Note to Will

Hey, Will, it's Carl. I heard you picked up your T-shirt this weekend but didn't get your free book. My bad!! I'm very sorry, but I forgot to tell my coworkers where we keep the free books. So, if you still want one, I'll make sure everyone knows where they are. Bill and I will be here this weekend, so come on by and we'll let you pick one. (BTW, you don't have a stuffed bunny to scare Bill with, do you?)

The Latest From Lord Vader

Hey, guys, Carl again. We've just got a new comment from our friend Lord Vader (aka Mikie)He's written to us before but we haven't heard from him in a while. Let's hear what he says:

Hi everyone. It's Lord Vader a.k.a. Mikie. I think that is so cool. I just finished with Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Three - The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan and I loved it so much. I can't wait to read book four. I'm thinking there will be a book five since Percy isn't 16 yet and he can't be part of the prophecy until then. Plus Hades having a child now is making things really interesting. If you haven't read any of the series yet, I really think you should.

Good to hear from you again, Lord Vader. Did you that one of your sith is on the run from a bunny??? Those Percy Jackson books are great, aren't they? LV is right--if you haven't read a Percy Jackson book, go get one now!!! Yes, there will be five books in the series. Mr Riordan has said that he will stop at five, so we'll get to know how the prophecy turns out. Any guesses?

Listen, LV, Mr. Riordan sent us 3 Medium-sized Camp Half-Blood T-shirts this Christmas. We gave away two for our last contest. That means there's one left and we'd like to give it to you since you're the first boy who's read all three Percy Jackson books and written to us about them. Come on in and pick it up!!
BTW, if you'd like to see and hear Mr. Riordan from the new book, click here.

Tales of brave Beowulf and other Miscellaneous Nonsense

Hello all my loyal followers out there in Blog Land, it is I Darth Bill once again!!!!! Wait a minute was that a bunny I just saw????? No, thank badness, it was just a rabid squirrel. Just get yourself together and repeat three times: "There is no such thing as a Lagomorph." Yes I feel much better now.

Geezzz, now I got an angry squirrel after me!!!! What the heck did I do?????????

Now, really, on to buisness as unusual. Check out these photographs from the Beowulf Program we had just the other day, it was really alot of fun (and if you get the chance maybe pick up one of the books I recommended from my 1/18/08 posting)!!!

Some of the gang making paper bag Grendel puppets. Scarry stuff I tell ya!!!!!!!!

Darth Bill demonstrating to the gang that running with Sciccors is cool!!!!!! (um, don't tell your parents I said that, okay)

Beowulf and a Coke. It just doesn't get better than that!!!!(and if your thinking the Coke Company paid me to say that, well I just wish!!!!!)

And now ladies and gentlemen, Grendel versus Beowulf!!!!! (Gee, I always thought Beowulf would be alot taller?????)

And now for something completly different, Book Reviews:

Wild Ride: A Graphic Guide Adventure by Liam O’Donnell and Mike Deas – This is a very cool graphic novel about several strangers who are on their way into the deep wilderness of British Columbia to join an environmental assessment team. The group consists of Devlin (10 years old) and his older sister Nadia who are on their way to join their mother who is in charge of the team; teenager Marcus whose father is a famous environmentalist working with the siblings’ mom; and government official Gerald Wiley who is going to determine if the area being assessed is of such a nature to exclude it from being cleared by lumbering and paper company K&N. Things go bad real fast for the group when the plane they are flying in goes off course and crashes in a part of the enormous British Columbia wilderness. The really cool part about this graphic novel is that not only is it a survival story, it actually demonstrates real ways you could survive if you found yourself in such a situation. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors.

The World of Quest: Volume 1 by Jason Kruse – Welcome to the whacked out, dangerous, and just plain strange land of Odyssia. This fun graphic novel starts out with 11 year old Prince Nestor seeking out the aid of the fabled great warrior Quest!!!!! Quest, a former member of the famed Rousters, has been living alone after being banished by Nestor’s parents some 20 years beforehand for unknown reasons. The only problem is that Quest has no interest whatsoever in leaving his home and aiding anyone! In quick succession Nestor finds Quest, Quest ignores Nestor; they are attacked by the Katastrophe Brothers (Khaos, who looks like a bull, Konfusion, who resembles a lizard, and Kalamity, who resembles a vulture) who work for the evil Lord Spite and lots more happens. Got it? No matter, give this graphic novel a whirl, which comes with Bill’s Seal of Approval, for guaranteed laughter and adventure. Nuff Said!!!!!!!

Oh, parting is such sweet sorrow! Until we blog again peace all,

Bill

Cyber Kid Gets His Book (and Melanie writes again!)

Hey, one and all, it's Carl. Cyber Kid 303 came in today and got his free book. Here's a picture:

He's hiding behind a Matt Christopher book--and I forgot the name of it! He also checked out Ghost Circles, the latest Bone graphic novel. He said he'd write and tell us about it soon.

Bill did an awesome program on Beowulf today. He'll tell you about it later, but here's a picture from it:

Bill shows his utter disregard for danger by sneering at the hand of the monster Grendl as it reaches out to grab him. What coolness! What courage! I just hope he's as brave when the Lagomorph comes to town!

And we got another comment fromMelanie, and as I said, she's cool. Here's what she says:

I love Ender's Game. I wonder if Lee Wardlaw's son knows that Orson Scott Card lives in Greensboro, NC. Hmmm. . .I've never met him but I keep hoping that he'll come to Novello one year.

Thanks, Melanie. Ender's Game really is a great story. Any one else out there read it? Did you like it?

I've read a couple of really good graphic novels about heroes in the last couple of days, which is fitting since we've been doing hero programs. The first is The Trojan Horse: The Fall of Troy: A Greek Legend by Ron and Justine Fontes. Did you ever read about the Trojan War? The War between the Greek cities and Troy? The war that dragged on for ten years? This is how the Greeks came up with a desperate and cunning plan to capture the unsuspecting city. A really good read.

The other is King Arthur: Excalibur Unleashed: An English Legend by Jeff Limke. Imagine you were Arthur, a boy probably not much older than you, and that you suddenly became King of all England. Pretty cool, huh? Not if you had a bunch of rival kings who wanted to overthrow you! This is another very exciting story that says exciting no matter how many times you've heard it--and it's especially great if you've never read it before!

Revenge of the Lagomorph

Hi all,

Er, I'm afraid I have just received some disturbing news. Now I know all you readers out there heard my account of the ferocious battle I had with the Scary Bunny in which I acquired a lucky rabbit's foot. If not, check out my last post for the thrilling account (posted on 1-18). Well, um, last week I received the following from the Scary Bunny. Turns out he takes offense to the term Scary Bunny actually, eh, and calls himself "The Lagomorph."

Darth Bill's Nemesis

The Great and Evil

Lagomorph

(Don't be calling me no stinking scary bunny)

I may be missing one foot, but I'm bad to the bone and hopping mad!!!!!!!!!! I'll be seeing ya again real soon Darth Bill (Ha, I bet you even made up some fake story about how you really got me foot. Sneaking up behind me and clubbing me over the head, ya Lilly Liveried Coward!! Just watch your back, my friend, I'll be repaying the favor real soon and can hardly wait to have one of your feet as me own lucky charm!!!! Har, Har, Har, Har, Har!!!!!!

First off, as all you know, I never tell a fib--well hardly ever. Okay, maybe half the time, but the rest is all truth; mostly. As to me making up this particular story, well all I can say is, uh: "Did Not!!!!!!!!!" It's true I tell ya, all true!!!!!! Sneaking up and hitting someone from behind, indeed! The very thought that I would stoop to something so low is highly offensive. I know you all believe in me and I have you full support, right???? And another thing, if you think I'm afraid of this here Lagomorph, well, I just want to tell him and all out there, I welcome a rematch of our epic battle!!!!!! I would just request that I be notified a week in advance to, um, make sure I'm not going be out of town (yea, that's the ticket). So bring it on, Lagomorph, 'cause ya don't scare me (much, okay a little, okay a lot actually - oops, did I just say that out-loud!!!!! Na, I'm sure everyone will believe my twisting of the truth and that I am totally cool.)

Now on to some cool reads I have done recently:

Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean: Jack Sparrow – The Siren Song – This is the second book in this series (The first was The Coming Storm that I reviewed back on 11-21-07) about a much younger Jack than we later meet in the movies. In this adventure Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew (actually, his young friends Arabella, Fitzwilliam, Jean, Tumen and a very easily irritated cat Constance) find themselves continuing their quest for The Sword of Cortes aboard their ship “The Barnacle.” Things get very strange right from the get-go for the captain and crew. First, an island appears out of nowhere, followed by an attack by a fearsome sea monster, and then the sound of mysterious music that seems to affect everyone but Jack. What the devil is going on here? Read this adventurous and funny book; I’m sure you won't be disappointed by the answers you find!!!!!!

Avengers and Power Pack Assemble – This is one Graphic Novel I have been waiting for with great anticipation. Why, you may ask? Go ahead and ask…(OK--why?)……Because it is a Graphic Novel that not only has Power Pack, the coolest superhero kid team ever (Zero-G, Lightspeed, Mass Master and Energizer); it also includes the coolest adult superhero team ever--The Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Spider-Woman, etc.). This team up is filled with action, intrigue, funny stuff, and of course lots of “Clobberin Time!!!!!!” Enuf Said as the Great Stan Lee would say!!!!

Before I sign off I wanted to share just a few more photographs from our Heroes & Villains Festival that we had on January 22, so here they are:

Some of the guys and girls being shown the Firetruck that the really cool Firemen brought with them!!!!!!!

Some of the fellas rockin out with Guitar Hero!!!

Some of the really outstanding costumed heroes who showed up at the event!!!!!

I'm not sure who this man of mystery is, but my money is on that he is a powerful Sith Lord!!!!!!!

The very cool parade of heroes and villains that we had at the event!!!

One of the enforcers, um I mean volunteers, helping out with the Wii at the event!!!!!!!!!!!

There is lots more to show, but there are just so many photos I can post, so if you participated or attended or did anything, I just want to thank everyone for making the event a success (a big one at that)!!!!!!!

Well that's all folks! Until next time, happy trails to you all,

Bill

P.S. I just have to let everyone know that the newest Bone Graphic Novel is out (Volume 7, Ghost Circles). I am about to start reading it, I checked it out from the library, and am very excited about it. Here is a quick peek at the cover:

THANKS AGAIN, MR. RIORDAN!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, guys, dig this----Rick Riordan made cyber kid 303 a Demigod of the Week!! Check it out here on Mr. Riordan's blog. Thanks, Mr. Riordan! You are not only a great author but also a nice guy!

Note to Will's Dad

Hey everyone, it's Carl with a message to Will's dad--We'd be glad to give his T-shirt to you. Just come to the desk in the library in Imaginon. And please keep sending in those great comments, Will. You really made me want to read those books! And don't forget--you still have a free book available for writing to us (and so does everyone who writes in and tells us about a book).
And a reminder--Bill has rescheduled his Beowulf program for next Tuesday, the 29 th at 2pm. He told me about it and it sounds great! Call 704-973-2720 to register.