The Great Dog Man---ummm--Discussion

Hey there, all you rockin' and readin' guys everywhere, April has been a busy month at the library and the Iron Guy just realized that a) the month is almost over and b) he hasn't posted anything since before spring break! Well, I'm reading some good stuff now but am not finished and I hate to go so long without talking to you, so I thought I'd do something I haven't done for a long time and stir up some possible controversy! Or not. Here's what I mean.

The Iron Guy, MANLY MAN that he is, doesn't mind expressing his opinions now and then, even though everyone may not agree. Therefore, a few years ago I brought up The Great Harry Potter Controversy. Some time after that I started The Great Greg Heffley Debate and once even started a Great Dan Gutman Question but answered it right away. Today I want to tread on some potentially dangerous ground because I want to discuss a set of books by an author that all boys everywhere not only love but can't get enough of.

That guy is, of course, Dav Pilkey.

And the books are the Dog Man series.

Now every reader guy in the whole country gets excited over Dav Pilkey's books. And with good reason. They have all the goofball humor that guys love. I recommended his Ricky Ricotta series a while back. I want to read his Ook and Glook series one day. (actually, he didn't write those; he illustrated them) And, of course, there's Captain Underpants. I don't care for them much mainly because George and Harold are disrespectful and not in a good way but boys love those books. Anyway, Dav Pilkey is always a hit with guys (and girls too) and his books are great fun and they're perfect to hand out to what the grownups call "reluctant readers" (I've always said that boys aren't reluctant to read; many of them just haven't found the right things yet), so when this new series came out I snapped them up right away.

Now, the premise of these books is that George and Harold made their own comics when they were in first grade and found them several years later. The comics were about a policeman and a dog who got caught by a bomb when it exploded. The solution was to graft the dog's head onto the policeman's body---that's how we got Dog Man. He can think and act like a policeman but still behave like a dog sometimes. A weird but funny idea and full of lots of comic possibilities. Some grownups think so too. Here's what the School Library Journal said about the third book in the series:

Madcap action and general silliness abound on every page. The book is filled with laugh-out-loud situations, puns, delightful Flip-o-Rama animations, and a lot of licking and chewing on furniture-enough to keep even the most jaded young reader enthralled. VERDICT Pilkey has done it again. This latest installment is just as "supa" funny and irreverent as the first two volumes in the series. Sure to be popular, it's a great choice for elementary school graphic novel collections and of particular interest to reluctant readers and fans of the series.

What did I think?

Boring.

I'ts not because the stories aren't funny; it's because of that six-year-old artwork. Remember, George and Harold wrote and illustrated these comics when they were in the first grade--when they were six. What were your pictures like when you were six? Yep, really, really simple. Now, it's cute when a six-year-old draws a picture. People love them and grownups put them on refrigerator doors. So, one six-year-old picture is nice but a whole graphic novel full of them? It gets old really fast. I enjoyed the first half of the first Dog Man graphic novel but had had to make myself read the second half. I couldn't finish the second Dog man gn. Now if Mr. Pilkey had done these gn's in his usual artwork, I would have have enjoyed them a lot more.

Of course, that's how I see it but the big question is--what do YOU think? Do you like these? A lot?  Or do you, like me, find them boring? But listen up--this is the point at which I'd normally challenge all those who disagree with me to defend their positions. This was usually because I held an idea different from what most people think. Like with Harry Potter or Greg Heffley. (though I'm changing my mind on HP) But you know what? I haven't met anyone who held a strong opinion about the Dog Man series. So I guess can't stir up a Controversy or a Debate but maybe I could spark a Discussion. So what do you think? The DOG MAN graphic novels--are they great? Terrible? Somewhere in between? Put your thoughts in the Comments section below and I'll post them. Come on, everyone, and join in the Great Dog Man Discussion!

(btw, wasn't there a Captain Underpants movie last year? Did anyone actually see that movie?)

Fun, Weird and True Sports Facts

Second day of June greetings, everyone! It's a new month, so the Iron Guy thought he'd get back to his resolution of telling you about more sports books. And I've got a couple of doozies today! These are great fun and you can read them quickly. (they're what I call Good Quick Reads) Both of them are about weird and funny facts from sports and many of them will either make you laugh or shake your head and say, "No! Not possible! Nooo! Noooooo!!!" Or maybe you'll do both.

The first one is from the famous Dan Gutman, who has not only written the My Weird School series but is also a big sports fan. And here he combines both in one book. It's My Weird School Fast Facts: Sports. In this one, A. J. and Andrea tell us amazing but absolutely true brief stories and facts from baseball, football, basketball, hockey and other sports. For example, you could find out:

• Which sport was played on the moon?
• Why do NASCAR drivers lose 10-15 pounds during each race?
• What country trained bears to play hockey?
• Who was the shortest NBA player ever? (hint--he used to play for the Charlotte Hornets!)

If you like My Weird School (and what guy doesn't?), like to learn new things (and what guy doesn't?) and have a lot of fun (ditto), then you need to find this book!

Then we have the National Geographic Kids Weird but True Sports: 300 Wacky Facts About Awesome Athletes book. It has a much simpler format--pages with eye-catching graphics or photos and on or three odd and fun sports facts on each page. And what wacky facts you'll learn!

• "You can watch ostrich races in South Africa"
• "Runner Fauja Singh completed a marathon at the age of 101"
• "U.S. Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were all former cheerleaders" (you'll also learn that all cheerleaders used to be guys!)

And wait until you see the photo of the guy riding a unicycle on the Great Wall of China!
So, guys, check these out, have a few chuckles and find out some things you never knew before!

PS--there is one inacuracy. The National Geographic book says that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. That story is an often-repeated myth. The truth is that 15-year Michael was only 5'10" and too short to make the varsity team, so he went on the JV team. The next year, however, he had a 4-inch growth spurt and make the varsity team. And after that, of course, went on to make basketball history. So if you don't believe something in one of these books, go and do the research. That's what MANLY MEN do!

The Great Dan Gutman Question Anwered--For Now

Greetings, all my fellow reader guys. I hope you're enjoying your summer--and I hope youhave signed on for Summer Reading. If not, there's still plenty of time and lots of cool stuff to get for reading. I'm going to talk toady about an author that guys everywhere love. It's Dan Gutman, he of the My Weird School, Baseball Card Adventures, Genius Files series, as well as several other books. Many boys have written in over the years and told us how much they like his books. Not only did they like them, boys LOVED them! Especially the My Weird School series. Don't believe me? Click on the "Dan Gutman" tab under this post and see! Anyway, I've read a few of his books over the years (plus it was one of my 2014 Iron Guy Resolutions) and--and--well, I hate to admit it but--------

I wasn't impressed.

Now don't get me wrong. I didn't think his books were terrible; I just didn't think they were all that great. Let me give you a little background. I really liked the first DG book I read. It was Qwerty Stephens: Stuck in Time with Benjamin Franklin and I really liked it. In fact, I LOVED it! (see my review here) So I naturally thought all his books would be that good. And I was disappointed. I read Getting Air and it was OK. (see that review here)  I read another, The Homework Machine, wasn't impressed at all and didn't even review it. I even tried a couple of the My Weird School books but couldn't get into them. "So what's up with this?" I wondered. "Why do all these guys rave about Dan Gutman? Am I missing something?" It got to the point that I thought about making a special Controversy Post about him and calling it The Great Dan Gutman Question. I've done two Controversy Posts before. One was about Harry Potter (I'm not a big fan) and the other was about the Wimpy Kid books (I think Greg Heffley's a jerk) The Iron Guy is never afraid of expressing a reading opinion when it's not popular, but, in true MANLY MAN fashion, I decided to rethink my position before saying something I'd regret. Truly MANLY MEN always think before speaking!! Anyway, I checked out two My Weird School books and, wow, am I glad! These books are indeed terrific!!

The first one I read was the first one in the series, Miss Daisy is Crazy! Here we are introduced to AJ, who hates school. But even he can read, write and add. So how come his teacher, Miss Daisy, can't do any of those things? A teacher who can't read? Write? Add? Hey, that might be cool after all--that teacher couldn't make you work! But AJ and his friends  still hate school anyway--which gives them an idea. Maybe they could buy the school and turn it into a video arcade. Sounds great, huh? Do you think they can do it? You'll have to read to find out!

The other one was Mr. Jack is a Maniac form the My Weirder School series.In this one, a guy rides up onto the school playground on a motorcycle! Turns out that he's new martial arts teacher who's going to teach the some self-defense moves, how to breathe and to expect the unexpected. So what does Mr. Jack do when the truly unexpected happens--like a bear walking into the gym!! What will Mr. Jack do? Check out this book to find out!

These books are funny, funny and I need to say one more thing about them--they're funny!! The situations are wacky, the grownups are wacky and the kids are truly like second-grade kids everywhere--like being impatient with martial arts training. Except they come up with some wacky ideas too--like buying the school!
I really enjoyed these books and I can see why guys everywhere like them. Not to mention they're fast, good and quick read. Enthusiastic readers, as well as those the grownups call reluctant readers, will enjoy these books. So count me in as a Dan Gutman fan! At least, for now. I like these books a lot but I'll have to read some of the other series, like the Baseball Card or Million Dollar books to see if I'm a DG fan or a My Weird School fan.

Which means I'm going to need YOUR help! I want to read one of the books in the My Weirder School series. But which one should I get?? There are a lot of them out there--which one should it be?? I'll wait until I hear from you and the one that gets the most recommendations is the one I'll read. So write a title in the Comments section under this post and let me know!!

And one more thing. I'd like to get on my Fourth of July soapbox for a moment. Without getting all political, I'd like to remind you that we live in a country in which we're free to read. That's not true in many places of the world. Here we can go to the library, bookstore, online book site and select whatever we'd like and read it without having to worry about who's going to break down our door for having that book. As I said, that's not the case everywhere. So, while you're having fun on the Fourth, remember to celebrate your independence!

 HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

Iron Guy's 2014 Resolutions

Happy 2014!! Yes, I know it's halfway through January, but it's been since December since I've talked with you and I want to wish you a happy new one to all of you. Now, during January, grownups like to make resolutions--you know, promises to yourself to do things better in the new year. The Iron Guy is no exception and here are my resolutions:

Read more books for younger reader guys. I've realized that I haven't read many books for our younger guys, so I plan to take care of that.

Read more nonfiction. There are a LOT of really good nonfiction books on the library shelves and it's a shame not to let you know about them.

Read some Dan Gutman books. A lot of reader guys are absolutely crazy for Dan Gutman, especially his My Weird School series. I've read a few of his books, really liked one and have been so-so on the others. I want to try again and see what all the excitement is about.

Read the Origami Yoda books. All three were at the library recently and I checked them all out. A lot of guys like these books.

 

And one more--read the Boy-Girl Battle series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I read the first one--the Boys Start the War--and really enjoyed it, so I want to read the rest of them.

All right, it looks like I've got my work cut out for me. Can I do it? HA! Of course! It may take the rest of the year, but how could anyone doubt the toughness and determination of the IRON GUY?

A Big Three from Michael!

Life has been busy again for the Iron Guy and the last post I made was before Labor Day!  Wow. Hard to believe it's been that long. I'm busily working on new stuff but, in the meantime, our old friend Michael has come through again with three top-notch reviews. Let's hear him out:

My Wierder School, book 6
Mayor Hubble is in Trouble!
by Dan Gutman
    Mayor Hubble, after the incident in Mr. Burke is Berserk!, has been released from jail and is running for mayor again, believe it or not. Meanwhile, A.J. decides to run against Andrea for president of the third grade at Ella Mentry School. But when Mayor Hubble offers to rig the competition in exchange for A.J.'s promotion of him as next mayor, A.J.'s unsure about the whole thing. Will he accept the mayor's tempting offer, or will he submit to an inevitable loss? This series is definitely getting better, but it could be even better than it is now! I wish it was just a little funnier, and nearly every paragraph has a running gag in it. It's still worth reading though.

The Infinity Ring, book 1
A Mutiny in Time
by James Dashner
    Dak and his friend Sera live in a future America where a force called the SQ rules everything, and the world is going downhill fast. But when the two meet a secret society called the Hystorians, everything changes. Using an infinity-shaped time machine that Dak's parents made, the two, along with a young Hystorian named Riq, go back in time. Their goal is to fix things in history that never should have happened. In this case, it's saving Christopher Columbus from being thrown overboard in a mutiny. But the mutineers don't give up easily... and neither does the SQ. Now, although this book is original, it could be a lot more exciting, and it's obviously a copy of The 39 Clues. There's a blue bar on the front cover that says, "Read the book, follow the guide, play the game". The first page has a quote from the book on it. Book two will be written by a different author. And it's put out by Scholastic! The thing is, now that Cahills Vs. Vespers is declining in popularity, The Infinity Ring will surely take over as the most popular kids' series out there by the time Cahills Vs. Vespers is over. Now, which do I think is better? Personally, I'd stick with Cahills Vs. Vespers. But I'll still keep up with The Infinity Ring.

Reviews coming soon: Cahills Vs. Vespers, book 4: Shatterproof, by Roland Smith---- N.E.R.D.S., book 4: The Villain Virus, by Michael Buckley ----------- Amulet, book 4: Prince of the Elves, by Kazu Kibuishi

Cahills Vs. Vespers, book 4
Shatterproof
by Roland Smith
    Amy, Dan, Jake, and Atticus are at it again when Vesper One tells them to steal the Jubilee Diamond right out of the Pergamon museum. But when things go wrong, the team finds out that the whole thing was a setup. What now? Milos Vanek is hot on their trail. And by hot I mean that he's never more than a few miles away from them. How will they shake him loose? Jonah, Hamilton, and Erasmus are still on Luna Amato's trail. Will she lead them to something valuable? Plus, the hostages attempt an escape. Will it work this time? This is definitely better than book 3 and is worth reading! Look for book 5, Trust No One by Linda Sue Park in November, and the movie series starts in 2014!

Michael Lanier

Pianist, guitarist, banjoist, autoharpist, jaw harpist, Ukeist


Thanks, Michael!! I always look forward to seeing your reviews. Yeah, I agree that The Infinity Ring is definitely a copy of The 39 Clues, so I haven't picked it up. How about YOU--have you checked it out or bought it? Did you like it? Is Michael right and will this be the next 39 Clues? Speaking of which, don't pass up the Cahills vs. Vespers series!! They're every bit as good as the first and possibly better. I  REALLY liked Operation Trinity and hope to review it soon. I checked out Shatterproff last week and can't wait to start it.
Anyway, let us all hear what you're reading and enjoying. If you need any help in figuring out how to send a review, just check the instructions on the left-hand side of the page. So what are you waiting for??? Get those fingers on those keyboards and tell us!!

Michael Sends Us More Reviews of Books for Guys!

Once again, our good friend Michael has sent a couple of reviews of the latest and greatest books that guys would like. Let's not waste any time but hear what he says:

Bone: Quest for the Spark, book 2
by Tom Sniegoski
In the second of three sequels to Bone, all of your favorite new characters are back. Tom is on the right trail to finding another piece of the Spark, but Randolf questions Tom's leadership, making the quest a little harder. Meanwhile, Abbey and Barclay Bone, along with Roderick the raccoon, have a run-in with the Constable and the evil Rat Creatures, and the chase is on! The policemen and rats are constantly on their trail. Lorimar thinks that the people she thought lost, her people, are alive and are calling to her. So she must leave the mission to find them. But will she ever make it back? Plus, there's a surprise plot twist like you won't believe! Introducing new characters: Bobby, Joey, and Al, three bumbling bears, this new novel, although a step down from the original graphic novels, is still worth reading. Bone is the only fantasy I like. Even if you don't like fantasy, Bone is a great series that everyone should read! I'd say 7 stars out of 10 for this book.

My Weirder School, book 4
Mr. Burke is Berserk!
by Dan GutmanThey're back! A.J., Ryan, Michael, Neil, Alexia, Andrea, and Emily! When the mayor makes budget cuts, he fires the groundskeeper, Mr. Burke. But Mr. Burke doesn't leave. Instead he digs up gold on the playground! He claims that his grandfather had told him about it, but the monkey bars were in the way. Now that the mayor has removed them, he's able to dig up millions in gold and gilver, a rare combination of gold and silver! Pretty soon everyone in town is coming to the school, and the teachers stop teaching, all to dig up gold and gilver! But there's a surprise ending that I never saw coming! It's the weirdest book in any of the three series, and if you liked the others, you won't want to miss this!

Michael Lanier

Pianist, guitarist, banjoist, autoharpist, jaw harpist, Ukeist

Thank, Michael! That's one thing I like about you--you give it to us straight, letting us know what you like and don't like. These sound good. Have any of you other guys read any of the new Bone novels or the My Weirder School books? Send us your reviews and let us know! After all, we want books that are--

Guy Tested--GUY APPROVED!

Alison Hart Ups the Ante! And Another Tie! And a New Competittor!

Hey, everyone, late breaking news!! We have just received a copy of that terrific book Gabriel's Horses to give away as a prize. And guess what--it's signed by the author! We'll include as one of the free books in our first place prize. (Check out our March 1 post to see what the prizes are) The inscription says "To a great reader! Best, Alison Hart". YOU can be the one to have that book along with some cool Bobcats stuff. Send in those reviews!

Speaking of reviews, we have another one from ALEX SIMONE:

TOLD YOU. I'M BACK. LET'S CUT TO THE CHASE OR IN THIS CASE REVIEW [HAH HAH].I HAVE READ HONUS AND ME BY DAN GUTMAN.I LOVED IT.IT IS ABOUT A KID MEETING HONUS WAGNER THROUGH TIME TRAVEL. I RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE. BYE
PS. HONUS WAGNER WAS A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER FROM 1909. THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT HIS BASEBALL CARD. BYE.
I'LL BE BACK
SOON

Thanks, ALEX! You've made me want to read this one. Did it say what made his card so special? Speaking of Dan Gutman, Michael has sent a review of a DG biography:

My Favorite Writer
Dan Gutman by Gillian Richardson If you want to know more about the mastermind behind My Wierd School, the Baseball Card Adventures, the Million Dollar series, and so many other good books, than this is the biography for you. Through photographs and interaction, this book shows the life and times of Dan Gutman who wrote many books. I've written reviews on many of them, including Dr. Brad Has Gone Mad!, The Christmas Genie, and Qwerty Stevens Back in Time with Thomas Edison. Dan Gutman has had an amazing life, and this book chronicles it all, from the day he was born to where he is today. It's all in there, and you can read all about it when you check out this book. Phenomenal!
Wow, Michael, I wonder what made his life so amazing. You guys are going to load me up with new books!

But that's not all!! We have a new competitor, Brain B, on the court with THREE reviews:

Hi I'm Brian and I'm new to this. I'm going to write a review about the all new Hardy Boys #3 Boardwalk Bust. This story tells how Frank and Joe battle the mayor of Ocean Point Arnold ''Bump'' Rankowski who in the end got arrested for burglaries. If you like mysteries this is the book for you.

I'm writing a review on the Hardy Boys graphics #15 Live Free Die Hardy. A.T.A.C. (American Teens Against Crime) decides to throw a surprise party for Fenton Hardy. The Noir sisters decide to crash the party. Can the Hardy boys stop them? This is a good book but I would read #7 The Opposite Numbers for a introduction to the Noir sisters.

I'm reviewing the all new Hardy Boys #18 Pushed. It is about a teenager named Evan who gets pushed off a subway platform and gets run over. The Hardy Boys pretend to run away and join the Haven a place for run away teens but their luck turns south when they see Lily Fowler a middle schooler classmate. Will they be able to save Joe from the same fate as Evan? Its a good book for all you Hardy Boys fans.

Thanks, Brian, and welcome! We're glad to have you aboard. Don't forget that you get a free book for sending us your reviews. (You too, Chandler!) Come on down to the Imaginon library and pick it up.

So here are the current standings:
Michael--6 points
Dakota T--3 points
ALEX SIMONE--6 points
Chandler--2 points
Brian B--3 points

As you can see, we have another tie! Oh, the competition gets hotter! This renminds of the great Larry Bird/Magic Johnson match-ups back in the day. Keep sending them in, guys, and don't forget that three-point shots can change everything. (go to the March 1 post to see how to make a three-pointer or even a 5-point buzzer beater) And there is still plenty of time for more new reader guys to write in.

Keep slamming them in,

Carl

PS--if you want to find out more about Alison Hart, Gabriel's Horses, and her fantastic Racing to Freedom trilogy, click on any of those labels under this post.

The Competition Heats Up!

Yes, indeed, guys, we're in a hot game now! I've just received 3 reviews from three new friends. Dakota T, a reader guy at SMS Guys Read, our brother guy-book blog, is the first:

No More Dead Dogs is about a completely honest boy, named Wallice, who becomes a football star just by pouncing on the loose ball for the winning touchdown. But when his English teacher asks him to write a possitive report on the book Old Shep, My Pal, he doesn't, and he's sent to detension until he writes. This is bad news for the football team, after three loses, some players are getting angry. After a while, he actually begins to enjoy watching the actors reherse and begins to make suggestions that turn the play around. The longer he stays though, a mystery person starts ruining the play, and people begin to point fingers at Wallice. Soon after they find all the scripts shredded to pieces, wallice isn't allowed anyware near the play. Meanwhile, on the night of the play, the mystery person attaches a bomb to Old Shep and Wallice is the only one who knows about it! Will it be too late to save the play?

This is a great read for all mystery lovers. Yet, it does include some curse words, so I'd advise it for eighth graders and above. Although it has some language, this book has kept me reading it from sunrise to sunset, until i finally figured out who the mystery person was and finished it. It has the chapters set up so that it switches to who's point of veiw your seeing which I thought was great so you got everybody's feelings. Overall this book was one of my favorites and I would rate it on a scale of one to ten, about an 8.4.

Thanks, Dakota T! Since you've reviewed a Three-Pointer book, you start out strong with three points! Good work. Keep them coming.

Our second reviewer is AXEL SIMONE:

I AM REVIEWING JACKIE AND ME BY DAN GUTMAN.IT IS A BOOK ABOUT BASEBALL TIME TRAVEL SEGREGATION AND OF COURSE JACKIE ROBINSON

PS IT IS A GREAT BOOK

Thanks, AXEL! Are you with SMS Guys Read too? Since this is your first Slam Dunk, you start out with one point. That's a good start--keep raining them in for more points. (hint--tell us WHY you do or don't like the books you write about)

And, third, we have a review by another new friend, Chandler:

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is by Daniel Defoe. This book is about a man who is shipwrecked on an island. He gets all the supplies off the ship. When he gets back to the island he tries to find a place to sleep. He finds a hill with a spot worn away. It was like the start of a cave, so he built a roof and added wooden pillars to keep it up. When he finished he built a wall around it. After putting all the supplies in his home he starts building chairs and tables. He also planted corn, found grapes, and went hunting. One day he saw cannibals on the island. They were about to eat some of the prisoners they had captured. When Robinson saw one of the prisoners start running into the forest, he runs to help him. Read this book to find out if Robinson Crusoe can save the prisoner and survive on the island! I enjoyed this book because it has a lot of action and exploring.

By Chandler

Thank you too, Chandler! Robinson Crusoe is another of my all-time favorite books and I highly recommend it to you all! The language is old and a bit difficult but the story---wow! Robinson C is the original survivor and this is one of the greatest survival stories of all time. (if you want to read about a real-life Robinson Crusoe, see my review of Stranded, a terrific nonfiction book)

All right, then, here are the standings:

Michael--5 points

Dakota T--3 points

AXEL SIMONE--1 point

Chandler--1 point

Keep it up, guys! You know how it is in basketball--the lead can change at any time! So keep shooting those shots. You have the whole month of March to battle it out. And that also means there's plenty of time for new reader guys to write in!

Carl