Research indicates that reading to our children for just 15 minutes a day exposes them to one million written words or more. That’s a lot of words… many of which our children may not otherwise be exposed to in a year. Reading to our children provides cherished bonding time as well. Some children will sit and listen to books without issue. Others will require some hilarious and engaging content to do so. This is why I am sharing some of my favorite hilarious chapter books that will keep nearly every 5 to 12-year-old child engaged while being read to.

Each of the books below is part of a series, meaning that the hilarity can continue beyond just the first book should your child be begging for more!

*Disclaimer: Some downloads contain affiliate links, meaning that I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

The World’s Worst Children by David Walliams

I have read The World’s Worst Children aloud to both boys and girls ranging in age from 6-12. Recently an 11-year-old who was having a difficult day insisted he wouldn’t like this book based on the cover and title. I asked him to give it a chance. He was laughing from the first page!

The World’s Worst Children is not only funny, but it is also highly exaggerated and disgusting! Each chapter is its own story about one of the world’s worst children. With names like Peter Picker, Dribbling Drew, Windy Mindy, and Grubby Gertrude, you can imagine what the characters are like. However, Walliams truly takes disgusting to a whole new level which, I dare say, is why kids love it! (If you have a kid that does not find gross stuff funny, please let me know your secret!) You and your kids will laugh out loud and also be screaming, “Ewww!” while reading this one. The illustrations throughout each story are brilliant in adding to the yuckiness as well.

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by L. Pichon

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates is another laugh out loud funny book that both boys and girls ranging from 6-12+ love! The fun doodles throughout the book ensure for easy comprehension and easy visualization in a Diary of a Wimpy Kid sort of way. A fifth-grade student, Tom Gates is great at creating excuses when it comes to his schoolwork and at trying to make life difficult in a sibling kind of way for his sister, Delia!

If you would like to learn more about L. Pichon, I invite you to check out this post I wrote about children’s book authors with dyslexia.

The Jam Doughnut that Ruined My Life by Mark Lowery

The Jam Doughnut that Ruined My Life is about Roman Garstang, a character who loves his jam doughnuts. This story goes through Roman’s disastrous week and it all starts with his beloved jam doughnut. This is a chapter book with very few illustrations other than a small one used to start a chapter.

What it does have, however, are laugh out loud funny mishaps that occur along the way. It is certainly exaggerated, but that is what I find draws the kids in so much! This is another great read-aloud story for any 6-12 year old… particularly one that may love a good jam doughnut. 😉

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald

Stink is a character that was recently brought to my attention as being a must to check out! Even though Stink is in second grade, he is sure to appeal to individuals of all ages. Be sure to check out the audio sample of the book to ensure you get a taste of these books for yourself. 

The Stink books are funny and contain illustrations throughout. A fun addition is that Stink creates the odd comic strips drawn by Stink himself. At least some of the comics are created in a way that will help encourage your child to make predictions while reading. For example, Stink finds that he has shrunk early on in the first book. He draws a comic that ends with the caption, “Will Stink have enough time to invent an un-shrinker? Or will Stink be attending Molecule Elementary School?” It is worth noting here that the audio version does not appear to read the comics portions of the book.

King of the Mole People by Paul Gilligan

Doug Underbelly is a grade 7 boy who is attending a new school. He strives to fit in but this doesn’t come easy for him to say the least. Doug discovers an underground world and becomes crowned King of the Mole People, a role he can’t avoid. He must learn to restore order both above and below ground.

King of the Mole People is quite comical with a lot of funny antics. There are frequent illustrations throughout this story as well which add to the humor! However, this book also has a deeper underlying theme as Doug works to embrace his weirdness, learns that it’s okay not to be like everyone else, and learns to accept himself for who he is.

Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson

Although Invisible Emmie is geared more toward tween/teen girls, it is a humorous and fun read. The plot has a much more serious theme, however, in that it is a story about Emmie who is a young girl who feels invisible in school. Terri Libenson uses frequent illustrations and brilliant writing to capture her audience. This is one that will not only be enjoyable to read with your daughter but also one that may help spark some conversation around how a lot of individuals in school feel. There is a definite lesson in this book.

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

Ivy and Bean are two 7-year-old girls who become neighbors after Ivy moves in next door. Bean, a mischievous girl to say the least, is certain they will never be friends. However, a series of events changes this and the two girls share many hilarious adventures together. This book has plenty of illustrations added throughout, so is easy to understand for children of any age, especially if they have an older sibling that annoys them since this is true for Bean!

Ivy and Bean holds a special place for me in that it was the first book that I could get an extremely reluctant girl in the fifth grade to even look at. Trust me, I had tried many before this one! She ended up loving this series. Her mom indicated this was the first book EVER that her daughter asked her for!

How About You?

What are your favorite hilarious chapter books that you read to your children? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂