We Interrupt This World Series of Reading Contest--

--to bring you my annual Halloween rant. You may have seen it last year and the year before, in which I basically say that Halloween should be FUN. Scary, yes, but in a fun way. Not with all the gruesome stuff you see nowadays that would give nightmares to your nightmares. But enough about that--
I'm going to tell you about some books that are good for Halloween and are a whole lot of fun. And most of them are about Mad Scientists.

That's because the library has held a Community Read event in October. The grownups read the original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a story about a scientist whose experiment worked--and with bad and unforeseen results. For kids, the library picked The Fourteenth Goldfish, a book about a scientist whose experiment succeeded but with unforeseen results. Were they bad? You have to figure that one out!

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

Ellie's brilliant scientist grandfather, Melvin Sagarsky, (who has a fan club in Finland) has invented a serum that reverses aging. The problem is that it turned him into a 13-year-old boy! The police didn't believe he wasn't just a kid and took him to live with Ellie and her mom. But he still acts like a cranky old guy. And he has to go to middle school again. And he wants to let the Nobel committee about his wonderful invention. He's bound to get one--after all,  it would be great to be young forever, right? Right? Maybe...
This book had a good story that moved right along. It was fun to see the interaction between Ellie, her grandfather (looking like a kid) and Ellie's mom. It also brings up lots of good ideas for discussion and has lots of interesting info about notable scientists at the end.


Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka

Oh, man, now here's a book to bust your gut from laughing! Brilliant kid inventor Frank Einstein is living for a while with his brilliant scientist grandfather, Al Einstein. (not that Einstein!) Frank tries, like Victor Frankenstein, to create something living out of inanimate matter--in this case, a web camera, a Shop Vac, a jumbo kitchen trash can and other parts. Does he succeed? And can he actually create an endless supply of energy using matter/antimatter? The only way to find out is to read this terrific book! And you'll find laughs and thrills while reading, along with a chimp that spells "Peace out" in sign language, a robot that tells stupid jokes and a giant Antimatter Squirt Gun.


Science Fair by Dave Barry

Oh, man, what a GREAT audiobook! I heard this many years ago and never forgot it. One of the funniest things you will ever listen to. It would take too long to explain, so let me simply say that Dave Barry creates an amazing laugh ride out of a high school science fair and national security, spies from the country Krpshtskan (led by the dictator Grdankl the Strong) who become obsessed with shopping channels, a floating frog, a mysterious dude in the mall's science store who makes mysterious things happen, and the biggest Nuclear Mentos experiment of all time!




Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich and Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex

And I can't post about Frankenstein without mentioning these two oldies but really goodies. These are books of poems (yes, poems!) that will make any guy laugh out loud. In the first, we wonder what happens when the Invisible Man gets a haircut, who would tell Dracula he has something green stuck in his teeth and if The Phantom of the Opera gets "It's a Small World" out of his head. In the second, Frankenstein gets married. But why can't Dracula eat anything on the buffet? And what is on the Headless Horseman's blog? And why does no one go to Skull Island anymore? And why does Frankenstein really want a harpist at the wedding? These books have been around quite a while and they still get checked out. You truly owe it to yourselves to find out why!

OK, boys, these are perfect for Halloween or any time of year. Check them out and have  a fun Halloween!

A Fun Read for Halloween--or Anytime

Hey, guys, today is Halloween, one of the great guy holidays of the year. I mean, what other day can you get gobs of candy and not have one grownup tell you "No"? (although the smart grownups won't let you eat it all at once) Well, the Iron Guy thinks Halloween should be all about fun and I wrote a post about that last year. And I still believe it, so I'm going to tell you about a really fun book that's perfect for Halloween.

It's Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe. This book has been around for a long time (it  was published in 1979) but there's a good  reason why it's still  around--it's a very fun read! This is the story of a vampire bunny. Written by a dog. That's right! A vampire bunny and a dog that types. Told you this would be good. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Monroe family comes home one night (a dark and stormy night) from seeing a Dracula movie. At the theatre, the youngest boy found a little rabbit on a seat and they all brought it home. Both Harold, the family dog and Chester, the cat, are curious about the newcomer but Chester notices strange things about the bunny. It has markings that look like a cape. And it has something no bunny should have--fangs! Over the next few days, they see that the the bunny sleeps all day, stays awake all night and seems to get out of its cage without unlocking it. Then--beginning with the tomato, the thing with red juice--all the vegetables in the refrigerator turn white as if something had drained all the juice out of them! Oh, no! Could this cute little bunny really be a vampire??

Oh, boy, you will truly get a kick out of this book! It's funny, it's absorbing and it's a good quick read. It's funny because it's told from Harold's goofball dog perspective. It's absorbing because you really want to find out what's going to happen with Chester trying to convince his people there's a vampire rabbit in the house. And it's only 98 pages long, so it's the perfect read for any of you who are avid readers or what the grownups call a reluctant reader. Check it out--it's a perfect and fun read for the Halloween season or any time of year. And if you've read it, write in and tell us how you liked it.

PS--there is a whole series of Bunnicula books now, so dive right in and read them all!
PPS--in the Monroe family, the dad is a college professor and the mom is a lawyer. No wonder they have a dog smart enough to write and a cat who can read.
PPS--in the spirit of fun, tell me what your favorite Halloween candy is, even if you read this review a few days later. After all, any smart kid makes Halloween candy last until Thanksgiving!

An Interview with Josh Elder

Hello everyone out there in the Land of Blog, it is I once again. The scariest Sith that will be trick or treating at your house this year, Darth Bill (just don't put any rocks into my trick or treat bag, man I hate when that happens)!!!!!!!!!!





From the classic Television Special "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."


Well I have a special treat for all you guys out there who love comics and graphic novels. Josh Elder author of such great graphic novels as "Mail Order Ninja" and various comic books has given me this very exclusive interview. Josh was here this summer at ImaginOn for the highly successful "Kids Love Comics! Workshop for Aspiring Artists & Young Fans" and more recently here in Charlotte for the Library System's "Novello Festival" earlier this October.

Mr. Elder on the left with Michele Gorman from the "Kids Love Comics Event"

I don't believe, to my utter dismay, that I have not reviewed the totally awesome Mail Order Ninja Volume 1 on our blog (dooooooohhhhhhh!!!!!). So before the interview check this out:


Mail Order Ninja Volume 1 by Josh Elder and Erich Owen - Every bullies dream, Timmy McAllister, spends the majority of his days in school getting picked on and pushed around, until one fateful day he sees an advertisement for "The Great Ninja Warrior Gunshyo Giveaway." Figuring that he has nothing to lose, he enters this contest. A few weeks later a rather large box is delivered to his house containing a ninja named Yoshida Jiro. At first Timmy's parents are not sure if he is ready to own a ninja, after all it is a big responsibility. But after begging and pleading, Timmy's parents relent. Things in Timmy's life are about to change in a big way thanks to his new personal ninja and friend, Yoshida Jiro. This Graphic Novel has lots of laughs and high ninja adventure. Very, very cool indeed!!!!!!!!






My review of Mail Order Ninja Volume 2 can be found on this blog by clicking: Here.







Now without further commercial interruptions is the "Boys Rule, Boys Read" highly exclusive interview with the one, the only Josh Elder:

1) What was/or were the first book and/or books you read as a kid that made you think “wow?”

Pretty much all of 'em. Books and comics have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. I can't imagine my life without them. Here a few that totally changed my life, though:

The Oz books by L. Frank Baum

Hatchet by Gary Paulson

Anything by Mark Twain

Anything by Robert L. Heinlein

Any comic I could get my hands on. Especially GI Joe, Transformers, Spider-Man, Calvin & Hobbes and my number one hero of all time... Superman.

2) What gave you the idea for “Mail Order Ninja” and some of the very cool characters in the books?

I had purchased a number of old comics off of ebay and in these old comics were ads for outrageously fraudulent items like X-ray glasses and weight-lifting programs that promised to add 20 lbs of muscle in as many days. So I thought it would be awesome if you could order your very own ninja through the mail. My friend said "Dude, that's the best idea you've ever had." He was right, and that afternoon I developed pretty much the entire premise of "Mail Order Ninja."

3) Who do you consider some of your biggest influences as a comic/graphic novel creator?

My biggest influences -- especially on my work aimed at younger readers -- are the Looney Tunes and comic strips like Calvin & Hobbes. Those are works that are aimed at children yet are enjoyable for audiences of any age. And the older you get, the smarter and funnier they actually become.

Aside from Bill Waterson and Chuck Jones, my biggest influences as a comic writer would have to be Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. They're constantly evolving, constantly taking risks and exploring new territory -- they're never content to stick with a formula or emulate a past success. Every story I write should be different and/or better than anything I've done before or else why do it?

4) Why do you think it's cool for boys to read?

Because reading is cool. It's the only way you get to really be a part of the story -- even playing a videogame you're just another character. When you read you're a part of the story in every way and the story can't get told without you.

5) Is it cool for boys to write/draw? Why?

Of course it is! Writers and artists are the people who truly shape the world. Plus it's fun!

6) Who was your favorite comic book character when you were a boy? Do you have a favorite character now?

That one's easy: Superman. He's the first and greatest superhero of them all -- the wellspring from which all other superheroes came. I've been a fan of the character for literally longer than I can remember (I had a pair of Superman pajamas as a little boy that I wore to bed pretty much every night without fail) and today I have a Superman tattoo on my right bicep of which I'm quite proud.

I've actually gotten to write Superman stories for DC Comics over the past few years and that has been a real dream come true for me.

7) What is your favorite sport?

Football, no doubt. I played it in high school and it remains the only sport I really follow today. Anything can happen on any given play in any game -- it's what makes football so incredibly unpredictable and exciting. That and I'm a big fan of watching big dudes hit each other really hard.

8) What do you like to do for fun?

I like to read and I like to write (I certainly chose the right career then, didn't I?). I enjoy my football and am a big movie buff. In fact, every week or so I get a group of friends together for "Bad Movie Night" and we all watch really terrible movies with the goal being to have the best joke of the night at the movie's expense. I like to visit museums whenever I can and I also do a lot of biking here in Chicago during the summer months.

9) What is your favorite book you have written?

Probably "Mail Order Ninja." It's easily my best-written work and is the one that I still find funny each time I read it. Though I am working on a story called "Dear Superman" that is very near and dear to my heart that will most likely take the top spot if and when it's published.

10) Which do you like better--cheeseburgers or pizza? What do you like on them?

Why do I have to choose? I'll going to use a bit of lateral problem solving and just have a cheeseburger pizza instead!

Thank you very much Mr. Elder!!!!!! What a cool guy!!!!!! I hope the "Dear Superman" that he is working on comes out sometime soon. If you have not read The Mail Order Ninja Books, Volumes 1 and 2, do yourself a favor and check them out ASAP!!!!!!

Until next time - Up, Up and Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill

An Awesome Read for Halloween!!!!!

Hello all,

Tis the season to be scary!!!!! Do you want to see something truly scary? Do you really? Okay you asked for it, take a look:

Boooooo!!!!! Who let these dogs out!!!!!! Boo,Boo, Boo, Boo Boo!!!

Okay one more for you cat lovers out there:

Trick or Treat, Please give us mice to eat!!!!!!!!!! Watch out any mice out there reading this!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, was that scary or what???? Well now that the frightening part is over let me talk about this really cool book I recently discovered:

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - Who is the best detective ever? Did you guess Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Jacques Clouseau or perhaps The Hardy Boys? Well if you guessed any of those you would be wrong!!!!! The greatest detective ever is none other than Skulduggery Pleasant who is introduced in what I hope is a very long series of books of the same name. What sets Skulduggery apart you ask? Well first off he is not officially among the living and second off he is a walking, talking, and highly sarcastic skeleton who uses magic. His specialty is the investigation of supernatural crimes (OOOOO0000000ooo!!!!!! Spooky Stuff I tell ya!!!!!). The story in this book starts when 12 year old Stephanie's eccentric Uncle Gordon dies. At the funeral Stephanie bumps into a very strange character wearing a overcoat, scarf, sunglasses, a wig and a very broad hat so that not one bit of him can be seen. Later in the story Skulduggery saves Stephanie's life while she is at her Uncle Gordon's House, which she inherited, when she is attacked by a very strange creature. Stephanie learns from Skulduggery that her Uncle was murdered and he is on the case to find out who done it!!!!!! Stephanie is fascinated by the strange unseen world Skulduggery introduces her to. A world were magic is very real and monsters exist around every corner. She persuades Skulduggery to let her accompany him on his investigation and things just get weirder and stranger from there. If you like books that are funny but also full of intrigue and action, you will love this one. I laughed so much and got caught up in the fast paced story that I finished it way to soon. Luckily there is a second book and I plan on starting it right away.

To hear a really cool interview with Skulduggery Pleasant himself go to http://www.skulduggerypleasant.com/us/world/interview.htm.







The official website for everything Skulduggery Pleasant can be found at http://www.skulduggerypleasant.com/.








Well talk at you all later,

Darth Bill