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Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Kid Jokers Go Wild

"My neighbor Tiffany is so dumb!" says Claire Friedman, 11. All right, how dumb is she? "Her dad had to write TGIF on her shoes: toes go in first." An audience of comedy fans cracks up. "We always know when Tiffany has been typing in the computer lab," Claire continues. "She leaves whiteout all over the screen."

Claire is one of about 15 kids from the New York City area who are taking a shot at stand-up comedy. The kids appear regularly in a show called Kids N' Comedy. It's a chance to spiff up their jokes and get a few laughs in front of a big crowd.

"Tiffany's not real," Claire told TFK. "Telling jokes like that about a real person would be too mean."

Joel Plue, 9, tries to remain calm by taking deep breaths before he performs. But sometimes he freezes in the middle of his act. "Um, I just forgot my next line," he announces onstage. His mom, in the audience, reminds him of his next joke. "Oh, yeah," says Joel, and he keeps going. In some comedy clubs, comics who don't have their act together would get booed off the stage.

Of course, kid comics poke fun at their parents. "I've had glasses since I was 4," says Carl Kranz, 9. "I guess my parents thought I couldn't see what they look like. They always asked, 'What do I look like, a bank?'"

Sometimes the kids tell old jokes, just to work on their timing or get a sure laugh. In fact, hardly any of them write all their own jokes.

"I don't even get all my own jokes," admits Joel. He has started to perform at big comedy clubs, sharing the stage with professional comics. So has fellow comedian Josh Peck, also 9. They may be headed for the big time: Las Vegas, TV, movies. But for now, they're happy to work on their act one laugh at a time.

"Comedy is my life," says Josh.

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