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Is your child tired of the same old, boring school lunch? Well, I’ve got an easy way to mix things up AND make your kid cooler at the same time. Behold printable jokes to be included in the lunch box.

Imagine your child’s delight as he removes the turkey sandwich to find a little something special tucked next to the bag of chips. “What’s this?” he may say to himself as he opens it and giggles quietly. His friends will ask “what’s so funny?” Soon, a crowd forms and he quickly becomes the envy of his peers as they gather around each day waiting to be brought to tears with laughter.

Individual results may vary. But, you get my point.

To get started, just print out and cut the sheet up as indicated. Include one joke each day–there’s enough for 3 school weeks! And, there are more where these came from inside Monkeyfarts: Wild & Wacky Jokes for Kids.

Yesterday was the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft, creator of beloved weird tales like The Call of Cthulhu and At The Mountains of Madness, and namesake of our Lovecraft Middle School series.

(Image via flickr)

People never really grow out of fairytales. I’m no exception: fairytale retellings have always intrigued me. Whether the source is a classic from Hans Christian Andersen, a tale from the Brothers Grimm, or another folktale handed down through the ages, there are so many interesting ways an author can change and re-vamp the story. It could be a new location, an unseen layer to the protagonist’s personality, a different time in history, anything.

A beloved tale transformed for a modern audience is exciting in its newness, but at their core, fairytales also possess some universal themes no matter the setting: a character coming of age, learning to trust their own experience, and encountering new dangers around every corner.

So it’s not surprising that YA fiction is such a perfect fit for fairytale adaptations. What makes YA retellings unique is their ability to make the fantastic elements familiar for modern readers — even if in a historical setting — while also incorporating some of the satisfyingly dark aspects from Andersen and Grimm. When the right elements come together, a YA retelling is just as spellbinding as that very first picture book.

But what are the elements that make for a great YA fairytale retelling?

Dear, Dear J.K. Rowling,

Today it’s your birthday. Well, yours and Harry’s. My present to you is a Why You’re Awesome list. Because, homegirl, without you, I’d just be some random muggle. Now I’m an informed muggle.

When JK Rowling approached the end of the tales of Harry Potter, and announced it was truly the end and to not be continued, I wasn’t fazed. By all means, end it! But this isn’t the say that we should depart from this world entirely. After all, Rowling crafted such a rich one, and it’s frankly criminal that our playtime ends with the conclusion of Harry’s adventures. I am, of course, arguing the point that Rowling and fans could come to a win-win agreement over the subject easily: give us some spin-offs and side stories based on characters who aren’t Harry Potter.

Here are some of my ideas—seven(ish) characters for seven books dedicated to Harry Potter’s story—free of charge.