Last November, I wrote about why humor is important in children's books, and I promised a post about my favorite titles. Finally, FINALLY, here it is. This is by no means an exhaustive list, because I love SO MANY books that I'm sure I'll leave some out. Also, a caveat: Some of these only kids will find funny. Some of these will make you both laugh. But since kids ARE the target audience here, I'm less worried about you. Sorry, not sorry. I will try to update this periodicall

*Originally published at In the Writer's Web. Updated 2026.* Most of us have heard of the Caldecott and Newbery medals – children’s book awards that have been around for, well, a VERY long time. But have you heard of the CLEL Bells? No? Take a seat, I’ve got a story to tell. I’ve been a librarian, as of this summer, for 27 years. And in those 27 years, my job has changed quite a bit – in good ways and bad. But one incredibly satisfying way in which it’s changed is in the