comedians

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a
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comedians

Born a crime

stories from a South African childhood
2019
"Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison . . . 'Born a Crime' is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life"--Amazon.com.
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Smile

how young Charlie Chaplin taught the world to laugh (and cry)
Once there was a little slip of a boy who roamed the streets of London, hungry for life (and maybe a bit of bread). His dad long gone and his actress mother ailing, five-year-old Charlie found himself onstage one day taking his mum's place, singing and drawing laughs amid a shower of coins. There were times in the poorhouse and times spent sitting in the window at home with Mum, making up funny stories about passersby. And when Charlie described a wobbly old man he saw in baggy clothes, with turned-out feet and a crooked cane, his mother found it sad, but Charlie knew that funny and sad go hand in hand.
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Ellen DeGeneres

2019
In Ellen DeGeneres, early readers will learn about the life, accomplishments, and contributions of comedian and TV superstar Ellen DeGeneres. Vibrant, full-color photos, and carefully leveled text will engage emergent readers as they learn about her life. A timeline helps readers identify major life accomplishments in DeGeneres s life, while a picture glossary reinforces new vocabulary.
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Jake the Fake goes for laughs

2019
"Having discovered his natural talent for comedy at his school's end-of-semester talent show, Jake decides to pursue 'his art,' but can his comedian-mentor teach Jake humility as well as humor?"--Provided by publisher.

Kevin Hart

comedian, actor, writer, and producer
2018
Looks at the life of American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, Kevin Hart.

Wild and crazy guys

how the comedy mavericks of the '80s changed Hollywood forever
"Wild and Crazy Guys opens in 1978 with Chevy Chase and Bill Murray taking bad-tempered swings at each other backstage at Saturday Night Live, and closes 21 years later with the two doing a skit in the same venue, poking fun at each other, their illustrious careers, triumphs and prat falls. In between, Nick de Semlyen takes us on a trip through the tumultuous '80s, delving behind the scenes of movies such as National Lampoon's Vacation, Beverly Hills Cop, The Blues Brothers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and dozens more. Chronicling the off-screen, larger-than-life antics of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, John Candy, and Rick Moranis, it's got drugs, sex, punch-ups, webbed toes, and Bill Murray being pushed into a swimming pool by Hunter S. Thompson while tied to a lawn chair. What's not to like? Based on candid interviews from many of the stars themselves, as well as those in their immediate orbit, including directors John Landis, Carl Reiner, and Amy Heckerling, Wild and Crazy Guys is a fantastic insider account of the friendships, feuds, triumphs, and disasters experienced by these beloved comedians. Hilarious and revealing, it is both a hidden history of the most fertile period ever for screen comedy and a celebration of some of the most popular films of all time."--.

Ghoul school

2019
"Bea A. Fraid goes to an all-ghoul school where students learn how to make haunted houses, paint terrifying pictures, and eat lady fingers and spare ribs for lunch. But Bea doesn't want to be scary; she wants to dance and sing and tell jokes, which frequently lands her in the principal's office. Find out how Bea becomes the scariest ghoul of all in this . . . Halloween caper for kids"--Provided by publisher.

It's Trevor Noah

born a crime : stories from a South African childhood
Trevor Noah, the funny guy who hosts The Daily Show, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist---and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his keen smarts and humor to navigate a harsh life under a racist government.
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Funny, you don't look autistic

a comedian's guide to life on the spectrum
"Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn't 'look' autistic. But, as he's quick to point out in this memoir, autism 'looks' different for just about everyone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Diagnosed with ASD at age five, McCreary got hit with the performance bug not much later. During a difficult time in junior high, he started journaling, eventually turning his pain into something empowering--and funny. He scored his first stand-up gig at age 14, and hasn't looked back. This . . . memoir breaks down what it's like to live with autism for readers on and off the spectrum"--Publisher.

Sir Charlie Chaplin

the funniest man in the world
Chronicles the life and accomplishments of Charlie Chaplin, describing the silent film star and director's impoverished childhood in London and his rise to fame in Hollywood and within the film industry.
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