Everybody likes to laugh, and humor is a wonderful and healthy way to elevate any situation. Like so many things in a person's life, the kind of humor one uses has a lot to do with the way we are raised. Humor should never be at the expense of someone else - their mistakes, appearance, or shortcomings. Rather, humor should be derived from situations or directed at one's own blunders.

Reading funny books together is a great way to help kids see the lighter side of life. Couple that with a house where healthy laughter can be heard frequently. In the best of times and the worst of times and everything in between, laughter really is very good medicine.

The following book is available at many public libraries.<B>"Uncle Blubbafink's Seriously Ridiculous Stories,"</B> written and illustrated by Keith Graves; Scholastic Press; 40 pages; read aloud: age 8 and older; read yourself: age 8 to 9 and older."Okay, so I'm Uncle Blubbafink. Hello already. I hear you're looking for a good story. Well, you came to the right place. You want stories? I'll give you stories."So begins this very funny book. Like the title states, the stories are ridiculous, making them all the more entertaining. For example, did you ever hear the one about Abraham Sandwich and George Washing Machine? Or how about the one where the dragon's head turned into a station wagon?You probably haven't heard of either, but that's OK, because they're in this book, along with a couple of others (like cows - they actually used to live on the moon, right?).Funny stories, funny illustrations - what more could a kid ask for, except to read it, over and over again!

<B>Library:</B> Saxonburg Library, 240 W. Main St., Saxonburg<B>Library Director:</B> Steve Twentier<B>Children's Programmer:</B> Judy O'Brokta<B>Choices this week: "Where's the Dragon?"</B> by Jason Hook; <B>"Priscilla and the Pink Planet"</B> by Nathaniel Hobbie; <B>"Stickeybeak"</B> by Hazel Edwards

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"Tickle the Duck!"</B> written and illustrated by Ethan Long; Little, Brown; 24 pages; $10.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 2 to 4; read yourself: age 6 to 7 and older.This wild and crazy duck starts his story off with a command to his young readers - "Whatever you do...don't you DARE tickle me here!" Well, with the white fuzzy fur sticking out from the duck's tummy, who could resist? Go ahead - tickle away!! You'll make that nutty duck laugh and laugh until he commands his readers again - not to tickle him any more, and he means it!Perfect from start to finish, "Tickle the Duck" will have young readers laughing out loud on every page and begging you to read this selection a hundred times over!<B>"Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive"</B> by Karma Wilson; illustrated by Karla Firehammer; Little, Brown, 2005; 32 pages; $15.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 3 to 4 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.Two cows, Molly and Mabel, swipe the farmer's truck keys from his back pocket and take off down the road. The problem is, cows can't drive, and they can't read stop signs. As the truck picks up speed, the local sheriff sees the cows zooming along. "Sakes alive!" he says. "Did I just see those cattle drive?"As more police cars add to the chase, the cows are headed directly into town. After the truck swipes the mayor's flower bed and barely miss his garden shed, the town folk are delighted - this is the most wonderful parade they've ever seen!Told in rhyme and loaded with fun, this selection is certain to have kids giggling through all 32 pages.<B>Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail at kendal@sunlink.net.</B>