49 pages 1 hour read

James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein

I Funny: A Middle School Story

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2012

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Themes

Using Humor as a Survival Tool

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of bullying, ableism, and derogatory attitudes toward people with disabilities.

Jamie’s main skill is his ability to make people laugh, and he uses this skill in creative ways that carry a mix of subtle and direct humor. Jamie frequently employs humor as a coping mechanism, using sarcasm, knock-knock jokes, body language, props, and everyday observations to protect himself and others from bullying and to disengage from the harassment of unsympathetic people like Stevie. In many ways, comedy serves as Jamie’s weapon against the world’s hardships; he uses humor to survive his grief and isolation after his life-changing injury and the deaths of parents and sister. Whenever he encounters a new problem, he solves it with the power of laughter.

Jamie experiences bullying when people lack empathy for the challenges that come with his disability. Additionally, Jamie’s primary bully, Stevie, torments him out of jealousy for his creativity and intelligence. Jamie jokes about this unfortunate reality and notes the irony of the school’s omnipresent anti-bullying posters when he wryly remarks, “[O]nly one problem: Bullies, it turns out, don’t read too much” (18).

Related Titles

By these authors

Study Guide
logo

1st to Die

James Patterson

1st to Die

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Alex Cross

James Patterson

Alex Cross

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Ali Cross

James Patterson

Ali Cross

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Ambush

James O. Born, James Patterson

Ambush

James O. Born, James Patterson

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

Becoming Muhammad Ali

James Patterson, Kwame Alexander

Becoming Muhammad Ali

James Patterson, Kwame Alexander

Study Guide
logo

Cross Down

James Patterson

Cross Down

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Eruption

Michael Crichton, James Patterson

Eruption

Michael Crichton, James Patterson

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Chris Grabenstein

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Chris Grabenstein

Plot Summary
logo

Four Blind Mice

James Patterson

Four Blind Mice

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Holmes, Marple & Poe

James Patterson, Brian Sitts

Holmes, Marple & Poe: The Greatest Crime-Solving Team of the Twenty-First Century

James Patterson, Brian Sitts

Plot Summary
logo

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Med Head

James Patterson

Med Head

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Chris Tebbetts, James Patterson, Illustr. Laura Park

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Chris Tebbetts, James Patterson, Illustr. Laura Park

Study Guide
logo

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

Chris Grabenstein

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

Chris Grabenstein

Plot Summary
logo

Nevermore

James Patterson

Nevermore

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Roses Are Red

James Patterson

Roses Are Red

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

James Patterson

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

James Patterson

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

The Big Bad Wolf

James Patterson

The Big Bad Wolf

James Patterson