Boys Rule Boys Read!

Ms. Leah and the Percy Jackson Movie Trailer!

2009-07-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

My excellent coworker, Ms. Leah, has written and told us some cool news:

Ok Boys! This is Ms. Leah contributor to the Girls Read, Girls Rule(The World) blog. Just wanted to give you some breaking Percy Jackson news!The first movie is coming out on Presidents Day, February 2010.Take a look at the recently released trailer!
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the/32797/video/percy-jackson-the-lightning-thief/29410789001/percy-jackson-the-lightning-thief/29410789001

Thanks, Ms. Leah! I've taken a look and it's pretty impressive. Check it out, guys!

Carl

Great Funny Stuff!

2009-07-16T11:55:00.002-04:00

Our good friend and faithful follower Jana has written and told us about a good and funny book:

My older son seems to only love funny books (Diary of a Wimpy Kid...) so to get him reading something I pulled out an oldie but a goodie, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. He whipped through it and is on to Superfudge! Yay Fudge!!

Yay, Jana! We alsways appreciate hearing about funny stuff. I heard the audiobook version of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and enjoyed it a lot. If you want to read more funny stuff, try the Alvin Ho books by Lenore Look, How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, or Science Fair by Dave Barry. If you want to see reviews, click on the tags below this post.

Keep laughing, guys!

Carl

Chess!

2009-07-15T10:14:00.001-04:00

Hello guys in the Land 'o Blog, Master Jedi Zack here.

A fun program that met at the Matthews Branch Library a few times this summer was a Chess Club. The club was for kids who wanted to learn chess and for those who already knew how to play and just wanted to find someone to play with. Earlier this week, the summer club had it's last meeting and the Matthews Branch boss man Michael joined in on the fun. Here is a picture of him getting beat by one of the guys!

Hopefully the club will return later in the year. Stay tuned for updates!

This Is Great! Two More People Write In!

2009-07-15T10:12:00.003-04:00

Hey, fellow readers in blogville, it's Carl as well, terribly excited about hearing from two people this morning! The first is Spartacus Kilroy, founder of the great Port-O-Door website. It's an Erec Rex fansite run by teens--reader guys (and girls) just like you! Spartacus says:

Hey, Spartacus Kilroy here, the founder of Port-O-Door, and I'd just like to say thanks for linking to us! I love your site! Also, Search for Truth was flabbergastingly amazing! I managed to win a signed advance reviewer's copy from the Erec Rex forum, erecrex.com/forum, so after I read it I had to wait a month or two until I could finally expand upon it's awesomeness, but now I realize it's just too awesome for words.

Thanks, Spartacus! Take a look at their site everyone. It's terrific! I'm in chapter 3 of The Search for Truth and enjoying it. Boy, Erec gets in trouble right away! Kaza Kingsley wastes no time getting the action started!

We also have a review from Jana Warnell, a school librarian, a mom of boys, and faithful follower of this blog:

I have a book review for you! Have you read any of the Young Bond series by Charlie Higson? Great books with the concept of James Bond as a teen--but set in the 1930's. The first two were okay, readable and full of action, but the third, Double or Die, was great! Could hardly put it down. After I was finished I had to run and watch Casino Royale and make a James Bond ringtone for my phone--it was that good!

And thanks to you too, Jana! I've heard the first two Young Bond books were Ok and it's good to hear this one is really good. This was a good review and we appreciate it. Have we made you an Honorary Guy yet? You guys might want to check with your parents before you get any James Bond movies, though, because they always have a lot of--well, I hate to say it--kissing involved. Yes, there are car chases and shooting and things blowing up but there's always kissing. It's only my duty to warn you.

There's one more bit of news for all of you, especially if you were at the Star Wars Camps at the Matthews or Imaginon libraries. We're having our Star Wars Camp Grand Finale on Thursday, July 30 here at Imaginon at 2 pm. We'll have a speaker talk about Luke Skywalker as the Epic Hero, snacks, and show the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie. Registration starts at 9:00 tomorrow morning. Call 704-416-4630 to register. Hope to see you there!

Lord Vader Writes Again!! And A Review of The Roar By a New Friend!!

2009-07-14T09:40:00.003-04:00

Our old friend Lord Vader has written to us after a long absence. I heard he's been very busy the last few months, so it's good to hear from him again. Let's hear what Lord Vader has to say:

I'm sorry I missed this one, it looks like it was fun. (he meant the last Star Wars camp)It's been a long time since I blogged, but I have two I have three I want to review. I read "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Both had good battle scenes - I liked the Half Blood scene better though. I didn't like that 2 characters I liked got killed though (I won't say who they were, but I was so mad). I also read "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Demigod Files" This one I really liked. I like how Percy can appear cool and calm even when he is scared. I liked the interviews and well as all the stories. It was nice to have something to read while waiting for the next Percy Jackson book.

Thanks, Lord Vader! We're always glad to hear about good battle scenes. And The Demigod Files rocked! Yes, Percy is remarkable for staying cool in the face of danger. Wait until you read The Last Olympian to see how cool and calm he can be! Have you seen the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie? Has anyone else? Is it good? Let us know!

And, just this morning, we received a review of The Roar by Emma Clayton by our new friend coolcats137:

This book was Amazing. It kept me "on the edge on my seat" When i picked it up i figured it would another story about world domination or something like that so The Roar wasn't the best title if u ask me but still it was amazing if u like reading about action sci fi mystery and politics all in one this book is for you.I read this book in a matter of days. Not saying it was a easy level book ,but it it wasn't a to much of a challenge for a person of a reading level of 8th-9th grade level.

Very good , coolcats! Yes, this book did have it all--action, sci-fi, more action, politics, more action, mystery, more action. A really good read. Not perfect, in my opinion, but really, really good. Check out my review here. If you live in the Charlotte area, coolcats, come to Imaginon and claim your free book. Don't forget that my review said that I'd give a prize package to anyone who'd come here, talk with me the ending (especially if you let me video that discussion) But if you don't want to, that's cool too. But I hope you'll get your free book.

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. Keep sending them!

Carl

The New Erec Rex Book and a New Friend Tells Us About a Good Read

2009-07-13T13:25:00.001-04:00

Hey, fellow reader guys, it's Carl and I'm all excited because the new Erec Rex book finally arrived at the library. Here I am with my copy:

And here's what I'll be doing the next couple of weeks:

Except when I'm finishing the third Tripods book:

I remember last summer, taking the bus home and burying my head in the first two Erec Rex books. Was some of the most reading fun I've ever had. Looking forward to this one.

And we have a review from our new friend Sarah:

Hey, guys! I love your blog, even though I'm not a guy, and use your reviews to help me make recommendations for the guys at my library. I finished a book last night that I think you will love. It's called Half Moon Investigations and it's by Eoin Colfer, famed author of the Artemis Fowl series. Fletcher Moon (nicknamed Half Moon because he's not exactly tall) is quite bright-- he even took an online course and is a qualified private detective. Kids at school pay him to help them figure out mysteries and such, like who stole from their backpacks and what not. Fletcher has trouble when he breaks an important detective rule and becomes involved in his own case. Now he's on the run from the police and his family, and has only a short time to prove his innocence. This books is great!-- the language is precise and makes you feel like you're really there with Fletcher. It doesn't have a sequel yet, but I sure hope Eoin writes one!
Boys rule! (and so do girls!) Hurrah! I would be honored to be an Honorary Guy : ). I've been devouring the Percy Jackson books (lovelovelove!) and am eyeing the second Vladimir Tod.

Thanks, Sarah! I'm embarrassed to say that I've never read an Eoin Colfer book. Would this be a good start? I know there are a lot of Eoin Colfer fans out there--what are your favorites?
And, because you use our blog to recommend books to your reader guys, we will give you our greatest honor and make you an Honorary Guy! Please--don't be overwhelmed. You've earned the right to be an Honorary Guy!

Star Wars Camp, Episode II

2009-07-09T18:13:00.004-04:00

Hey, fellow citizens of the galaxy, it's Carl and we had a great time today at our second Star Wars Camp here at Imaginon. We started with my good friend and cool guy John Austin talking about the science of space travel: Then we made paper-airplane starships:.

The Imperial Armada prepares its TIE fighters...

...while the rebel forces gather their X-wings.

The assault is launced!

Luke's ship approaches the Death Star alone!

We had a really great time! Hope you can come to our Grand Finale on July 30. (Registration begins at 9 am on July 16. Call 704-416-4630 to register)

The Second TRIPODS Book...

2009-07-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

...is a book that ROCKS!! Wow! What a great story. In this book, The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher, Will, Henry, and Beanpole try a dangerous plan to get into the city of the aliens who have taken over the world. They train to enter the Games, a sort of Olympics, because the winners go into the city and serve the Masters. And the competition at the Games is fierce because everyone on earth (except Will and his friends) wears the Cap, a device that makes people mind slaves to the Masters. Can they get in? Without the Masters finding out that they wear fake Caps? Even if they can get in, what can a couple of boys do against the aliens who have taken over the whole world? I tell you, this was one exciting book! Go find a copy--or better yet, get the first one, The White Mountains, and start there. It's so good that you'll pick up this one as soon as you finish. That's what I'm doing with The Pool of Fire, the third book. These books are so good that, after you finish one, you can't wait to start the next one!

Carl
PS--if you want to read my review 0f The White Mountains, click on the tab below this post.

A New Reviewer, Mario Kart. Shazam and Star Wars; Nuff Said

2009-07-07T19:30:00.000-04:00

Hello all in the Land of Blog!!!!! Darth Bill returns with more groovy and hip news to report. So hang on to your hats, you hepcats cause here we go:

The first super cool thing I have is a Captain Underpants Series Review by Khar Johnson:

Captain Underpants is the name of the series and it is written and is drawn by Dav Pilkey. This is a great series and the three main characters are George, Harold and Captain Underpants. I like this series because it is funny and has comics in it also. I love Comic Books.

I am sorry to report that I have yet to have the chance to read any of the Captain Underpants books but will be sure to do so in the near future. I know this is an extremely popular series that is always being checked out at our library. As always sense this was Khar's first review for us we gave him a free book. We also tried to take his picture but he turned out to be quite invisible. Check it out and see what I mean:

Khar Johnson

Okay what's next...ah yes;

What: In The Spangler Tween Area there will be a head-to-head online Wii Mario Kart competition with another library/kids in Ann Arbor, Michigan!!!!
How can I participate: All you have to do is call 704-416-4630 to make a reservation and be between the ages of 8 - 12 years old starting on 7/1/09.
When: The Online fun begins on July 18 from 2 - 4 pm.
Where: This tournament will be held at ImaginOn in the Tween Area of The Spangler Children’s Library!

Okay now I have some Comics and Graphic Novels to talk about!!!!!!

Billy Batson and The Magic of Shazam written by Art Baltazar& Franco and drawn by Byron Vaughns - ImaginOn has just started receiving this great new comic that is funny and also filled with heroic adventures. In this issue (#5, Family Affair) Billy, Shazam and Billy's sister Mary Marvel take on Mr. Atom who happens to be a giant robot made for destruction. The Evil Dr. Sivana is the one behind Mr. Atom's path of terror and Shazam and Mary Marvel are in for one heck of a fight. How does this end????? You will have to come by the library to read it or buy a copy of this excellent title to find out!!!!!!

Star Wars Adventures: Han Solo and The Hollow Moon of Khorya by Jeremy Barlow and Rick Lacy - This Graphic Novel takes place before the star wars movie "A New Hope" and stars Han Solo and his partner/best friend Chewbacca. Per usual Han finds himself in trouble with a powerful gangster. Both Chewbacca and himself are captured by this evil gangster who forces Han to go on a mission to steal something of importance from the Empire. As insurance, the gangster holds Chewbacca as a prisoner until Han completes the mission with and old friend and con artist named Bilal Batross. Once Han is gone on his mission the gangster puts Chewie in the arena to fight for his life. Will Han complete his mission successfully? How will Chewie do in the arena? Read this excellent Star Wars Graphic Novel to find out!!!!!!

That's all for now my friends. Take it easy and peace,

Bill

KAZA KINGSLEY Writes to Us!

2009-07-02T09:30:00.006-04:00

Wow! Kaza Kinglsey, the Erec Rex author, has written to us about Tuesday's post:

Yay - I'm so excited about the Book Three release!!! I have to let people know about an amazing fan site made just by kids and teens only - just Erec Rex fans. I just saw it today and it's AMAZING. Portodoor.com - check it out. Kaza Kingsley

Thanks, Kaza! She's right about the Port-o-door.com site--it is amazing!! Go check it out. I've put a link to it on the Links section on the left-hand side of the page. And if you want to see reviews and other posts about Erec Rex and Kaza Kingsley, click on the tabs under this post.

BTW, the valiant dragonslayer came by yesterday with his The Search for Truth t-shirt. We're both excited about the release of Erec Rex 3.

Well, enjoy your 4th of July. And if you know any veterans or anyone currently in the military, especially if they're deployed to a war zone, thank them for all they've done. We have the right to read the things we like because of such brave men and women.

Carl

Lightsaber Construction, Fencing, Ninja Baseball and Wolverine!!!

2009-07-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

Hello all you cool hep cats in "The Land of Blog," tis I Darth Bill with some extra cool goodies to share with all!!!!!

First I want to talk about the very exciting and intensive Jedi/Sith Lightsaber Construction Workshop we had here at ImaginOn on 6/25/09. Well about 19 guys showed up and some made (sigh) Jedi Lightsabers while other made (YES!!!!) Sith Lightsabers. We then proceeded to learn some basic fencing moves and held a competition to see who was the best Lightsaber User!!!!! I have included some pictures below:

Young Jedi and Sith gathering to
obtain the materials needed to
construct a proper Lightsaber.

Darth Bill giving the
gathered Jedi and Sith
a very basic Fencing Tutorial.

Our Victorious Lightsaber Fencing Champion Darth ????? (We did not get your name young Sith. Comment on this Blog and we will set that right.)

The Mighty Darth Bill taking on the entire group!!!! (My how brave I am)

The Graduating Class
of Darth Bill's Lightsaber
Construction and Training
Class 2009!!!!!!

And now for something completly different, reviews of READS:

Ninja Baseball Kyuma by Shunshin Maeda - Okay, what happens when you mix baseball and a young ninja named Kyuma Hattori? Well I can tell you one thing for sure; a very funny manga. The story starts with a lovable but somewhat odd assortment of baseball players whose team name is "The Moonstar City Youth Baseball Club." They are decent, but lacking in something that prevents them from being great. That all changes one day when the captain of the baseball team, Kaoru, is wondering through the forest and comes across Kyuma, the last of his ninja clan, and Inui his pet dog. Kaoru observes some of Kyuma's abilities and begins to think that they would be well applied in the game of baseball. Kyuma is very anxious to give baseball a try, but has much to learn as he knows nothing about how it is played (many funny parts of the story occur from Kyuma's misunderstandings). So if you like baseball and ninjas along with good laughs, this is definitely a manga you should take a look at!!!!!!!!!

Wolverine: Worst Day Ever by Barry Lyga - Wow!!!! I have to tell you guys, this book rocked in a serious way!!!! Imagine you are 12 years old and all of a sudden your mutant ability kicks in. Pretty cool huh? Well not so much for Eric Mattias. You see his mutant power turns out to be that everyone forgets he is around. Say he is sitting watching T.V., people don't notice him and change the channel and/or they might even sit on him because they don't notice he is there. Worst he finds it very hard to have friends because every time he is hanging out with people his own age, they forget all about him. Anyway he is a newbie at the Xavier School for the Gifted and that is his situation. He is miserable because of his condition and always getting into trouble with Professor X because he gets bored and does things that he is not supposed to do (hey I would probably to if no one payed me any attention hardly ever). The Professor is about the only mutant who can see and focus on Eric or at least Eric thinks so. I know I have not said much about Wolverine up to this point, but he plays a major role in Eric's life in this book along with the very unsavory Sabertooth. This book is written in a blog style format, as Eric is basically blogging about his day to day life at the school. Also as a bonus, 3 comic book stories starring Wolverine and Power Pack are included. Two Thumbs Up!!!!!

Until next time all, Peace,

Bill

EREC REX 3 DAY!!

2009-06-30T13:58:00.002-04:00

Yes, guys, it's the release day for Erec Rex: The Search for Truth by Kaza Kingsley. The library doesn't get it's copy today but I've got one on hold. CAN'T WAIT!! Here I am wearing my Search for Truth T-shirt in honor of the day:

She signed that shirt! How totally cool.

Speaking of authors and threes, I also have a picture of me with the three books that Alison Hart sent me yesterday:

They're the three books in the Racing to Freedom trilogy by Alison Hart--Gabriel's Horses, Gabriel's Triumph, and Gabriel's Journey. I've read the first one and it rocked!

So does Erec Rex. If you haven't read Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye or Erec Rex 2: The Monsters of Otherness, GO GET THEM NOW!!! They're fan-tastic! Jump through your Portodoor and get them!

Carl

Jaden Gets His Book! Another Review! And You Can Call Me Al!

2009-06-29T12:54:00.002-04:00

That's right; our new friend and book reviewer Jaden got his free book for writing a review of Treasure Fever (you can see it in the last post) Here he is, accepting his well-deserved reward:

As you can see, he's surrounded by the two coolest guys on the planet. Jaden has another talent--making the world's greatest fish face.

Very impressive!

We also have another review from anonymous:

The title of the book is Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow City of Gold. The Author is Robb Kidd. Exiting!!! The book is about pirates on a invisible ship. They were looking for 2 gems and a amulet. They found them at a jewelry store in New Orleans. Bye for now .... keep reading guys!!!

Sounds good, anonymous! Bill really likes these Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow books. If you want to see more reviews of Jack Sparrow books, click on the Jack Sparrow tab that is under this post. We put tabs like this on almost all our posts so you can link to other reviews or info. For instance, whenever we write about Percy Jackson or Harry Potter, you'd see a tab with those names under the post. Go to some of our older posts and see.

And, last of all, our new friend, author Alison Hart, expresses her undying gratitude for her Honorary Guy certificate:

I will treasure my golden GUYS RULE award forever!

Thank You,

Alison (I mean Al)

You are so welcome! Al--what a fitting name for an Honorary Guy!

As anonymous said, "Keep reading, guys!"

Carl

Notes From a New Reader Guy and an Author!

2009-06-25T15:42:00.000-04:00

Hey, everyone in blogville, this is Carl who is very excited about getting comments from two new friends. The first is from reader guy Jaden:

The book that I have is called Treasure Fever! The author's name is Andy Griffiths. This book is very exciting!!! In this book the principal told a student about a treasure and the student told his friends. Then his friends told half of the school and the substitute teacher. Everyone who knew got treasure fever!!! This was an enjoyable read! Happy reading guys!!!

Thanks, Jaden. We always like to hear about exciting books. Don't forget that you can come to Imaginon and claim your free book, just like every guy who writes a book review to us! Hey---how come I never found treasure at my school????

The other comment is from Alison Hart. She's the author of that terrific book Gabriel's Horses, which I reviewed on 2-20-09 . (chcek out that review here)

Hi Jedi Zack,I am not a boy, but I am Alison the author of all the Gabriel books. I loved your review and I hope you will get to read the other two books in the series. I'll be happy to send them to you! Oh, and BOYS RULE!

Thanks, Alison!! We'd love to get those books!! (BTW, that was me who wrote that review) I haven't read the other two yet, so I would really look forward to getting them. Gabriel's Horses was a very terrific book. Go find a copy, guys! And thanks for acknowledging that BOYS RULE!!!! Well, since you have made that acknowledgement and since you have written such a great book, the Boys Rule Boys Read blog will bestow on you our greatest honor by making you an Honorary Guy. Yes, we know you're overwhelmed by the greatness of the honor but you've earned it! No need to spend all week thanking us for it!

Jedi Way

2009-06-24T09:13:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone in the land of Boys Rule Boys Read, Master Jedi Zack here once again.

I hope everyone is having a great summer. Here at the Matthews Branch Library we have been busy busy busy with lots of fun programs. Last night I had a group of Jedi Padawans here for The Jedi Way. They all created their very own lightsabers and designed space ships. They are nearly ready to go out and defend the galaxy from the sinster Darth Bill and his Sith spawn!

Here are some pictures of the super elite Padawans crafting the lightsabers.

You Can't Read The Last Olympian Online: A Short CARLMAN Rant

2009-06-22T13:41:00.005-04:00

Yes, that's right--YOU CANNOT READ THE LAST OLYMPIAN ONLINE!!! The Great and Powerful CARLMAN, who sees through time and space, knows that a lot of people contact this blog to see where you can read that marvelous book online. It irritates me that so many people want to know, therefore I will take a short moment to rant. Listen--do you really want to read The Last Olympian online?? YOU CAN'T!!! Don't believe me?? Here's an answer straight from Wikipedia's Wiki Answers site:

Percy Jackson is still a fairly new series, so it is not yet available in the public domain. This means that it cannot be read for free online legally. The publisher has released the e-book in Kindle edition only. The audio book can may be purchased as a download directly from Random House.

If you still don't believe me, go to that site and see. Besides, why would you want to read it online?? Especially when there are so many copies available in bookstores or libraries?? Don't you see that "it cannot be read for free online legally"?? What's the matter--do you want to support cyberpirates who'd steal an honest author's book??

Wait a minute--the CARLMAN, who brings balance to The Force, should be able to bring balance to his own emotions. I don't want to be harsh with you all. Maybe some of you are used to getting everything online and expect to find the book there. Or maybe you heard somewhere that you could read it in cyberspace. Well, it simply can't be done. There. Now you know.

Whew!! I feel better. Now that I have answered that question, I shall swat it away like the pesky fly it is and be free to concentrate on my truly important mission--finding more good books!!

BTW, a Kindle is an electronic device that lets you read books. Check out the website. And check out the price before you ask your parents for one!!

Carl

The Last Olympian Party

2009-06-20T09:00:00.007-04:00

Man, what a party!! This was to honor the publication of The Last Olympian, but I finally decided to open it up to all Percy Jackson fans or anyone who had an interest in Greek Mythology. Or, as it turned out, to anyone who happened to be in the library. And that was a good thing. Some kids came in who were obviously too young to read PJ (or any fiction!) while others had never read the PJ books. Other were true-blue fans and knew all the books while one fan had not gotten to The Last Olympian yet. It was all good because everyone, PJ fan or not, had a really good time.

We started off with some snacks and discussion. I explained who PJ was and the premise of the books. The I asked them to identify the Greek gods. Then I asked for favorite books in the series; one liked The Last Olympian best while another liked the The Battle of the Labyrinth. Some said that Grover was the funniest character while some said it was Percy! And everyone, boys and girls alike said there was enough fighting and action to make it through the kissing scenes!

Then we had games. The nice people at Hyperion/Disney made it easy by putting a Last Olympian party kit online. That gave us the Medusa Freeze Tag game in which one player was Medusa and "froze" the others (the "demigods") by touching them. The other demigods unfroze each other by crawling through their legs. Wow, was it fun! Here's an idea:

Then we had had the Mount Olympus Slam Dunk game. (That was my idea!) I had the names of several different Olympians in a basket and pulled them out at random. When I pulled a name and called it out, the contestant had to do a slam dunk based on that name. For instance, if I said, "Ares!" that kid had to be very aggressive. Or, if I said, "Apollo!" you had to sing! The names were Hermes, Zeus, Ares, Poseidon, Aphrodite, and Dionysus! Here's a clip:

We played some more Medusa Freeze Tag, then everyone left with word searches and draw-your-own Typhon sheets from the Last Olympian party kit. Thanks, Hyperion/Disney! And thanks for coming out, everyone! It was fun!!!

Carl

Another Harry Potter Giveaway!

2009-06-18T10:43:00.001-04:00

Another good friend and faithful follower has written to us. She's Warnell, a librarian, and she also has a Harry Potter Giveaway:

Yay for promoting John Christopher. He also wrote a few other series and they all had that futuristic part to them. I love his stuff!

Hey, could you also add that in order to increase their chances of winning Harry Potter books they could come to my blog for the same giveaway?

janasbooklist.blogspot.com

You rock!

Thanks. So do you! Here's another chance to win paperback copies of the 5th, 6th, and 7th Harry Potter books. Go to that site and read the simple rules for her contest. Good luck, guys!! (Don't forget Ms. Yingling also has a Harry Potter Giveaway at Ms Yingling Reads)

BTW, if you guys can get away this afternoon, come to the Last Olympian Party here at Imaginon at 2pm (Is this short notice? Maybe--but I wrote about it a couple of weeks ago) If you've read any of the Percy Jackson books or just have an interest in Greek mythology, come on!

Carl

Manga, Pokemon, Spits and Taints, Oh Yea!!!!!

2009-06-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

Hello all in the Land of Blog. Darth Bill, the Sith with the mostest, has returned from deep space with some cool stuff to share. First I would like you all to know that on Wednesday, June 24 at 6:00 pm Jana Guitar will be putting on a Manga Drawing Workshop:
Are You Interested in Manga?
Would You Like to Learn to Draw Manga or Improve Your Manga Drawing Skills?
Are You Between the Ages of 8 to 12 Years Old?
If You Answered Yes to all these Questions, do We have a Program for You!!!!! Jana Guitar will be visiting ImaginOn on Wednesday, June 24 at 6:00 pm to present a Manga Drawing Workshop. If you are interested in attending all you have to do is call 704-973-2720 and register!!!!!!!! A great time is assured for all!!!!!

An example of Mrs. Guitar's Work!!!!

Silvertongue (Book Three of The Stoneheart Trilogy) by Charlie Fletcher - Just finished this one and all I can say is: "Wow, what an exciting ride!!!!!" This volume starts off with the Walker apparently vanquished only to be replaced times 2. The Darkness trapped in the London Stone has escaped and from another Dark Dimension, unwittingly released by George and Edie, the Ice Devil has flown into our world making time stop, all people disappear and bringing a ton of snow and darkness into the world. To make matters worse the Ice Devil is calling all Taints (evil statues such as gargoyles (for the most part), dragons (also for the most part) and other monstrosities) to itself to make war on all Spits (good statues such as the Gunner, the Red Queen, the Lionheart and more). In addition to all this George must complete his quest, for he has chosen the hard way, to become a Master Maker (Magical Ability to make and heal all statues). The last obstacle he must face is a duel with the fearsome Last Knight of the Cnihtengild. Edie has her own quest to attend as she searches through time to save her mother. New characters are introduced and shocking secrets revealed as all heck breaks loose in this final volume of The Stoneheart Trilogy. Reading this book was like riding a roller coaster with action, action and more action. I really enjoyed this trilogy and can't wait to read it again!!!! It was that good!!!! You are depriving yourselves if you don't give these books a read!!!!!

If you want to see reviews of the other books in The Stoneheart Trilogy go here for Stoneheart and here for Ironhand.

Check out some actual photos of real statues some of the characters and things in the book are based on:

<----Statue of Sir Ernest Shackleton (also a very
cool historical figure)

The London Stone --->

<---The Queen of America (middle) and her Buffalo

The Boy and Dolphin Statue--->

Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl Adventure, Volume 4 by Shingekatsu Ihara - I'm sorry that I have not reviewed the volumes before this one because this is a really fun Manga that I have been enjoying. The main character in this series is Hareta, a crazy kid who has the ability to form special bonds with Pokemon. He is on a quest to find the Legendary Pokemon Dialga (the Pokemon ruler of time). Unfortunately the evil organization Team Galactic also has the same goal. Fortunately Hareta is aided in his quest by his friends Jun, Professor Rowen (a Pokemon Researcher) and Mitsumi (Professer Rowen's Assistant) among others. In this story Hareta takes on Regigigas, a Pokemon with the power to move whole continents, and man it is an epic battle. Then when Hareta least expects it he is betrayed by a very close friend who may actually be more poweful than him!!!! Let the best Pokemon Player win!!!!!!!

One last note before I go; I also love The Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher. Many, many years ago these were the books that first introduced me to the wonderful world of Science Fiction. Really good stuff!!!!

Well that's all for now. Until next time peace everyone,

Bill

The Fourth Tripod Book and Harry Potter Giveaways!

2009-06-16T15:44:00.002-04:00

Hey gang, it's the Great and Forgetful CARLMAN. I got a comment yesterday from Kurtis Scaletta, our good friend and author of that terrific book Mudville. He wrote and said that I had forgotten to mention the fourth Tripod book:

I was a big fan of those tripod books as a kid, and had trouble finding them again for the longest time. Was really glad when they came back into print! There's actually a fourth one, as well, a prequel called When the Tripods Came.

Thanks for reminding me, Kurtis. HOW could I have forgotten? These books are great. I'm into the second one, The City of Gold and Lead, and it rocks and rolls!! I want to read all four of them now.

In other news, Ms. Yingling, another good friend and Honorary Guy, says that she has a Harry Potter giveaway contest on her site. Here's the scoop; go to her blog, Ms. Yingling Reads, click on the picture in the Harry Potter Giveaway, and you will see the simple rules. Scholastic is issuing the 5th, 6th, and 7th HP in paperback and if, you enter her contest, you have a chance to win all three!! Sounds like a great deal to me! Go for it, guys!

The First Terrific Book Of The Summer!

2009-06-15T10:25:00.009-04:00

Hey, guys, this one is terrific! It's The White Mountains by John Christopher, the first book in The Tripods Trilogy. If you want a good, exciting, fun read to start out your summer, this one is it!!

Young Will Parker lives in a world where technology has disappeared and everyone lives in the castle-and-horse age. The ancients had it--strange things like electricity and carts that moved by themselves on steel rails. All that changed when the Tripods, the mysterious giant machines, came and took over the world. Now everyone wears the Cap, a metal mesh on their heads that makes them mind slaves to the Tripods. Will saw his cousin Jack get the Cap and how it changed him. While he wonders if he can escape the Cap, he learns that there's a place far to the south called the White Mountains where people are free from the Tripods and don't get the Cap. So, of course, he escapes one night but only after his cousin Henry, who has always been a bully, joins him. Can they make it? Especially when they're followed by the Tripods? What happens when one of them picks Will up?? Wow!! This book has all the action and adventure you could ask for. Go get it! I'm going to check the other two right away. They are:

The City of Gold and Lead

and

The Pool of Fire

BTW, don't forget to sign up for our Summer Reading Program, if you haven't done it already. You can get prizes for reading! All the libraries in Mecklenburg County have it and, if you live outside Mecklenburg County, your local library probably has one.AND, if you're looking for good stuff to read this summer, check out our list of books in the Links section on the left-hand side of this page. It says, "Here's a list of all the books...' You'll see a list of all the chapter books, graphic novels, series paperbacks, and nonfiction that we and other boys have talked about. Good stuff. And lots of it!

Stay clear of Tripods,

Carl

Erec Rex 2 and Da Winners

2009-06-11T17:50:00.000-04:00

Our valiant reader guy Dragonslayer 1191812 has just sent us a review of Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness:

Hey,Dragonslayer here.
I just finished the second Erec Rex The Monsters of Otherness by Kaza Kingsley. There is a lot to say about this book but I'll just hit the highlights. Everyone in this book thinks that Erec Rex is an impostor and not the true king. Only his true friends,like Bethany, and a new friend named Jam,and a secret admirer named Tina (who is actually a hydra)believe in him. Of course he goes on a quest and success is his!In the end he returns to his adoptive mother and everything is normal(not really!).I can't wait for the third book in this series!
P.S. You have to read this book just so you can see how UGLY Tina is.

Ah, but she ugly only on the outside? And is she ugly only to us humans? That might give you a hint of what the book's about, guys. Dragonslayer is absolutely right--I can't wait for the third book either! These books are just fan-tastic!! The third one, Erec Rex: The Search for Truth, comes out on June 30. I can't wait!!!

And we have two pictures of reader guys who've won prizes. And they're both from the SMS Guys Read blog.

One is Andre the Giant, who won 2 signed books. He's got a copy of Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye and The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones that he won from our March Madness Author Shoot-out.

Here's Koko B. Ware with his copy of the Patrick Carman Atherton book that he won from Ms. Yingling's contest.

Well done, men! Keep up the good work! And let us know how you like them.

Carl

Dragonslayer Flies!

2009-06-11T17:12:00.001-04:00

Wow! This guy is quick! No sooner had I posted his review of Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness than I got this one about a very cool paper-airplane book:

Dragonslayer here,

A few weeks ago at Imaginon, I made a paper airplane with some other kids. Mr.Carl showed us how to make them. Then we flew them in the library! I checked out a great book called "The kids' guide to paper airplanes" by Cristopher L.Harbo. I made a bunch of them. My favorite is the Angry Finch airplane. There are also instructions for a circular airplane called the Space Ring.The book as many impressive airplanes including one called the Huntress.It looks like an eagle.Check it out for hours of flying fun!

Thanks, Dragonslayer! He's right--these planes are impressive and they surely do FLY!! Get a copy of this book and find out. And I'll let you all know when I do this paper-airplane program again. It was fun!

Carl

More Comments From Our Friends

2009-06-09T17:17:00.001-04:00

Hey, one and all, Carl here with some stuff from our friends. Danny is first up, talking about The Roar by Emma Clayton:

This book was so unbeliveable and really made all the readers think. I'm glad other people enjoyed it to. Do you think there will be a sequel?

I don't know, man. I've heard that this book was the first in a trilogy, but, honestly, I hope not. I liked the open ending of that book. It made me think about what would happen to the characters and seemed to fit the points the author wanted to make. But--this book was so powerful that I would gladly read more! If there are any sequels, I'll be sure to let you know! Or you tell me if you find out first.

Then our faithful blog follower SWIRL told us about a book giveaway contest (and I think she's jealous of our summer programs):

Aw MAN- can you guys PLEASE come on a road-trip to hawaii and host fun stuff at our library!?!? ( I guess it would be more complicated than a simple road trip... no roads lead to Hawaii...)I think your summer plans sound CRAZY Awesome!

I just wanted to let you know of an on-line book club for kids--hosted at Bookclub4kids.com.Publishers are giving away 5 copies of the book- but you have to hurry and enter to win!

I wouldn't mind a road trip to HAWAII this summer! Don't worry about not having any roads--I'll just hop aboard my Astroliner Total Luxury Cruise Liner and sail there! (Bill says he knows I'm crazy now!) Anyway, check out the giveaway at Bookclub4kids. They're giving 5 copies of a book called MVP and it looks good. Do it soon, though!

Another faithful follower, Ms. Yingling, told us that Koko B. Ware won a contest (I think she was also impressed by our book club and summer lineup):

Looks like you guys are having too much fun. Wish I could drop by and get some tips on wielding a light saber. Hey, please let Koko B. Ware know that he was the prize winner in the Atherton Giveaway!

If you remember, Ms. Yingling held a contest to give away books by Patrick Carman Atherton. Koko sent the winning entry. So go to her blog, Ms. Yingling Reads, and see what he said. It's pretty good. And, Koko, you can find out how to contact Ms. Yingling by going to her blog. Congratulations!

BTW, Ms. Yingling spend last weekend in a 36-hour reading marathon. Here's her final result:

34 1/2 hours, 30 books, and 7,850 pages

WOW!! Not only that, but she reviewed every book she read!! (including The Roar) Go and read all about it. What an accomplishment! She deserves to be an Honorary Guy!

Finally, we hear from Andre the Giant, another good friend from the SMS Guys Read blog after he received two books he won from our March Madness contest (better late than never!):

HEY this is Andre the Giant and I just got your books from Mr. H and I haven't started them yet because believe it or not reading the City of Ember for the first time. I really appreciate it that I got the signed copy, my day just keeps getting better. But any way when I have finished the City of Ember I'll come and reply to this blog post.Thank you again for the books.~Andre the Giant

Great! Glad they got to you. He won a signed copy of The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones by Helen Hemphill and a signed copy of the first Erec Rex book by Kaza Kingsley. We can't wait to hear how you liked The City of Ember. That book rocked! So did The People of Sparks. The third one, The Prophet of Yonwood, looks like it will too.

Thanks for writing, everyone! We love hearing from you.

The Second City of Ember Boys Book Club--Book Discussion, Punch-and-Flag Making, Martial Arts, and Belching

2009-06-08T16:52:00.014-04:00

What a great time! We held the second meeting of our boys' book club last Saturday and three of our faithful reader guys were there--Ethan (aka Dragonslayer), Leland, and Alex. The subject was The People of Sparks, the second book in the City of Ember series. The fun started with a relay-race game between the Ember Messengers and the Sparks Roamers. Then we had snacks. That meant, of course, that the guys got to make their own punch:

Then we talked about The People of Sparks over snacks. Pretty good discussion, too. The group was divided over which book was better, about whether the mayor of Ember in the first book or Tick in the second book was worse, and the multiple meanings that names can have--like "Sparks." That could refer to the hope of new beginning or the sparks that start a fire of war. Or "Tick." That was the name of a really bad character in The People of Sparks but a "tick" is also a blood-sucking insect or the sound a time bomb makes before it goes off. Both of those are good descriptions of Tick's character. Here's a sample of our discussion:

Here's one of the highlights of the high-quality literary talk:

Now that's book reviewing!!!

Of course, no book club is complete without martial arts:

We're not this rowdy all the time, however, and our next activity was to create a flag, since the people of Sparks and Ember had their own flags in the second book. This flag was to symbolize both books and be something that the Ember and Sparks guys could cooperate on. Here's the finished product:

Here's a close-up:

The top says, "City of Ember Boys Book Club 2009." The left-hand side has a complete light bulb and people being peaceful to symbolize The People of Sparks. The right-hand side has a broken light bulb and war to symbolize The City of Ember. The middle combines both books with complete and broken light bulbs. And a vampire. I'm not sure what the vampire is for. Leland said it was there because it looked cool. The inscription underneath says, "Violence is better than Non-Violence." Ummm--are you sure about that, guys??? Wasn't the opposite the whole point of the second book? I told Leland that, when he gets older, he'll find out that violence is not better but he said, "Oh, no, I'm not talking about real life--I meant that it's better only in reading. It's more fun to read about people shooting and fighting each other." OK--I can't argue with that! Well said, Leland! Spoken like a true GUY!!!

The next meeting will be the first week in August and we'll do The Prophet of Yonwood, the third book. I've started it and it's good already! AND GUESS WHAT--it takes place in NORTH CAROLINA!! At least the first couple of chapters do.

Hope a bunch of you can come to the next meeting!!

Carl