Jamie Grimm is a very regular middle school boy, except he's wheelchair-bound. His buoyant spirit, his aspirations to be a comic, and his resilience & determination in the face of so many obstacles makes for an engrossing read. Mixed with great jokes throughout, the ups and downs of middle school social life, and the suspense of Jamie's pursuit of becoming a REAL comic: enrolling in the Funniest Kid Comic Contest - it's a page turner! Intermixed with comic style illustrations - a perfect "bridge" novel for young readers who only read graphic novels. ( )

Some 95% of this book is fine by me and reads as a tweaked version of the first couple Middle School books. Insecurity humor family intrigue being subject to then overcoming a harmful influence or presence = a pleasant formula. I like Jamie and his outlook on life throughout the book. He's going through a lot and uses humor to brighten others' spirits as well as his own. However, there are four elements that knocked this down a peg...


1) He reconciles with his bully too easily/quickly, considering how he was treated. At one point Jamie's adoptive brother and his buddies dump him out of his wheelchair and toss him over a railing onto a beach at night, alone, taking his chair with them. Jamie is intimidated out of identifying his attackers. He is constantly worried about being beaten, but by the end, this family abuser admits Jamie's got good jokes and they shake hands. That's a little too neat of a resolution, even if it ends up getting addressed in sequels.

2) The lists of comedians Jamie researches, and what that consists of. Jamie studies a lot of comedians, and he does make use of some of them, such as when he quotes George Carlin, Steven Wright, and Groucho Marx. However, based on his stand-up material, I don't see a whole lot of his other favorites, like Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Louis CK... Jamie's material is mostly stuff you would find in a joke book, with no style or flair behind it. Contrast those influences and delivery with the kid at the comedy contest who gets jeers for reciting basic jokes. We do see Jamie somewhat "level up" into making observations about his friends and family, and using his jokes to tell a story (that he refers to his effective "bits" is charming), but I also had trouble picturing an auditorium cracking up at his material. I say all this as someone who grew up watching Comedy Central, so there's just a certain expectation that comes with rolling off a list of comedians and then making jokes about crossing a parrot with a shark.

3) Are Jamie's personal jokes hurtful, or not? When he goes personal with his jokes, the book makes sure to highlight how wrong it is to use people as _targets for cheap laughs. That's an important element of comedy! Then the message turns around and everyone was actually fine with the treatment. Just seemed like a free pass.

4) I appreciated the book's portrayal of Jamie's mobility and sensitivity to how people treat him in his wheelchair. He wants to be treated as ordinary, not a pity case. He doesn't want special treatment, just fairness. He enjoys moving around NYC because nobody pays him any mind. Cool! Then the book uses its final act to unload the loss that explains Jamie's circumstances, including his road to recovery. The arc itself is compelling and lends depth to Jamie on paper, but its placement felt shallow. I'm an adult reading a MG book, though, so I might be too harsh on this point.
( )

Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler on a mission: he wants to become the world's greatest standup comedian--even if he doesn't have a lot to laugh about these days. He's new in town and stuck living with his aunt, uncle, and their evil son Stevie, a bully who doesn't let Jamie's wheelchair stop him from messing with Jamie as much as possible. But Jamie doesn't let his situation get him down. When his Uncle Frankie mentions a contest called The Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, Jamie knows he has to enter. But are the judges only rewarding him out of pity because of his wheelchair, like Stevie suggests? Will Jamie ever share the secret of his troubled past instead of hiding behind his comedy act? ( )

This was OK. I didn't care for the narrator - the inflections and emphasis were very off at times. While I certainly was rooting for the main character, I didn't really find him that funny. I can't imagine that a kid would really think so, either. There seemed to be several "lessons" to be learned - laughter is the best medicine, keep at it to overcome adversity, be kind to others, etc. It came off feeling a little scattered. Also, I didn't find the characters believable at all. I know it's "just a kids' book," but the characters, especially the bully, were so extreme that they were hard to believe. ( )

As with [b:Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life|9798177|Middle School The Worst Years of My Life (Midde School, #1)|James Patterson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388184921s/9798177.jpg|14688339], I Funny is a funny, fast read that tackles some surprisingly serious topics (this time, it's a major handicap/injury, familial death, adoption, bullying, and fear of public speaking). I liked Middle School better than I Funny, though, in part because I wasn't a fan of most of the one-liner jokes throughout I Funny. There's also less of a satisfying conclusion to I Funny, particularly the more serious topics in it, and it's obvious there will be sequels. But, for the kids' who enjoy Patterson's combination of easy text, great illustrations, and humor, I Funny is another good addition to their bookshelves.

Note: I received a copy of the paperback from the publisher. ( )