The Champ Stops By, a Tribute to Two Great Guys, and The Physics of the Impossible,

Greetings, reader guys, we had a visit Monday from the awesome AXEL SIMONE, first-place winner of our March Madness Slam Dunk contest. He picked up his prizes (a gift bag of Charlotte Bobcats stuff, including a miniball signed by Gerald Wallace), as well as a book bag and a few free books.

Congratulations, AXEL! Keep writing to us!

Besdies picking up his prizes, AXEL delivered a fond farewell to two great guys:

Yep, we both are going to miss you both!

Well, we are all going to be sad, but, for today, let's carry on like the MANLY MEN we are!

We have a review from Laurence of a very interesting-sounding book:

Force fields, time travel, and perpetual motion machines: a few of the many “impossibilities” explored in this thoughtful book by Michio Kaku. Michio Kaku is a prominent City college of New York physics professor and author of Physics of the Impossible. This thought provoking, inspiring book explains the so-called “impossibilities” of the modern world by combining the realities of the world we live in with the material found in sci-fi movies.
How can you incinerate a planet? By pointing a giant gamma ray burst in its direction (Of course!). What are two ways to travel faster than light? By stretching space or ripping space. Was Albert Einstein a failure? Surprisingly, yes. Do tachyons travel faster when they lose energy? Yes. These are also some of the odd questions answered in this book. Nearly all impossibilities in this book violate common sense such as objects being two places at the same time and traveling faster when losing energy.
You probably wouldn’t think that the “A fool and his money are easily parted” and “A sucker is born every minute” has anything to do with physics. But Michio Kaku certainly disagrees and ties in famous phrases to spice up the story. Also, he includes words that other famous physicists said such as Stephen Hawking’s famous quote “Time travel may be possible, but it is not practical”
that made headlines in London newspapers.
Also, he sounds a historian because he not only describes the physics behind it all. He put in tremendous effort into knowing the history behind the “impossibilities” and putting into the book all (or almost all) of the important dates and events. An example of some might be Richard Feynman winning the Nobel Prize in 1965, finding the first extra solar planet in 1994, and that the first perpetually running clock was developed in the 1760s by John Cox.
Moreover, Michio Kaku groups the “impossibilities” into three classes of “impossibilities”, a class one “impossibility” being impossible today but do not violate the known laws of physics that could be possible in this century or the next in modified form. Class two “impossibilities” being on the very edge of our understanding that could be possible on a scale of millennia to millions of years. And finally class three “impossibilities” which violate the known laws of physics. He writes with a fundamental understanding of what impossible means; which is not unable to occur but is not possible for our primitive civilization.
Lastly, Michio Kaku was inspired to be a physicist when he was young by watching Star Trek and other sci-fi TV shows and makes reference to that in the book and so relating physics to his lifelong dream: to be a physicist. Michio Kaku’s writing accepts all ideas from all different perspectives (like those from Star Trek). Once he gets into the ideas, he just doesn’t say this is a horrible idea; he debates upon them, perplexing, and wondering whether or not they are truly impossible.

That is all I am going to tell you, now to truly find out how amazing this book is for yourself, you have to read it

Thanks, Luarnece! This really does sound fascinating. Could all this sci-fi stuff be possible? And if it is, would it be worth it? Great questions! You've got me interested in this book. What about you reader guys in blogville? There are plenty of copies in the library system. Go check them out!

Carl

We Have Winners!!!

It's gone right down to the buzzer but we do have the winners! Oh, man, what an exciting finish!! Just like a championship game in which the game is decided in the last few seconds, the March Madness Slam Dunk Contest ends with a flurry of shots that leaves everyone amazed! Here we go!

First one on the court is the awesome AXEL SIMONE:

i have read, this book is not good for you.it is by pseudonymous bosch. cass' mom is kidnapped by the evil chef senor hugo while trying to rescue her mom she runs innto the midnight sun. [ouch that must hurt.] this is 1 of the funniest books ever. i loved it. i recommend it to everyone. Bye

i have read antsy does time. it is by neal shusterman. i loved it. it is a companion
book to the schwa was here. just like the schwa was here it is really rude. in this book there is a kid named gunnar umlaut who has only 6 months to live so antsy donates a month of his life to gunnar. i recommend it to everyone. Bye

i have read gabriels triumph. it is by alison hart. i loved it. in this book gabriel rides his favorite horse aristo in the saratoga chase. will he win? read to find out. i recommend it to everyone. bye.

i have read witch and wizard. it is by james patterson andgabrielle charbonett. i loved it. it is about whit and wisty allgood when they are accused of beuing a witch and wizard and thrown in prison. irecommend it to everyone. bye.

AXEL gets 6 points; three for his review of Gabriel's Triumph and three for the others.
After AXEL comes Jumpin' Justin B:

I am writing a review on Summer of the Monkeys.
It is about a boy named Jay who had a blue-tick hound named Rowdy and a sister named Daisy who had a crippled right leg. They used to live in Missouri sharecropping then they moved to the middle of the Cherokee Nation. One day he went down in the Ozark river bottoms and Rowdy treed a monkey; then they went to his Grandpa's store. When he got to his Grandpa's store, his Grandpa was sitting on the porch and told him about how a circus train wrecked and the monkeys got loose and there was a reward for the monkeys: two dollars apiece and for one, a hundred dollars. His Grandpa said it was probably one of those monkeys. His Grandpa handed him some traps. Then Daisy started talking about the Old Man of the Mountains, and Jay asked if he were a farmer and Daisy said he didn't have time for any farming because he was too busy taking care of the mountains and little creatures. Jay went back into the bottoms and set the traps out around the tree he saw the monkey in. He placed an apple above each trap and then he saw a little bunch of brush to crawl behind and watch. Before ten minutes was up, he heard monkeys. The monkeys started coming out of everywhere! Before the were about to grab an apple, a chimpanzee (the $100 monkey) came down out of the trees and plopped down in front of the trap. He kept screeching and grunting and telling the monkeys to stay away because it was a trap. He used one of his long arms and grabbed the apples and give them to the little monkeys. It sounded to Jay like the chimpanzee was laughing at Jay. Jay tried again, and a similar thing happened. The he went off to a spring he had found, got a drink, then Rowdy started barking and looked up on a tree limb; there sat the $100 monkey with his gunnysack, traps, and lunch. He got his bean shooter out, put a rock in the shooter, and shot the monkey where his belly button would have been. Then the chimpanzee sics all the monkeys on Jay. He doesn't look for a trail, he just runs! He runs through briers and tears his clothes. Finally he finds his way back home. Then he goes to his Grandpa's store again and talks about how he had been fooled. His Grandpa says he has something that might help: a net with a yellow ring to open the net and a blue ring to close it. He goes to his house and tries the net out on their old gander, catches him, and he kept squirming. Daisy comes around and calls for their mom. The gander keeps squirming, and Jay opens the net, but the gander's still stuck. Daisy and their mom finally untangle him, and he flew off. Jay said he was probably clear off into Arkansas by now. That night, Jay and his dad dug a hole, tested it out for how the hole would fit Jay and Rowdy. The next day, they went out to the hole, put the net out, covered it with leaves, put an apple on the net, then crawled in the hole to wait. They waited for what seemed like an hour. Finally, they hear monkeys. Two little monkeys went for the apple; then he closed the net, crawled out, and started going away. The big monkey and all the little monkeys showed their teeth and started swinging after him. They caught up and bit Jay and Rowdy all over. The big monkey slipped down and let the two little monkeys out. Jay decides to make friends with Jimbo, the chimpanzee, and after a big storm, he goes to check on the monkeys. Jay found them all huddled up in a hole in the bank. One appeared to be hurt, and Jay took care of them all. Jimbo and the other monkeys followed Jay back to his house and he led them into the corn crib. The owners of the circus came and got the money and gave them free passes for life to the circus and the reward money. Jay took that money and some money his grandparents had been saving and gave it to help Daisy's leg.
It's a great book!

And, in a stunning finale, bouncin' Brian B slams in a bunch of reviews:

Today I'm reviewing Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. It has 224 pages and is about a kid named Greg Heffley who has to survive all the mishaps that occurs to him lifting weights and building a haunted house to building a giant snowman to make it into the Guiness Book of World Records.This is a good book for everyone.

I read Long Shot for Paul by Matt Christopher; it has 155 pages.It is about a disabled kid Paul, his brother Glen, and his sister Judy. Glen and Judy try to get Paul to join the basketball team, but some kids make fun of Paul because he is disabled. His disability is that it takes longer for him to learn things. The coach finally let him join, and he ended up being very crucial to the team. He ended up making the winning basket in becoming the second-place team; last year they finished in the cellar.This is a good book; I recommend it to basketball fans.

I'm reviewing an audio book called Double Fudge by Judy Blume; it lasted 4 hours, 39 minutes.It is about the Hatcher family, Peter, Fudge (real name: Farley Drextel), their mom, their dad, and their dog Turtle. Fudge loves money; he even created his own song..."money, money, money; I love money, money, money". The family decides to go to Washington to see the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. While there, they meet up with their long-lost cousins, the Howie Hatchers of Honolulu, Hawaii. The Howies decide to come to New York where Peter and Fudge live. Then some crazy things happen like the elevator stopping with Fudge, the youngest Howie Hatcher, and Olivia Oscarman (the person who has lived in the apartments the longest).

I'm reviewing the audio book of The Light Princess by George MacDonald; it lasted 1 hour, 30 minutes.When the king has a christening party for his daughter, he forgets to invite one person, his sister. His sister is also a witch, and she decides to go without an invitation. Then she puts some sort of curse on the baby that makes her lose all her gravity and makes her laugh at sad times and happy times. A young prince runs away from his parents, trying to find someone to marry. He walks into a deep forest, and when he comes out, he's at the castle with a beautiful pond by it where the princess is, who is about 18 years old now. He goes swimming with her, and they jump off a cliff and fall into the water. While the princess is in the water, she regains her gravity, but only in the water; when she is out of the water, she loses it again. The wicked sister of the king hears that, so she makes a potion that makes a deadly rare snake, the white snake of darkness. She goes to the cellar, then 100 doors further down. The snake bites the ceiling, which is under the pond, and the water starts to drain. She waits 7 days and 7 nights, and the snake lets go. She picks up the snake and runs through the doors, locking them behind her. In the morning, all the babies are crying, but without tears. Some people find a golden plate at the bottom of the pond, that says if the water ever drains, they must find the hole and have a living sacrifice who would not mind drowning himself to get the water back. The young prince does that because he loves the princess so much; he has one condition: the princess must be by him and look at him while he does it. The king agrees, and the princess goes into a boat. The prince blocks the holes, and the water starts filling up. The princess pulls him out of the water right before he drowns. When she got home, she cried real tears and that gives her her gravity back. They were betrothed immediately, but first she must learn to walk. She learns how to walk, and she is mad at the wicked princess who cursed her. When she hears that her castle collapsed on her because of the water, she feels sorry for her. I liked the book; it's nice.

I read Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson with 202 pages. The story is about Jim Hawkins and how he finds a treasure map and goes hunting for treasure with Dr. Livesey and the squire. The squire meets up with Long John Silver, the first mate of Captain Flint the notorious pirate, and LJS is going to be the boat's cook. LJS also added a bunch of other people and got rid of some of the squire's people. Jim Hawkins from inside an apple barrel overhears LJS talking to his people; once they found the treasure, they were going to get rid of all the others. After they get to the island, there is a bunch of sword fights and treasure hunts. Jim meets up with Ben Gunn, one of the original members on the boat with Captain Flint who helped bury the treasure. LJS was supposed to kill all the people who buried the treasure, but he just marooned Gunn. They find the treasure with the help of Gunn, and then they were going to leave all off LJS's people who survived marooned on the island, but Ben Gunn let LJS escape with a bag of gold off a boat.
I had also gone to the play and noticed a few differences.
* The captain gave the treasure map to Jim in the play, but did not give it to him in the book. They had to find it out of his chest.
* Ben Gunn let LJS escape in the book, but in the play Jim Hawkins lets him escape and gives him some gold.
The play shows most the highlights, but the book is more in depth, so I'm not sure which I liked the most.

I read Football Nightmare by Matt Christopher; it has 119 pages.It's about Keith Steadman, who plays wide receiver for the Bucks, the local football team. The last play of the championship game, they are down, and for the game-winning touchdown, the ball is perfectly thrown, but it goes right between Keith's hands. A photographer takes a picture of Keith after the missed play while he's on the ground. After that moment, Keith isn't sure he wants to play football anymore. He keeps thinking about making another bad play like that. After some convincing, he decides to play football some more, but some people are determined to make sure the play is always remembered. He and a teammate who is trying to keep that memory alive must work it out. They eventually work it out and win the first game of the season.I liked this story; it was a good book.

I'm reviewing Hank the Cowdog #51 Case of the Blazing Sky by John R. Erickson. It has 129 pages.It is about Hank the Cowdog and his wanting to eat one of his master's chickens. He ends up getting trapped in the chicken house, and he has to run away from the farm because he thinks he is going to get into a bunch of trouble. He ends up coming back when he sees that a prairie fire is on the loose because of some lightning. He ends up coming back just in time to save the ranch, and they start a backfire to try to stop the prairie fire. It ends up not working, and they start running away. Hank runs into a tree. Then a thunderstorm happens, putting out the fire with the rain.I liked the book. I like the whole series, and this book had some games in the back from The Hank Times, the official newsletter of Hank's Security Force.

I'm reviewing Too Hot to Handle by Matt Christopher, and it has 128 pages. It is about a boy named David Kroft. Baseball runs in the Kroft family: his father is a good baseball player; his uncles also are good; even his brother is a good baseball player. But David struggles with it. When his brother hurts his leg. It's up to him to keep up the family name. This is a good book I recommend it to all.

Brian B gets 11 points today; five for his review of Treasure Island and 6 for the rest. He doubled his score today!! Well done!

WHAM!! SLAM!! We've finished this contest with TWELVE REVIEWS!!! Woo Hoo!! Way to go, men!

AND NOW--the moment you've all been waiting for! The CARLMAN has tallied up the results and it's a close one:

Michael--18 points
Dakota T--19 points
AXEL-25 points
Chandler--8 points
Brian B--22 points
Justin B--7 points
Shannon--3 points
Demitri--9 points
Keegan89--2 points
Josh--9 points

The winners are:

FIRST PLACE--AXEL SIMONE

SECOND PLACE--BRIAN B

THIRD PLACE--DAKOTA T

Congratulations!! Come to the Imaginon library to claim your prizes. Or, if you can't get here, call me at 704-416-4630 and I'll see if I can send it to another library or find a way to mail it or get it to you. (Dakota T, I know you live outside of town. I'll mail it to you)

Very well done, everbody! (and I mean everybody!!) Thanks so much for participating. We had a lot of fun. But don't stop writing in! We really do like to hear from you. It's good to hear what boys are reading and, don't forget, other guys want to know what books are good. You're providing a valuable service. So keep it up!!

Carl

New Sluggers and Sherlock Holmes

Hey, reader guys, this is Carl with a post that I wrote on Friday and scheduled to publish today, since this is a weekend I'm away from the library. Just wanted to remind you again that we'll accept reviews for the March Madness Slam Dunk Contest until midnight tomorrow. I'll get your reviews even though I'm not at the library, so send them on! I'll post them and the final results on Monday.

I thought I'd take a minute and talk about books. I'm really excited because I got the latest Sluggers book this week and will have time to start it now. Click here to see more. This latest one is called Blastin' the Blues and takes place in New Orleans. I'm a HUGE fan of this series. You'll like them too. AXEL talked about the first one yesterday--check out the post to see.

One reason I didn't start it this week because I was caught up in London in the 1890's, chasing down dangerous criminals with Sherlock Holmes. That's right; I was reading The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. Wow! What great stories!! There are 9 of them and some consider them the best of the SH stories. There's "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" with a particularly nasty villian with a particularly nasty way of murder, "The Red-Headed League," a funny mystery, "The Greek Interpreter, " with a very creepy setting and very creepy bad guys, and the last two stories, which were so suspenseful I could hardly stand it! These stories may be old but they still get you! Perfect thing for guy reading! (the only complaint I have is that the illustrations are kind of lame. Other than that, this books' terrific)

All right, enjoy the weekend and send those reviews! It ain't over 'til it's over!

Eyepatch Carl Brings the Slam Dunkers on Deck!

AAAARRRRR, me hearties, 'tis Eyepatch Carl, the scurviest sea dog in the seven seas. I'm going to see the Treasure Island play tonight, I am, and I can hardly wait. AARRR! Here's a picture of me in the Rusty Rudder Inn, hoisting a tankard of me favorite root beer and waitin' for the next tide-- --when all of a sudden I'm attacked the infamous Trout of Terror. (he was singing something about giving him back a fish sandwich)Want something to eat, do ye? I'll give ye a taste of my steel!! AARRR!! Another one sent to Davy Jones's fish locker! Well, I'm going to present the latest reviews from those scalawags--I mean slam dunkers. This had better be good, mateys, or ye'll walk the plank!!

First on deck is Chandler:

Ivanhoe was written by Sir Walter Scott and is 238 pages long.
Ivanhoe is about a two kinds of people Saxons and Normans they both hate each other. So Ivanhoe (a Saxon) disguises himself as the disinherited knight so he can beat all the Normans in the tournament and impress the lady he loves named Rowena and name her the queen of beauty of love.
He was to good for all the Norman knights and took them all off their horses. The crowd cheered as he defeated all the knights. Then his last challenge was against Brian De Bois-Gulbert. The best knight in the stadium. He had challenged him to a fight to the death.
Will Ivanhoe survive or will he be killed by the evil Norman read this book to find out.
I liked this book because it had a lot of action, fantasy, romance, and excitement.

Then we have Demitri:

This is Demitri reviewing The Earth Dragon Awakes by Laurence Yep.This is a really good book about a Chinese family that lived through The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. It is written as a journal accounting true historical events with fictional characters. I liked the book because it made me feel as if I were there. And there are pictures in the back.

Now Demitri has recieved a special dispensation from Darth Bill, that worthy sith pirate, and me to get three points. He wanted to review one of the Tiger's Apprentice books but his library doesn't have any, so we told him he could read any Laurence Yep book and get a three-pointer. AARRR, anyone with a problem with that will have to face me and my cutlass!!

Next comes Justin B:

I am writing a review on The Boxcar Children #33 The Pizza Mystery by G. C. Warner. It is 121 pages long. It started out when the Aldens were on their way home and stopped where they always stop to get gas, Tom's gas station. When they got there the co owner of Mighty Mufflers was there. Then they went to their favorite Pizzeria the Piccolos. When they got there the Piccolos weren't doing too good so they decided to help them. It turned out the Piccolos needed their help cause when they started it pretty much got better. Then they hired another worker who actually just wanted experience. I recommend this book to any reader.

I'm writing a review on Hardy Boys #3 Boardwalk Bust by Franklin W. Dixon; it has 164 pages. Frank and Joe were at home folding sheets, and a fake girl scout came and gave them their next mission. They headed for Ocean Point, NJ in their plane and on their way they landed in Atlantic City. They met a man named Arnold; his nickname was Bump who turned out to be Mayor of Ocean Point. Actually he turned out to have been arrested for jewel theft so he changed his name to Bump. They investigated the place of the latest crime. The woman who owns the shop said it might be Ricardo Myers he owns a tattoo parlor on the pier, so they checked it out. Then they decided to camp out on the beach. The lights went off at 3am. They were caught and buried up to their necks in sand; then a vehicle came out of nowhere and they almost got their heads chopped off, but the driver noticed them, and the vehicle came to a stop about ten feet away. It turned out that the vehicle was a tractor and the driver dug them up, and then Joe got hit in the head with a gold bracelet. Then they decided to camp out in Bump's plane, and they caught him in the act of dumping jewelry out of his plane. They went back to Bayport in a limo.

After him, we've got his brother, Brian B:

I'm reviewing the book I got last Thursday called Free Baseball. It is written by Sue Corbett and has 144 pages. A young boy named Felix loves baseball; in fact his father Claudio de la Portilla was a famous Cuban baseball player. He won tickets to the local team the East Naples Egrets on a radio station called Hot 102. He has to go with his least favorite person in the entire world, his old babysitter Maryann. They have great seats until Maryann decides for them to sit with some of her friends. The Egrets lose to The Miracle and some how he becomes The Miracles Bat boy and everything in the end turns out even with a odd twist. I recommend this book to everyone.

Finally we see AXEL SIMONE:

i have read gabriels horses. it is by alison hart. it is about a boy who is a slave at a horse farm and his dad enlists in the army during the civil war. it was a lot better then i thought. i recommend it to everyone. Bye

i have read barnstormers game 1 porkopolis. it is by loren long. it is about 3 kids & a magic baseball. it was better than i thought. i recommend it to everyone. bye. ps the magic baseball only works when ruby, griffith and graham hold it at the same time

All right, me buckos, ye fared well! Especially AXEL, since he got two three-pointers for reiviewing Gabriel's Horses and the first Barnstormers/Sluggers book. (See our March 1 post for a list of 3-point books) Don't forget that the first place winner gets, amomg other prizes, a signed copy of Gabriel's Horses!

So here's where ye stand:

Michael--18 points

Dakota T--19 points

AXEL-19 points

Chandler--8 points

Brian B--11 points

Justin B--6 points

Shannon--3 points

Demitri--9 points

Keegan89--2 points

Josh--9 points

AARRR, ye'll see that Carl's math has been wrong for Justin and Brian B the last few days and he's corrected it. What can ye expect from a landlubber? But ye'll also see that we have a tie for first place!!! It's between AXEL and Dakota T. And Michael is right on their heels. Brian B and Demitri surged ahead. So keep writing them in! The contest ends at midnight thhis Sunday. The final reviews will be posted Monday along the results. So keep yer eyglasses on this spot--anything can still happen!!

More Slam Dunks and Chandler and His Sister

Hey, one and all, we have some more outstanding reviews but, before we get into that, we have a picture of that expert slam dunker Chandler. He was here Wednesday to see the Treasure Island play and stopped by to see us. He also picked up a couple of free books for his reviews. His sister Laura was with him and, because guys are so awesome and generous, we gave her a book too.Bill, that world-famous ninja, gave Chandler some points on how to use the Flashing Book Ends of Death.It turns out that Chandler is friends with Justin and Brian B, those two first-class skam dunkers who've sent in reviews. It was good to see you, Chandler! Let us hear from you again. And don't forget that you can get three points for a review of the play!

OK, here we go. Josh is the first to run onto the court:

Title: Safe at Home
Author: Mike Lupicia
Reviewed by: Josh Forster
Safe at home is about 12 year old Nick Crandall who doesn’t fit in anywhere except on the baseball diamond. One day even that gets taken away from him when the varsity coach puts him on the varsity team even though he’s only 12 years old. I like this book because it is about a catcher in baseball and that is the position I play as well but this book has an odd ending that I didn’t like.

Book A Single Shard
Author Linda Sue Park
A single shard is a story about Tree Ear who is an orphan who dreams of one day making a beautiful pot on the potter’s wheel. One day he gets caught looking at pots in the potter’s studio and he accidentally breaks one. The master potter Min says that he must work for him for ten days as punishment for breaking the pot. Tree ear pays of his debt by working for the potter then, comes back to ask for more work. He gets a job helping the Min. One day a royal emissary comes to their town. While the emissary is staying he asks the potter Min to make some pots for him. The potter say’s yes. This book has an exciting ending that you’ll have to read to find out. I like this book because I do pottery as well and the book very unique.

Book Title: Swindle
Author: Gordon Korman
Reviewed by: Josh Forster
Swindle is a book about Griffin Bing and a mean antique shop owner who tricks him out of a valuable baseball card. Griffin comes up with an awesome plan to get it back. I liked this book because it is full of secret plans, robberies and blowtorches. The book also has an awesome middle and a great ending. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone over the age of ten because of all the mischievous fun.

Then Michael steps up:

Sardine in Outer Space 4by Emmanuel Guibert

Sardine, Captain Yellow Shoulder, and Little Louie continue to explore space in the Huckleberry, fighting Supermuscleman and Doc Croc. Ten fun stories in one hilarious book. The featured story is Sardine in Time. What devious plans do Supermuscleman and Doc Croc plan for in the future? Find out in this story! Check it out!!!

My Grandparents Are Secret Agents!by Scott Christian Sava

When two children are left with their grandparents for the week, Grandma and Grandpa are suddenly called into their secret agent service. They must defeat their worst enemy, a man who has built a time machine so that the entire world will live in the '60s. Can their grandchildren, who have learned their secret, be able to stop the villain and save the world from the terrible 1960s? Find out in this great comic book. Groovy, er, I mean, awesome!

Hyperactive!
by Scott Christian Sava
A boy finds that he has a super power. He can run so fast that you can hardly see him. But when the government and several companies all owned by the same villain find out about his powers, the family shuts themselves in. But that won't stop the villain from getting his way. When he captures the parents, the boy must rescue them from the villain's evil clutches. The villain figures out how to take his powers away and use them for a super-powered army. Can the boy get his powers back, rescue his parents, and defeat the villain?

And then, certainly not least, comes Dakota T:

The book I'm reviewing is A long way From Chicago by Richard Peck. It is about a boy and his sister who spend many of their Summers with their grandmother. Their grandmother isn't ordinary, she keeps a shot gun and most of the teenagers and men are afraid of her. In this book you will find a truly wacked out adventure containing a great plot. This is an excellent book and I'd recomend it to everyone.

The next book I'm going to review is Small Steps. It is an interesting sequal to the award winning book Holes by Louis Sachar. Usally the second or third books are less enjoyable as the first, but this is a different senerio. This book is about Armpit when he returns home. He becomes freinds with a ten year old girl who has cerebral palsy. Together they make small steps that improve their social skills. This is a realistic book that keeps me reading and reading.

My next review is going to be about The magician's Elephant by the same author of The tale of Desperou. It is about a young orphaned boy who goes on a journey to find his lost sister, if she still lives. He, as instructed by a fortunteller, follows an elephant on a thrilling adventure. This is a good, quik book.

All right! Very well done, men! Hey, wait a minute--when did "Groovy" become a thing that grandparents say?? That's what everyone said when I was young! Which was only--only--was it that long ago?? Ummm--well, let's see the latest standings:

Michael--18 points
Dakota T--19 points
AXEL-13 points
Chandler--7 points
Brian B--9 points
Justin B--6 points
Shannon--3 points
Demitri--6 points
Keegan89--2 points
Josh--9 points

Dakota T keeps his lead but Michael is still one point behind. Josh has jumped ahead as well. Keep burning them in, guys! Don't forget that you have until midnight this Sunday. Winners will be announced this Monday. That's still plenty of time!

Carl

Halftime!

The CARLMAN is calling a halftime break. Well, OK, it's a little bit past the halfway point for the month, but I've got a three-day weekend break from the library. I'll be back Monday, so don't stop writing! Can't wait to see how many more dunks we'll get by then!

More Dunks and the First Buzzer Beaters!

The competition has just gone up another level! We have our first reviews of the Treasure Island book and, as you know from the March 1 post, those reviews are Buzzer Beaters and count as five points! Before we get into that, though, let me let you all know that your reviews of the Treasure Island play have been mentioned on Imaginon's Facebook page. Take a look and good work, men!

We have three new reader guys jumping into the competiton today, so let's start with them. First up is dunkin' Demitri:

This is Demtri Stirewalt doing a review on Amulet Book One The StoneKeeper by Kazu Kibuishi. This book is about a little girl,Emily, that finds a necklace and tries to save her mom with the help of her brother Navin. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it twice and I cannot wait to read the second book The StoneKeeper's Curse in this series. I recommend this book.

Then we have crunchin' Keegan89:

The Kite Rider By Geraldine McCaughrean

This book takes place in thirteenth century China; a young boy saves his widowed mother from a horrible second marriage to the man that killed his father. Twelve year old Haoyou joins the circus as a kite rider, one who rides a large kite into the sky, to pay for his mothers expenses. However none of his money ever reaches his mother, instead his grandfather takes it and gambles it away. Haoyou is captured by the Mongol ruler. He soon escapes and makes his way back towards his home in Dagu. When he arrives he finds that his mother works at the tavern and is only paid in food and housing. She and her baby girl had not seen the light of day in months when they leave the tavern to find a place to sleep. They use the boat house that belonged to Di Chou, the man who killed his father. They stayed there until he returned from the voyage Haoyou sent him on. Haoyou distracted Di Chou by gambling with him losing everything including his mother. As Di Chou was removing the goods the men who they belonged to came and requested their money back, but he did not give it to them. He was then beaten by the debt collectors as he fled town. This emotional story follows the turmoil of a young boy struggling to please his Great Uncle. He has been taught to always obey his elders even though his Great Uncle is nothing more than a gambler, earning no money himself. The Kite Rider is an easy read and I recommend it for ages 10 to 12.
And then we have joltin' Josh with two shots:

Book :Treasure Island

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Summary
Treasure Island tells the story of Jim Hawkins, a young teenage boy who embarks on a journey to find a great amount of money after stealing a treasure map from an old buccaneer. Little do Jim and his companions know of the treachery that pursues them every step of the way. They must find the treasure while guarding themselves from murderous pirates who are willing to kill for the money. I liked this book because there is lots of adventure and action with a great ending that you won’t see coming.

Book Dracula (abridged)
Author: Tania Zamorsky (possibly a vampire)
Summary:
Jonathan Harker, a lawyer working for the firm of Mr. Hawkins, travels to Transylvania to conduct business with a count Dracula regarding the purchase of an old home in London. While at the count’s estate he is questioned about life in London and discovers the count is keeping him prisoner. The count leaves for London leaving Jonathon at the mercy of three vampire sisters (author possibly one of them). While in London the count is wrecking havoc by turning Jonathon’s fiancé, Mina into a vampire. A band of three men plans to kill count Dracula to find out if they succeeded or not you will have to read the book. I liked this book because it is very suspenseful, and even shocking at times. If you spook easily you should not read this book!

And the final competitor today is dominatin' Dakota T with three shots:

The book I'm going to review is Treasure Island. It is about a boy who is on a pirate ship and the captain, who drinks too much rum, passes away and leaves a treasure map in his possetion. It was very hard for me to understand at first but you kind of get used to it. This book kept me confused, but reading, so I'd advise it for more experienced readers.
The next book I'm going to review is the book The BFG by Roald Dahl. This book is about a Big Freindly Giant who takes away a young girl who was one of the few to see him. She learns (in the giants cave) that the long, clarenet shaped instrument that he caried around was something that blew dreams into your mind. A little while later, the girl sees other giants lazily lying around. The BFG tells about what they do at night and that he couldn't do anything because he was half their size, but that didn't stop her. They come up with devious pranks that has little effect, so they come up with a wonderfull idea... This boook was exciting and out of the ordinary. This was one of my favorite books growing up because it was clever and it made me want to read another book by this author.
Another book I read by Roald Dahl was Matilda. The is about a very young girl who at a very young age starts to read, and she loves it. Her parents though, are uncaring and cheaters. When She becomes of age, she goes to a school that is led by the TRUNCHBULL. She is a mean, strong lady that abuses that students in ways so that when they tell their parents, they don't belive them. Her assigned teacher is Mrs. Honey who is exactly the oppisite of the TRUNCHBULL. She seems like the only one to notice Matilda's true abillity to do math, read, and apply her knowlege. Matilda gets so smart that something happens in the story that will change her life. In this book there is a hidden secret, humor, and thrilling activity. I recomend this to all ages-even if you are fourty five.

SLAM!! Thanks again, everybody! These were very good today and made me want to read them. Hope it does the same for all you reader guys out there. I'm especially interested in ancient China, Keegan. And Josh, you could be right--"Tania Zamorsky" sounds like a vampire name to me!

Sooooo--here are today's standings. Don't forget that the Amulet graphic novels are worth three points each so that means that Demitri starts out with a three-pointer.

Michael--12 points

Dakota T--15points

AXEL--12 points

Chandler--2 points

Brian B--8 points

Justin B--3 points

Shannon--3 points

Demitri--3 points

Keegan89--1 point

Josh--6 points

That means we have a new leader, Dakota T!! You go! But it's still close and, as you see, there are new guys coming in big. Stay tuned, everybody!!! The Madness never ends!

Carl

Time In! SLAM! DUNK!

Man! You guys have been ACTIVE!! I'm gone one day and, when I come back, my email box is FULL of book reviews! You all are GREAT!!

Since I've received so many reviews, I'm not going to comment after each set, but hold any comments until the end. In fact, I'll list the reader guy's name, put his reviews after that, thank everybody at once, and give the standings.

But before I do that, let me direct your attention to a comment from Jana, a librarian, a mom of boys, and one of the faithful followers of our blog:

I am running a Favorite Authors March Madness at my library. I invite you and your readers to come over to my website and vote! The polls are on the sidebar. The address is:http://webmail.plcmc.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://russell-library.blogspot.com/

OK, guys, go over there and vote! I've already done it. Jana runs a good blog and recommends some good stuff. Take a look.

Now for the Slam Dunks. First up is magnificent Michael:

The Elijah Project, book 1

On the Run
by Bill Myers
People have started noticing 7-year-old Elijah's supernatural God-given powers... even the people who want them for their own purposes. When the villains make an advance, Elijah and his siblings: 13-year-old Piper and 15-year-old Zach, find that their parents have dissapeared, and now they must run away on their own. With the help of their friends Cory and William, the group must believe in God to help them defeat their enemy the Shadow Man, and the ultimate villain the Supreme Master, who in reality is Satan. Bill Myers makes another home run with this amazing book!

Jellaby, book 1
by Kean Soo
Meet Portia. She has no friends, her parents are divorced, and now she's got a monster for a friend! But that won't stop her and her friend, Jason, from finding Jellaby's home. Fast-paced, funny, and creative, this comic book is perfect for everyone!

Then we have the dynamic Dakota T:

The next book that I read was High Rulian By Brain Jaques. this book was about a young ottermaid who's skills in the sling exceed any others. When a Giant bird and a barnicle goose , both injured by a Tyrant who rules over Green Isle, come to Redwall to find refuge. They both tell them of where they come from and how the otter tribes are getting tormented by a raging cat who will stop at nothing to remain Tytrant of the Isle. It's up to the ottermaid to rescue the tribes enslaved. This book has more than it's fair share of action, adventure, and care for others. This was one of my favorite book in the entire Redwall series. The flaw in this series is that most of the books get off on a slow start.

I read a book entitled Holes by Luis Sachar and it's about a poor boy who is taken to Camp Green Lake where you get to dig a hole five feet wide and five feet deep. If you find anything you are to report it to the warden who turns out to be a girl. But why? This book is creative, yet realistic, and is one of my all time favorites. While telling the story of Stanely, It also tells a story about a teacher and an onion farmer. It was amazing how everything just fit together and made sense. Hope you read this and enjoy it!

Someone Named Eva is a suspensful book about a young blond hair, blue eyes girl during the holocost. Despite the title, her real name is Milaida. As you probably have gussed she is taken from her family and taken to a place where every other girl there has something in common to her, blond hair, blue eyes. There, she is renamed to Eva. While she's there she meets another girl who, in her opinion, has the prittiest blue eyes. After a year or two of being there a Nazi family adopts her. She quilkly becomes freinds with her new sister and learns from her that no one is alowed in the father's office. Everything is getting better but there's an aweful odor that haunts the house. What's behind Father's door? Where is the smell coming from? These are things that she wants answered, as well as where are her parent's. When the allies bomb the area of where their house is, they have to go down in the basement to hide. Will the war ever end, is what Milaida wonders. This book is mysterious and action packed, so I'd recomend this to anyone who can read.

The book I'm reviewing is Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. This book is about a boy, named Brain, who's parents recently got devorced and he is on his way to his father's house in Canada. Traveling in a small biplane, only the pilot, his luggage including a hatchet, and himself are on board. Flying over the wilderness, the pilot has a heart attack (and dies) and the radio stops working. Before he knows it, he's all alone over the vast Canadian wilderness. Soon the fuel runs out and the engine stops... This is a great book full of action and adventure. Brain has to use his wits to survive and find food to live. Soon brain see's changes in himself and you get to learn the real reason to why his parents split. I really enjoyed this book and would recomend it to anyone who enjoys a good book.

The book I am reviewing is a series entitled The Series of unfortunate Events. Is is about three newly orphans that go from gaurdian to gaurdian escaping from the ever lurking Count Olaf. The three names of the children are Violet, the eldest who loves to invent things, Kluase, the middle child who loves to read, and Sunny who loves to bite. After they're parents die in a mysterious fire, they were entitled to live with Count Olaf who is only after fortune. He attemps to marry Violet to inherit the Baudelaire fortune (their last name). When Sunny is locked up in a cage, Violet has no choice but to agree, it's all up to Klause to put a stop to this. This book is adventurous, and a great mystery series for people who are about in seventh grade, basically because of mild violence. This no doubt was one of my favorite books because of all the problem solving, and the teamwork.

Then we have jumpin' Justin B (who is indeed brother to Brian B):

Yes I am Brother to Brian B. No I have not read The Brixton Brothers The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, but I would like to read it.I'm writing a review on the Hardy Boys #12 Trouble in Paradise. It started when Frank and Joe were at home and they got a mysterious letter that said there will be a box arriving in ten seconds. It also said go to St. John Island because the Ambassador's son Esteban was missing. The box contained a wad of cash and credit cards, so they went to St. John Island. Frank fell for a girl named Jenna which was a decoy. Esteban really was not kidnapped; he was the leader of the smugglers.

I am writing a review on The Hardy Boys #4 Missing Chums. Joe was working on his motorcycle in their garage. They left for Shantytown a place around Bayport in their boat the Sleuth. Before they got there they almost got rammed by a boat named the Black Cat. They saw a bank being robbed and followed them to the dock. Then the police arrived and had mistaken them for the bank robbers. The robbers had on hats, pea jackets and masks. Then Chet and Biff went missing. They figured that they were kidnapped and taken to hermit island so they went there with some of their friends, but they were fooled by a false hermit. They went there again and found a cave which contained their friends.I would recommend this book to Hardy boy fans. It's a great book.

After Justin comes bouncin' Brian B:

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 #12 Trouble In Paradise. The Hardy Boys go to the Caribbean to hunt down the kidnapper of a man named Esteban. A Spanish galleon gets found and the boys go diving at the spot of the wreck to look for clues. It turns out that Esteban didn't get kidnapped he just continually went diving at the wreck and decided that instead of diving he would just use his very rich fathers money. But rebellion from his helpers put him in a jam. I love the all new Hardy Boys because you can be Frank or Joe every other chapter. It's good for all you fans of the Hardy Boys.

I'm reviewing The Dare Boys On The Brandywine by Stephen Angus Cox. This 100 year old book has an inscription giving it to "Harris in 1910 by the S.S." It has 192 pages and 23 chapters. It is about Tom and Dick Dare and their neighbor-friend Ben Foster. The lively youths join General Washington and help fight in the Revolutionary War. Dick becomes the best spy for General Washington. It is a good book and if you like Revolutionary War books this is the series for you.

I'm reviewing Skateboard Renegade by Matt Christopher. It is about a kid named Zach Halper who is in a crew which loves to skateboard. When he gets a letter saying that he has been accepted into Amherst Academy his life will change. It is a good book perfect for skateboarders.

Finally we have awesome AXEL SIMONE:

I READ THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES.IT IS BY RICK RIORDAN.I LOVED IT. IN BOOK 1 ZEUS'S LIGHTNING BOLT IS STOLEN. IN BOOK 2 GROVER IS KIDNAPPED. IN BOOK 3 THEY FIND 2 DEMIGODS.IN BOOK 4 THEY NAVIGATE THE LABYRINTH.IN BOOK 5 THE GODS HAVE A WAR AGAINST THE TITANS. IT IS THE BEST BOOK SERIES EVER.I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE. BYE.

Thanks, everybody! Wow, this is terrific! Yes, I agree about the Percy Jackson series. I'm one of the biggest fans in the library and tell everyone about them. Did you see the movie, AXEL? Did you like it? Hatchet is one of the best survival/adventure stories ever and a true guy favorite. I did a review of The Missing Chums way back when. In fact, Mac Barnett, the Brixton Brothers author is such a Hardy Boys fan that he titled one the chapters in his book The Missing Chum. And I love Revolutionary War stories. One of my favorites is King's Mountain--take a look at my review here. Click on any of the labels under this post to find out more about any of these topics.

Here's the part you're all waiting for, the current standings:

Michael--8 points

Dakota T--8 points

ALEX--9 points

Chandler--2 points

Justin B--3 points

Brian B--7 points

Shannon--3 points

Once again, AXEL has taken the lead but, once again, we have a tie. Michael and Dakota T are in second place with 8 points each, while Brian B breathes down their necks with 7 points! The tension mounts, men! And who knows what the rest of the weekend will bring!

IT'S MARCH MADNESS, BAAAYYYBEEE!!!

Carl

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

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.

Super Slam! More Reviews!

Wow, the competition is getting fierce! We've got another review from Chandler and FOUR from AXEL SIMONE. Let's hear from Chandler first:

Oliver Twist is by Charles dickens and is 238 pages long. Oliver Twist is about a poor little boy in England. His mother died giving birth to him so he grew up in a workhouse with other boys. The people treated them very badly. One day Oliver asked for some more food, but when Mr. Limbkins heard this he sold him to some coffin makers. They also treated him poorly. So one night he sneaked out and ran away to london. On his way he begged people for food and water. After he had traveled for several days he saw a boy about the same age so he asked him for some food and told him he was going to london.
The boy that was called the Artful Dodger told him he was going to london too and knew a good place for Oliver to stay so the walked to london. When he got there the Artful dodger told him that this was Fagin the leader. What he didn’t tell him that they were a gang of robbers! When Oliver figured this out he ran away and found someone to take him. There names where mr. And mr.s Brownlow. When Oliver got relaxed they all started asking him how he got here and who his relatives where, but the boy didn’t know. Read this book to see if they unravel the mystery of who his relatives where.
I enjoyed this book because It had a lot of mischief in it and it had some action.

Thanks again, Chandler! I must confess that I've never read Oliver Twist and regret it to this day. Charles Dickens was one of the greatest storytellers ever and, even with the old language, every boy should read his books at some point in his life. Hey, I guess it's not too late for me to read Oliver Twist, huh?

The next four reviews are from AXEL SIMONE:

I HAVE READ THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW BY TIM KEHOE. I LOVE THIS BOOK. IT IS ABOUT A KID WHO INVENTS TOYS. I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE. I WILL NOW LIST A FEW INVENTIONS OF HIS. THE BITING BEAST BALL IS A FOOTBALL THAT BITES PEOPLE GASP... AND POPASAURUZ POPCORN THAT BITES BACK GASP X2..... HE ENTERS A TOY COMPETITION AND WELL YOU WILL HAVE TO READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS. BYE.

I HAVE READ HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON BY CRESSIDA COWELL.THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A VIKING AND HIS DRAGON TOOTHLESS. I LOVED THIS BOOK.I RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE
PS. THEY WILL RELEASE THE MOVIE AT THE END OF MARCH. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOOK AND MOVIE ARE THEY FIGHT DRAGONS, FISHLEGS IS STRONGER, DOGSBREATH IS NOT IN THE MOVIE AND ASTRID IS NOT IN THE BOOK.

I READ CLUB PENGUIN PICK YOUR PATH 2 THE INVENTORS APPRENTICE.I LOVED THIS BOOK BECAUSE YOU CHOOSE THE STORY.IN THE BOOK YOU BECOME G'S APPRENTICE.I RECOMMEND THIS TO FANS OF CLUB PENGUIN.

I READ A WHOLE NOTHER STORY DR. CUTHBERT SOUP.THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A FAMILY BUILDING A TIME MACHINE WHILE ON THE RUN FROM SPIES.I LOVED THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS HILARIOUS.I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY AND EVERYONE.BYE.

Bye! Come back real soon! Well, all kidding aside, we're gald you two wrote in. Let 's see the standings now:
Michael--5 points

Dakota T--3 points

ALEX SIMONE--5 points
Chandler--2 points

Look at that, men--we have a TIE!!

Very funny.

But we really do have a tie between the mighty Michael and the awesome ALEX. Who will be the next to shoot and score? Who will pull ahead? Who will be left in the dust? Will Chandler or Dakota T come from behind? And there are lots of reader guys we haven't even heard from yet. It's only the 9th and we've still got all of March. Anything can happen!! Keep tuned to this blog channel for more excitement!!

Carl

PS--If you want to get in on the action, go to the post of March 1 and get the info.

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

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

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!