Happy Reading In 2010!

Just a wish from all of us for a Happy and Prosperous New Year. There have been a lot of good books in 2009 and we're looking forward to even more coming up. (A lot of bloggers publish their favorites of 2009 about now but we've been too busy--maybe next week) What do YOU look forward to reading in 2010? The Kane Chronicles? More graphic novels? More 39 Clues? More Erec Rex? Or something we don't even know about yet? Let us know! And don't forget--you still have until Monday to write reviews and get a free book for each one you send!

Incredible! MORE Reviews!

This is Yoda Claws and very embarrassed I am! Darth Bill just told me that these great reviews from the last few days are from Michael, but I thought they were from Lee! Got the name wrong I did. (gave Michael his mom's name I did!) Gone back and corrected this I have. Very sorry I am, Michael. And to think that I, a trainer of jedi knights, was corrected by a sith!! Well, here are two more reviews from MICHAEL:

Forbidden Doors, book 2
The Deceived
by Bill Myers
When Becka's boyfriend Ryan wants her to attend a lecture on reincarnation with him, Becka thinks it's no big deal. But then, the speaker uses her as an expiriment, and get's involved in her personal life, even dating her mom. Scott, Becka's brother, learns from Z, his mysterious chat room friend, that the speaker, Maxwell, is very dangerous. And when Becka's mom sees his demonic power for herself, she and Scott try to convince Becka to get away from Maxwell and his evil powers. Becka won't listen, and winds up in the hospital when she thinks that she can find power over all the world in the headlight of an oncoming train.. Amazing story, awesome action, and a great life lesson. Great book! Also, Becka and Scott star in 11 other books in the Forbidden Doors series.

The Imager (Bloodstone) Chronicles, book 1
The Portal
by Bill Myers
Who knew that the rock Denise found in her old basement would actually be the key to an alternate world? When Denise gives her friend Nathan (who's a selfish brat) a bloodstone for his birthday, he thinks it's the worst gift ever. But when exposed to the light of the full moon, it sends out a distress signal to creatures from another dimension. When Denise and Nathan are sucked away to Fayrah with strange animals that call themselves Aristophenix, Listro Q., and Samson, they explore the new world. They find it's many surprises and dangers as they run into enemies of Imager, the One who creadted us all. Through action, suspense, and near death, Denise and Nathan find out how to fight the devil, and they also learn about the all-encompassing heart of God.. Great moral, great lesson, and great way to teach it. Denise and Nathan star in 3 other books in the Imager (or Bloodstone) Chronicles.

Thanks, Michael. We're always glad to hear from you. Very glad we are to hear from all you other reader guys, too. Keep sending those reviews. Remember that you get a free book for each review you send! (If questions you have, check our post of December 17)

Amazing! Still More Reviews!

Yes, my friends, we have MORE reivews from Michael. This makes a total of eight so far!! Let's see the latest:


The Christmas Genie
by Dan Gutman
When a meteor comes crashing through a school window, and a genie is found inside, he agrees to give Chase and his classmates 1 hour to decide on a wish. I really enjoy Dan Gutman's books and this was the best yet!

The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle, book 9
My Life as Raindeer Road Kill
by Bill Myers
Santa on an out-of-control 4-wheeler? Electrical Rudolph on the rampage? Nothing new for the only walking national disaster area, Wally McDoogle. Wally dreams that an angel named Bartholemew invites him to a birthday party... for GOD! As Wally tries this and that and everything else to make money in order to get the perfect gift for God, he finally bumbles his way into the real reason for the season. I love Bill Myer's books. He's my favorite author. This was awesome! As a side note... Bartholemew reappears in book #28: My Life as a Supersized Superhero with Slobber.

My Weird School, book 15
Ms. Holly is Too Jolly!
by Dan Gutman
When Ms. Holly comes to Ella Mentry School, everything is Christmas related. There is one plus, though. Ms. Holly agrees that 2nd graders A. J., Ryan, and Michael can be Christmas Elvises in the school Christmas play. I love Dan Gutman's books, and this was really awesome. A. J. and his friends star in a brand-new series called My Wierd School Daze.

My Weird School Daze, book 7
Dr. Brad Has Gone Mad!
by Dan Gutman
When Dr. Brad, Ella Mentry School's counseler, picks 3rd graders A. J., Ryan, Michael, and A. J.'s rivals, Andrea, Emily, and Annete for his next expirement, the classmates are in for an adventurous time as A. J. hypnotizes Andrea and winds up climbing the school to save her. I really like Dan Gutman's books, and this is his newest. A. J. and his friends are also in a 21 book series called My Wierd School. Check it out!


Well done, Lee! Since you have written eight reviews, you can claim eight free books!! If you other readers guys want in on the action, click on the Comments tab under this post and send your reviews to us. Read the post of December 18 to find out more. And click on the "Dan Gutman" tab under this post to see what we and your fellow reader guys have said about some of his other books.

The CARLMAN

Awesome! Even MORE Reviews!

Merry Day After Christmas, everyone! It's the CARLMAN, hoping all of you have had a great holiday season so far. I certainly had a great Christmas. There's a Wii system in the CARLMAN'S house!! Oh, yeah! I must have been a good CARLMAN this year!

Well, I've got something else to make the season bright. When I arrived at the library today, there was a messenger droid from Yoda Claws with three new book reviews! Two of them are from Michael, who has already sent us three. (see the December 22 post) The other is from our new friend Elias. Let's hear from Lee first:

Passages, book 1
Darien's Rise
by Paul McCusker
When an old manuscript is discovered at an antiques sale, Jack Allen and John Avery Whittaker are left to decide if it's true. Anna and Kyle, in 1950s Odyssey, get sucked away to an alternate world called Marus. There they meet Darien, a young warrior who is about to marry Princess Michelle. The only problem is, King Lawrence hates Darien because of his popularity. The king tries many a plot to kill Darien, but when Prince George, Darien's best friend, tells Darien about the plot, Darien is able to avoid the schemes. When Kyle and Anna develop supernatural powers from the Unseen One (which who God is known as in Marus), they are able to help Darien become king in the end. There are many great adventures in between, including Darien climbing the side of a moving train, Anna nearly being killed, and King Lawrence going completely insane! Even if you have never heard the radio drama, Adventures in Odyssey, from which this story was taken, it's a great read for anyone and everyone! Also, Adventures in Odyssey now has this book in audio drama form if you don't feel like reading it. Awesome book!

And here's another:

The Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
When hobbit Bilbo Baggins teams up with 14 dwarves and a wizard, they travel together through the countryside and face many hardships, including avalanches, enchanted water, nasty elves, and a guy named Bard. Their ultimate goal? To defeat Smaug, the dragon that has terrorized the mountainside for many centuries, and to gain all the treasure that he has stolen over the years. This was a really good book. It has a prequel, The Simirilian, and sequels, the Lord of the Rings series. A great read!

Now let's see whar Elias has read:

Book Review: Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O’Connor

I really loved the book Greetings from Nowhere. It was about four people who all had big problems they had to deal with. One of the things I liked about it was that there were numerous protagonists. I liked how each of them had a problem at first, but in the end they decided to forget their problems and have fun and make friends. I think this was an exceptional book since it had a good moral. One thing I didn’t like was that not all of the characters were friendly. One of them stole lots of things. He wasn’t a very good character because he didn’t play a very important role in the story. But overall, it was a very good book.So that is a little bit about the book Greetings from Nowhere. I recommend it to all readers who want a good read.

Thanks, guys! These all sound good. The Hobbit is one of my all-time favorites. (Tolkien and C. S. Lewis are my all-time favorite authors) I must confess I haven't read the other two but they sound good too. Other guys have read and liked another Barbara O'Connor book; if you want to find out which one, click on the "Barbara O"Connor" tab under this post. Good work, reader guys! Keep those reviews coming. Don't forget that you get a free book for each review! Go to the post of December 18 to find out where to pick them up. And go find these books, everyone!

The Return of Commander X

Hi all,

I just wanted to get in one quick last post before the Christmas Holidays. There is an all new Commander X Adventures Online Book/Graphic Novel that is out for the Holidays. I really loved it and wanted to share this early Christmas Gift with you all. So here is some really good general information.


Commander X Adventures by Jay Piscopo and others - Well as last year around the holiday season the most great and awesome Jay Piscopo and friends have released another online Commander X Book/Graphic Novel!!!!!! To read this excellent and latest installment of the adventures of Commander X, all you have to do is click on the title above or go to http://www.captneli.com/index.php the Official Web Page of all things "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n' Eli." Just click on the cover with the picture of Commander X and Circe. The best part of all this is it is free!!!! All you have to have is an internet connection and if you do not have that at home just come to the library!!!!! If you have yet to read any of the Graphic Novels in "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli," well you need to check them out from the library or order them for a very reasonable price from the above Web Site. You can find my reviews of The Capt'n Eli Graphic Novels and things about Jay Piscopo at the following locations on our Blog just by clicking on them:

Commander X, The Last Olympian, and Other Cool Stuff

Darth Bill's Picks of 2008

On The Road with Jay Piscopo and The Zen of Finding One's Way

Volume 1

Volume 2

A picture of me with my all time favorite Comic/Graphic Novel Writer/Artist Jay Piscopo!!! (This is from when he visited the PLCMC System from all the way up in Maine this past year!!!!)

Oh back to the online Book/Graphic Novel, here is what is included:
Commander X vs. The Simian Squad ...... Written by Frank Schildiner,
Illustrated by Mike Fyles

First Encounter ...... Written by Frank Schildiner,
Illustrated by Danny Kelly and Robert Caine Jeffcoat

Pin-up: Circe ...... Delfin Barral

Pin-up: Circe ...... Norn Cutson

The Wake of the War-Beast ...... Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo

Pin-up: Commander X ...... Jay Piscopo

Pin-up: Circe ...... Jay Piscopo

Pin-up: Commander X and Circe ...... Jay Piscopo

Bonus! Commander X Variants by Jay Piscopo


Knight Avenger

Knight Commando

Western Knight

The entire thing was just a gas to read. If you like your adventure high and fueled with excitement, what are you waiting for??????? Give it a look see.

....and by the way if anyone wants to buy me something for Christmas, I really want the Commander X: Barbary Knight Action Figure. Ka-pow and Unguard,hahahhahahahhahahhahhaahhahahahahahhahhahahahhhahhahah....

Well Happy Holidays all and peace on Earth and in the Heavens,

Bill

Very Excited I Am! Our First Review!

Yes, reader guys, Yoda Claws is very happy to publish the first review of our Holiday Reading Giveaway. It's from our new friend Augustin:

Name of book:Esio Trot Author:Roald Dahl

What it is about: It began with a man named Mr. Hoppy who was in love with his neighbor whose name was Mrs. Silver. But Mrs. Silver was in love with someone else, her pet tortoise which was named Alfie. Finally Mr. Hoppy thought of a plan. Mrs Silver was always wanting Alfie to grow bigger.So Mr. Hoppy went to the local petshop and purchased several tortoises. When Mrs. Silver went to work the next day, Mr. Hoppy replaced Alfie with another larger turtle. So this went on until the fake Alfie couldn't get his shell through the opening of his little house. Finally Mrs Silver noticed him and called Mr. Hoppy down to look at him. It was while they were having tea together that Mr. Hoppy gathered up the courage to ask her if she would marry him. "Of course I will" she said. "After all it was your magic words that made him grow" Mrs Silver said. So they got married and lived happily ever after.

Submitted by Augustin De Piante

Many thanks, Augustin! Very happy you have made me. Come to the Imaginon or Matthews or Mint Hill library and get your free book. Or live out of town you do? Call Carl, give him your address, and get it to you he will. (his number is in the post under this one) MORE reviews from you guys I hope to get!

Doubly Excited I Am! MORE Reviews!

Wow! Tremendously great you guys are! I, Yoda Claws, have just received three new reviews from another new friend, Michael:

The Missing: book 1
Found
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
When Jonah Skidmore and his friend Chip find out they're adopted, they and Jinah's sister, Katherine, are caught up in a bizarre series of incidents, leading up to the fact that they and 34 other kids were taken from different places in history by people from the future and put on a time machine disguised as a plane. 13 years later, in a clever scheme brought about by the people from the future, 35 of the kids and Katherine are gathered together and travel through time when Jonah offers to fix time for the people of the future. Now he, Chip, Katherine, and one of the kids on the plane named Alex must do that in the 15th century. I enjoyed this book very much. I love time travel, and this is a must-read book for any and every time travel fan out there!

The Doom Machine
by Mark Teague
When aliens capture some people from Earth, they are in for a surprise. Using a machine that can make holes in time and space, they travel to numerous planets, from Hellebeezia to Arboria, and finally to the ultimate destination of Skreepia.In the end, the people from Earth escape with the help of a friendly skreep (the aliens who live on Skreepia, that is), and with the space-time machine, they return to Earth 10 minutes after they left on a journey that took months. I personally think that this is the best book that I have read in my entire life. I loved the time travel content, and I also enjoy books about aliens. So to me this was the perfect combination.

Left Behind--the Kids, book 26
The Beast Arises
by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim Lahaye with Chris Fabry
After the Rapture occurs, four kids realize their mistakes and believe in God, and they are determined to face the Earth's last days together. Now, in the 25 books later, three of them remain. The Antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia, has been killed by the sword, as predicted in the Bible. As Carpathia's organization, the Global Community, burns downevery believer's house they can find (because they blame the believers for every bad thing that happens), they trace one of the kids and her new friends to her new hideout (they destroyed the old one). As the girl, Vicki, and her friends prepare to take off, they find that their car won't start. Hiding, they must wait for the GC to come and leave, hoping that they won't find them. Meanwhile, in New Bebylon (the city Nicolae created), the other two kids, Judd and Lionel, witness first hand Carpathia raising from the dead and coming back to life. Carpathia is now inhabited by Satan himself. As Nicolae gives his "I Am God" speach (which everyone who's not a Christian believes), the exect halfway point of the 7-year Tribulation is reached, and the kids must now face even worse: The Great Tribulation. I enjoy this series very much. Their are 40 books, and if you're scared of the Rapture, the authors have a bunch of other great Christian books just wairing to be read! An excellent piece!

Thanks, Michael! Come by Imaginon or Matthews or Mint Hill to get your free books! (since you sent 3 reviews, you'll get 3 books!) Look forward to hearing more from you, we are. Other reader guys, check out these books you should. Carl read Found and liked it--you can see his review here. The second book in that series is out now and it's called Sent. (Read that one Carl has not) AND you are now the front runner for our special prize package. Keep up the good work and let's hear from MORE of you reader guys!

He's Making A List, Checking It Twice, Going To Find Out Who's Gone To The Dark Side...

Greetings, reader guys throughout the galaxy, 'tis I, Yoda Claws. The season of giving it is and give out gifts I will. The holiday break is almost here and that's a good time to hear about the books you're reading. Therefore, give out books I will. I'll give a free book for each review you send in. You can tell us about a chapter book, a graphic novel, a nonfiction book, a biography, or even an audiobook. Tell us the name of the book, the author, what the book is about, and why you did or didn't like it. AND--give a special prize package we will to the one who writes the most reviews!! We'll continue this special offer until January 4, when go back to school you do.

Writing to us is easy--just click on the comments section under any post and write your review. If you have more questions, look on the column on the left-hand side of the page. Give you instructions it will. Also, if you want to find good stuff to read, check out some of the links on the left-hand side of the page.

Unlike that other Claus fellow, I can't be everywhere, so pick up free books you can at the Imaginon library or the Matthews library. My special padawan Master Jedi Zack will give you your books at Matthews. Or you can see that sith lord Darth Bill or the CARLMAN, who brings balance to the Force, at the Imaginon library. And I have learned through the Force that several reader guys use the Mint Hill library, so you can pick up free books there also. Just ask for Miss Linda or Miss Donna. (I assume they will be jedi--unless Darth Bill turns them!) Questions you have? Call Bill or Carl at 704-416-4630 or Zack at 704-416-5022 or Linda or Donna at 704-416-5200. But you canot just go to a library and say you wrote and want a free book--you tell the librarian who you are and which book you wrote about.

And live outside of Charlotte you do? A problem it is not. Just call Carl and give him your address and get it to you he will.

Happy reading and happy holidays!!

Yoda Claws

(curious I am--who reads more? Jedi or Sith? Tell us if you're one or the other when you write!)

Christmas Bells Are Ringing!!!!!

Hello all in the Land of Blog, tis I, The Deadly Martial Artist Librarian Darth Bill!!!!! I am master in the use of the deadly art called "Bookends of Death!!!!!!!!" Check it out:

<--- Master of The Bookends of Death!!!!!!!

Well, instead of writing a holiday list of things I want, I thought I would write a list of books I hopeto get to read soon. So, here they are:

Double or Die: Young Bond by Charlie Higson;
Freefall by Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams;
The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett ;

The Elves of Cintra by Terry Brooks (this is an adult classified book, but it's really a great book in a fantasy series that has everthing from Elves, Trolls, Druids and Dwarves to awful really frightning monsters and major bad villians);
Salt Water Taffy, Vol. 2: A Climb Up Mt. Barnabus: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny by Matthew Loux.

Well enough of that let's talk about some cool recent reads:

Marvel Adventures: The Avenger - Invasion by Paul Tobin, Dario Brizuela, etal - This most excellent of Marvel Adventures Avengers' presented in Graphic Novel (GN) Format collects issues 36 - 39 of the comic. My favorite story of the four collected involves the Avengers taking on the the equivalent of the Avengers from the 1950s, The Invaders (The Original Human Torch, Toro, The Sub-Mariner and The Whizzer), with the assisitance of two out of time Invaders Miss America and Golden Girl.

The Invaders - Old School
(but still very cool)!!!!

The Invaders have appeared in our present and are attacking the Avengers (in this story made up of Captain America, Spider-Man and Wolverine). To make matters even more confusing, Captain America belongs to both these Teams (for those of you who do not know about Cap, he is from the past but was thrown into the future---there are stories out there that explain all this). Who will win in this epic clash? Why are the Invaders fighting the Avengers? Whose side will Cap take? Read the story and find out. Other stories included in this GN include such heroes, besides those already mentioned, as Storm, Iron Man, Tigra, The Hulk, Ant-Man and Luke Cage taking on some most vile villians as an Evil Genie, The Mandarin and The Leader among others. Got to agree with Carl on this one. Really fun stuff so give it a try!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marvel's King of The Seven Seas The Sub-Mariner --->

<---The Leader- Long time villain

of the Hulk!!!!

P.S. I'm glad The Carlman enjoyed it as much as I did. I am a Sith but even Sith have moments when they can be kinda nice.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes In A Half-Shell by Michael Dooney - Cowabunga, dudes!!!! Did you know "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" turned 25 years old this year? Dudes, it's time to party with some pizzas and tasty beverages!!!!!! Also to celebrate the turtles' birthdays (Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello), this awesome Graphic Novel has been put out and it rocks, dudes!!!!! It pits these Ninja Turtles, with the aid of their teacher and mentor Splinter (once a human master of martial arts turned into a man-sized rat) and a human named April (a reporter), against evil bad guy martial artist Shredder and his minions (Be Bop - a cross between a human and a wild boar, Rock Steady - a cross between a human and a rhinoceros, the living brain Krang and more). Believe it or not, I have an issue of the very first issue of "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So I guess that makes me 25 years + ? years old.





<---Michelangelo - Master in the use of Nunchakus!!

Leonardo - Master in the use of Swords!! ->

<- Raphael - Master of the Sai!!

Donatello- Master of the Wooden Staff!!

Well that's all I got guys. If I don't post again until after Christmas, Happy Holidays all!!!!!!

Santa Sith Bill

The Kandy Kane Kid Loves Graphic Novels

Yes, indeed, all you rip-snortin' reader guys, I grew up herdin' cattle and readin' comics. The graphic novels we have now are just as fun as what I read way back then. Darth Bill just handed me one that I enjoyed more than a three-day rodeo! It was Marvel Adventures: The Avengers--Invasion. And there was not just one story but FOUR in this fun-filled GN. The first one had the Avengers fighting a genie!! How could they fight against a magical being?? The next story had some Golden Age heroes pop up in present-day New York City. How did they get there? And who do they have to battle? You gotta read it to find out! The next story has the malevolent Mandarin creating a robot that drains each Avenger's power into itself--and the team can't use thei full strength anyway because the Madarin is holding a third-grade class hostage! Finally, the Leader is trying to fire a space-based super laser into New York City and the Rhino is helping him--or is the Rhino just faking? These are great stories, guys, full of action and wisecracks. Everything you'd want in a graphic novel!! So what are you waitin' for? Saddle up your horses and go get one!!

PS--if you want to know about more good graphic novels for guys, click on the "graphic novels" tab below!

PPS--why would Darth Bill, a sith lord, do something nice, like lending me a graphic novel?? Because, when the Kandy Kane Kid shoots with both barrels full of holiday cheer, not even a sith can resist!

Kringle, Lost Worlds, Frost Giants, and the Incredible Power of Reading

Yeee-haa, book-reading buckaroos, this here's the Kandy Kane Kid. I come around every December, telling guys about good reads.

The first book is Kringle by Tony Abbot. I wrote about it two years ago; read the review here. This book's really good--a terrific, action-packed fantasy about how Santa Claus became Santa Claus. Wait a minute--an epic fantasy about Santa Claus?? Yep--and it's not what you'd expect! Go check it out. You will definitely enjoy this one!!

And now I want to rave about a couple of things Bill liked:

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (the audiobook version) Do you like audiobooks? I sure do and I enjoyed this one. Neil Gaiman reads it and he does a good job narrating the story and giving different voices to different characters. (His reading is funny, too!) The story is about a young Norse boy in times gone by who helps get Thor's hammer back from the Frost Giants. (see Bill's review here) If you want to find out about more audiobooks, click where it says "audiobooks" under this post.

Lost Worlds by John Howe What a terrific book!! John Howe, who did a lot of artwork about The Lord of the Rings, draws pictures of real and mythical places such as Timbuktu, Camelot, and Atlantis. John Howe makes awesome pictures of each place and tells the mythical or true story of each one. (see Bill's review here)

And here's a link to an article I read in last Saturday's Charlotte Observer. It's all about the Incredible Power of Reading. In fact, that's the title of the editorial. Take a look:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/1092140.html

I've always said that READING IS IMPORTANT, guys!! Now you have proof!

Carl

Whoopee! An Interview with Mac Barnett!

Yes, siree, Mac Barnett, author of the terrific The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, has been good enough to grant us an interview. Listen up, guys--he's a lot of fun!

Why is it cool for boys to read?

The way I see it, it’s not my job to tell kids why they should be reading. It’s my job to write books that make kids want to read. Reading should never be something you feel like you have to do, like putting on sun block or taking a multivitamin. You should go to books because they’re enjoyable. I hope that’s why kids read my books, anyway.

Good point. I think you've got one here that's enjoyable. Well,then, is it cool for boys to write? Why?

Sure. Here’s one reason: People who write well get what they want more often. That’s a good thing.

Steve Brixton is a big fan of the Bailey Brothers mysteries, which seems like an obvious reference to the Hardy Boys mysteries? Were you a fan of those books as a kid? Or not?
I was a huge fan of the Hardy Boys. I loved everything about those books, except the fact that Joe was considered the less handsome brother. The only difference between him and Frank was that Joe was blond, and I was blond, and I never really got over that.

Were you a fan of any other book series?
Definitely. I read a lot of series. Henry and Ramona. Fudge. Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Shannara, and Xanth. The Hitchhikers Guide.

There were 59 Bailey Brothers books. Will you write 59 Brixton Brothers books? (maybe you could clone yourself?)

That sounds like a lot. My jokes would probably start to get old around book fifty-eight. I can promise you that there will be at least three Brixton Brothers books, though.

What do you like to do for fun? (as if writing the Brixton Brothers isn’t enough fun!)
I’ve recently taken up photography. All my pictures are of a bunch of wild turkeys that visit my house, and I took them all on my cell phone, and none of them are very good. But today I saw the lead turkey and he was huge. His head was red and he was twice as big as any other turkey around. I ran over and took his picture with my cell phone. It’s not very good.

Which do you like better--cheeseburgers or pizza? What do you like on them?

I like pizza. And I like to keep it simple. You could put a ton of toppings on a piece of boot leather and it would probably taste all right. But a good cheese pizza—that’s hard to make.

Thanks, Mr. Barnett! I really enjoyed this book and am glad there will be at least two more! Go get this one, guys!!

Carl

PS--one of the first books I reviewed was The Missing Chums, one of the Hardy Boys series. Check out the review here. (BTW, one of the chapters in The Brixton Brothers is called "The Missing Chum." Mr. Barnett really is a fan!)

Incredible Danger, Intrigue, Stupidity and Lost Worlds!!!!!

Hello all in The Land of Blog. It is I, the Incredible Super Spy Darth Bill!!!! Well, I have been doing some serious sleuthing (like Sherlock Holmes) and wish to present to you some great reads I have uncovered recently. So here we go:

For the first review The CARLMAN and I decided that, since we both loved these books (Graphic Novels), and since the comics have been around a long time (even way back when we where young...ouch), we'd read them again. Don't worry though--these books have been put back out in a fresh format and are as good as ever.

Spy vs Spy: Danger! Intrigue! Stupidity! by Antonio Prohias - This is an extremely funny Graphic Novel (GN) that is being reprinted from the pages of Mad Magazine. The basic premise is you have these two extremely goofy spies out to get each other with more often than not something going horribly wrong in a hilarious manner. I don't normally do this, but I want in this case to give a little background information on the gentleman responsible for this eternally funny series of comics. This is taken from the book itself:

"Spy vs Spy was the brainchild of Cuban-born political cartoonist Antonio Prohias, who fled his country after receiving death threats from Fidel Castro. Prohias settled in America, and in 1960 he began a 26 year run of Spy misadventures in Mad Magazine." Sounds like a pretty interesting guy to me.

If you like extremely funny tricks gone wrong, random blowing up of things and whacks over the head and crafty tricks. Do not miss out on this GN among some others I am recommending in this GN Series:

Spy vs Spy: Missions of Madness
Spy vs Spy : Masters of Mayhem

Really awesome stuff!!!!!!

And Now for a couple of words from the Carlman on Spy vs Spy:

I have to agree with Darth Bill. I read these in Mad Magazine when I was a CARLBOY. They were funny then and they're funny now. You will definitely enjoy these! BTW, Bill, I left you a present on your desk. Yeah, it's ticking, but that doesn't mean it's a bom.......KABOOOOMM!!!!!...cough, sputter...stupid timer always goes off too soon...

Lastly just to give you a taste of what Spy vs Spy is really about here is an animated short starring these two goofballs:






The Incredibles: Family Matters by Mark Waid and Marcio Takara- To be totally honest with you when I started reading this Graphic Novel, I did not expect much from it. I am very happy to report, man, that I was so wrong. I should have known better with the most excellent Mark Waid doing the writing duties. Also Mr. Takara's artwork totally rocks!!!!! The story starts out with The Incredibles -- Mr. Incredible (Super Strength), Elastigirl (Stretching Powers), Dash (Super Speed), Violet (Force Field Generator) and baby Jack-Jack (Powers ?) -- taking on the villainous Futurion (Time Powers) at the zoo. Much to Mr. Incredibles' shock and dismay during this battle and even before, he seems to be losing his super strength. How does he tell his super-powered family much less face up to the fact that he is no longer a super? Read this incredibly well written and well drawn GN to find out. Oh, almost forgot to mention, that my favorite super-hero in The Incredibles' Universe, Frozone also shows up in the GN along with other surprises. Cool Stuff!!!!!!!!!!

Lost Worlds by John Howe - For those of you out there in The Land of Blog who don't recognize the name John Howe, well you should (especially if you are a fan of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings). John Howe and Alan Lee are recognized by most as the premiere artist associated with depicting the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. In this wonderful book John Howe takes a look at both lands and places that existed in the far past, may have existed in the far past and are purely myth (or so most would believe) and draws amazing pictures of these places. He also gives readers information on these ancient places that will astound the reader. Some of the places covered in this book are:

Atlantis - The legendary city beneath the waves.
Knossos - The home of the Greek Mythological Minotaur.
Pompeii - The very real Roman City that was destroyed by a massive volcanic eruption.
And many, many more!!!!!

This book is both a joy to look at and read!!!! Don't miss the opportunity to check it out. I really can not praise this book anymore than I have. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!!!!!

Well all until we next meet,
Happy Reading,

Bill

The Action Starts When Steve Checks Out A Book And Secret Agents Crash Through The Windows

Yep, that's right. In The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett, 12-year-old Steve Brixton is a big fan of the old Bailey Brothers mysteries. He's read every one of the 59 Bailey Brothers books--some of them two or three times! He also wants to be a detective, like the Bailey Brothers, and is smart enough to be one in real life. Then why is he stuck with a stupid homework assignment on early American needlepoint? When he goes to the local library and checks out the history of American quilting, the lights go out, alarms sound, secret agents burst into the building, and Steve is arrested for treason! Then the action really starts! Steve gets chased by secret agents in a bookmobile, tries to get out of a stretch limo while his arms are tied up, has to escape from his own bedroom, and is nearly run over at sea by a Chinese freighter! Wow! Is that enough excitement for you? AND this book is funny!! You'll find your selves laughing out loud one second and gasping with suspense the next. I enjoyed this book a lot. I think there are going to be more Brixton Brothers books. I sure hope so!! (PS--the illustrations by Adam Rex--who did the hilarious Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich books--are really great and set the tone well, making it look like one of those old Bailey Brothers mysteries. And wait until you see the picture of Steve trying to go undercover in his sailor costume and moustache!)

Carl

BTW, without giving too much away, you'll learn that all librarians know seven types of martial arts. Bill, of course, has the Flashing Book Ends of Death. I have the Nunchucks of Nastiness. Yes, I may seem like the mild-mannered librarian, but with a couple of rhythm sticks, some rubber bands, and a little book tape, I become the NUN CHAKU MASTER OF DESTRUCTION!!

This Turkey Is Thankful...

...that the Lightning Thief movie is coming out in less than 3 months! Here's the new movie trailer:


Thanks to our faithful follower Jana for the link. To check out more, go to http://www.percyjacksonthemovie.com/ (I'm also thankful for all our faithful followers)

AND I'm thankful for favorite old series like EREC REX and SLUGGERS that continue to put out new books and new series like LEVIATHAN and THE BRIXTON BROTHERS, which I'm reading now and looks like it will be another REALLY great series (hope to tell you about it soon).

AND I'm thankful that we live in a country where we can read what we like. Not everyone gets to do that, guys! Don't take it lightly!

And I'm thankful that I get to work and blog with a couple of turkeys like Darth Bill and Master Jedi Zack. We had some fun this year and read some good stuff, didn't we? Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Carl

Hi all, this is Darth Bill, I agree with The Great Carl Man in that I am grateful to live in a country such as ours where we have so many great freedoms and opportunities. I am also grateful to have two bums like Jedi Master Zack and The Carl Man to work on this post with (who an I kidding, this is not work...it's too much fun!!!!!). Hope you all have a great Holiday and Peace, Bill

My turn, Master Jedi Zack here! I too am thankful for the great and awesome Boys Rule bloggers that I work with, even if one of them is a dastardly sith. I'm also thankful for all of the awesome books that we can get our hands on around here. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Norse Gods, King Arthur and Kick-Butt Superheroes

Well I could talk about a bunch of things before I give my take on some cool reads, but I just can't wait!!!! Oh wait a minute, Jedi Master Zack's Book Club for The Graveyard Book looks awesome!!! So if you can participate I highly encourage you as this book just rocks!!!!! Now let's get right down to talking about some reads I truly enjoyed:


The Chronicles of Arthur: Sword of Fire and Ice by John Matthews and Mike Collins - This Graphic Novel (GN) tells the story of young Arthur and his tutelage by Merlin on the island of Avalon, away from the land of Great Britain (also known as Albion) that he is destined to rule. The island of Avalon is ruled by the mysterious and mystical "Sisterhood of the Nine" and inhabited by many strange people and creatures such as: The Green Knight, The evil Fir Bolg, The Questing Beast, The Great Lord Arawn of The Underworld and more. Young Arthur learns many lessons in this GN filled with adventure leading to his becoming King of Albion. This is really a well done crafting of one version of the Arthurian Legend.




Odd and The Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman - This is a great short story by the great and most awesome Neil Gaiman that deals with one of my favorite mythologies; that being Norse Mythology!!!!! The story presents the tale of a crippled boy named Odd and his encounter with the Norse Gods Odin, Thor and Loki. When the story starts winter, it seems, is here to stay. Everyone waits but winter goes on and on. Things in the village Odd lives in start to turn ugly, so he heads out on his own to stay in his dead father's hut in the woods. While staying in the woods he comes across three animals: an eagle (the transformed Odin), a bear (the transformed Thor) and a fox (the transformed Loki). He finds out indeed that these are three of the greatest Norse Gods trapped in animal form. How did they get trapped in animal form and how can Odd help them? Read this great story and find out!!!!! Also find out about cool things such as the Rainbow Bridge, Frost Giants, Asgard, a giant hammer and Vikings. What are you waiting for? Start Reading!!!!!!




Marvel Adventures Thor Featuring Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and Captain America by Paul Tobin and More - Man, this was one awesome Graphic Novel to read. This Marvel Adventures collects issues 5 - 8 of the most awesome Marvel Comic: Marvel Adventures Super Heroes. The first story stars a team-up of two of my favorite Marvel Heroes: Dr. Strange and Spider-Man. Well, with Dr. Strange in the picture you can be pretty sure magic will be involved and just general, um well... strangeness.

The Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Strange

The second story tells the origin of one of the smallest super heroes around: Ant-Man. The third features one of my favorite mythological gods, who also happens to be a super hero... Thor!!!!! He's up against his half-brother, Loki, who also happens to be the god of mischief. Thor has his hands full in this one as Loki attempts to get him in trouble with The All Father Odin!!!!

A Comic from Way Back in the Day staring Thor Vs. Loki

The last story features truly one of my favorite super heroes... Captain America!!!! Cap has just been awoken in our present from way back in 1945 during World War II. To say the least, he is a bit confused about what has happened to him and this strange future he finds himself in. It doesn't help that both SHIED and HYDRA are both after him as he tries to figure things out with his new friend Rick Jones.

The Ultimate American Hero - Captain America

This was a great read, with lots of cool artwork!!!! If you are looking for a cool GN to read, I highly recommend this one. Too Cool!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time all, peace,

Bill

Wednesday Warriors

Hey there Guys in the Land 'o Blog, Master Jedi Zack here.

The book club I do with my Padawan (Rebecca, also known as the Matthews Teen Librarian) is meeting again on Tuesday December 8th. The book club is for 5th-8th graders at the Matthews Branch Library and is called the Wednesday Warriors.

At our next meeting we will discuss The Graveyard Book as well as vote on what books we want to read for the Fall meetings. If you are interested come by the branch or give us a call (704.416.5000) to sign up.

The Black Circle by Patrick Carman

...will grab you by the throat and not let you go until you reach the very last word. Man, oh, man! I didn't think these 39 Clues book could get any better, but this one gets this suspense, action, creepiness, and mystery up to a whole new level. Dan and Amy Cahill get a strange telegram while in Cairo, Egypt that says they should go to a certain locker in the Cairo airport. What they find sends them deep into Russia with only 36 hours to traverse that enormous country to find the greatest Clue yet. Of course, they can't do it alone, so they have to make an alliance with one of the most unlikely branches of their deadly family. AND they have to solve a lot of mysteries and dodge ruthless killers along the way, climbing inside gigiantic statues and hiding in coffins with bones of long-dead rulers! I tell you, I couldn't stop reading until I got to the last page! For fun, exitement, and heart-stopping danger, you can't do better than The Black Circle!

Carl

Racing to Freedom--Three Terrifc Books

Hey, guys, I've got not one, not two, but three really terrific books for you. It's the Racing To Freedom Trilogy by Alison Hart. They're about young Gabriel Alexander, an African-American boy born as a slave on Woodville Farms near Lexington, Kentucky. It's 1864 as the story starts and the Civil War is raging. Even though there's no fighting in Kentucky, there are Rebel raiders hiding everywhere, waiting to steal horses and shoot anyone who tries to stop them. Here are biref summeries of each book:

Gabriel's Horses--Gabriel and his Pa keep the horses at Woodville Farms. Mister Giles, the owner, enters his horses in the Lexingotn races but there are Rebel raiders who also want them. How can a poor boy stop bad men with guns?

Gabriels' Triumph--Mr. Giles is so impressed by Gabe's ability to ride that he makes Gabe a jockey. Gabe is so good that he gets his freedom. In this book, Mr. Giles enters Gabe and his best horse in the races in Saratoga Springs, New York, the finest race track in the country. But some people don't want a poor boy from Kentucky winning this race and will do anything--anything--to stop him.

Gabriel's Journey--Gabriel decdes that being a winning jockey is not enough and joins the Union Army to fight for the freedom his people crave. He's too young to be a soldier but he can use his skill with horses to help the black cavalry. His unit is called out to fight before they're ready and sent to the Battle of Saltville, Virginia. The Confederates hate black soldiers and will have no mercy on them--and the worst part is that Gabe's Pa is one of those soldiers!




I tell you, guys, these books are TERRIFIC!! Alison Hart really knows how to tell a story and make you feel that you're in the middle of it. You feel the thrill of thundering down a race track or hear the bullets from the enemy whiz past you. And she knows how to punch up a story with action and build up so much suspense that you can hardly stand it. Don't miss these books! You will really enjoy them!!

PS--I reviewed Gabriels' Horses back in February. Click here to see that review. The library didn't have the third book and I had to wait until they ordered it before I reviewed the other two. In the meantime, Ms. Hart read that review and was so pleased that she sent me the whole trilogy! She even acknowledged that BOYS RULE and, for that, we made her an Honorary Guy.