Funny Girl edited by Betsy Bird

Summary from Goodreads:

Funny Girlis a collection of uproarious stories, rollicking comics, rib-tickling wit, and more, from 25 of today s funniest female writers for kids.

What could be funnier than family? Read stories about Ursula Brown's grandmother driving her on a road trip to disaster, Lisa Brown's little brother getting a Tic-Tac stuck up his nose, and Carmen Agra Deedy's mom setting the bathtub on fire.
What could be funnier than friends? Pretty much nothing, as Rita Williams-Garcia shows two besties hatching a bird-brained scheme to get on to a TV talk show, and Deborah Underwood introduces a dynamic dog-and-cat duo teaming up on a pet advice column.

What could be funnier than YOU? Tell your future with Mad Libs, discover your Chinese Zodiac sign with Lenore Look, and learn the best tricks of the comedy trade from professional humorists like Adrianne Chalepah and Delaney Yeager.
With clever contributions from award-winning and bestselling authors including Cece Bell, Sophie Blackall, Libba Bray, Shannon Hale, Lisa Graff, and Raina Telgemeier, this anthology of funny girls will make you laugh until you cry. Or cry until you laugh. Or maybe you won't cry at all. Either way, you'll definitely laugh.

Funny Girl isn’t just an anthology: it s a cause, a mission, a movement. Girls are funny. Now it s time for the world to know it."

Review:

It can be hard to review anthologies because each story is its own. And I’m not going to review all 25 stories in this review. I’ll be writing all day. I’ve had this book for a long time, since my last ALA conference (1 year ago? 2?) It was one of those books I’d never heard of at the time, but I saw other librarians getting excited for it, and I hopped into the very short line to get a free copy signed by the editor. Then of course I learn that the editor is a librarian at the library I grew up going to. And well, I considered myself very lucky to find that line.

I don’t know why I’m always so surprised to love short story anthologies. I almost always love them. I just don’t read them that often. I went through a phase in college and after when I read a ton, but for some reason I never find my way back there. I’m so glad this book called to me when it did. I’m someone who has real trouble blocking out the world’s problems and lately every nigh I go to bed, I’m thinking about plastic straws and immigrant children, and Russia, and who knows what else. And I guess my one and only way to stop thinking about it all is to read. And I needed this book. I needed something silly and heartwarming to distract my brain and let me fall asleep.

This is such a good book to cheer people up. It’s a great, happy escape from the world. And I’m so glad I read it. Not all the stories were hilarious, but at least a few of them had me laughing out loud. I may have even embarrassed myself while reading them. My favorite story had me laughing for about 10 minutes. And of course my boyfriend comes in while I’m reading that one. I then had to read the short story aloud to him, so he could get it. And I laughed even harder my second time around.

Another time I embarrassed myself was while reading this at lunch. My boss came into the break room as I was snorting with laughter to a story. My advice: maybe read this one when you know you’re alone? Like I said, not all the stories are deep-belly-laugh-kind-of stories. Some are subtle in their humor. Some are just so real sounding you can’t help but relating to them. Some were crazy embarrassing. And some were just entertaining.

I didn’t really hate any of the stories. I got a little tired of the animal advice column that kept repeating, but I didn’t exactly hate it.  I just got tired of it, like a joke that needed to end. All in all though, this was light, funny, and exactly what I needed at the time. I give it a 9/10.