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Books by grade

Top 20 funny books for grades 3 to 5

Funny books are one of the best ways to build a reading habit. These twenty are laugh-out-loud for ages 7 to 11, from silly to dry. Some rely on potty humor, which is noted.

Titles, authors and publication details were checked against Open Library in October 2026. Age ranges and content notes are editorial judgment based on publisher and library guidance, so preview anything sensitive for your own child. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.

  1. Frindle

    Andrew Clements · Ages 8-11

    Nick decides to rename the pen a 'frindle' and watches the new word spread across town and beyond. A school story about how language works.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  2. The Lemonade War

    Jacqueline Davies · Ages 7-10

    A brother and sister fight a summer lemonade-stand contest. Math and money are woven into the plot; Evan and Jesse's sibling rivalry is realistic.

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  3. Sideways Stories from Wayside School

    Louis Sachar · Ages 7-10

    Thirty absurd stories about a school built sideways with thirty classrooms stacked on top of each other. Each chapter is short and self-contained, which suits reluctant starters too.

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  4. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

    Judy Blume · Ages 7-10

    Peter's toddler brother Fudge swallows a pet turtle and takes over family life. Short, funny and relatable to anyone with younger siblings.

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  5. Dory Fantasmagory

    Abby Hanlon · Ages 6-9

    A youngest sister who lives in her imagination keeps pestering her older siblings. Heavily illustrated, very funny and easy to read.

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  6. Clementine

    Sara Pennypacker · Ages 7-10

    A third grader who gets into trouble for being creative narrates a disastrous week, including a haircut she gives herself and a friend. Funny and easy to follow.

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  7. The Adventures of Captain Underpants

    Dav Pilkey · Ages 6-9

    Two fourth graders hypnotize their principal into believing he is a superhero. Heavy on potty humor.

    Watch for: Potty humor; some pranks.

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  8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid

    Jeff Kinney · Ages 8-12

    Greg Heffley records his middle school survival in a diary with cartoons. Good for children who think reading is not for them.

    Watch for: Mild bullying; Greg is not a role model.

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  9. The Terrible Two

    Mac Barnett · Ages 7-10

    Two rival pranksters team up against a strict principal at a new school. Short chapters and plenty of drawings.

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  10. Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

    Lincoln Peirce · Ages 7-11

    Nate, an overconfident sixth grader, gets detention in a school comic strip format. Funny and fast.

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  11. Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery

    Deborah Howe and James Howe · Ages 7-10

    The family dog, Harold, tells the story of Chester the cat's belief that the new rabbit is a vampire. Light spooky humor and plenty of puns.

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  12. Restart

    Gordon Korman · Ages 9-12

    A boy who falls off a roof and loses his memory learns who he was before. A funny, readable story about bullying and second chances.

    Watch for: The main character was a bully and the book shows it.

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  13. Hoot

    Carl Hiaasen · Ages 9-13

    Roy, the new kid in Florida, joins a barefoot runaway to save burrowing owls from a pancake restaurant. A comic mystery and a Newbery Honor book.

    Watch for: Mild language; bullying; a bully is humiliated.

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  14. Matilda

    Roald Dahl · Ages 7-10

    A girl who reads far beyond her age uses her mind against neglectful parents and a terrifying headmistress. Popular with readers who want to feel clever.

    Watch for: Cartoonish cruelty by adults; the headmistress swings children by their hair.

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  15. The BFG

    Roald Dahl · Ages 7-10

    Sophie is carried off by a giant who blows dreams into children's rooms, and together they plan to stop the man-eating giants. Full of invented words that are fun to read aloud.

    Watch for: The man-eating giants are scary; Sophie is taken from her bed.

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  16. Fantastic Mr Fox

    Roald Dahl · Ages 6-9

    Mr Fox outwits three mean farmers to feed his family. Very short, so a good book for finishing in a few sittings.

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  17. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

    Roald Dahl · Ages 7-10

    Charlie wins a golden ticket and a tour of Willy Wonka's factory. Sweet, mean and funny, and often a child's first Dahl.

    Watch for: Children are punished in comic ways; some old editions use outdated language.

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  18. Origami Yoda

    Tom Angleberger · Ages 8-12

    A sixth grader folds a paper Yoda that gives advice. School comedy told as case files.

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  19. The 13-Storey Treehouse

    Andy Griffiths · Ages 7-11

    A treehouse that keeps growing floors for outlandish gadgets, drawn by Terry Denton. Published in the US as The 13-Story Treehouse.

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  20. The Bad Guys

    Aaron Blabey · Ages 6-9

    A wolf, a shark, a piranha and a snake try to turn good in comic-style chapters with very little text per page. Fast and silly.

    Watch for: Lots of toilet humor.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

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