Stevenson library goes for laughs

He's crude, overweight, balding and the dumbest employee in Sector 7G, but next week, Homer Simpson can stand tall among Shakespeare, Steinbeck, Hemmingway and other literary greats.

The paterfamilias of the Simpson clan will be among the comedy icons featured in Stevenson High School's upcoming Teen Read Week program, the theme of which is "LOL@Your Library." For those of you who don't spend a lot of time sending text messages, instant messages or e-mail, that's "Laugh Out Loud At Your Library."

Students visiting the library can watch clips from "The Simpsons" and other classic TV comedies, compete in a comedy trivia contest and even try their luck as standup jokesters.

Now in its 10th year, Teen Read Week is led by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association.

This year, the goal is to get kids to specifically read humorous books or graphic novels -- a fancy term for longer-than-usual comic books.

More than 4,600 public and school libraries throughout the nation are participating with their own programs, said Stephanie Kuenn, spokeswoman for the young-adult library group.

The librarians at Stevenson had a tough act to follow when planning next week's event. Last year's theme was "Get Active At Your Library," so they turned part of the library into a themed, nine-hole miniature golf course and let kids play table tennis.

"We really needed to ramp it up," head librarian Amy Thale said.

This time, a library classroom will be turned into a comedy screening room. "The Simpsons," "The Honeymooners," "I Love Lucy" and "The Three Stooges" are among the videos on the viewing schedule.

"Being a school, we have to make sure it's appropriate, so we can't do 'Family Guy,'" said Thale, referring to a popular but racy cartoon. "But we think 'The Simpsons' is OK."

Other area schools with Teen Read Week activities include:

• Antioch High, where students checking out books will get temporary tattoos.

• Lake Forest High, where library staffers will dress as superheroes and students will try to mummify teachers.

• Vernon Hills High, where students will watch clips from Marx Brothers movies and hunt for a hidden rubber chicken.

An activity that's sure to get Stevenson students laughing is set for Wednesday morning. The library will be turned into an open-mike comedy club before classes begin. Students will be encouraged to tell jokes -- as will Stevenson staffers.

"They love to see their teachers perform," Thale said. "We're going to mix it up."