Battle of the Bums--I Mean Bands

Hey, all you rockers in blogland, we have a new contest! You've heard of "battles of the bands" in which bands compete to see who's the best, right? Well, we at the Boys Rule Boys Read blog like to do things differently. We're holding "THE BATTLE OF THE BUMS." Read on to see how it works.

But first I have to say that Mick, Paul, and Sting will have to look out because TWO NEW ROCK STAR ARE BORN!!! Everyone will soon forget about Elvis, Roger Daltry, Eddie Van Halen, or Jon Bon Jovi because these major talents have taken the stage. The first is BILL STRUMMER, lead singer for THE CRASH. Here he is at the Imaginon Arena, rocking the crowd like they've never been rocked before:

The second is CARL GHERKINS, backed up by SMASHING PICKLES:

Wow, was that ROCK AND ROLL!!!???

Well, maybe not.

That's why we call this "The Battle of the Bums." Instead of seeing which band in the battle is better, we want to know which one is WORSE!!

Now it's YOUR turn--vote for which singer is WORSE. Who stinks up a song more--Bill or Carl? Vote on the poll in the upper left hand corner! The "winner" will appear in another music video, singing a song and wearing an outfit picked by Ellen. That's right, Ellen of the Girls Read Girls Rule (the World) blog. Yes, the same Ellen who went before the Court of Cosmic Justice and was called Evil Ellen by Darth Bill. Now Ellen has her chance for REVENGE! So go and VOTE!!! We'll anounce the "winner" on Monday.

Return of the Boys' Movie Afternoon!

That's right, guys, we'll hold another Boys' Movie Afternoon here at Imaginon on Thursday, August 6 at 2 pm. We'll show that terrific movie The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring one of the best adventure stars of all time, the great Errol Flynn. This movie has it all--sword fights, heroes, bad guys, sword fights, laughs, and did I say SWORD FIGHTS??

Here's a clip to show you what I mean:




Well, the focus my be fuzzy but you get the idea. The movie is for BOYS ONLY!! And you need to be from 9-12 years old. Call 704-416-4630 to register. Don't let it sneak up on you!

And we'll have Sam Shapiro, movie expert and cool guy, to give an introduction. Sam is the head of the movie department at the Main Library and knows more interesting things about movies than anyone else I've ever met. So, forsooth, merry men, come out and have a good time!

Carl

Bond, James Bond

Bond, James Bond....well not really it's Corder, Bill Corder Librarian!!!! Since I am reviewing a book about one of the most famous spies ever, here's a little theme music to get you in the mood!!!!!








Now if that doesn't get you in the mood to kick some bad guy butt nothing will!!!! So let's talk some Bond:



Silverfin: Young Bond Book 1 by Charlie Higson - I recently heard about the Young Bond Series so I decided to check it out and see if they were as good as I had been hearing. Well I just finished reading Book 1 of the Series and I have to say I'm hooked and look forward to reading the rest. In this first book we are introduced to Bond when he is a 12 year old student attending Eton Boarding School in England. He has few friends, although the ones he does have are good ones, and he is very much a loner. We find out that his parents died when he was 7 years old and he is being raised by his Aunt Charman. James is a new student at the school and he immediately runs afoul of an older student George Hellebore who is a bully and the son of Lord Hellebore, a wealthy and powerful arms dealer. Lord Hellebore comes to the school and sets up a tournament that involves shooting, running and swimming all in the hopes that his son George will win by any means necessary. Let's just say that James prevents George from winning and their relationship does not improve. Break comes to Eaton and James travels to Scotland to meet his Aunt Charman who is there taking care of his Uncle Max who is dying of cancer. Just when James thinks he is getting away from his troubles at school, he discovers that the Hellebores live in an old castle by Lock Silverfin; right in the very same area that his uncle lives. James meets new friends in Scotland in Red Kelly, who sneaks on a train in England with Jame's help, and Wilder Lawless as they try to figure out what has become of Red's brother who was last seen in this area. Needless to say all clues lead to Lock Silverfin and the Hellebores. This is a great book for both Bond and Non-Bond fans (if that is possible?). Two Thumbs Up!!!!!!

So until next time this is Bill, Darth Bill saying Peace.

Mission to the Moon

Hey, guys, it's the CARLMAN and do you know what today is? I'll give you a hint--it's an important milestone of humanity's exploration of space. 40 years ago this day, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out of the Lunar Module and became the first human beings ever to walk on a surface outside of the earth. That's right--today marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. There have been a lot of books published this year to commemorate the event but the best I've seen is Mission to the Moon by Alan Dyer. It tells an amazing story, from early moon myths to the invention of rockets to the whole Apollo space program and possible future plans for moon exploration. And there are the coolest photos!! There are pictures on the moon, of the different designs of spacesuits, inside the command module, and of the astronauts undergoing survival training in case they landed in the desert or jungle instead of the ocean! Plus there are all sorts of interesting facts about rockets, training the astronauts, and the moon itself. And it comes with a really interesting DVD of an old NASA film about Apollo 11. This is a fascinating book that I can't get enough of! CHECK IT OUT, GUYS! This is one you'll like a lot!

PS--here are a few interesting sidelights:

Did you know the astronauts had to spend a long time in quarantine after they returned? No one knew if they would pick up an alien germ that would wipe out life on earth!

There are some cool bonus features on the DVD. One of the best is the "Moon Walks" feature. It shows clips of other astronauts (there were six Apollo missions after Apollo 11) playing around on the moon! Yep, they couldn't resist jumping around or doing sharp turns with on the moon rover. It's good to know those astronauts did just what we would do if we were there! (Did you know some of them brought golf clubs and hit golf balls on the moon?)

Here's an amazing fact that no one mentions--we went to the moon and back on 1969 technology! Chew on that for a while.

One of the very coolest things in the book and on the DVD is watching that ENORMOUS Saturn 5 rocket blasting off.

I remember the moon landing. I was 13 when all this happened. The TV networks would always broadcast the blast offs and sometimes teachers would bring TV's into school so we could watch them. My family was on vacation that year and I saw Neil Armstrong step onto the moon from a TV set in a motel room in Oklahoma City.

Ms. Leah and the Percy Jackson Movie Trailer!

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!

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!

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!

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!!

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

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

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...

...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

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!

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!!!

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