March Madness Slam Dunk Contest

Ah, yes, reader guys, the CARLMAN is excited because it's March again. Fabulous, wonderful March, the month of the March Madness college basketball tournament! Every year it's great. There are always exciting games, a major upset, and an unknown team that comes out of nowhere and thrills the whole nation. This year ought to be no different--although it won't be as much fun because my beloved Carolina Tarheels have a second-rate team and may not even make it. Oh, well.

But March is also the month the we hold an annual March Madness contest, complete with prizes. The last two years we've held Book Series contests and Author Shoot-outs in which we filled out brackets, went through elimination rounds, etc. but this year we're going to keep it simple and hold a MARCH MADNESS SLAM DUNK CONTEST. Each review you send in will be worth one point (a "slam dunk"). The three guys with the most points at the end of March will be the first, second, and third place winners. Simple, huh? BUT WAIT--THERE'S MORE!! You have chances to get THREE EXTRA POINTS! If you send us a review of any of the books listed below (which are terrific but don't get the attention they deserve), you'll make a "three-point shot" for three extra points. Here's the list:

Any book in the Racing for Freedom trilogy by Alison Hart (scroll down and see the post of 2-24 for more info)

Any book in the Sluggers/Barnstormers series (click here and here for reviews)

Any book in The Tiger's Apprentice series (click here for a review)

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (click here for a review. The book's long but it's great!)

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman (click here for a review. This is my pick to counter Carl's Dead Animal book. You can guess what happens to the deer in that one! Darth Bill Hey, man, come on! It's a great read. Yeah, so's this one. OK,OK!)

Amulet: Book 1, The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi (click here for a review)

Amulet. Book 2, The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi (click here for a review)
(These last two are my picks as well. Got a problem with them?? No, I trust your judgement on graphic novels. You say you trust a SITH?? Whatever)

AND any guy who writes a review of the Childrens Theatre of Charlotte's production of Treaure Island will also get three points.

PLUS--any guy who writes a review of the Treasure Island book will get a "buzzer beater" worth FIVE POINTS because the book's long and the language is old, but it's well worth reading. The language isn't impossible, the story's exciting, and it's one of my all-time favorite books. It may be the best pirate story ever written. (click here for a review)

OK, guys! Are you up for it? Let's...wait, what's that you say? What about prizes? Well, of course! What's a contest without prizes? We have some good ones this year. The Charlotte Bobcats have been very generous and donated three prize bags! Each one has lots of cool Bobcats stuff, including an autographed miniball (one signed by Gerald Wallace, one by Boris Diaw, and one by Alexis Ajinca) Sound good? The prizes will be:

First Place--A Bobcats gift bag and a book bag with three free books

Second--A Bobcats gift bag and two free books

Third--A Bobcats gift bag and one free book

All right! Get those keyboards pumped and burn in those reviews. Don't forget that reviews of graphic novels, audiobooks, biographies, and nofiction count too!

PS--if you live outside the Charlotte, NC area, you can also enter. Call Carl at 704-416-4630 and give your address if you qualify for a prize. But first make sure your parents know you're making such a call!

Warriors, Spider-Man, Copper and Missle Mouse Oh My!!!

Hello all in the Land of Blog, tis I, Darth Bill. I have been away for awhile fighting evil and righting wrongs with my boys Batman and Captain America (hey I can dream, right?). But I finally took a break and read a bunch of Graphic Novels and would like to talk with you about them. So lets get to it:


Warriors, Ravenpaw's Path: Shattered Peace by Dan Jolley and James Barry - This is the first in a Graphic Novel (GN) series, taken from Erin Hunter's outstanding Warriors Book Series, featuring Ravenpaw and his best friend Barley (oh if you didn't know the Warriors Books and Graphic Novels are about cats living on their own). In this story Ravenpaw, a courageous and kind feline, has parted ways with his former clan named ThunderClan. Ravenpaw has settled on a farm with another stray cat named Barley who has lived his entire life on the farm. At first, Ravenpaw finds peace and comfort on the farm with his friend...until one night when they are visited by a pack of strays looking for help. The strays have a mother cat who is ready to give birth to kittens and they desperately need protection from the constant snow that has started to fall. Barley is suspicious of these strays, but Ravenpaw accepts them in the barn for as long as they need. The kittens are born, time moves on, Barley grows more uncomfortable with the new arrivals and Ravenpaw is reminded of clan life, which a part of him misses. Things are about to happen that will change Barley's and Ravenpaw's lives forever. To find out what that is check out the Graphic Novel and give it a read. Also, just to wet your appetite there will be a sequel to this GN. Great stuff!!!!!!!!




Marvel Adventures Spider-Man: Thwip! by Paul Tobin, Matteo Lolli and Jacopo Camagni - This Graphic Novel collects Marvel Adventures Spider-Man issues 53 - 56 and it opens up a whole new world for our favorite web-slinger. In the first story Peter (Spider-Man for those who need to buy a vowel) meets a bunch of new friends/foes who appear they will be around for the foreseeable future. Two of these people are mutants: Emma Frost (whose power is telepathy) and Sophia Sanduval (otherwise known as Chat and she has the ability to talk to animals). Emma discovers through her telepathic abilities that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are one in the same and shares this information with Chat who really likes Peter a lot (like in a boyfriend way). Is this good or bad for Peter? Only the future can tell. In the next story we meet another new girl in Peter's life, Gwen Stacy (she was actually introduced in the first story) and her father George Stacy who just happens to also be a Police Captain. To make matters more complicated for Peter, George Stacy figures out that he is also Spider-Man. Yikes, three people discovering your secret identity all within the period of a couple of days!!! The last two stories have Spidey teaming up with Captain America and the team of Cloak and Dagger to take on such villains as Tombstone and The Mob. Things are getting complicated in Peter Parker's life and this really leads to some great stories. Highly Recommended!!!!!

The Mutant Team of Cloak and Dagger

Copper by Kazu Kibuishi -This is an outstanding GN by the writer and artist Kaza Kibuishi who is also well known for such GN's as the Amulet Series - Amulet. Book 1, The Stonekeeper (you can see the review of this book through the Book 2 link), Amulet. Book 2, The Stonekeeper's Curse (of which the third volume will be coming out soon). This GN focuses on short stories about a boy named Copper and his best friend Fred (who also happens to be his dog). Copper is in general very optimistic about life and Fred is a bit of a pessimist. The stories are fun to read with each having a touch of the bizarre, weird, funny and sometimes deeper meanings (things that make you go hum.....). Really a bunch of fun, so give it a try.




Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher by Jake Parker - If you have not heard of Missile Mouse yet, boy are you in for a treat with this Graphic Novel. Missile Mouse has appeared before in Flight Explorer which was released in 2008 and reviewed by myself (click here to see the review). Incidentally, a Copper story also appears in the Flight Explorer GN.




Anyway, Flight Explorer is not the GN I'm talking about right now, but the most awesome "Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher" GN. In this GN Missile Mouse finds himself in hot water with his superiors at the GSA (Galactic Security Agency) whose responsibility it is to protect all known Outer Space and it's planets. He is in trouble for a mission that went bad that involved him finding a Star Compass (of great value, we learn later) which was then stolen from him by a bounty hunter known as Gurne. His commander does not take into account that Missile Mouse was at a severe disadvantage as he had just fought a Giant Space Slug that was on the space ship along with the Star Compass. Missile Mouse learns through his commander that Gurne is working with the RIP (Rouge Imperium of Planets) which is actively working on bringing back an ancient weapon of mass destruction known as a Star Crusher. Star Crushers were used in an old war in which both sides used them to create Black Holes that destroyed everything. Missile Mouse is tasked with stopping the RIP from recreating the Star Crushers with the help of a scientist named Ulrich (whose race was responsible for creating them) and Agent Hyde, a relatively new recruit to the GSA. If you like high action, plot twist, great artwork, space adventure, green slime and a mouse with a mission, this is definitely the Graphic Novel for you!!!!! Great stuff!!!!!!! Check out this preview if you don't believe me:





Later and peace all,

Bill

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!!

Graphic Novels, Pirates, Princesses and GOOF OFF Day; AAArrrhhh!!

Hello all in "The Land of Blog," tis I, Capt'n Blackheart Bill. It is time again to talk about some some good reads. But first something completely different:







Mrs. Yingling had this to say about our recent review of "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins (to see the review click Here): "It was with great reluctance that I turned over Catching Fire to one of my students before I read it. Maybe he'll turn it in late on Friday afternoon and I can take it home for the weekend..." Well, Mrs. Yingling, I hope you get hold of it soon because dare I say, I do, I do, it may be even better than the first book!!!!!!!


G-Man: Learning to Fly by Chris Giarruss - This is a great Graphic Novel featuring G-Man and his brother Great-Man and all their superhero buddies.They're superhero friends (all kids also) such as Billy Demon, Tan Man, Sparky among many others. Also in this Graphic Novel are special appearances by "The Mighty Skullboy Army," Santa Claus, a Psychotic Christmas Tree, "The Savage Dragon" and more. Enjoy such epic storylines as the Origin Stories of G-Man and Great Man and The Crisis of Multiple Dimensions. This is definitely one of the most fun Graphic Novels dealing with Superheroes I have read in a long time. The artwork is too cool and the stories are hilarious so you really need to check this book out (literally)!!!! As a side not I met Mr. Giarruss at Heroes Con this summer and he drew me this great picture of Spider-Boy (from Mini Marvels) who both fights crime and delivers papers and you would be surprised at the challenges posed by both occupations. Great stuff from a great guy!!!!!!





Amulet (Book 2): The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi - This is the second book in the Amulet Graphic Novel Series (The first: Amulet: Book One, The Stonekeeper I reviewed on this blogs 3/27/2008 posting - Click Here to see that review. This Graphic Novel has brother and sister Navin and Emily continuing on their quest to save their sick mother. At the start of this book the elves are in hot pursuit of the new Stonekeeper (Emily), who must travel via walking house to the city of Kanalis (where people are cursed to slowly turn into animals but they do retain their intelligence and ability to speak). In this city they pickup an ally in the swashbuckling fox Leon Redbeard. When they find a doctor in the city, he tells them that the only way their poisoned mother can be saved is through the fruit of the Gadoba Tree which grows at the peak of Damon's Mountain. The only problem with this is that anyone who has taken this journey has never returned from it. Also Emily finds the Magical Stone that grants her magical abilities trying very hard to take control of her. Leon Redbeard offers to train her how to use the Magic Stone, but can she trust this mysterious mercenary? The artwork and story in this Graphic Novel are breathtaking. You really should tag along in this great quest full of action, strange machines, stranger creatures and all manner of good and evil characters. Highly Recommended!!!!!!!


Artemis Fowl, The Graphic Novel: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano - In three simple words: Artemis Fowl Rules!!!!!!!!!! This is the second Graphic Novel adaption of the second book (duh....am I stating the obvious????) "The Arctic Incident." The highest praise I can give to this Graphic Novel is that it is just as good as the book (which is excellent)!!!! The story starts with Artemis discovering that his father who he thought was dead showing up alive, but there is one small catch. He is being held hostage by the Russian Mafia. While this is happening underground where the creatures of fairy live an uprising is taking place in the form of a goblin revolution. Through a misunderstanding Artemis (a teenage criminal genius) and his bodyguard Butler are arrested by Captain Holly Short (an elf) of the LEPrecon fairy police. After the misunderstanding is cleared up Commander Root (a cigar smoking, short tempered elf), head of the LEPrecon fairy police, and Holly agree to help Artemis and Butler rescue his father. Things quickly go from bad to worse for Artemis and company, as soon as the reach Russia, Commander Root is betrayed by a disgraced former associate and ally Cudgeon (an elf) and the brilliant, but not very stable scientist Opal Koboi (a Pixie). Let's just say things really just go to heck from there. This Graphic Novel is a great read so what are you waiting for???? Read it already!!!!!! Oh I just remembered that although I did not review it, I also read the first Artemis Fowl Graphic Novel that deals with his first encounter with the fairy folk that you should definitely cheek out also. Artemis Fowl Rules!!!!!!

Well that's all for now yea scallywags!!!!

Until next time this is Blackheart Bill saying,

Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Michael Writes Again!

Hey, guys, our good friend Michael, that reading and writing machine, has sent us three more reviews of books that sound really interesting. Let's hear him:

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
by Jason Caffoe, Emily Carroll, Kazu Kibuishi, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Dave Roman, Rad Sechrist, Raina Telgemeier, Saymone Phanekham, and Stephanie Ramirez
Some of the world's best graphic novelists have come together to make this amazing collaboration of seven stories that all have to do with mysterious boxes. You'll get everything you want: morals, live dolls, treasure, aliens-- it's all there! Don't miss out on these great stories from great writers! A fabulous piece of work!

Antarctica, book 1
Journey to the Pole
by Peter Lerangis
In the year 1909, a secret journey is being made to go to the South Pole. Widower Jack Winslow, his two sons, Colin and Andrew, and nephew of the trip's millionaire sponsor, Philip Westfall, are the leaders. There are unbelievable trials waiting for them, and they'll also face things that they never thought possible in their wildest dreams. Will the team make it to the South Pole? Will they even survive? What about the team on the ship? Will they be alright? Will there really be a mutiny? All these questions are answered in this incredible adventure to the bottom of the world! Very well-written. Unfortunately, the library does not have the sequel. Check this book out today!

Time Snatchers
by Richard Ungar
Caleb is a time snatcher. He was abandoned by his parents at a young age, and a mysterious man adopted him and a few other kids his age. They know the man only by Uncle. Uncle is the only man who knows the secret of time travel. He's allowed rich people to request things from history (the first photograph, the first Frisbee, etc.), and then he sends his kids back to get it. But if they fail, there are dire consequences. Caleb doesn't want to live under Uncle's rule, but there's nowhere on earth or in time that Uncle cannot find him. Caleb doesn't want to be a time snatcher; he wants a normal life like everyone else. But more than anything, he wants a family. It doesn't help that Frank, another time snatcher, is trying to poach Caleb's snatches. Frank is becoming more and more of a bully, and Caleb's snatch partner, Abbie (who he's starting to see in a different light) actually seems to be falling for Frank! Is there anything Caleb can do to escape Frank and Uncle, or is he stuck as a time snatcher forever? These questions and more are revealed in this great sci-fi book. It's not as thrilling as I'd expected. No one who Caleb is snatching from gives him a hard time. It's kind of like Star Trek meets soap operas. It's great for time travel lovers (like myself), but it's not a thriller. Too bad. There are also some flaws with the laws of the time-space continuum, but only someone who reads non-fiction about time travel (like me) would notice that. I think that for his first novel, it was pretty well done. I like the first-person narration. And some people might say that the ending was really dumb, but I liked it. One more thing: the book didn't really have a plot. Caleb wasn't really trying to accomplish anything. However, I think that the good outweighs the bad in this case and that this book is worth the read.

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

Thanks, Michael! Graphic novels, adventure, and sci-fi--they're all here! We're glad you let us know about them. Keep those reviews coming. And let us hear from YOU, all you crazy reading cats out there. What have YOU read lately???

Readin', Readin', Readin'--Rawhide!!!!!

Hello, all you Cowpokes out there in The Land of Blog, it's me Bad Bart Bill!!!!!! The shooten-ist, ropin'-ist, cattle-stealingest bandito south of the Mason-Dixon Line!!!!! Yep, I'm a fairly dangerous character ifin ya get my drift!!!!!! If ya want to see me in action, check out this little trailer here (I'm the guy with the cigar and poncho. Also I go by another name; Clint Eastwood).

Pretty Cool Right!!!!!! I'm a Good/Bad Man and ifin ya say different, get ready to draw Pilgrim!!!!!!

And now for some book reviews:

Lions, Tigers and Bears (Volume 1): Fear and Pride – Joey and his mother are moving out of his Grandmother’s house. Joey is afraid because he knows there are monsters underneath beds and hiding in closets and without his Grandmother’s presence, he knows that they will get him. Fortunately for Joey, his Grandmother knows these things to be real also. As a going away present, she gives him a package with four stuffed animals called The Night Pride. The Night Pride consists of Pallo - Leader of the Pack (a Lion), Venus – Guardian of the Pride (a Bengal Tiger), Minerva – Huntress of the Shadows (a Black Panther) and Aries – Warrior of the Night (a Siberian Tiger). These stuffed animals come to life whenever a child is in danger from Evil Beasties that come out in the night. One night, from out of his new closet in his new bedroom, two Evil Beasties, Mumbler and Grumbler, attack and Joey’s Night Pride comes to full-blown life to defend him. When the fight is over, Joey finds himself in the world where stuffed animals are real all the time. This is just the beginning of a wonderful book that is really great fun and promises further volumes in the near future.

Star Wars: The Last of The Jedi – The Desperate Mission by Jude Watson – This is the first book in “The Last of The Jedi” Series. The Clone Wars are over and Emperor Palpatine along with Darth Vader rule supreme. The Jedi are all but extinct, having either been betrayed by the deadly Order 66 and killed by the very Republic Clone Troopers under their command, or hunted down and killed by Lord Vader. Obi-Wan is one of the few Jedi remaining alive and his mission is to ensure that young Luke, who is being raised on Tatooine by his Aunt and Uncle, is kept safe from the Empire until he is of age to make a difference in the future. While on Tatooine caring out this duty, he hears that an old acquaintance named Ferus Olin, who at one time was a padawan but walked away from the Jedi Order before the end of the Clone Wars, is in deep trouble on the planet Bellassa. With the help of an “old friend” he is convinced he must leave Tatooine temporarily to help Ferus. Little does he know all that this “help” will involve. This is a great read and a great series and I highly recommend it to all!!!!!

Flight Explorer: Volume 1 edited by Kazu Kibuishi – This is really a wonderful collection of short stories by extremely talented and inventive writers and illustrators collected in one Graphic Novel. Some of my favorite stories in the collection (although I really liked them all) were Missile Mouse in “The Guardian Prophecy” (lots of action and adventure), Fish N Chips in “All in a Day’s Work" (Get this; a cat and a fish are galactic protectors of the planet Earth. Sounds funny, right? Well, the story is even funnier than you think. I just love it.) and “Big Mouth” (this one is so hilarious that I’m not even going to try and explain it; just read it). Do yourself a favor and give this Graphic Novel a try. The art work and stories will blow you away. You will not regret it, I promise!!!!!

Well, until next time all. Happy Trails,

Bad Bart Bill

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!

Swish! Our First Shots in the March Madness Slam Dunk Contest

Those first shots are, no surprise, from our good friend Michael. Here you go:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 1
Dairy of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Middle-schooler Greg Heffley recirds his recent life in a diary that his mom told him to write in. He tells of his bully brother, Rodrick, his best friend, Rowley, and the all-school weird kid (who lives in the same neighborhood as Greg), Fregley. This is a hysterical story that is strangely true. There are 3 other Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. A 5th one is on the way, and the Movie Diary has been released. The other 3 books in order are... Rodrick Rules, The Last Straw, and Dog Days. Be sure to read them all!

Amulet, book 1
The Stonekeeper
by Kazu Kibuishi
Emily thinks that the new house that she, her brother Navin, and her mom have moved in (which was their grandfather's old mansion) is the worst thing that could have happened to her. It's covered with dust, it's not anywhere near the city, and it's filled with Grandpa's old inventions. He was a wannabe inventor, but he failed every time. Later, when Em finds herself alone, she notices a secret compartment with an amulet in it. She puts it on, only to find that she can never take it off. She and her family find themselves wisked away to another world. Their mom is eaten by a strange creature, and they barely manage to get her out. What other trials will they find in this alternate dimension? With a bunch of robots as their friends, they must fight against the evil elves and Em must harness the magical power of the amulet. More surprise and adventure is found in the next Amulet book, The Stonekeeper's Curse.

Good shooting, Michael! Since you reviewed Amulet: The Stonekeeper, one of the "three point" books, you start with a whopping 4 points! You're going in strong, just like that other hot-shooting Michael. Keep raining them in! And are you other guys going to let him go unchallenged?? Let's hear from you!
Got any questions? Look at the post under this one and it'll explain everything.

Looking forward to more Slam Dunks and Three Pointers,

Carl

Michael Keeps Them Coming In with The Medusa Plot and Amulet 4.

Do you remember how, at the end of the last post, I asked you guys to keep those reviews and surprises coming? Well, our good friend Michael (King of Books and Time Travel) has done just that! He's sent in not one but two reviews of some really good-sounding reads. Let's see what Michael has to say:

The 39 Clues: Cahills Vs. Vespers, book 1

The Medusa Plot

by Gordan Korman

The most anxiously awaited book of the year is finally here! The Vespers are a secret family that has been after the master serum for decades. But the Vespers aren't all related. They hire people to do their dirty work. So no Cahill is truly safe. The Vespers kidnap Fiske Cahill, Nellie Gomez, Reagan Holt, Natalie Kabra, Ted Starling, Alistair Oh, and Pheonix Wizard. Amy and Dan, having narrowly avoid kidnapping themselves, are recieving myterious mesages from Vesper One. They must do what he says and steal the famous painting "Medusa", or one of the kidnapped Cahills will be killed. Can Amy and Dan do it in time? Will the branches cooperate? And who is Vesper One? This new book is brilliantly written with more than five thriller scenes. Introducing new characters Pheonix and Leila Wizard and Evan Tolliver, this book is truly an instant classic that no one should miss out on! And be sure to look for book 2 in December: A King's Ransom by Jude Watson. And don't miss the epic movie saga starting in 2014!

Amulet, book 4

The Last Council

by Kazu Kibuishi

Finally Emma has arrived in Ceilis, home of the Guardian Council. Now all she has to do is warn them of the elf king, and everything will be fixed, right? Not so easy. Emma must undergo a series of tests put on by the Guardian Council against other stonekeepers. The strongest will survive, the weakest will die. It's possible for all the competitors to survive, but it's also possible that none should make it. And if the stonekeepers pass the tests, the reward will be far greater than any of them could imagine. Introducing new characters Ally, Vigo Light, Cecil, and Dagno, and featuring the return of Miskit and Cogsley, this book is beautifully illustrated and has incredible action and drama. So don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind graphic novel!

Thanks, Michael!! I have to agree with you totally about The Medusa Plot. It's really, really, really good and I can hardly stand waiting for the next one. There is a lot of action, as in all the 309 Clues books, and lots more secrets and mysterious characters. (Do you think Evan can be trusted? Why did they find a Lucian symbol in the factory? How old is the Vesper family? Could they really have had something to do with Mount Vesuvius?) Ah, there's a lot to figure out! (Although this book is not perfect--I had a very hard believing that the art thief, who had taken so much trouble to steal that painting, would stop looking for it because Dan "crashed" the boat)
And I've never read any of the Amulet graphic novels but you made me really curious now! May have to go and check them out.

Thanks again. Be sure to go and get these books, guys! You've heard from another reader guy (as well as the Iron Guy) just how good they are!

For the First Time--Video Dunks!

The NCAA tournament starts for real today. My beloved Tarheels aren't even in the Big Dance this year and the mighty ACC teams look flabby this year, so the tourney won't be as exciting for me this year as it ususally is. But our March Madness Slam Dunkers show no sign of getting soft. We've got some first-rate reviews today, so SLAM! DUNK! Here they come:

Michael:

Flight Explorer, Volume 1
In this continuation from the popular Flight series, the best cartoonists have been chosen to do this amazing comic book. There are mini-comics from Kazu Kibuishi's Copper, Kean Soo's Jellaby, and other comics from Rad Sechrist and Bannister. From purple monsters, to space mice and space girls, to mushrooms that talk, it's all possible in this book. Go beyond anything you could ever imagine and check it out!

Keegan89:

Book: The Devil’s ArithmeticAuthor: Jane Yolen

This praiseworthy book focuses on a Jewish girl named Hannah, or Chaya when spoken in Hebrew. Devil’s Arithmetic follows Chaya as she makes an unexpected journey back in time to World War II. There she is captured by the Nazis and put into a concentration camp. This book is an amazing story describing her life during the Holocaust. This story shows how prisoners struggle to survive. This story was magnificently written and depicts the pure horror of the holocaust.

Dakotat T:

The next book I'm going to review is another book by Roald Dahl entitled The Twits. it is about a married couple named Mr. and Mrs. Twit. They hate everything that is good. They are the nastiest people you'd ever meet. Finally, Muggle Wumps have had enough. They, like Matilda and the BFG, come up with a devious plan to get a fraction of their revenge. This is a short, but meaningful book . It was very interesting, but mainly written for younger kids.

And now for something totally different. Justin B and Brian B were here at Imaginon today because Brian came to see the Treasure Island play. So they got their free books for writing reviews and also gave us a couple of video reviews! Brian talked about the play and Justin told us about The Brixton Brothers. (I couldn't be there but a certain master spy with an eyepatch filled in for me. BTW, Justin has a Boxcar Children book and Brian has Free Baseball)

Thanks, everyone! Well done! Because Brian reviewed the play, he gets a three-pointer. Justin gets one for his review, as do Michael, Dakota T, and Keegan89. Here are today's standings:

Michael--13 points

Dakota T--16 points

AXEL--12 points

Chandler--2 points

Brian B--9 points

Justin B--6 points

Shannon--3 points

Demitri--3 points

Keegan89--2 points

Josh--6 points

Dakota T still has the lead but Micheal and AXEL are still right behind. Yet the others can still catch up at any moment. Just like in the NCAA tournament, anyone can come and upset the leader. Oh, man, they're going to be dunking on the court and on the blog!! Keep tuned in for more excitement!!

Carl