Book Summary
“Do you know the difference between cats and frogs?”
“Cats have nine lives, but frogs croak every night.”
The Funny Kid
Toby Baxter is an overweight middle-grader who loves to make people laugh and dreams of a comedy career. Having suffered through the recent death of his father, Toby acts out and, his jokes often land him in trouble. Through friends, family, and enemies-turned-friends, Toby realizes he needs to accept himself and start living a healthy life. But will he learn his lesson before his dream of performing on the tonight show crashes down around him?
Character Analysis
Toby is an endearing, funny hero you can’t help but root for in this book. Mark does an excellent job at creating character depth in Toby and some of the side characters. It was easy to slide into Toby’s point of view, and it made me wonder about my own class clown from school. Was he hiding behind his humor, or did he just like making people laugh? Or both? I enjoyed following Toby on his journey and watching him slowly realize he needed to change his life. I liked how Mark gave a realistic timetable for seeing change, and Toby shows how much work goes into a life change. You can’t help but feel proud of the kid by the end of the book. He’s quite the inspiration.
Plot Analysis
The plot had all the needed pieces to be a complete plot and had good pacing, but it still seemed lacking. I’m not saying this because I expected an adult plot complexity. I read quite a bit of middle grade novels, and I know what to expect for the age group.
For me, the resolution seemed too easy. The minute the school started realizing how funny he was (which happens half way through the book), everything felt simple. All that needed to be resolved then was self-acceptance. It’s a complex issue, but I was expecting more external pressure at the end of the book too. Instead, the external issues were happenstance. This may not be an issue for younger readers though, and the pages of laughs definitely carried the book enough to be a fun read.
Setting Analysis
The book setting was simplistic and relatable. The middle school environment was realistic, having both good and grumpy teachers as well as a range of student types. Most places seemed common for kids, except a trip at the end to the big city. That may be more exotic for middle grade readers, but the author spends more time describing inward feelings than setting descriptions.
The book is good for readers who prefer character-driven storylines over ones that inspire awe from the world itself. Overall, the setting was fitting for a middle grade novel but nothing out of the ordinary.
Theme Analysis
Mark delivers impactful themes (for even adults) in a nice bubble of comedy. Healthy living, self-acceptance, coping mechanisms, and the value of good friendships are just a few topics Mark packs into this fun story. He does a wonderful job of balancing serious topics with light-hearted humor, and I even picked up a few good tips for healthy living. It’s a good message wrapped in a bundle of laughs that no kid can refuse…or adult for that matter.
Prose Analysis
The prose is spot on for a middle-grade novel. The vocabulary was simple enough to not frustrate middle graders but elevated enough to make them learn something new. It also made a nice read for an adult who wants something easy but doesn’t want to feel like the author is talking down to them.
Mark does a great job at staying in Toby’s point of view and describing everything from his worldview. So, while the descriptions aren’t vivid like in adult novels, they still make you stop and see things in a new light through Toby’s perspective.
Recommendation
If you know a kid with a great sense of humor or your inner child loves to laugh, this book is for you. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a heart-warming message that’s easy to read and makes you smile. Mark writes diverse characters who are relatable and endearing, and he tells so many jokes there is one in here for everybody.
Mini Author Interview
Mark agreed to answer three questions about his book. Read below to see his answers and hear a joke not in the book.
1. How did you research jokes for this book?
As an aspiring stand-up comedian, the funny kid (Toby) constantly tells jokes and makes jokes. Although some of his jokes are random, most relate specifically to that moment in Toby’s story.
As a veteran TV comedy writer, I’ve kept a joke file for years. For further research, I also scoured the internet and devoured joke books in my local public library.
2. What’s your favorite joke you used? Is there one you can share that didn’t make it into the book?
The targeted audience probably reacts most favorably to: “I once farted in an elevator. It was wrong on so many levels.”
For various reasons, many jokes didn’t “make the traveling squad.” Perhaps they will appear in a sequel. Until then, here’s one of the “left overs”: Why don’t you ever see the headline: ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?
3. You cover some deep themes in this book. What made you want to do that in a middle-grade novel?
In “The Funny Kid,” I address such unfunny subjects as childhood obesity, nutrition, and fitness; as well as the serious issues of body image, bullying, and self-esteem. I believe preteens take in information best through their funny bone and enjoy learning while laughing. In order to entertain, educate and enlighten kids, I coat my middle grade novels with comedy.