A Nook and a Behemoth!

Happy second week of holiday vacation to all you reader guys! Hope you had a good Christmas. I certainly did, spending time with family and friends, but I also got one of the coolest gifts I've ever received--a brand new NOOK!!! Yes, indeed, the Iron Guy meets 21st-century technology! These Nooks and Kindles and other e-readers could be the wave of the future. A lot of grownups are even wondering if they will replace regular books someday. (I don't think so--I bet there will be a mix of e-books and regular books in the future) What do you guys think? And do any of you have a Nook? A Kindle? Any type of e-reader? Do you like it? Or not? Write in and tell us.

And now for a review of a truly rockin' book--Behemoth by the amazing Scott Westerfeld. I was a huge fan of Leviathan, the first book in this trilogy, and I would have been happy if this second one had been just as good. Well, guess what--this one's even better!!

The story takes place in Istanbul (or Constantinople), Turkey in 1914. World War I has just broken out--except, in this story, the world is a little different from the real world of WWI. This is an "alternate history" story; the Germans and Austrians (called "Clankers") use walking war machines, while the British and their allies (called "Darwinists") use fabricated animals. The two main characters, Prince Alek of Austria and Dylan Sharp (who's really Deryn--I'll get to that in a minute) have flown to Istanbul. Prince Alek is a prisoner of the British. Dylan is with Dr. Barlow, the granddaughter of Charles Darwin, who is on a mission to deliver a secret cargo to the Sultan. Things do not go as planned, however. The mission fails spectacularly, Prince Alek escapes, hides in Istanbul and joins a revolutionary movement to overthrow the Sultan. In the meantime, Dylan performs acts of heroism, gets sent on an underwater mission and discovers a deadly Clanker weapon. And speaking of secrets, important people start to discover Dylan's secret--which is that Dylan is really Deryn, a girl who disguised herself as a boy to join the Royal Air Service!

If you liked all the adventure, excitement, humor of Leviathan, then get ready, because this book has all that plus some!! You've got Clanker machines attacked on the streets of Istanbul, strange Darwinist animals, daring nighttime escapes and an unbelievable battle at the end. And the illustrations!!! In most books, the pictures are just--well, they're just sort of there and don't really add anything. In Behemoth, the illustrations really take you into the story and bring everything vividly to life. I enjoyed this one and I'm sure you will, too. I can't wait until next year when Goliath, the third book, comes out!!
PS--if you want to see my review of Leviathan, click here. If you haven't read it already, you could go right to Behemoth, but I'd advise you to read Leviathan first so you get a better sense of what's going on.

Season's Greeting From the Iron Guy!

What better way to usher in the holiday weekend than with a little rock and roll?


Yeah, baby, that's the way to rock the night away! Well, the holiday is right around the corner.The library will be closed for three days and I plan to kick back, relax, and spend time with family and friends. I might even get some reading time and I'd love to tell you all about it. I'm only pages away from finishing Behemoth and, MAN, is it good!!! Better than the first one and that's saying a lot. I certainly wish every one of you all the love, joy and peace of the season.

Holiday Advice from the Tomas Clan

This is Agent Flexing Bear, writing from my secret Tomas stronghold. (It's cleverly disguised as a library, the last place you'd expect to see a Tomas) I just received Top Secret instructions on the best way to enjoy the holidays. Memorize it, my Tomas brothers and sisters!! (Yes, I know there are THREE whole sentences--take as many hours as you need to memorize them!!) Here you go:The first sentence about not body-slamming Santa is really good advice-- I got into SO much trouble last year when I body-slammed him after he came down our chimney last year! (Hey, it wasn't MY fault!! I thought he was a Janus in disguise!)

Going to the Movie?

Hey, reading fans, school's going to be out for holiday the break soon, maybe even today for some of you! Hope you all have a lot of fun. Speaking of fun, there will be a lot of movies coming out over the holidays and there's one already out that guy readers would especially want to see. I'm talking, of course, about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by the incredible C.S. Lewis. We have a lot of Narnia fans out there and for good reason--these books are great reads!! They're chock-full of adventure and magic and they keep you flipping pages until the very end. Well, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite of all the Narnia books. I'll never forget the first time I read it--it was summer and I was able to stay up late reading. So I got this out one night, intending to read a few pages--and stayed up until 3:00 am! And rarely have I been as entranced with a book as I was that night, staying up late and sailing with Caspian and Eustace and the Pevensie kids and Reepicheep to the very end of the world. So let me ask--have any of you read it? Did you like it as much as I did? (and don't stay up so late unless you have permission form your parents!) Do you plan to see the movie? Have you already seen it? Did you like it? Write in and let us know!
PS--click here to see my review of the Dawn Treader audiobook!

The Kandy Kane Kid and Kringle

That's right, buckaroos, I'm the Kandy Kane Kid and I come around this time every year to blast any Grinches with two barrels of holiday cheer. I also like to tell you about some mighty good reads too. Here's a MIGHTY good one I like to tell you about every year. It's Kringle by the talented Tony Abbott. It's got everything guys love--action, adventure, and a big, destructive machine!

Kringle is named after the sound a bell makes when he's born. He's living with his guardian in Britain in the fifth-century A.D. The Roman armies have left, though, and that means order is breaking down That means the bad guys are taking over. And that means the goblins--and these aren't your cutesy fairy-tale goblins, either. They're the real thing--vicious, quick, and able to do serious damage to anyone who messes with them. After they capture his guardian, he goes out to rescue her but stumbles onto the goblins' true plan--and his destiny to become gift-giver to the world.

"Wait a minute," you might say, "We've been hornswoggled! You mean this book's about Santa Claus??!!" Well, yeah, but his isn't some Hallmark holiday story. This book's got danger, fights, escapes, magic--as I said, everything a guy could ask for in a book! So don't let this holiday season go by without reading Kringle!! Got that? Then go get it!!

Starting the Holiday Season Right Wtih a Review From MICHAEL!

Hey, all-you-stuffed-full-turkey-guys out there, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We certainly did at our Tomas stronghold. This year we did what we usually do--eat lots of turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and then press 250-pound weights, runn 10K's up steep mountains, and wrestle alligators. Yeah, we really decided to take it easy this year!

OK, enough goofiness. The holiday season is upon us and I can't think of a better way to start us off than with a review from our good friend MICHAEL, King of Books and Time Travel:

Sabotaged
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Note: In order to understand this book, you will have to have read the other two books in The Missing series prior to Sabotaged.
Jonah and Katherine are at it again, this time helping Andrea, who is really Virginia Dare. But when Andrea loses the Elucidator, they have no contact with JB. What's worse, they're also working against a mysterious being who is known as Second. Trying to find Andrea's tracer is no easy task, especially with two tracer boys who have yet to be filled. Who is Second? Who belongs in the tracer boys? Will the three-some ever find Andrea's tracer, and, more importantly, get back to the present? Find out in Sabotaged. I think this book was really well written. I expected it to be rushed, considering it came out so soon after Into the Gauntlet. But I was pleasantly surprised. Haddix explores even more depths of time travel and the limits of tracers. If you like time travel in the least, get a hold of this book!

Thanks, Michael! I read the first book in this series and liked it a lot. (It's called Found--see my review here) This one sounds really good. What's that you say, guys? You want to know what an Elucidator is? Or a tracer? You're just going to have get these books and find out!

The Old Book Prospector Strikes Gold AGAIN with Erec Rex!

HOWDY, PARDNERS! It's yore friend, the Old Book Prospector. Even though I'm at a new ranch, I mean branch, I'm out there all the time, digging up great books for boys. I'm here to tell you that I've struck pay dirt once again!! This time it's Erec Rex: The Three Furies by Kaza Kingsley. This is one terrific, book, I tell ya---more adventure than searching for lost gold and more humor than even a hyena could laugh at! It kept me up many a night around the campfire. Why, I even let my prospecting tools get all rusty because I couldn't tear myself away from this here book.

Yep, I'd say that The Three Furies is one of my best best picks.









One of my best PICKS!! Get it!!! Hee, hee, hee, that's a regular knee-slapper!!









Yeah, yeah, Prospector, go tell your jokes to the coyotes.


Hey, guys, it's Carl again. All silliness aside, The Three Furies really is one terrific book!! The great Kaza Kingsley has written another unbelievable addition to the Erec Rex saga and this may be the best one yet.

Erec is now 14. He's completed five of the quests he needs to become one of the three kings of the Kingdom of the Keepers. The problem is that Thanatos Baskania, the Shadow Prince, has captured his best friend Bethany and is combing her mind to find the Final Magic that will enable him to dominate the world--or destroy it. But that's not the worst of it--Baskania has made a deal with the Three Furies who have been imprisoned in Tartarus for thousands of years. He's agreed to release them if they will serve him. But can even he, as powerful as he is, hope to stop the Furies once they're free? And what can Erec possibly do against such overwhelming forces?? I mean it, if you like fantasy, adventure, danger and humor, then you will completely and totally enjoy The Three Furies.

One more thing--if you want guys want to stop reading here, you can do it. Some guys just want to find out if a book is any good or not. If you're one of those, you could stop right now--especially if you're going out the door to get this book. But if you don't mind my going into a little more depth, then keep reading.

I've said this before with all the Erec Rex reviews but let me say it again. What separates a good fantasy story from the really great one? It's the sense of wonder. That means the feeling of living in a place that's so overwhelmingly beautiful or scary or magical (or all of the above) that it makes you stop and say, "Wooww!" Not many stories do that. There are lots and lots of good, exciting fantasy stories out there and I enjoy them all, but very few of them give me that sense of wonder. The Lord of the Rings did and so did the Percy Jackson books. And so does Erec Rex. That's why I get so excited about them. Guys, you just have to visit his world to believe it. You won't soon forget what it's like in The Nightmare Realm, nor will you enter a place as dangerous as Baskania's fortress. It still creeps me out whenever I see all those eyes sink back into Baskania's body and the brief visits to the beautiful lands of Otherness take my breath away. These glimpses into wonder keep me coming back for more and more. I bet you'll feel the same. Besides, Ms. Kingsley tells one great story! Don't miss this one, guys! Or any of the others. But let me give you a hint--it's probably best to read the other books first. This book will make more sense that way. But I don't think you'll mind--reading the other three is better than a Cloud Cream treat!!

We'reThankful That MICHAEL Writes In!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM IRON GUY CARL!!

Hey, once again, reader guys everywhere! I know I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. Even with all the changes that have happened with the library, there are still a lot of reasons to be grateful--this blog is still running, there are more good books coming out all the time, and there are still faithful reader guys like Michael, King of Books and Time Travel, who continues to tell us about terrific books. He has just sent us two excellent reviews:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 5

The Ugly Truth

by Jeff Kinney
Greg Heffley is officially not friends anymore with Rowley Jefferson. They had a big fight, and they're over with. But while Greg unsuccessfully searches for new friend, his misadventures continue. From school sleepovers, to Uncle Gary's fifth wedding, to getting "the Talk" from Gammie, Greg must come face to face with the ugly truth. This book has the same Wimpy Kid humor that we all love, but half of it is crude, and I'll admit that the writing isn't as good. Although this is not one of Kinney's better books in this series, I think that you will still find it thoroughly enjoyable.

The 39 Clues, book 11

The Black Book of Buried Secrets

by Mallory Kass

Guess what? The 39 Clues is real. The books were a collection of biographies passed off as fiction. How do I know? Allow me to explain.... From the seven agents that brought you The 39 Clues (they called themselves authors) comes a book that is filled with every known secret of every branch. All five of them. Justin Beiber, Barrack Obama, and Steven Spielburg are just a few of the top secret Cahill agents. This book includes stories of branch founders like Annie Oakley and Winston Churchill and even the original Cahills themselves. Also included are agent updates. Find out what happened to all of the Clue hunters after Into the Gauntlet ended, and more importantly, find out what is to come. This book also features guest appearances of the top online agents (they call themselves players in the online game): WiseSaladin1 and Onyxeagle7. Don't waste another minute. Get this book, read it, memorize it, and keep it close at hand. The enemy is at the gate.

I always knew it. The Cahills are everywhere. I've got a copy of this book reserved and can't wait for it to come in!! Thanks, Michael, and have a great Thanksgiving--and all you other guys too!

An Interview With Somone Who's Both a Reader Guy AND a Writer Guy!

Hey, all you patient reader guys out in blogland! I appreciate your waiting around in between posts. We've got something really exciting today. Let me give you a little background first. One of the blog's faithful followers is Susan Kaye Quinn, a writer who also runs a book blog called Ink Spells. (it's pretty cool--go check it out!) It turns out that she has a 12-year-old son who not only reads but is writing his own sci-fi book! Pretty good, huh? I also found that he goes by the uber-cool name of Dark Omen. Then, one day, I saw this conversation on Ms. Quinn's blog:

A 12 year old View of the World

My son Dark Omen (age 12) is writing a novel. He's been diligently working on it for some time now (since the summer). We discussed it over dinner.

Me: What genre is your story?

Dark Omen: Well, it's science fiction and adventure. And mystery, too. But no romance.

Me: No romance?

Dark Omen: No! Why would I write a scene about that, when I can be writing about the Carillions attacking the base?

Me: Are there any girls in your story?

Dark Omen: *makes face* Of course! It wouldn't be even if there weren't any girls.

Me: So, there are girl characters and boy characters in your story. They just don't fall in love.

Dark Omen: Well, somewhere in the universe of my story there are probably girls and boys falling in love. I just don't waste words writing about it.

Well said, Dark Omen!! Why waste words on romance and all that stuff when there are space battles!! It was obvious that I had to know this guy better!! So I emailed his mom and got permission to quote from her post and also to ask him some questions. Then I emailed him some interview questions (most of them are the same questions I ask grownup writers) and, being a truly great guy, he answered all of them and sent them back. Here's what he said.

What made you decide to write a book?

My class was making “Exquisite Corpse” books (books where everyone takes a turn writing in them). I started my book and left it out for people to write in. When nobody did, I decided to take it home and write the whole thing myself.

Tell us a little about your book. (no spoilers!)

The book starts out with a bang when Exibluar is rescued from an underground tunnel complex in which evil ewoks were chasing him. Aidan Dawn is a Cavalieri with great skill with both mind powers and computers. Steve Irwin is a slightly less powerful Cavalieri with a knack for adventure. Nathaniel Lil is a highly disciplined Galactic Government soldier. Exibluar Hazahat is a quirky Rosarian who’s future may be invaluable to the galaxy at large…

Tell us about some of your favorite books.

I like Harry Potter (all of them), Artemis Fowl (all of them as well), Star Wars (yes, all of them), Ranger’s Apprentice (same as the last three times), Percy Jackson (…make that the last four times), the Leviathan trilogy (I don’t know why I’m still making these), the Hitchhiker’s Guide series (I hope you get the point by now), and many more.

Why is it cool for boys to read?

I don’t know why it’s “cool” per say, but I do know that for me it is enjoyable as well as educational.

Why is it cool for them to write?

I hate to say so, but most of the people in my class (and even my school) groan when a teacher tells them to write something (or even take out their writing/Language Arts notebooks)

Why are grownups so obsessed with romance and kissing and all that mushy stuff?

In a nutshell, I have no idea. Personally, I fast-forward through love scenes, never write them, and have my heart set on buying lots of cats instead of getting married.

What's it like having a mom who's a writer?

The only differences are that

a)S She has a blog about writing

b)S She has written several novels and published one

cSh

Sh She's always on the computer

Sh She sometimes come into the school to give talks about writing.

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

I like pizza better, with either pepperoni or cheese.

Thanks, Dark Omen! Yeah, reading is enjoyable and educational--and most guys don't think the two can ever go together!! That's one reason I run this blog--to prove that those two words CAN go right next to each other. And it thrills me to no end to hear from reader guys like you who believe it too. And there really such things as evil ewoks?? Interesting!!

Well, Dark Omen was also good enough to send us a excerpt from his book-in-progress. Here you go:
“It fired missles!” Steve yelled, “They’re 200 yards behind us!”

“Jump coordinates set!”

“150 yards!”

“Navigations computer calibrating.”

“100 yards!”

“Initiating acceleration to Ultra-lightspeed!”

“50 yards!”

Vvvvvviip! CRRRRACK! CRRACK! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

“What in the galaxy is happening?” exclaimed Steve.

“I TOLD YOU to fix those stress points, Exibluar!” Aidan slammed his fist on a large flashing red button. Vviiissssss!

“I’ve dropped us out of Ultra-lightspeed, we’re still in the Erian system, except now we’re by Erian VII instead of Erian IV,” Aidan announced. “If we had continued any longer, we would have exploded.”

“It’s amazing how many ships we go through in one day,” observed Steve. “Isn’t it, Exibluar?”

“Don’t blame me!” Exibluar retaliated.

“Why not?” Steve shot back.

“Because…uh…I…” Exibluar struggled to find an excuse.

“Let’s just go down to Erian VII,” Nathaniel suggested.

Wow! Very good, Dark Omen!! Makes me want to read more--which is what a good book is supposed to do! Would you mind sending us more excerpts as you go along? And send us some reviews of your favorite books. (I'd especially like to hear what you thought of Behemoth) Thanks again and here's hoping we hear from you again!

THANKS to Mr. H and Mr. Westerfeld!!

Oh, man! Oh, MAN!! This is just TOO COOL!! Our brother bloggers at the SMS Guys Read blog were lucky enough to have Scott Westerfeld, author of Leviathan and Behemoth, visit their school on 10-22. (They wrote about it on their blog--take a look here) I had commented on their blog that I wished I could have been there and they took pity on me and sent me a momento of Mr. Westerfeld's visit. And it arrived just today! Here it is--a signed copy of some of the artwork from Leviathan:,The guys from the SMS Guys Read also signed the envelope:

One signed himself "Super Extremely Awesome Guy." I think that describes all of you! Especially you, Mr. H. And most especially you, Mr. Westerfeld! Leviathan is an amazing book and I'm looking forward to getting into Behemoth. (It's next on my list after Erec Rex) Thanks again, everybody!

AXEL Reviews Zombiekins!

Last week our good friend AXEL SIMONE participated in the Find the Lost Hero game and got his prizes but, since he is a regular reviewer, he knew about our ultracool giveaway box. He found a preview copy of Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger and I agreed to let him have it if he'd send us a review. Well, being the totally dedicated reader guy that he is, he just sent us his review:

zombiekins by kevin bolger
funniest book ever.
i loved it. stanley buys zombiekins at a yard sale. zombiekins starts a zombie plague.
all heck breaks loose cant say much more other than see ya

Thanks, AXEL! This book sounds really funny. Another good friend (and Honorary Guy),Ms. Yingling, reviewed it on her blog. There are plenty of copies in the system, so go get one and tell what you think!

"We Now Resume Our Regularly Scheduled Erec Rex Reading"

It's no secret that we're busy at the library these days. That's good because we're serving a lot of people. That's bad becuase I don't get a lot of time to read. Even at home, I'm busy and don't get as much time to read as I'd like. That's why I didn't finish Erec Rex: The Three Furies by the great Kaza Kingsley when I had it back in August. Time ran out and I had to check it back in. That was bad because I wasn't done but it was also good because, as soon as I checked it in, it went out on hold to someone else. That means there are more Erec Rex fans out there! That's good because I thought for a long time that I was the only one in Charlotte. So if you're a fan also, send in a review and let us know how much you like these terrific books. Anyway, I'm determined not to let this happen this time, so, once again, here's what I plan to do:

Yes, even at lunch:

Won't be hard to do--the story's really getting good. Erec has been captured by King Augeas, the Nightmare King, and trapped in his realm. Shudder!! It's--it's--wow, it's really scary there and I hope he can get out! Stay tuned, readers!

AXEL (and Others) Get Their Lost Hero Prizes!

Hey, ho, guys! We had a great time yesterday with our Find the Lost Hero game. Nine kids showed up and braved the dangers of the library, including the Nefarious Nonfiction, the Biography Bastions, and the Card Catalogs of Doom to complete their quests. Actually, what really happened was that each kid got a game sheet and followed the clues on the sheet to complete the game. Fortunately, I got a picture of one of the brave and noble searchers and it was none other than our good friend AXEL SIMONE!! Here he is with some of his prizes:They're hard to see but they are a library pencil, a card that advertises the Z. Rex book, and a pin for a book called Zombiekins. It turns out that we had a copy of the book in the ultracool prize box, so I gave him a copy, expecting that he send in a review.Congratulations, AXEL, and everyone else! We hope to have more fun events at the Myers Park Library in the future!
BTW, here are the covers for the Z. Rex and the Zombiekins books:













AXEL started the Zombiekins book and says it's funny. Let us know how liked it, bro!!

Find the Lost Hero and Last Chance For Giveaways

October is here and that's good news for a lot of reasons. You've got the cool weather here at last (which is good news for us here in hot and humid Charlotte), the trees will put on their gold, orange and red bling before long, and there's Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas to look forward to.
It also means the arrival of some great new books like Behemoth, The Ghostwriter Secret: Brixton Brothers 2, The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel, and The 39 Clues: Black Book of Buried Secrets. But the most-anticipated book this month is The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. It's the first in the Heroes of Olympus series, which will be all about the kids at Camp Half-Blood. (You can read the first two chapters here) The book comes out Tuesday, October 5, so I'm going to hold a Find the Lost Hero game that day from 3:00--6:00 here at the Myers Park library. It'll be a scavenger-hunt game. Come to the desk, get your game sheet and use it to search for the Lost Hero. There will be prizes for everyone who completes the game. Remember, it's on Tuesday, October 5 from 3:00--6:00 pm at the Myers Park library.

October also means the World Series and the end of the baseball season. It'll also mean the end of the Sluggers giveaway that started back in April. Basically, I'll give a prize package to any guy who reads all six books in the Sluggers (aka Barnstormers) series and sends us reviews of them. Sound like a tall order? Well, you'll have until the end of October to do it. That's a little more than 3 weeks. (yes, I know the World series will be over by then!) Anyway, you can click here to find out more and click here and here to see two of your fellow reader guys who won prize packages.

I'll also keep the Manliest Books for Boys Giveaway going until of October. Back in June, Charlotte was voted the Manliest City in America. Since all of us who read this blog are MANLY MEN, I created a list of truly MANLY books for boys and I'll give out prizes to any boy who writes a review of one or more of those books. Click here to find out more.

All right, MEN, go out and enjoy October and let us hear from you!

Behemoth Approacheth!

I don't know how this sneaked up on me, but the second book in the Leviathan series comes out next week!! It's called Behemoth and the release date is Tuesday, October 5. The first book, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, was one of very favorites of 2009, if not one of my faves of the last two or three years. It's an alternative history story that asks what might have happened if the British and the German/Austrian armies of World War I had evolved radically different technologies. Scott Westerfeld uses this fascinating concept to tell a terrific story. Not only did Leviathan have the incredible Darwinist blended animals (including attack bats that poop iron spikes!) and the deadly Clanker machines, but it also had escapes, air battles, secret missions, and one massive thing that explodes! What more could a guy want in a book? So, naturally, I want to read this next one. The library system has already ordered copies. I've put one on hold and you can too. (it's easy--go to the library's home page and look up Behemoth on the catalog. Be sure to have your library card handy) I'm usually on top of new books and reserve them early but waited too long and now I find myself 14th in line. Oh, well, it could be worse--the Harry Potter books had 600 holds on them six months before they came out! So don't miss Behemoth!! Barking spiders, you'll enjoy it!
PS--click here to see my review of Leviathan.
PPS--some of our brother readers at the SMS Guys Read blog got an advance copy and have already reviewed it. Take a look at their site and be sure to scroll down.

The First Two Chapters of The Lost Hero--You GOTTA Read This!

The incredible Rick Riordan has done it again!! If you go to Rick Riordan's blog, (which you can find on the left-hand side of the page under "Links," you'll see a link to his new Heroes of Olympus site. If you click on the "About the Series" link, you'll see a "Sneak Peek" box. Click on that and you can read the first two chapters of The Lost Hero, the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, which continues the adventures of the Camp Half Blood kids. Does Percy Jackson show up? Will you meet new campers? Well---you're just going to have to go there to find out!! I will tell you that you'll find all the excitement and humor you loved in the Percy Jackson books. If these two chapters are an indication of how the rest of the book will be, then this one will be un-believable!! The book comes out October 12 and the library will have copies. (although we may not have them on the shelves that day--it usually takes a while) I've got one on hold now!! CANNOT WAIT!!
PS--there's also a link to the book trailer--take a look here.

Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix...

...is a book that ROCKS and ROLLS!! This one, like all the 39 Clues books, really grabbed hold of me. I remember staying up late one night because I couldn't go to bed until I got all the way to the end.
This is the final book in this fantastic series. Dan and Amy Cahill are closing in on the secret to becoming the most powerful people on earth. And so are their evil cousins, who will will stop at nothing to gain that secret. But not only do Dan and Amy have to keep it away form their unbelievable cousins, they also have to get the other four branches of the Cahill family to work together. Not an easy task, since they've basically been at war for 500 years! They must succeed, however, for the sake of the whole human race.
Man, oh, man, will you enjoy this one!! There are ninjas, exploding underground tunnels, a confrontation on mountain top, and an all-Cahill family fight on the Globe Theatre stage! (And, I tell you, I have never been so scared for Dan as when he was dangling off the side of that enormous cliff!!) You can see that there's enough action and heart-pounding excitement to satisfy any reader guy. Plus there are MAJOR surprises--including one that will leave you wondering, "Is this really the end of the Clue hunt? Or only the beginning of an even MORE major adventure?" You'll ask yourselves the same question after you read Into the Gauntlet. Don't miss it!!! And if you don't believe me that this a terrific book, read what your fellow reader guy Michael said in the post under this one.

All Right! MICHAEL Writes Again!

Yes, indeed, our old friend Michael has sent us another set of first-rate reviews. Man, we LOVE it when you readers guys write and tell us about your favorite books. And you're also helping other guys find the good stuff. Let's hear what Michael has to say:

The 39 Clues, book 10

Into the Gauntlet

by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Amy and Dan have recently met their great uncle, Fiske, and he has told them that they need to not only win the clue-hunt for the Madrigals, but to also accomplish the 500-year task of uniting all of the Cahill branches. WHAT!!! Alistair Oh and Jonah Wizard? Sinead Starling and Ian Kabra? Eisenhower Holt and Dan Cahill? Impossible! Or is it? And not to mention the most evil woman in the world: Isabel Kabra. Who will be the first through the gauntlet? Who will drink Gideon Cahill's master serum? Who is going to rule the world? No one could write the 39 Clues better than Margaret Peterson Haddix, and you're guaranteed to be on the edge of your seat the entire time! Also, look for the newest 39 Clues book coming October 26: The Black Book of Buried Secrets.

N. E. R. D. S., book 2

M is for Mama's Boy

by Michael Buckley

Simon is back, and he's not taking any chances. After retreiving his goon, he hunts down a computer whiz perfect to do his bidding: Albert Nesbitt. Albert is a 32-year-old, 300-pound comic book reader who is just smart enough to make what Simon wants: a ray gun that hypnotizes electronic devices. Perfect! Now, not only can Simon drain the NERDS of their power, but he can use their power against them! And then Albert's Mama gets in on the scheme, and she's more evil then the other three combined. That's when Duncan Dewey (a.k.a. Gluestick) 's dad takes him off the team of NERDS. And if that's not bad enough, Albert's Mama knows that Duncan is a part of the NERDS, and she's his next door neighbor! And she's got the ray gun!!! What will happen now? Well, you'll have to find out by reading it yourself. I'm certainly not going to tell you. That would be spoiling it! This book is much better than the first and marks the end of Simon forever!

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk

by Dav Pilkey

After their huge success with Super Diaper Baby, George Beard and Harold Hutchins have decided to write another graphic novel. Ook and Gluk are caveboys in the year 500,001 B.C. The world is run by the evil Goppernopper. But then Goppernopper sees strange creatures hauling away all the trees. And that's when it happens. Goppernopper meets his descendant, who runs Goppernopper industries. He has used a time portal to come from the year 2222 A.D. to 500,001 B.C. to get all the trees for Goppernopper industries, because there are no trees left in 2222 A.D. Caveman Goppernopper agrees to help. Ook and Gluk, seeing the whole thing, know that the two Goppernoppers will take over the future world and the caveman world as well. The two boys run through the time portal into a world filled with pollution and manmade buildings. They take refuge in a martial arts school and in seven years advance to black belt. But is it enough to save all of space and time from the evil Goppernoppers? Or will the enemies prevail once again? Is this the end for Ook and Gluk? This is a great comic book, outrageously funny, and, regardless to the fact that a couple of 4th graders wrote it, is very accurate to time travel. A great read for everyone!

Thanks, Michael! You beat me to the punch on a couple of these. I have Into the Gauntlet and am about one-third of the way through. It's really good so far. I just checked out a copy of N.E.R.D.S. 2 last week and it looks good too. The library has copies of Ook and Gluk in the system, so I've just put one on hold. You've given me something new to look at, Michael! Thanks again and keep writing!

The Only Thing That Could Interrupt My Erec Rex Reading Is..

...getting the latest 39 Clues book! AND IT'S HERE!!! YYYEESSSS!!!! The final book in the fantastic, action-packed, thriller-diller series about two kids involved in the hunt for the secret Clues for world domination and their evil....

Wait---

What'S this---something's interfering with my typin--------

TOP SECRET MESSAGE TO TOMAS HQ

AGENT FLEXING BEAR REPORTING

I have just received a copy of Into The Gauntlet by Margaret Petersen Haddix. All the secrets of the Clue hunt will now be revealed. Here I am with the book in the Charlotte, North Carolina stronghold, cleverly disguised as a library. (they we Tomas would never go into one!)I began reading the book immediately, which was not hard (even for a Tomas) because these books are full of action, action, and more action. Of course a good Tomas always works out, even when reading.

Will give a full report when finished. Agent Flexing bear signing out.

I'm Loving Me Some EREC REX!!

Yes, indeed, guys, this one has started out really, REALLY well!! Erec's best friend Bethany has been captured by the bad guy, mysterious strangers are after his twin siblings, and they've all had to put on UnderWear. You've got danger, magic, and Kaza Kingsley's trademark humor. Plus the stakes have been raised really high--the only way to rescue Bethany is to endanger the life of King Piter, Erec's father! And who is Dumpling Smith and why does she REALLY want the twins? Kaza Kingsley always has some tricks up her sleeve, so I know there will be some major surprises along the way. Oh, yeah, I'm gonna like this book!!

EREC is here!

That's right!!! THAT'S RIGHT!!! You see me here with my very own copy of Erec Rex: The Three Furies by Kaza Kinglsey. I am one very happy man! I've waited a LOOONNNGGG time for this! Gonna start this afternoon. Stay tuned, fellow reading fans! I will be like this for a while-- --and will let you know how I like it.

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen...

...is one terrific book! It's a quick read, the story moves right along, and there's enough action, suspense, and surprises to satisfy any guy. If you really enjoy reading, this is the book for you. If you're what the grownups call a reluctant reader (which means you'd rather take a beating with a very large tree limb than pick up a book), then this book is also for you!

Here's the story--It's the time of the American Revolutionary War. 13-year-old Samuel lives with his parents in a little settlement in the Pennsylvania woods. They've heard stories of British soldiers attacking Concord, but that seems a long way off. Then, one day while he's out hunting, Samuel sees a column of smoke. When he realizes it's coming from where his home would be, he runs back to find...well, you'll just have to read to find out!! But I guarantee that you'll get caught up in the action!! This book grabs hold of you and makes you sit down and turn pages until the very end. You REALLY want to know what happens to our young hero. And, when you see what he goes through, you'll understand how much of a hero he becomes! Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen--this is one that you should not miss!!

BTW, I'd recommend this book to our older reader guys. War is, by its nature, rough and brutal and the Revolutionary War was one of the roughest and most brutal. Although there isn't much graphic violence, what you read is startling. And some of it is very sad. That what war is, guys, and we do well to remember that.

And we also do well to remember the sacrifices that people like Samuel made. Even though this is a fictional story, there were a great many brave people who endured hardships in the Revolutionary War. We have the right to read what we like because of them. Don't forget!!

Erec Rex 4 Day!

Guess what today is? Come on, betcha can't. Not in hundred years, you can't. Nope, not in a thou...what's that? You mean it's EREC REX 4 Day? How did you guess--oh, the title of this post. Well, you see that today's a day worth getting excited about! It 's the release day for Erec Rex: The Three Furies by the amazing Kaza Kingsley. The Erec Rex books are some of my absolute favorites and you shouldn't miss them!! It would take too long to tell you all the great things I could about them, so go over to the "Labels" section on the left-hand side of the page, click on "Erec Rex," and see for yourself. We won't get The Three Furies at the library today because it takes longer for us to receive and process books than the bookstores--but this also means it can't be too long before I see my very own copy!! CAN'T WAIT!!!

Not Dead Yet!

Hey, guys, this is the ever-busy CARLMAN letting you know that I'm not dead yet. All the changes with the library mean we have to do a lot more than before. Which means that I don't get as much time to read or blog as before. Which means that there will probably be longer times between posts this summer. But never fear--the CARLMAN has been faithfully spreading the word about this blog to all the boys I can here at the Myers Park Library and we may hear from one of them at any time!

In the meantime, I've got a few books checked out. One is Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen. All reader guys know that Mr. Paulsen is one of the very best authors for guys out there. (His book Hatchet made our Manliest Books for Boys Giveaway list as well as the Books Every Guy Should Read list. Another book, Lawn Boy, is an extremely funny read!) Woods Runner is about 13-year old Samuel and the Revolutionary War. I'm about 1/4th of the way through and it is intense! Can't wait to finish it.

Another is The Dangerous Book of Heroes by Conn and David Iggulden. It's full of stories about famous people such as George Washington, Lawrence of Arabia, and Harry Houdini, as well as not-so famous heroes as Alcock and Brown or the men of Colditz. I'm reading thechapter on George Washington and it's amazing. Can't wait to finish this one either.



Finally there's Genies, Meanies, and Magic Rings: Three Tales from the Arabian Nights by Stephen Mitchell.These are retellings of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Abu Keer and Abu Seer, and Aladdin. I've heard good things about this one and besides, I love the Ali Bab and Aladdin stories. (did you know the Aladdin story was originally set in China?? That's right--and it's in this book!)

There you go. Hope to give you full reports when I finish. What about YOU? What are you reading this summer? Hit that "Comment" button below and tell us. Any guy who sends a review gets a free book! And don't forget about the giveaways going on this summer. Take a look at the top of the left-hand side of the page to find out.

And, since it's summer, let's have some summer fun. Here's a goofball video for you by Spike Jones and His City Slickers. Spike is one of my all-time favorite performers and one of the funniest guys ever to pick up an instrument. He took popular songs of the day (this was waaayyy back in the day) and did all sorts of crazy things with them. Sort of a Weird Al before there as a Weird Al. Here he does "Sabre Dance", a classical piece that a lot of circus performers used as background music. But it never sounded like this!


Speaking of Weird Al, here's one for you. Just try not to laugh! (Pardon the commercial)

Weird Al Yankovic - Fat (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Weird Al Yankovic

And here's Weird Al talking about Spike Jones!


OK, keep readin' and enjoyin' your summer!

The Incredible Journey, a Terrific Audiobook!

Audiobooks are great for guys. Audiobooks also are great for summer, when guys are often in the car traveling on vacation. (The CARLMAN likes to listen to them as my starcruiser makes the jump through hyperspace) Nothing makes the time go by as quickly as listening to a good story. That why I love to tell you when I find a good one and I certainly heard a terrific one this weekend. It was The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford.

You've probably seen the two Disney movies with the talking animals that were based on this book. (There was an even older version from waaayy back in the day, but I bet you haven't seen that one!) Well, those were good but they don't give ANY idea of how thrilling and rough and rugged the original story is! This isn't some cutesy animal tale but real nature, "red in tooth and claw", where survival does not come easily!

There are three animals, a bull terrier, a Labrador Retriever, and a Siamese cat, who are staying with a man up north in the Canadian woods. He's taking care of them while their real owner is gone and, when he goes on a hunting the trip, the three are accidentally left by themselves. Their instinct to return to their real home overtakes them and they head off. The problem is that their home is 300 miles away through the untamed Canadian wilderness! And this is back before there were cell phones or GPS, so no one knows they're gone! How can three pets possibly survive alone in the dangerous wilderness? Well, you'll find out when you listen to this truly incredible story! Megan Follows reads this story perfectly, pacing the action just right to give it maximum excitement. If you have to spend some time in the car this summer, I couldn't think of a better way to pass the time!

And if you want to find out about other good audiobooks, look for the "Labels" section on the left-hand side of the page and click on "audiobooks." Happy listening!