Hot Reading Fun in the Summertime

How's summer going, reader dudes?? This is a great time of year. A chance to relax and have fun. Here you see the Iron Guy chilling at a favorite spot.

Of course, he must still work out to maintain his MANLY physique.

Summer is also a great time for really fun reads. Here are some that the Iron Guy has enjoyed in the past. I'm going to avoid the obvious picks, like Percy Jackson, Harry Potter or The 39 Clues and focus on some that aren't as well known but still tremendously fun reads. (Some of these may be hard to find because they've been out for a while but the Charlotte Mecklenburg library has copies)


N.E. R. D. S. by Michael Buckley--Secret agents, flying school buses, world-destroying villains, laughs and action--what more could you want? I must confess that I've read only the first one but other guys have read and recommended them.




How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell--Could you eat 15 worms? "Yeecchh!!" you say. Would you do it for $50.00? That's the idea behind this terrific book. It's been making guys laugh for almost 40 years and will make YOU laugh too.



 
The Island trilogy by Gordon Korman--a great survival story with thrills, thrills, thrills. Several troubled kids go on a boat for an extended rehab trip but end up stranded on a deserted island. This island isn't on any map--and for good reason! A really terrific read!




The Adventurrous Deed of Deadwood Jones by Helen Hemphill--Yeehaa! Adventure in the Old West! Two brothers skeedaddle to Texas after the Civil War when some racists threaten them. They join a cattle drive and look for their father. Great fun but serious and sad parts, so you get get a little substance with your fun. Don't let that scare you off, though--still very fun and very highly recommended.

The Bone Graphic novels by Jeff Smith--What can I say about this epic graphic novel fantasy series that hundreds of others haven't already said? Probably the best fantasy series ever put into graphic form. Go get it NOW!!



The Tiger's Apprentice trilogy by Laurence Yep--Based on Chinese mythology, this fantasy trilogy starts in San Francisco but takes you through far-flung magical lands and into dangers with wild creatures. A great read!




The Hank the Cowdog audiobooks--Going on a car trip this summer? Then take along these very funny audiobooks. John R. Erickson wrote and narrated these and guys really enjoy them. I've seen kids beg for these in carpools!






Sluggers/Barnstormers series by Phil Bildner and Loren Long--Finally, one of my all-time
favorite series. These books are perfect summer reads. An old-time baseball travels around the country in 1898 to raise for an uncle who's not only ill but in trouble with a very bad guy. And a lot of mysterious things happen around a magical baseball. Start one and you'll be hooked! (PS--the first few books came out under the Barnstormers name and the rest under Sluggers)

OK, guys, enjoy your summer! Keep reading and, if you want to find out what the Iron Guy and other people have said about these books, click on the tabs under this post. And if you want to add your $.02, send us a review! All the instructions are on the left-hand side of this page.

Graphic Novels, Comics and Cartoons Rule!!!!!!

Hi all, it is Darth Bill again on the scene. Before I talk about recent reads, I would like to share some other information on some really cool stuff. One is called Reading With Pictures. It's mission/purpose is as follows:



Reading With Pictures is a nonprofit organization that advocates the use of comics in the classroom to promote literacy and improve educational outcomes for all students. We work with academics to cultivate groundbreaking research into the proper role of comics in education. We collaborate with cartoonists to produce exceptional graphic novel content for scholastic use. Most importantly, we partner with educators to develop a system of best practices for integrating comics into their curriculum. At Reading With Pictures, we get comics into schools and get schools into comics.

To find out more and how you can get involved visit it's website at: http://www.readingwithpictures.org/Reading_With_Pictures/Home.html.

Something else I would like you cats out there to know about is the really cool new DC Cartoon Series "Batman: Brave and The Bold." Check it out:





The New Cartoon Series Batman: The Brave and The Bold

And now to talk about some cool recent reads!!!!!!!


Bone Handbook by Jeff Smith and Bob Cooper - I don't know about you guys, but I really miss the "Bone" series and can't wait until Mr. Smith does some future stories about the Bone Cousins, their friends and even their enemies. I did get a great Bone fix by reading this great handbook that covers everything "Bone." You get a ton of really great stuff such as: A look at Jeff Smith and cartooning; A new Bone Mini-Comic (that takes place during the original 9 GN story) called "The Kite;" Information on all the characters in the Bone universe; Recipes for Cheese and Bacon Quiche, a Blank Sandwich and a Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich; A history and synopsis of the entire Bone Series; An interview with Jeff Smith about writing and drawing the Bone Series; An interview with Steve Hamaker about the coloring of the Bone GN Series through Scholastic; A Cover Gallery; A Bone Glossary; And an additional 2 page Bone Cartoon at the end of the book called "Greed" starring Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone. If you are a Bone Fan you will love this handbook!!!!!





Iron Man: The Ultimate Guide to The Armored Super Hero by Matthew Manning - When this book says it is the ultimate guide, I am inclined to believe after reading. As in the "Bone Handbook," this book covers everything Iron Man such as: The birth of of the character into comics (created by the great Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Don Heck and Larry Lieber) in 1963; Detailed Iron Man Armor information; Different types of Armor worn by Iron Man since his inception; Detailed information on Tony Stark (the man behind the armor); Iron Man Friends and Foes; Team Histories for Iron Man; An exhaustive Iron Man Timeline; Iron Man through the decades starting in the 60s and going through to the present; Etc. If you are an Iron Man fan, this book is most definitely for you.




Until next time all you crazy cats,

Bill