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.

Captain America and Bone

First off everybody Ms. Yingling wrote to us concerning the Young James Bond Series:
Hurricane Gold is coming out soon, and I think I saw a fifth book out in the UK. David Gilman has a new spy one coming out soon, too. Ice Claw, I think!

Thanks for the heads up Ms. Yingling. I am reading the second Young James Bond book as I write this (Blood Fever).

Well I'm really excited because ImaginOn just picked up a new Comic Book Series to carry and man is it fun!!!! I just got finishing reading the first issue we received, so I thought I would write about it:

Marvel Adventures Superheroes #12 "Featuring" Captain America by Scott Gray, Matted Lolli, Roger Langridge and Craig Rousseau - This issue features Captain America in both the past and present. In the first story we find Cap trying to find his way in the modern world after he has been rescued from being frozen in time sense the end of World War II (1945). His friend and government assigned liaison Rick Jones is trying to explain modern computers and the internet to him when a terrorist organization known as HYDRA strikes. Cap and Rick are sucked into HYDRA's Web Page and find themselves fighting for their lives in a virtual world that is to strange to describe. The second story takes place during World War II and stars Cap and his teenage sidekick Bucky. While on leave from the War, they run into a sadistic German killing machine right here in the good old U.S. of A. Two fun stories that I really enjoyed. If you can get ahold of this comic at a library or comic book store, I highly recommend it.




Another thing I'm excited about is another Bone book by Jeff Smith that has just been put out by Scholastic.


Rose by Jeff Smith and Charles Vess - I thought the series was over with Volume 9 Crown of Horns, but Jeff Smith wrote a prequel to the series with Charles Vess doing the art work entitled "Rose." Now if the name Rose does not sound familiar how about Gran'ma Ben (Rose is Gran'ma Ben's name). The story basically focuses on Rose and her sister Briar. They are both in this story training to master the ways of the Veni-Yan who are seers into the Dreaming. Rose proves to be more adept in learning their ways much to the displeasure of Briar. The Veni-Vang have felt through the Dreaming the coming of an emancipator of "The Lord of Locust" and fear that Rose or Briar may be this entity. Through the story we learn who the emancipator is and the events that lead up to the first Bone GN Out from Boneville. What is really special about this story is we get more insight into Gran'ma Ben's relationship with her sister Briar and we see the mistakes Gran'ma Ben makes that lead to her becoming the heroic figure we know from the Bone Series. We also get to see some familiar characters in The Red Dragon, a young Lucius and the Rat Creatures along with meeting some new ones in Cleo and Euclid (Rose's two hounds that she can talk to) and the evil River Dragon Balsaad. I highly recommend this book for both Bone fans and those who are not yet.

Well that's all I have for now all you hepcats so peace,

Bill