How did Jon Scieszka get so funny, anyway? Growing up as one of six brothers was a good start, but that was just the beginning. Throw in Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, jokes told at family dinner, and the result is Knucklehead. Part memoir, part scrapbook, this hilarious trip down memory lane provides a unique glimpse into the formation of a creative mind and a free spirit. Watch a QuickTime trailer for this book.

How did Jon Scieszka get so funny? He grew up as one of six brothers with Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, and jokes told at family dinner.

A black law student navigates the era of Rodney King and the Oklahoma City bombing—and his own anger issues—in this “mordantly funny” novel (San Francisco Chronicle). Shortlisted for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence In Knucklehead we meet Marcus Hayes, a black law student who struggles, sometimes unsuccessfully, with the impulse to respond to everyday bad behavior with swift and antisocial action. The cause of this impulse is unknown to him. When Marcus unexpectedly becomes involved with the brilliant, kind Amalia Stewart, her love and acceptance pacify his demons. But when his demons return, he is no longer inclined to contain them . . . “By setting his novel in the ’90s, Smyer, who lives in Oakland, has crafted some brutal deja vu. As Marcus reflects on Rodney King, the Million Man March and the Oklahoma City bombing, we think of Freddie Gray, Black Lives Matter and school shootings that have become a way of life. And when Marcus laments San Francisco’s dwindling black population, here we are more than twenty years on, and it’s only gotten worse. We should all be furious.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Here is a list of things you'll need to read this book: ample space for stretching out the side stitches you’ll get from laughter; half a box of tissues for the most gripping and harrowing dramas at the heart of the novel; a fresh stress ball for the tense situations the protagonist finds himself in (both of his own doing and not); and just a bit of that space in your heart to see people, in all their complexity, trying to do their best.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Marcus Hayes careens through the racially divisive 1990s while trying to manage his compulsive anger, chaotic love life, and economic misfortunes . . . Smyer gives Marcus a sardonic and hilarious voice reminiscent of a Paul Beatty protagonist and endows him with a troubled psychology that plumbs the nuances of black male identity.” —Kirkus Reviews “While not strictly a crime novel, Smyer’s debut Knucklehead does contain a whole lot of guns, violence, and rage, as well as plenty of love and sadness. A black lawyer in the late ’80s through the mid-’90s deals with micro and macro aggressions from a society determined to treat him as a criminal. Also, there are cats. Lots of cats.” —Literary Hub

Get the full story of the one incredible engine that launched the motorcycle engine to stand up against automotive engines: the Knucklehead.

Knucklehead Fred is a whimsical, rhyming story about a fun-loving, energetic boy named Fred.His parents just can't figure out how to make him sit still and listen! But when Fred finds himself in need of a favor, Mom and Dad use it as a perfect opportunity to teach him a thing or two about responsibility.

Follow Amir's life-changing journey through a trilogy of challenges, as they mold him into an agent of change and civil rights lawyer. In the first chronicle, he rebounds from incarceration and expulsion from school, while evading the systems devastating his community. Next, he attends leading universities across the country for 12 years, while obtaining five college degrees. Finally, he visits 30 countries by his 30th birthday, while broadening his perspective and appreciation of the human spirit. 1) During the first 19 years of his life, Amir was engulfed in a war without realizing it. Poverty and the War on Drugs entrapped his neighborhood in a cycle of addiction, incarceration, and chaos. Dominating the drug trade as at age 15, brings the world to Amir fingertips--until a police raid results in him being arrested with his mother. Amir struggles through the remainder of his teenage years after being kicked out of school and lured back into the Trap. Follow this hard-fought journey of a boy with an unrelenting desire to overcome the odds in a warzone. Street Traveler: As a 22-year-old college student, Amir becomes the first person from his neighborhood to obtain a passport. An opportunity to visit Africa unleashes an addiction to traveling, culture shock, and worldly experiences that changes him forever. He becomes obsessed with a goal to visit 30 countries before his 30th birthday, and embarks on an eye-opening quest throughout all corners of the globe. Amir relies on "street smarts" to escape danger, explore forbidden places, and survive on a few dollars a day. Curiosity leads him to intriguing destinations across Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Million: Miraculously completing high school after being expelled, Amir reluctantly enrolls in community college. After his thirst for knowledge is awakened, he doubles his high school GPA and plunges into a 12-year college career across the country. In the process, Amir graduates from the top public university in New Jersey, receives his law degree from Florida's leading university in Miami, and obtains a doctorate in Los Angeles from one of the nation's top 25 universities.