies as much as he can on how to be a comedian. But will he ever cause the Smileys to crack a single grin with his jokes? Will he enter and win the contest? Read the book and find out!This is one of my favorite books I've ever read. I love the playful and humorous writing, as well as the motivating story line and fun-loving characters. I would recommend it to almost all of my friends.
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giggles were not from Jamie Grimm's jokes...they were from Stevie!
he was a very funny step-brother. I liked how he kept punching Grimm for no reason.
The most hilarious part was when Grimm was sharing his jokes with his family and to be honest, the jokes were annoying but their reaction was the standout. I literally was bursting into laughter.
I loved how they just ignored the jokes and the back answers the dog gave were even I felt it was a book that gave me giggles, it wasn't that funny though...
giggles were not from Jamie Grimm's jokes...they were from Stevie!
he was a very funny step-brother. I liked how he kept punching Grimm for no reason.
The most hilarious part was when Grimm was sharing his jokes with his family and to be honest, the jokes were annoying but their reaction was the standout. I literally was bursting into laughter.
I loved how they just ignored the jokes and the back answers the dog gave were even funnier.
It was one of the funnier books I read. ...more
The Plot: I thought the plot was a creative idea and excecuted perfectly. Like, I'm not sure if they wrote it together, but if they did, then you couldn't tell it was told by two different people at all. The story ha I loved this book. It's wonderful. I like it a lot more than I liked James Patterson's other books, even though I enjoyed those too. This book was hilarious. Seriously. It was also depressingly sad. But, in a good addicting way. Okay, so now I'm not making any sense, am I? Oh, well.
The Plot: I thought the plot was a creative idea and excecuted perfectly. Like, I'm not sure if they wrote it together, but if they did, then you couldn't tell it was told by two different people at all. The story had me laughing out loud the whole way through, and I had read 320 pages on my kindle without even knowing it.
The Characters: I really like all of the characters. Sure, Stevie was your typical bully, and he was like a Dudly Dursly, but I still enjoyed the characters and all of them, including the Smileys, made me "smile." ...more
ARC provided by publisher.
Laughter truly is the best medicine. As we follow Jamie's journey to become Long Island's best kid comedian, we can truly see how laughter can heal. What is on the outside a very funny book also has some poignant and deeply touching moments. Recommended for 4th grade and up.ARC provided by publisher.
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Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
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James Patterson is the world's bestselling author and most trusted storyteller. He has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today, with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. He has sold over 380 million books wo
Official US SiteOfficial UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the world's bestselling author and most trusted storyteller. He has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today, with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. He has sold over 380 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, among them The President Is Missing with President Bill Clinton, Patterson also writes fiction for young readers of all ages, including the Max Einstein series, produced in partnership with the Albert Einstein Estate. He is also the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on the New York Times adult and children's bestseller lists.
The son of an insurance salesman and a schoolteacher, Patterson grew up in Newburgh, New York, and began casually writing at the age of nineteen. In 1969, he graduated from Manhattan College. He was given a full-ride scholarship to Vanderbilt University's graduate program in English. He left Vanderbilt before getting his PhD due to complications involving the Vietnam War.
Instead, he moved to New York to become a junior copywriter for the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, eventually becoming CEO of its North American company.
In 1976, while still working for J. Walter Thompson, Patterson published his first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, with Little, Brown and Company. After being turned down by thirty-one publishers, it won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Patterson's 1993 novel, Along Came a Spider, his first book to feature Alex Cross, was also his first New York Times bestseller in fiction.
In 2001, Morgan Freeman starred as Alex Cross in a film adaptation of Along Came a Spider, and Tyler Perry also played the character in the 2012 film Alex Cross. A film adaptation of Patterson's middle-grade novel Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life was released in theaters in October 2016.
James Patterson has donated more than one million books to students, focusing on some of the most under-resourced schools and youth programs in the country. To date, he has donated $7.25 million to school and classroom libraries throughout the United States, and $2.1 million to independent bookstores and employees.
Patterson has recently donated over $35 million to his and his wife's alma maters—the University of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt University, and Manhattan College—and he has established over four hundred Teacher and Writer Education Scholarships at twenty-one colleges and universities throughout the country. Patterson has also donated more than one million books to U.S. soldiers at home and overseas.
In May 2015, Patterson launched a children's book imprint at Little, Brown—JIMMY Patterson—that is unwaveringly focused on one goal: turning kids into lifelong readers. This imprint also provides resources, strategies, and programs to serve teachers, parents, librarians, and booksellers. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.
Patterson also founded ReadKiddoRead.com, a website designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians ignite a new generation's excitement for reading. Awarded the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize and the American Library Association's Great Websites for Kids, the site features thoughtful book reviews from a variety of genres and age ranges, a large and lively Facebook community, and contributions from other authors.
Patterson's awards for adult and children's literature include the Edgar Award, the International
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