The Iron Guy Talks Books with a Bunch of Cool Guys

Damond Ford, the Iron Guy and all the MANLY MEN at the Boys Club

March greetings, everyone! This month is always great but let me tell about something that happened last month. The Iron Guy got invited to address a bunch of boys in the Boys and Girls Club of York County--Fort Mill, South Carolina, just over the NC/SC border near Charlotte. The head of this group is Damond Ford, a truly great guy. He runs a program for the Boys Club called Password to MANhood, which teaches boys to become responsible men. Damond asked me to bring some books about growth and change, so, after mentally checking through the enormous files of books stored in my MANLY brain, I came up with a few good titles, checked them out and took them down to Fort Mill.

There I found Damond and about 15 boys. They had just started the newest session of the program and the plan was for me to talk about several growth-and-change books. They would pick one and talk about it over the next 12 weeks. But first, we all talked about what it means to be a man and everyone agreed that it included:

Taking responsibility
Doing your best
Overcoming obstacles
Being respectful and considerate to others

(Anyone who tells you differently is WRONG!)


Then I shared several books with them. (I'll show you the list with you in a little bit) After a while, they finally decided on N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley. Does that sound like an odd choice? It might at first but think about it--the main character, a cool and popular guy, starts off by picking on all the nerdy kids in his school. Later on, when he's forced to join them to fight the villain, he understands them, takes responsibility for changing his attitude and learns to respect them. Not to mention he needs to do his best and overcome the obstacles the villain has set up for them. So not only is the book fun, it also has a good message about growth and change.

Here is the list of books I took with me. Some are fiction, some are biographies and one is nonfiction. All of them deal with growth, change, doing your best, overcoming obstacles, etc.---and they are all terrific reads!





N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley--as I said, a whole of fun to read with a good message as well. See my review here.











Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry--one of the best books about growth and change I've ever read and one of the most thrilling stories I've ever read too! (It was also the first book I ever reviewed on this blog--check it out here)










The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight by Tony DiTerlizzi--everyone knows how Luke grew from a farm boy who plays with a toy starship to a true Jedi Knight and this captures that story in one book. Plus the artwork is amazing! (see review here)








The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings--I didn't take this book with me but I have to include it because it's the best book I know about growing from an irresponsible boy to an adult. Yes, it's long but it's an epic story and you really get caught up in this boy's life. (see my review here)







Who Was...Roberto Clemente, Louis Armstrong, Muhammad Ali and Julius Caesar--four from the great Who Was...biographies and all of them are incredible stories of  true life. See reviews here, here and here--have not reviewed the Louis Armstrong book yet)









The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American's Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown--I can't say enough good things about this one! See my review here.







All right, all you guys and grownups, go check these out!  I've always said that reading is not only fun but also prepares you for life. These books are proof! And Damond (plus all you other cool guys in the Boys Club) let me hear from you while you read this book. Would love to hear what you think!

Cool guys doing the Dab

Sammer and Michael Tell Us About More Terrific Books!

Fall greetings, reader guys. The cool-weather, falling leaves,watching-football season officially arrived around

4:00 pm last Sunday--and the Carolina Panthers actually won a game!

 The Iron Guy thinks it's a great time to grab a chair, a good book and find a place to read either inside (to stay out of the cold) or outside (to enjoy the glorious fall weather). A couple of our old friends think so too. Both Michael and Sammer sent good reviews of some cool-sounding books. We haven't heard from Sammer for a long time, so let's hear him first:

This is my book review on Atlantis Rising. Atlantis Rising was a great book. There are two main characters in this book. Their names are Promi and Atlanta. It starts with Promi, a thief who has great skills with a knife. The leader of the town is a man named Grukarr who has bad intentions. Promi, not knowing anything about Grukarr’s evil plan, wanted to humiliate him in front of a big crowd. He plans on throwing his knife to cut off his belt buckle. He succeeds and becomes Grukarr’s enemy. Atlanta is a girl from the forest outside the city Elligandia where Promi lives. Atlanta is teaching a group of people how to talk to the trees when Grukarr comes through and tells her group to get out of the way so he can pass through. Now Atlanta can do some magic. As the group she was teaching runs away she stays and makes one of the tree branches move and smack Grukarr’s forehead. She then also becomes the enemy of Grukarr. Neither Prani or Atlanta know it yet but Grukarr’s plan involves both of them.This is an action-packed, dramatic adventure with spirits, immortals, faeries, Water gods, and even highly poisonous snails. If you are a fantasy lover like myself, this is a book for you.
From,
Sammer

Thanks, Sammer! I enjoy a good fantasy book, especially when a tree branch whacks the bad guy in the head! Now let's hear from Michael:

N. E. R. D. S., book 5

Attack of the BULLIES

by Michael Buckley
      It's the series finale of  N. E. R. D. S.! Ms. Holiday is now Ms. Information, a new deranged supervillain who has the abilities to copy everything the NERDS have done. She gets together a team of kids in juvenile detention, and puts the US president's daughter in charge of them! She gives them upgrades, and calls them the Brotherhood of Underestimated Liars, Lowlife, and Endangerment to Society: BULLIES. Meanwhile, Heathcliff struggles to regain the team's trust, because he can't remember what happened with the villain virus. Just as the NERDS start gaining on the BULLIES, Ms. Information pulls out a new surprise on them: a time machine! Find out Ms. Holiday's backstory, plus, will Agent Brand return? It's an intriguing, action-packed adventure through time and emotions that will leave you wondering what happens next on every page! ...well, except the last one, of course. As an interesting sidenote, the book shows Ruby Peet's family, what happens if someone receives a double upgrade, and it has not only lots of old game and TV show references, but it has a cameo of Buckley himself! Definitely not a book to miss! 

Michael Lanier

Pianist, guitarist, banjoist, autoharpist, jaw harpist, ukeist, mandolinist 

Thanks to you too, Michael! The N.E.R. D.S. books are really popular with guys and with good reason. I was a little worried because you said N.E.R.D.S. 4 wasn't that good, so I'm glad to see that series get back in shape.

Check these out, guys, and remember, they weren't recommended by some boring old grownup but by a reader guy like YOU! That means these books are:

Or as the boys at last year's Read to Achieve club at Eastover School said:

 

  

Guy Tested--GUY APPROVED!

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.

Michael Talks About the Latest Amulet and N.E.R.D.S!!

Taking a break from all my sports talk, the Iron Guy is pleased to present the latest reviews from our good friend Michael:

Amulet, book 5
Prince of the Elves
by Kazu Kibuishi
    I don't know about you, but after what Max did in The Last Council, I wasn't sure whose side he was on. This book reveals it all. Stonekeepers can use their amulets to travel back into their own memory, and when Trellis the elf prince decides to do so, things take a dangerous turn fast. I can't put much more without spoiling the book, but it's definitely worth reading. There aren't many fantasy series that I like, but this one is one of the few.

N.E.R.D.S., book 4
The Villain Virus
by Michael Buckley
    Something's going around, and it's not your average flu. People globally are suddenly overcome with thoughts of revenge against people who never wronged them, building doomsday devices, and wanting to take over the world to show everyone their supreme power! Sound like someone familiar? Those are just the things that Heathcliff Hodges, aka Agent Choppers, aka Screwball, aka Brainstorm would say. But how could he be infecting the whole world? After the fiasco in The Cheerleaders of Doom, Heathcliff is sleeping under sedation, and he hasn't woken up. But there must be some explanation for the virus that may destroy the world. This is a decline from the books before, and the climax is worse than some of the other action scenes, which aren't great. I must say, though, there are some unbelievably amazing twists at the end. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a flop ending to the series.

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

Wow, I sure hope the same thing! The N.E.R.D.S. series have always gotten good write-ups, especially from you and I'd hate to see them end with a flop. And I must admit that I've never read the Amulet series. What about you reader guys out there? Have YOU read them? Did you like them? Shoot us a review and let us know! And don't forget--you're doing all your fellow reader guys a service when you tell us about terrific books. After all, when you write in, other guys know they're not hearing from some boring old grownup (though the Iron Guy defies ANYONE who calls him boring!), you're hearing from a boy, just like you. That means those books will be--

Guy Tested--GUY APPROVED!

All Right! MICHAEL Writes Again!

Yes, indeed, our old friend Michael has sent us another set of first-rate reviews. Man, we LOVE it when you readers guys write and tell us about your favorite books. And you're also helping other guys find the good stuff. Let's hear what Michael has to say:

The 39 Clues, book 10

Into the Gauntlet

by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Amy and Dan have recently met their great uncle, Fiske, and he has told them that they need to not only win the clue-hunt for the Madrigals, but to also accomplish the 500-year task of uniting all of the Cahill branches. WHAT!!! Alistair Oh and Jonah Wizard? Sinead Starling and Ian Kabra? Eisenhower Holt and Dan Cahill? Impossible! Or is it? And not to mention the most evil woman in the world: Isabel Kabra. Who will be the first through the gauntlet? Who will drink Gideon Cahill's master serum? Who is going to rule the world? No one could write the 39 Clues better than Margaret Peterson Haddix, and you're guaranteed to be on the edge of your seat the entire time! Also, look for the newest 39 Clues book coming October 26: The Black Book of Buried Secrets.

N. E. R. D. S., book 2

M is for Mama's Boy

by Michael Buckley

Simon is back, and he's not taking any chances. After retreiving his goon, he hunts down a computer whiz perfect to do his bidding: Albert Nesbitt. Albert is a 32-year-old, 300-pound comic book reader who is just smart enough to make what Simon wants: a ray gun that hypnotizes electronic devices. Perfect! Now, not only can Simon drain the NERDS of their power, but he can use their power against them! And then Albert's Mama gets in on the scheme, and she's more evil then the other three combined. That's when Duncan Dewey (a.k.a. Gluestick) 's dad takes him off the team of NERDS. And if that's not bad enough, Albert's Mama knows that Duncan is a part of the NERDS, and she's his next door neighbor! And she's got the ray gun!!! What will happen now? Well, you'll have to find out by reading it yourself. I'm certainly not going to tell you. That would be spoiling it! This book is much better than the first and marks the end of Simon forever!

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk

by Dav Pilkey

After their huge success with Super Diaper Baby, George Beard and Harold Hutchins have decided to write another graphic novel. Ook and Gluk are caveboys in the year 500,001 B.C. The world is run by the evil Goppernopper. But then Goppernopper sees strange creatures hauling away all the trees. And that's when it happens. Goppernopper meets his descendant, who runs Goppernopper industries. He has used a time portal to come from the year 2222 A.D. to 500,001 B.C. to get all the trees for Goppernopper industries, because there are no trees left in 2222 A.D. Caveman Goppernopper agrees to help. Ook and Gluk, seeing the whole thing, know that the two Goppernoppers will take over the future world and the caveman world as well. The two boys run through the time portal into a world filled with pollution and manmade buildings. They take refuge in a martial arts school and in seven years advance to black belt. But is it enough to save all of space and time from the evil Goppernoppers? Or will the enemies prevail once again? Is this the end for Ook and Gluk? This is a great comic book, outrageously funny, and, regardless to the fact that a couple of 4th graders wrote it, is very accurate to time travel. A great read for everyone!

Thanks, Michael! You beat me to the punch on a couple of these. I have Into the Gauntlet and am about one-third of the way through. It's really good so far. I just checked out a copy of N.E.R.D.S. 2 last week and it looks good too. The library has copies of Ook and Gluk in the system, so I've just put one on hold. You've given me something new to look at, Michael! Thanks again and keep writing!

Michael Wrties about N.E.R.D.S.

Once again, our most excellent friend Michael has written a first-class review of another terrific book:

Nerds
by Michael Buckley
Jackson Jones was the most popular kid in his school. He loved hanging around his popular friends, creating trends, and most of all, harrassing nerds. But when Jackson had to get braces, he too became a nerd. And when he stumbled upon the secret hideout of the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (aka N.E.R.D.S.), he must join the team and stop the evil Dr. Felix Jigsaw from connecting all the continents together and recreating Pangea. But Jigsaw keeps talking about a "Simon". Who is this Simon? Is it his professional assassin, the Hyena, his goon, Dumb Vinci, or could it be one of the N.E.R.D.S.? This is a great read for anyone and everyone. The best spy story I've ever read. Good for any and every occasion! Amazing!

Thanks again, Michael! N.E.R.D.S. is a lot of fun. Click on the "N.E.R.D.S." label under this post to see my original review. And don't forget we're going to have a N.E.R.D.S. book club here at Imaginon on Saturday, February 27 at 3:00. Call 704-416-4630 to register.

Boys' Book and Movie Days

Yes, guys, it's the CARLMAN and there's a fun program coming up in February, the Boys' Movie and Book Club. We'll show a movie, hand out books to check out after the movie, and meet three weeks later to have a book club. The book for February will be N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley. It's a terrifically fun book and one of my favorites of 2009 (see my original review here) Since the book is about nerds, I thought we'd show The Absent-Minded Professor, that oldy-goldy movie about a nerdy science professor. Here's the schedule:

Saturday, February 6 at 3 pm at Imaginon in The Round--watch The Absent-Minded Professor and check out a copy of N.E.R.D.S. afterward.

Saturday, February 27 at 3 pm at Imaginon in The Round--N.E.R.D.S. book club.

Feel free to come to the movie, but, if you do, we expect to see you at the book club too! If you've ever come to our boys' book club, you'll know that we have a good time as well as good discussion. So call the Imaginon library at 704-416-4630 to register or if you need more info. Hope to see you there!

N.E.R.D.S. Rule!! And the "Dress Like a Nerd" Contest

Have you ever wanted to join the N.E.R.D.S.? Or dress like the N.E.R.D.S.? Well, you might because N.E.R.D.S. stands for National Espiaonage, Rescue, and Defense Society, a top-top secret agent service the government calls on "when the best of the best can't get it done." It's also the name of a TERRIFIC new book by Michael Buckley.

Jackson Jones was the star quarterback and most popular guy in Nathan Hale school who delighted in tormenting the nerdy kids. He noticed the nerdy kids kept getting up and getting out of class. He decided to follow them one day, but the principal was in the halwway. Jackson jumped into a locker to hide, the bottom dropped away, and he slid down into...Do you really want to know? Oh, OK, he slid into the secret headquarters of N.E.R.D.S.! That means he had to join them and fight evil acroos the globe. But does he have what it takes to be one of the N.E.R.D.S.? You will LOVE this book! It's got lots of action, goofball humor, and a SLAM-BANG ending. And it's FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY!!


In honor of this new book, we're holding a "Dress Like a Nerd" contest. Come to either the Imaginon or Matthews library and let us take a picture of you in a nerdy outfit. Or bring us a picture. We'l post them on the blog. Every guy who does will get a free book. The winner will get a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and a copy of Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith. Pretty good, huh? The contest will go until 6:00 Pm this Saturday. That's Halloween Day! We'll announce the winner on Monday, November 2. Got any questions? Call Zack at Matthews at 704-416-5022 or Carl or Bill at Imaginon at 704-416-4630.

GO NERDS!!