Books that make me laugh out loud are so much fun. The classic Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls always comes to mind when I think about laughing books.
There’s a red paint scene in Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech (Joanna Cotler Books, 2002) that made me laugh so hard, I couldn’t read it aloud to my husband without busting up. However, Ruby Holler is about way more than laughter. There’s kindness, compassion and love–it’s a very heartwarming story that I know I’ll be returning to.
Here’s a brief intro: Dallas and Florida are orphans living in a scummy orphanage. They always get brought back because they are “trouble” twins when they go home with someone. This time they go home for a temporary stay with two elderly people, Tiller and Sairy, who each want to go on a trip and think having a young person companion would be good. The kids are amazed when Tiller and Sairy don’t punish them for mistakes.
This books is a very worthwhile read. And, of course, if you’ve never read anything else by Sharon Creech, you’ll probably want to after reading this one. Here’s her website: http://sharoncreech.com/