We’ve got an inkling you might need some funny middle fiction to blow the real-world blues away, so here are some of the recent books we guarantee will put a smile on your face.

A Clue for Clara by Lian Tanner

Clara wants to be a famous detective with her own TV show. She can read claw marks, find missing feathers and knows morse code and semaphore. There’s just one problem. She’s a small scruffy chook, and no one takes her seriously. But when she teams up with Olive, the daughter of the local policeman, they might just be able to solve the crimes that have been troubling the town of Little Dismal. This very funny mystery from best-selling fantasy author Lian Tanner also touches lightly on more serious topics, such as bullying and grief, without losing any of the laughs.

Fly On the Wall by Remy Lai

Twelve-year-old Henry Khoo’s family treats him like a baby – his life is full of restrictions, rules and chaperoning. But after his family’s annual trip to visit his father in Singapore is cancelled, Henry decides to fly the coop on his own. It isn’t just his overbearing family, things are bad with his best friend and he’s on the verge of being caught as the creator of an anonymous gossip cartoon. Henry embarks on a risky adventure and records it in this, his top-secret confessional notebook, with diary entries, poems, recipes, comics and more. This highly illustrated novel is equal parts hilarious and sweet.

The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty

The harbour town of Spindrift is home to a hotch-potch of witches, gnomes and sirens, and two schools: the Orphanage School, where Finlay lives, and the posh Brathelthwaite Boarding School, home to shy Honey Bee. The two schools are caught in a fierce rivalry, but when the town is invaded, a deadly magical flu threatens everyone and children are kidnapped – everyone must overcome their enmity and work together. Jaclyn Moriarty can always be relied on for her quirky sense of humour and lovably strange young characters, and this delightfully irreverent adventure is no exception.

Wink by Rob Harrell

Ross Maloy just wants to fit in. But after he is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive eye cancer in Year Seven, he suddenly becomes the ‘cancer kid’ of his school. Now he has to deal with weird hats, a squinty eye and - hardest of all - disappearing friends, social media bullies, and the threat of losing his eyesight…or worse. In all the weirdness and heartache, Ross discovers the power of true friendship, laughter and, most importantly, music as medicine. Based on cartoonist Rob Harrell’s real-life experiences, you wouldn’t think a story about childhood cancer could be funny, but Wink manages to be exactly that, and heartwarming too.

Akissi: Even More Tales of Mischief by Marguerite Abouet & Mathieu Sapin

We’ve already learned to love cheeky young Ivorian girl Akissi through the graphic novels Tales of Mischief and More Tales of Mischief, and this third volume holds even more hilarious adventures. This time, Akissi plays matchmaker with mixed results, tries to avoid moving to the snowy, wolf-infested wilds of Paris, and turns her hand to poetry – which stinks. Award-winning writer Marguerite Abouet takes inspiration from her childhood in Cote d'Ivoire to tell fun neighbourhood stories featuring Akissi, her brother Fofana and their motley group of friends.

Grime and Punishment (The Adventures of Dog Man, Book 9) by Dav Pilkey

Beloved canine supercop Dog Man can really do no wrong in the eyes of his loyal readers. In this, the ninth instalment of his crime-fighting adventures, The Supa Buddies have bamboozled the baddies, but Dog Man’s still got problems. He’s been fired from the force and a giant lunchbag is threatening the city - Dog Man’s going to need his entire pack to help him out. This brightly-coloured graphic novel is full of silliness, gross-out action and slapstick, but it also packs an emotional punch with the way it explores family, friendships, forgiveness and healing.

Funny Bones by Oliver Phommavanh, Kate Temple & Jol Temple

This chunky collection of over 100 funny stories, cartoons, comics, poems and jokes is bound to get even the most serious kid laughing. Some of Australia’s favourite and funniest people contributed their best stuff, including Andy Griffiths, Hannah Gadsby, Lawrence Leung, Adrian Beck, Katrina Nannestad, Gus Gordon, Danny Katz, Mitch Vane, Sally Rippin, Tristan Bancks, The Listies, as well as editors Oliver Phommavanh and Kate & Jol Temple. This is the perfect comedy collection to dip into whenever you need to cheer up, and as a bonus you can also feel good that all royalties from this book go to the international aid charity, War Child Australia.