100 books like Leon the Extraordinary

Riley Mays is a little weirdo. I say that with love! I was also a little weirdo when I was her age. And, just like a lot of little weirdos around the world, her peers don’t always “get her,” which can be tough since she’s desperate to fit in. Been there too, girl.

What I admire about Riley is that, after some consternation, she slowly sheds her insecurities and dives head-first into being her truest self. It’s terrifying, exhilarating, and not without complications! But Riley’s sense of humor keeps her afloat, which, as any fan of comedy will tell you, is the key to survival.

It’s the sweetest feeling in the world to find your people. Author Rachel Elliot shows us how to do it.

Just when I thought there were no great leaders anymore, here comes Mayor Good Boy.

With this series, Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon have cornered the market on sweet, funny, and heart-warming. It’s got a high-concept family sitcom energy that is so pure in the best way. A highlight for me is the friendship between Abby and Aaron (and not just because I share their love of comics). How they support and encourage one another makes the world a better place. And the Mayor himself is an absolute hoot.

There are silly moments and potty humor, but there’s also depth. This story left me feeling all warm and fuzzy, which is a big plus in my book. A vote for Mayor Good Boy is a vote not wasted.

Peter Parker’s struggles give me life! Am I a sick and twisted person? Maybe. But I’m definitely not alone.

Preeti Chhibber knows the key to a good Spidey story is watching our little webhead struggle, and I adore how she puts him through his paces. She really delights in torturing our boy and pushing his buttons. Don’t worry; he still gets to crack jokes and be his charming self. It wouldn’t be a Spidey story without some genuine comedy!

I love it when you can tell how much fun the author had writing the book, and Preeti’s Spider-Man is exactly that. When I wasn’t giggling, I was feeling all the feelings. Maybe I’m not so sick and twisted after all?

I’m a huge fan of the rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor, so I was excited to check out this new story set during their middle school years–possibly the most dramatic time in a kid’s life.

This Clark is a little spicy, which I enjoyed. I like that he doesn’t always make good choices. In Lex, he finds a brainy outsider searching for a confidant. Brendan Reichs gives us a friendship between boys that feels honest, and Jerry Gaylord’s delightfully expressive art captures their emotions nicely.

There were laughs but also a simmering tension that kept my attention, especially as it related to a little lie that became a big problem. This story is a nice reminder that heroes and villains aren’t born; they’re made.

The Bad Guys series which chronicles the adventures of some stereotypically dangerous animals trying to do good and save the world pulled me in from page one.

You have humor (especially around bodily functions which always gets a giggle) and well-developed characters that are oftentimes naughty but incredibly likable. In the first episode, the book has been broken down into manageable chapters, the dialogue is not too lengthy and the high-paced illustrations communicate action and humor perfectly.

Young readers will certainly feel accomplished after completing this 144-page graphic novel.

No list of funny, easy chapter books would be complete without Captain Underpants! This first book in the series introduces us to best buddy mischief makers George and Harold who hypnotize their principal, turning him into Captain Underpants. George and Harold are good kids. Really. I mean it. They just happen to have a mile-long "silly streak".  While not every adult approves of these books because the kids are cheeky, this is humor that gets kids reading. It's an honorable goal with exemplary execution. (Note: Author-illustrator Dav Pilkey was diagnosed as a kid with ADHD and dyslexia. At school, he was sent to sit out in the hallway daily. His success story, shared at the end of the book, is inspiring.)   

Since the protagonist has some amnesia, I loved piecing together the threads of Jamie’s identity in this book.

Jamie isn’t exactly a villain, per se, but I’d classify him as morally gray; after all, he uses his memory-erasing abilities to rob banks and commit crime. When he meets arch nemesis and do-gooder Zoe in a support group for those who lost their memory, they realize their pasts might be more entangled than they think.

We Could Be Heroes is fun, fast-paced, and features great characters in a speculative world that’s easy to immerse yourself in. I personally really enjoy stories with amnesiacs, since it allows us to learn more about the characters right alongside them and feel the emotional punches of reveals, and Chen’s work balances that with fun and lighthearted moments seemingly effortlessly.

Cece Bell is one of the funniest, most fearless writers in town, and I never know what she’s going to do next. This book features Bell’s trademark absurd humor and endearing characters.

Rabbit lives by her to-do list, and Robot tends to go off-script, asking for nuts and bolts on pizza or running out of batteries during a game called Go Fish. (Hey, who hasn’t?) But for me, Rabbit’s missing remote gets the biggest laugh as Bell works it into a visual joke that’s a hoot to be in on.

If Hunter S. Thompson’s work is writing as rock ’n roll, early Mark Leyner is writing as thrash metal.

And like most practitioners of thrash, he mellowed out and slowed down as he got older. But his early shit? Look out! Faster than a bullet and harder than algebra. Whopping great gobs of language, slanguage, lexicon, and terminology gush up off the page.

Not only are there no brakes, there are seemingly no limits at all, his mind doesn’t wander, it careens and chugs and screeches and free falls… and if you follow you’ll be rewarded: with laughter, shock, awe, poignancy, and something akin to a deep, ecstatic numbness. Leyner’s words sharpen the senses and push the brain into the red, just like thrash metal does. 

This book will make you laugh for all ages readers. This funny school fund-raising managed by Ms. Sue has no other intention than entertaining. However, for me, it is a great value.

Funny and easy-to-read books help children build confidence as readers. If children read and laugh, they may ask to read another one. Fortunately, this book is part of the 12-chapter book series My Weirder School.