Boys Rule Boys Read!: January 2013

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Great Graphic Novels for Guys

Hey, guys, our good and true friend Michael has done it again, sending us TWO reviews of great graphic novels. Let's hear what he thinks about them:

Mal and Chad, book 3
Belly Flop
by Stephen McCraine
Comic-book duo Mal and Chad are back for their third and longest adventure yet! When Mal learns that Megan is pushing him away, he wonders how cool he has to be to hang out with her. Also, a talent show is being held at Einstein Elementary, and Mal sees this as an opportunity to show his level of coolness. Plus you can expect plenty of episodes with his inventions. Comedy, romance, sci-fi, inspiration, and action all come into play in this book as well as the other books in this series. As far as graphic novels go, this is one of the best! I was a little bored during the first few chapters because this book focuses more on the romance and inspiration than anything else. The five elements I listed above did not blend together as well as it has in previous books. However, what action there was was very well-done, and this book is definitely worth reading!

Lunch Lady, book 8
Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril
by Jarret J. Krosoczka
Lunch Lady, Betty, Hector, Terrence, and Dee are all back! When a school photographer scams school kids out of thousands of dollars and then runs, it's up to Lunch Lady to find her, or the student council's fund will be ruined. I do think that the scene transitions are a bit jerky, but there's an action scene that I consider the best of the series so far. Plus, does the ending suggest the start of a serial? I guess book 9 will reveal that. But for comic book readers, this is a good one to check out!

Michael Lanier
Pianist, guitarist, banjoist, autoharpist, jaw harpist, Ukeist, Mandolinist

Thanks, Michael! It's always good to hear from you and I know that you'll give us the real scoop. Here are two graphic novels recommended by another reader guy just like you. So be sure to check them out and, as always, tell us how you like them!

Here's How Our Blog Works

If you don't know how to post comments or reviews to our blog or if you want to read what we and other boys have written, here's what you do:

1. Every post has a place underneath it that says "Comments". Click on it and it will take you to a place in which you can write something. When you're done, click on a way to identify yourself. You don't have to create a Blogger/Google account (unless you already have one); you can click on "Name/URL" or even "Anonymous." Then click "Publish Your Comment." We try to get your comments and reviews posted right away, but sometimes we get busy with other duties. So, if you don't see your comment right away, don't panic. We'll post it soon.

Don't forget--any boy can get a free book the first time he writes a review. If you live too far away to come to the Myers Park library, go ahead and write to us anyway. We'll try to find a way to get a book to you. Besides, all the other boys out there would love to hear from you.

When you tell us about a book, please give the title, author, what the book is about, and why you did or didn't like it.

2. Blogs go "front to back"; that is, the newest post comes up first and the older ones are put further back. You click on the "Blog Archive" to read older articles. The posts for this month have the titles listed. You can click on other months to catch our other posts. (Our introduction is in June of 2007; if you're new to this blog, you might look it up.)

3. Underneath each post you'll see a line that says "Labels" and several other words such as "graphic novels" or "Andrew Clements." These extra words are links to a subject; for instance, if you clicked on "graphic novels," it would pull up all the posts about graphic novels. There's also a section below on some of our best posts on the most popular subjects

4. Did you notice that the posts from last year don't show up month by month as they did before this year? If you click on the triangle next to the previous years, the months will drop down and you can go back and see what we and your fellow readers have written.

The Iron Guy's Review Policy

1. Since the Iron Guy works for the terrific Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, I review only books that the library already has or will get soon.
2. If you are an author or publisher or agent and think you have a book that boys will go crazy over, please leave me a comment (with your email address so I can contact you) under any post. I will look and see if we have the book. If not, and if the book looks good, I will contact Those Who Order Books and see if CML would be interested. (Please note--CML does not usually order self-published books) PLEASE do not just send me a book! I appreciate the offer but but first I want to see if CML has it or will get it soon.