Four Cool New Reads

First week of October greetings, guys! The gorgeous fall weather has finally arrived, rewarding all us MANLY MEN for enduring the humid Charlotte summer. I've also found some very cool books that I bet you boys would really enjoy.

The first is Star Wars: The Weapon of a Jedi by Jason Fry and illustrated by Phil Noto. It takes place
between Episodes IV and V, soon after Luke and the rebels destroyed the Death Star. Luke agrees to rendezvous with his fellow rebels in another system but, on his way, gets an urging to go to the planet Devaron. (could it be from the Force?) Luke finds an old Jedi temple there, destroyed by the Empire, and thinks it could be a good place to further his light saber training. But it's in the jungle and the only person willing to take him there is someone called The Scavenger. Doesn't sound good, does it?
I really enjoyed this! It had the feel of of one the the movies and I could picture every scene in my mind. Plus it has all the action, space battles and storm trooper attacks you'd expect form a Star Wars movie. And it's written by Jason Fry, who wrote that terrific Hunt for the Hydra book. (see my review here) Any Star Wars fan or simply anyone who enjoys a good read will like this.

The next is from the great Who Was... series. It's Who Was Roberto Clemente? by James Buckley, Jr. and illustrated by Ted Hammond. Roberto Clemente was the first Latin American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Born in Puerto Rico in 1934, he got into the major leagues when he was 19 and spoke very little English. And, like his contemporary Jackie Robinson, he faced discrimination. But no one could deny his talent and he became a hugely successful and popular player. And he always remembered his humble beginnings back in Puerto Rico and worked tirelessly to help out kids and improve their baseball skills. This book like, all the Who Was.. and What Were.. books, are interesting, informative and keep you reading until the last page. And, at 103 pages, it's just the right length for any boy who's looking for a good story, especially those who think they don't like reading. (plus it's relevant after the recent tragic death of pitcher Jose Fernandez)

Then we have two books that I've wanted to read for a long time. And am I glad that I finally did! These books are Stick Dog and Stick Dog Tries to Take the Donuts by Tom Watson. (who also draws the pictures) They are great! Funny! A whole lot of fun to read! The idea is that an elementary school kid, who tells you up front that he can't draw, has written stories in his notebooks about Stick Dog, a dog living in a drain pipe under Highway 16, and his friends Poo-Poo, Stripes, Karen and Mutt. Since they all live outdoors, they are always looking for food and the stories are about the goofball ideas those dogs come up with to get it. (Hey, they're dogs! They use dog logic) In the first book, they try to come up with ways to get hamburgers from a family cooking out in the park. These methods involve, in true dog fashion, running into trees and banging their heads, chasing their tails at whirlwind speed and howling with the baby. Great plans, right? In the second book, the dogs discover some round things with holes in the middle that taste really good but they're in a box on the back of a truck. Can the dogs figure out how to get those yummy round things without being discovered by the human working from that truck? You gotta read these book to find out!! And you will laugh loud and long when you do. Oh, yeah! Dogs that bounce, dogs on coffee, dogs with squirrels as mortal enemies--how could you not like them?

All these books are really good and can be read fairly quickly. (I read most of them in one sitting) Any guy, from the enthusiastic reader to what the grownups call a reluctant reader will get a kick out of them. Don't believe me? Check them out and see!