Reread childhood books, glean new knowledge

Humor in older books lost on children, causes plenty of chuckles years later

When I found the book buried in my dusty bookshelf, I knew it had seen better days. The front flap was creased and ragged, the binding literally was split in two and the pages were faded and stuck together.

I didn’t care though. I pulled the two halves of the book off the shelf, did some magic with duct tape and flopped onto my bed to read it again.

I first read the book in sixth grade, and now I had found the perfect Fall Break activity — snuggling up with my favorite childhood book.

Was there one book you had when you were younger that you read repeatedly? It was like your security blanket — comforting, reassuring and consistent. I definitely had a book like this, and I have no shame in saying that — as a 20-year-old woman — that book still holds a special place in my heart.

Stephen Manes’ "The Obnoxious Jerks" honestly is one of the funniest books I ever have read. Ignore for a moment the fact that it was written for a middle-school reading level — this book says more intelligent things through humor than the average college student can muster in a term paper.

Let me give you a brief synopsis before I explain this book’s significance. High school sophomore Frank Wess has just moved to a new town and doesn’t seem to fit in with any one cliqúe in school — the jocks, the stoners, the nerds. Along come the Obnoxious Jerks, a unique crowd of social misfits whose main goal is to reveal the stupidity of all things high school. They befriend Frank, and almost immediately the madness of high school’s absurdities begins.

What makes this book so memorable is the credit it gives to young people. The main characters are everyday guys who are smart enough to play off the ignorance of their social-climbing peers and arrogant teachers and make sure their voices are heard.

My favorite Obnoxious Jerk response to an asinine school rule is their protest of a no-shorts policy for men, regardless of the weather. In what can only be called a daring venture, the members sew skirts — knee-length of course, in keeping with the school dress code — and wear them to class on a particularly hot day.

As the administration argues that the boys’ attire is unacceptable, the members calmly point out that nowhere in school policy does it say men in skirts are not allowed.

Stunts like this are rampant throughout the book, each one funnier than the last. I was too young to fully understand all the wit that the book contains when I was 12, but with each additional reading, I appreciate it a little more.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. I know it was published in 1988, so finding it may be difficult, but try. Look for it on eBay, or ask to borrow my copy. I guarantee the sarcastic sense of humor these guys possess will suck you in and make you laugh all the way to the last page — but more importantly — it will make you want to read it again and again.