Knowing Toadie Burp

Toadie Burp was a bully. At school, she would steal your pencils or tear up your homework before class. Toadie would pinch the kid sitting at the desk beside her when the teacher wasn’t looking, and she liked to dunk your head at the drinking fountain. On the school bus one afternoon, Toadie Burp even ripped out pages of Kevin’s library book! Oh, she was a bully. But she didn’t think so.

Before long, no one wanted to talk to or sit near Toadie Burp. She was never invited to play games on the playground or to parties after school. This made Toadie work ever harder at being a bully. If a ball happened to come in her direction, she grabbed it and threw it on the roof. On Valentine’s Day, Toadie Burp threw an entire box of valentine cards in the garbage, instead of passing them out to the kids as the teacher had asked her to do. She thought that was real funny.

It was no surprise that when it came time for Kevin’s Biggest Ever Birthday Blast, Toadie Burp was certainly not invited. The kids all tried their best to keep it a secret, but somehow Toadie found out about the Biggest Ever Birthday Blast and promised to show up and ruin it.

Kevin considered not having a party at all before his friends had an idea. Wayne and Roger knew that Wayne had thrown the rock that broke the window at the cafeteria, but they figured if they told the principal that Toadie Burp threw the rock that broke the window she would get in trouble and not be able to ruin Kevin’s party.

Kevin thought about the plan for a long time. Somehow, it didn’t feel like such a good plan. The next day, Kevin told Wayne and Roger that he had a better idea and that maybe they should not tell a lie. Kevin wouldn’t say what his better idea was. He said it was a secret.

At the Biggest Ever Birthday Blast there were colorful balloons and streamers, ice cream cake and root beer, and two teams of best-ever bowlers, waiting for the birthday boy to get there so the games could begin. When Kevin arrived, cheers went up all around and suddenly stopped when everyone saw who had walked in with Kevin. It was none other than Toadie Burp, the bully! All the kids were in awe when Toadie smiled as bright as a summer sunrise and proudly introduced her twin brother, Roadie. 

“I won’t be needing shoes, but could someone hand me a bowling ball?” he said from his wheelchair

There are always reasons for how we act but is it always right?

What's So Funny?

Belly Rolls and Jellyfish ~

Remember the last time you doubled over in uncontrollable laughter? Or found yourself giggling right along with particularly infectious laughter—even though you have no idea what’s so funny? Have you ever been unable to contain your chuckles while attempting to repeat a good joke? There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned belly roll to lift the spirits!

Besides the secret smile I get when noticing a familiar title in a stranger’s hands or book bag, is the curious delight I feel when hearing someone laugh out loud with their nose in a book! I’ve done it myself and know you can get some pretty odd looks, but Hey, you just have to read it too-and you can, soon as I’m finished!

To some folks humor is as natural as breathing; they are just plain funny. When a perfectly normal discussion becomes an exhilarating laugh-fest, you know you’re in the company of a master. It’s a double-bonus when these same funny people happen to be writers who write the kind of books you recommend but never lend for fear of losing your own personal piece of that special kind of magic.

There was a time when I thought it would be particularly tricky to write humor for children. Age is definitely a consideration, though there’s no real guarantee that a seven year-old wouldn’t laugh at humor intended for say, a nine year-old. And quite honestly, unless you’re a polka-dot gnat on the playground, how would you know? For anyone pondering this, as I did, I recommend an (older) article by Jan Fields, “A Spoonful of Humor” . The good folks over at Bright Horizons report that a child laughs 300 times a day! 

What could be so rib-tickling funny? Besides just about everything, children not only see the humor, the magic and the fantastical, they are eager and willing parts of it. (that’s me; sighing wistfully)  Incidentally, here’s a delightful new book I think you’ll enjoy! I Thought This Was a Bear Book

With that in mind, I am determined to write at least two funny stories by the end of this year! See how I do at Streampebbles.com!

 And now for the Jellyfish. In relation to humor, they are at once interesting and startlingly swift to harm.  Kind of like bullies.  Except that Jellyfish don’t follow you around the schoolyard. So what is a kid to do? Well, a little old fashioned embarrassment never hurt anybody. In fact, it will often remind a bully that he or she is only human, too.  And kids, always, always tell a grownup—they’ll have some pretty good ideas!

Until again, be well, be happy and read!