Every year, the KidsPost section of the Washington Post sponsors a summer book club for kids. This year the theme is Laughing Matters, and all of the books were picked because they are funny. Spending the summer reading humorous books sounds pretty great! Here are the selections:

• June 15: The BFG by Roald Dahl (Read it before the movie comes out on July 1st!)
• June 22: El Deafo by Cece Bell (A terrific biographical graphic novel.)
• June 29: Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School by Kim Baker (pranks, middle school, graphic novel-- what more do you need to know?)
• July 6: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy (four "Prince Charmings" from different fairy tales unite for a mission.
• July 13: It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas (Eleven-year-old Zomorod moves to southern California from Iran in the 1970s and decides to recreate herself taking on the name Cindy from the Brady Bunch.)
• 7/20: Chomp by Carl Hiaasen (Reality TV, alligators, mystery. Can't beat it!)
• 7/27: The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami (Dini, moving from Maryland to India, devises a plan to meet her favorite Bollywood actress.)
• 8/3: Slacker by Gordon Korman (Cameron creates a pretend club at school to fool everyone into letting him continue to concentrate on his video-gaming, but it doesn't work out the way he intended.)

The Summer Book Club is open to kids ages 5 to 14. Members may read some or all of the books on our list. Beginning in July, everyone who is registered will receive a bookmark.
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To join the club, kids must be registered by a parent or guardian. To register, that adult must fill out our form at kidspost.com (Click here for the form) or send the child’s first and last names, age and address to KidsPost Summer Book Club, The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.

About the Contest
The "A Book That Shaped Me" Summer Writing Contest encourages rising 5th & 6th graders to reflect on books that have made a personal impact on their lives. The contest is administered through local public library systems in the Mid-Atlantic region, and top winners are honored at the Library of Congress National Book Festival.

When does the contest run?
May 2, 2016 – July 18, 2016

Who can participate?
Rising 5th & 6th Graders (students who will be entering 5th or 6th grade next fall).

How to enter?
Write a short essay on a book that has had a personal impact on your life.

Books have the power to shape us by changing the ways we think and feel. Think about a book that made a difference in your life. It could be your favorite book, one that you read at school or as part of this year’s summer reading program. How did it make you feel? Did it change the way you see yourself, your family or the world? Choose one book – it can be fiction or nonfiction – and write a short essay about how it had a personal impact on your life.

• Write a one-page essay.
• Use examples from the book to make your points.
• Your essay will be judged on content, structure (spelling and grammar) and creativity.
• Your essay may be typed or hand-written.

Submit your essay in-person by Monday, July 18, 2016 to a participating public library in the Mid-Atlantic region, along with a completed contest entry form containing your parent or guardian’s signature.