Boys Rule Boys Read!: Ranger's Apprentice

Showing posts with label Ranger's Apprentice. Show all posts

Thursday, March 11, 2010

TWO New Competitors! ALEX Takes the Lead!

Wow! What a day! Today starts the ACC tournament, which is a roundball lover's dream. Go Tarheels! (I say without much hope. Well, there's always next year) On top of that, though, we have new excitement in the March Madness Slam Dunk contest because we have not one but TWO new competitors. The first is Justin B. I wonder if he's a brother to Brian B, who just wrote in yesterday. Could be--he reviewed one of the same books. That's OK--we like it when guys talk about the same book. Let's hear him:

I'm new to this and I am writing a review on the Hardy Boys #18 Pushed. It is about a teenager named Evan who got pushed off of a subway platform in the way of a subway and got ran over. Frank and Joe pretend to runaway to The Haven a place for runaway teenagers. Olivia lives in the park and killed Evan and another boy at The Haven. Frank and Joe find out because Joe was in the subway and Olivia had stuck a needle in Joe to overdose him with some drugs but didn't have time. It is a good book.

Thanks, Brian B! I'm glad guys read the Hardy Boys and glad writers still write them. Have either you or Brian read The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity? If not, go get it! Any fan of Hardy Boys would like it. Click here for my review and here for an interview with the author, Mac Barnett.

The next new competitor is Shannon, an English teacher and mom of a 13-year-old boy. She should know about guy reading! She's started off really strong with three reviews!

THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE by John Flanagan

Will has been chosen to be a ranger. They are feared, respected, mysterious, elite. They guard the kingdom and protect the people. But a battle is brewing. Will his training be enough? My oldest son (almost 13) and I love this series. We pre-order every new book and wait anxiously for them to arrive. Then he gets to read them first, while I try to be a nice mom and patiently wait my turn. Not always easy. If you are looking for a new fantasy series or a good series of boy books, The Ranger's Apprentice series is wonderful!

I have mentioned this book, The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, on so many blogs recently, that I decided I needed to post a review. Right off the bat I want to say, if you have not read this book, READ IT. This book weaves together several separate storylines, each original and fascinating - a lost kitten, an evil swamp snake-witch, a magical daughter and her bird-man husband... Kids love it! :-)

Chris Crutcher is an author truly beloved by most boys. I can't tell you how many non-readers I have watched become avid readers because of his books. He aims to hit boys where they live - to write about issues important to them in language they both use and understand. If you are looking for good books for high school aged boy readers (not for younger readers), I enthusiastically recommend ANY title by Chris Crutcher.

Thanks, Shannon! Bill recently reviewed The Ranger's Apprentice and liked it a lot. Click here for his review, everybody. I have a copy of The Underneath at home. Wow, how can I ever keep up with all the new stuff you all tell me about?? Please keep writing to us, Shannon, and ask you son to write too! And, as we do with all girls or grown-up ladies who send us reviews, we'll give you the greatest honor we can possibly bestow and make you an Honorary Guy!

No need to thank us--you've earned this extreme honor!

And, certainly not least, we have two more reviews from ALEX SIMONE:

I HAVE READ NATHAN ABERCROMBIE ACCIDENTAL ZOMBIE BOOK 1 MY ROTTEN LIFE. IT IS BY DAVID LUBAR. IT IS ABOUT A KID WHO IS PART ZOMBIE! I LOVED THIS BOOK.IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF IT WAS LONGER. I RECOMMEND THIS TO FANS OF DAVID LUBAR. BYE.

I HAVE READ THE SCHWA WAS HERE BY NEAL SHUSTERMAN. I LOVED IT. IT HAS A LOT OF REALLY RUDE HUMOR SO NOT FOR ANYONE UNDER 10. IT IS ABOUT A KID WHO IS VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE.HIS FRIEND ANTSY BONANO HELPS HIM ON HIS QUEST FOR PEOPLE TO NOTICE HIM. IT IS IN THE YOUNG ADULT SECTION. HERE IS A SHORT EXCERPT

.SCHWA:THE FAINT VOWEL SOUND IN MANY UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. BYE.

We appreciate it, ALEX! Guys really like David Lubar's stuff. Our brother readers at the SMS Guys Read blog actually got to meet him once!
OK, here are the new standings:

Michael--6 points

Dakota T-3 points

ALEX SIMONE--8 points

Chandler--2 points

Brian B--3 points

Justin B--1 point

Shannon--3 points

Man, the action gets more intense by the day! Keep them coming everyone! There's still plenty of time for new competitors. The ACC tourney and great book reviews--gotta love it!

Carl

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Ranger's Apprentice and The Mysterious Darth Bill

Hi all in the Land of Blog,

Once again the mysterious and somewhat strange presence known only as Darth Bill is with you again to talk about my latest cool read.

Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flannagan - I know there are probably a bunch of you guys out there who are aware of "The Ranger's Apprentice" Series and I had seen it and heard about it for a long time myself. However, I just recently finished the first book in the series and it was awesome!!!!! The story centers around a 15 year old orphan named Will and several of his friends (also orphans: Horace, George, Jenny and Alyss) who have been taken in by the kind Baron Arald. At the age of 15 they are expected to be chosen for one of the many job classes in and around the castle.

Many years ago the powerful and evil Lord Morgarth tried to invade the Kingdom of Araluen, with his monstrous Wargals, ruled by King Duncan whom Baron Arald serves. Will's father was killed in the deciding battle of the war and knows nothing about his father. He assume he was a brave knight and has ambitions of being chosen to be apprenticed through Battleschool so he can be trained to be a great knight also. However Will is small for his age and not as strong as most who get into Battleschool (like Horace who who does) and indeed he is rejected.

However just when it looks as no one will pick Will to apprentice, a mysterious Ranger named Halt shows up in Baron Arald's room and gives the Baron a note he says concerns Will. Will's curiosity is peaked, to say the least, about what the note has to say. The Barron tells Will to come back in the morning and they will discuss what the note has to say. Needless to say this is to long for Will, so he decides to break into the area of the castle Baron Arald lives in to see what the note says. With this action Will's future is decided. Read this awesome book to find out what that future is.......

Till next time all,

Bill

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