Our First Two Reviews From Shark and Zark!

HEY, all you totally cool reader guys! We've got good news--our first two book reviews are in from Sharyq and Zarak (aka "Shark and Zark"), those two awesome guys from our Boys Read and Write Club. (Actually, they sent in their reviews last Monday but I was out of town on vacation and just got back--so I'm sorry for the delay, guys!) Let's not waste any time; here's a review from Sharyq:


Hyperspace high crash landing
by Zac harrison

Hey bookworms I got a good book for you! Its about a boy named John Riley who gets on the wrong bus. aparently he gets on a bus to a space bus to a alien school. there he learns that you don't need to be a supreme life form to be a hero!


Thanks, Sharyq!! I've never read any of the Hyperspace High books but it sounds really good. Have any of you other reader guys read one?

And here's the review from Zarak:

how to eat fried worms
by Thomas Rockwell
pictures by Emily McCully

I didn't like this book because it grossed me out because it's about a boy named billy and he got dared a lot and he didn't get dared but he ate worms with yucky stuff on it just to get money.

And thank you too, Zarak!! I'm sorry you didn't like it because I think it's a really funny book and I recommend it all the time but, hey, not everyone likes the same things. And that's good. If everyone liked exactly all the same things all the time, the world would be a dull place. It's the differences that make life interesting. 

OK, we really appreciate your sharing your thoughts with us and look forward to hearing from you again. Don't forget that the first time any guy writes in a review, he gets a free book! So come over and claim them, Shark and Zark!

The Boys Read and Write Club--First Meeting!

Hey, again, reader guys everywhere. This is the Iron Guy again, telling you about an extremely cool event that took place here at the Myers Park library this afternoon. I'm referring, of course, to the first meeting of the Boys Reading and Writing Club. We had two guys here, the very hip and happening Shayryq and his ultra-cool brother Zarak. Or, as they call themselves, "Shark and Zark."
We had a great time. First, we all introduced ourselves, (their dad was there too--what a truly MANLY MAN!) then we played some Nerf basketball. They shot some shots but then we made it more interesting--each one grabbed a book at random and used that book to block his brother's shots as he brought the ball up the court. (Hint--use a bigger book, Zarak!) Then I offered them some snacks but they declined because their dad had taken them to lunch at Pike's. (what a good choice! Pike's is great) Then I showed them how to write reviews for the blog because that's how this club works--we have fun, they get some books AND will write reviews about those books, which I will post on this blog, before the next meeting. Here's a picture of them, holding the books they chose. Zarak made a good choice--How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell. That's a really funny book and a favorite of mine. Sharyq likes space books, so he got a Hyperspace High book (I'm not sure which one) and The Hunt for the Hydra, another one of my favorites.
As I said, we had a great time and can't wait until the next meeting, which will be Saturday, May 2 at 2:00 pm. Find out more about the club at my original post about it.
Thanks, Sharyq and Zarak! Can't wait to post your reviews!

The Latest 39 Clues Book!!

Hey reader guys, a bunch of you are about to start your spring break, Some you even started yesterday. Some of you will go out of town or some will stay here but I bet all of you will want something good to read. So what could be better than the newest book in the newest set of The 39 Clues adventures? This one is Mission Titanic by the terrific Jude Watson in the new Doublecross series. And, man, is it a thrill!

Amy and Dan retired from the Cahill life after all the terrible events in the Unstoppable series, so Ian is now head of the Cahill family. That's right--vain, stuck-up Ian Kabra. But just as he's getting fitted for a new suit (and admiring himself in the mirrors) a bunch of unfriendly Cahills arrive a week early a meeting that Ian had scheduled. Then all the computers go dead. The all the screens come to life and someone called The Outcast tells everyone that he wants to take control of the Cahill family back from the "children" and proposes "a test for the current leadership." He plans to replicate four world-famous disasters and Ian and his followers have five days to prevent the first one! So what will Ian do? Will have have to call back Amy and Dan? And just who IS The Outcast and why does he seem so familiar where everything is located in Grace's mansion? There's lots of mysteries, surprises, action, bad guys, exotic locations, new bad guys, narrow escapes--all the things we love about The 39 Clues! You will definitely enjoy this one, guys, so head right over to your library and get it for your spring break--or just to have a really good time reading!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! And Who DID Win the Boys vs Girls War?

Ah, faith and begora, and it's a happy St. Patrick's Day I hope you're having! This is Iron Guy O'Carl, wearing his green and enjoying the day. St. Patrick was a really remarkable guy. I hope you find some good biographies of him at your library because it's quite a story--being abducted by slavers, escaping and going back several years later to minister to the very nation who had captured him. That takes a truly MANLY MAN! But beside that, you could make a very strong argument that we might not even have libraries today if it had not been for Patrick of Ireland. He established a lot of monasteries around those Celtic isles and they were about the only places that had books. After Rome fell and the tide of barbarism swept over Europe, bringing in the Dark Ages, those monasteries kept books and reading alive. So we owe a lot to that man and have a good reason to celebrate!

And I have another reason--I've finally finished the Boys vs Girls series by the great Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. It's been a lot, a lot, a LOT of fun to read and I'm sorry that it's over! If you haven't read any of my reviews of the other books, (which you could do by clicking on the Girls Against the Boys tab under this post) here's the background:

The books take place in the town of Buckman, West Virginia and involves two families, the Hartfords and Malloys. The Hartfords have four boys: 11-year-old twins Jake and Josh, nine-year-old Wally and seven-year-old Peter. Their best friends are their neighbors, the Benson boys. But then, Mr. Benson, a coach, takes a job in Georgia and the Malloy family rents his house for a year. The Hartford boys really miss their friends but look forward to having new boys move in. Imagine their reactions, then, when they learn that their new neighbors will be girls!! They decide to pull so many tricks on these new girls that their lives will be miserable and they'll  move away--but they don't count on the smartness and resilience of the three girls--eleven-year-old Eddie (Edith Ann), eight-year-old Caroline and nine-year-old Beth. Sometimes the tricks against the girls work but then the girls pull pranks of their own! And sometimes things happen that no one expects! That's when things get really funny!

But, with these last three books, the school year ends and the Malloys may have to move back to Ohio. The boys AND the girls start reflecting on all their tricks and pranks and realize what fun they've had. Good heavens--will they actually MISS each other???

Girls Rule--it's the last month of school. It's also the month for the annual Strawberry Festival. The kids who make enough money for the new children's wing of the hospital get either all the strawberry snacks they want or a chance to get into the parade. How will they make enough? After a lot of failed ideas, someone thinks of a car wash. But the girls and boys have to work at it together--can that possibly happen?


Boys Rock (oh, yeah!! Gotta love that title!)--the school year is over and summer living is easy. But there are summer assignments for school. Either they have to read books off a list or put out three issues of a newspaper. They decide on the newspaper but guess what? Eddie gets to be editor-in-chief! Will that cause trouble? What do you think! And what does Caroline see in the window of the old (maybe haunted) house? And what does Wally think lives under the trapdoor of Oldakkers' bookstore? You won't guess--but you will smile when you read about them! (ps--Mr. Malloy has to decide if he'll stay in Buckman or move back to Ohio)

Who Won the War?--now it's the end of summer. Will the Malloys move or stay? I won't tell you!! You'll have to find out for yourself! But there is a big twist in the middle that may be the best incident yet. And also--will Mad Bomber Bill actually blow anything up?



One of the very great pleasures of running this blog is finding books that don't get as much attention as the latest and hottest favorites. These books are some of the most fun I've read for a long while and they certainly deserve to have  more guys reading them. So get over to your library! Read them! Enjoy them! I bet you'll have as much fun as I did.

Note to the grownups: These books are like a breath of pure fresh air. Our good friend Ms Yingling has complained about all the depressing books published these days. Well, here's a welcome antidote to all that. The kids pull pranks but nothing seriously bad happens, although, in the spirit of reality, some things could have happened and the parents make sure their kids know it. And that's the great thing--all the parents are alive, they care about their kids and they are smart and involved. And both the boys and girls are good but not unrealistic. They do chores without complaining, are respectful but yet sneak off to pull a prank or fulfill a dare.
One more thing--there are twelve books in this series. The first came out in 1993 before email, smartphones or widespread use of the Internet. When one girl gets locked in a shed by the boys, she waits until her sisters come by and she yells. Some of your readers might say, "Why didn't she just whip out her phone and call for help?" And the boys send actual letters to their friends in Georgia in the first few books!! Could your kids even imagine that these days? These things may make the earlier books hard to relate to but both boys and girls can relate to all the funny stuff that happens. One more thing--the last book came out in 2006. By then the boys send emails to their friends, play video games and the girls use a story off the Internet to fool the boys. Much more up-to-date. Yet they spend a rainy afternoon playing Monopoly and summer days on a rope swing--not staring at hand-held devices. More fresh air.

So listen up, boys! Play your video games on your computers if you'd like but ride bikes! Play board games! Read books! There's a lot of fun in these things.

Once Again--It's March Madness, Baybeee!!

Yes, yes, yes, reader guys, March has come once again. Wonderful, glorious March, the month for March Madness. This is one of the great sports events of the year and it's exciting every time. Each year there are stunning upsets. Each year some unknown Cinderella team comes up from nowhere and, even for a moment, startles the whole world. And, in the last few years, the teams that ended up in the finals were NOT the teams everyone predicted. It's great! The games are exciting and a party atmosphere fills the country. Therefore, in honor of this great event, I'm going to do something I haven't done in a long time--hold a March Madness of Reading contest! This will be a lot of fun--you get to read cool books and three guys will win prizes from our ultra-cool prize box. The contest starts now and will continue through March 31. I'll announce the winners soon after that.

The rules are simple--you write in book reviews and you get points. The three guys with the most points at the end of the month wins. As I said, simple. You could write about any book, fiction or nonfiction. Or a graphic novel. Or a biography. (I'll tell you how to send in your reviews in a minute) Every book review is worth at least one point. Got that? Each book is worth at least ONE POINT.

But then, there are some books that I don't think get enough attention. So, each review of one of the following books is worth TWO POINTS:

Any book in the Brixton Brothers series by Mac Barnett

Any book in the Alvin Ho series by Lenore Look

    Any book in the Boys vs Girls series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    Or any of the Lunch Lady graphic novels

    Or any one of the three Fangbone graphic novels

    Or the nonfiction book Stubby: The War Dog

Got that? OK, I've got more. There are some longer books that also don't get enough love. Each review of one these is worth THREE POINTS:

Any of the truly great Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales graphic novels

Any book in the Leviathan trilogy by the talented Scott Westereld

Lincoln: A Photobiography by the great Russell Freedman

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by the terrific Alan Silberberg

But wait--there's more! I have three favorites that really should be read more often. They are much longer, all three are older and a bit harder but not that difficult. And they are GREAT STORIES!!
                                                                                               


The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (one of The Books Every Guy Should Read)      

The Yearling by Marjorie Keenan Rawlings (an epic story of growing up in the Florida wilderness)











Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (the greatest pirate story of all time)                      
                         


All right, ready to start reading and sending in your reviews? Good. Here's what you do:

1. Go to the "Comments" area under this post or any post.
2. Type up your review in the blank space under where it says "Leave your comment." Be sure to give us the book's title, its author, a BRIEF summary of the plot and why you did or didn't like the book. Don't just say, "This book was cool"; tell us WHY you liked it.
3. Here's the tricky part--under the Comments area is a place that says "Choose an Identity." It gives you a choice of signing up with a Google account, an Open ID account, or you could use a name and a URL or you could be anonymous. (I wish you wouldn't be anonymous; how would I know who to give the prize to?) You DON'T have to create a Google account! And you DON'T have to use Open ID. The best thing, if you've never written to us before, is to use the Name/URL option. You don't have to put in a URL but we would appreciate leaving your name--either your full name or your first name or you could make up a name. (like Turkeyhead)

If you have any questions or don't understand something, call me at 704-416-5800 or come by the Myers Park library and see me. I'll post the reviews and points at least once a week. OK? Then get going and may the best guy win!!!

PS--if you want to see some of the past March Madness contests, click here and here and here.


                       

Boys Reading and Writing Club

Hey guys, I've got great news! The Iron Guy is going to start a Boys Reading and Writing Club here at the Myers Park library. The first meeting will be Saturday, March 7 at 2:00 pm. What will the club do? Well, we won't do anything boring! What we WILL do is check out books, read them and write your reviews of the books, which I will post on this blog. Plus we'll do some other fun stuff. Plus, we'll have snacks.


Here's how it will work: At the first meeting, we'll do a fun activity. Then I'll show you a bunch of books and talk about some of those books, recommending them. You can look through them, then check them out. You'll take your books home and read them--but that's not all. You'll also write a review of what you read and I'll post it here on the blog! Then, at the next meeting, I'll bring another set of books, you'll check them out, etc. We'll meet the first Saturday of March, April and May. If you like it and have fun, we'll continue meeting through the summer.

Now I know there are questions, so let me address a few. First, we won't just sit around and talk. I'll have a fun activity to do. And we will have snacks. Second, I said I'd bring a bunch of books. Well, I'll bring a wide variety to each meeting, so you'll have plenty to choose from. And I'll bring books that you'll like. Have I ever steered you wrong before? I've been recommending guy books for a long time and think I know something about books boys like. However, if you absolutely don't see anything in my selection that you'd like, I'll work with you to find something you would. Or if you have a book that you're dying to read and I don't have it, I'll be sure to get it. And, yes, I will show you how to write a review. BTW, this club is for boys ages 9--12. If you're a little older or younger and would like to come, call me at the library.

OK, if you have any more questions or would like to sign up, call the Myers Park library at 704-416-5800. Hope to see you there! Yes, it will be a different type of club but I think it will be fun. And this club will start just in time for the blog's March Madness Contest! (more about that later) Above all, don't forget--

BOYS RULE--BOYS READ!!

More Boys vs Girls

All right! All right! The Iron Guy must shamefacedly admit that I STILL have not kept my 2014 Resolution of reading all the books in the Boys vs Girls series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. So if you want to flog me, go ahead and get the wet noodles. In the meantime, let me tell you about the ones I have read recently. These are great and each one gets better. If you want to see what I've said about the other books, look here and here and here. And if you haven't read any of these before, here's the lowdown on the story:

The books take place in the town of Buckman, West Virginia and involves two families, the Hartfords and Malloys. The Hartfords have four boys: 11-year-old twins Jake and Josh, nine-year-old Wally and seven-year-old Peter. Their best friends are their neighbors, the Benson boys. But then, Mr. Benson, a coach, takes a job in Georgia and the Malloy family rents his house for a year. The Hartford boys really miss their friends but look forward to having new boys move in. Imagine their reactions, then, when they learn that their new neighbors will be girls!! They decide to pull so many tricks on these new girls that their lives will be miserable and they'll  move away--but they don't count on the smartness and resilience of the three girls, who are eleven-year-old Eddie (Edith Ann), eight-year-old Caroline and nine-year-old Beth. Sometimes the tricks against the girls work but then the girls pull pranks of their own! And sometimes things happen that no one expects! That's when things get really funny!

OK, got that? Then we'll start with:

A Spy Among the Girls--The unthinkable has happened! After holding hands in that play, Josh and Beth actually--like each other! Josh says he's only pretending so that he can spy on the girls but then why does he and Beth go out of their way to be with each other? All the time? And then Eddie decides to do a science fair project to prove that boys are more gullible than girls. ("Gullible" means that you'll believe stupid things easily) And if all that weren't bad enough, Caroline decides, after watching Beth, that she wants to feel romance and tries to make Wally fall in love with her. No way!

The Boys Return--Hooray! The Hartford boys get great news! The Bensons are coming back to Buckman for a week during spring break. And all the Benson boys will stay at the Hartfords' house! What could be more fun? Well, how about a plan from the Benson boys to make the Malloy girls think their house is haunted? Will the girls fall for it? Maybe. But what's that noise Caroline hears late one night?


The Girls Take Over--Now it's April. The boys and girls make a bet--all of them will throw bottles with messages in them into the Buckman river. The bottle that travels the farthest by the end of the month will win. If a boy wins, the girls have to be his slaves and vice versa if a girl wins. Good idea, right? Wait--what if the boys try to cheat in order not to be slaves? And what if the girls try to cheat? Somebody had better do something quickly! And--Jake and Eddie both try out for pitcher on the school baseball team. Jake is known to be really good but the boys have watched Eddie practice and guess what? She's as good as he is! While all this goes on, Wally and Caroline both get into school's spelling bee. One will do well and the other one ends up in a disaster. Which one? Gotta read to find out!

Boys in Control--What an embarrassing development! The Hartford and Benson boys had taken some goofy pictures of each other for fun before the Bensons moved away--things like spaghetti your nose and wearing bunny pajamas two sizes too small. Guess who finds them in the basement--that's right, the Malloy girls! What could happen if those pictures got out! Caroline, however, strikes up a deal with Wally to get them back--but whenever Caroline gets an idea, there's usually unexpected (and funny!) trouble ahead.

As I said, each book gets better than the one before. Sometimes I even started to laugh even before all the tricks got under way because I KNEW their goofball ideas would turn out differently than what they planned. These books are so much fun that I look forward to whatever quiet minutes I find to read more. And the books are just the right length, about 120--140 pages, That way they're short enough to be fun yet long enough to let really get into the story. And you will really enjoy getting into these books, hanging out with the guys and girls, running back and forth between the Hartford and Malloy houses, crossing that swinging bridge or cheering for the Buckman Badgers baseball team. I'm going to miss that town and those kids when I finish these books.