Another Comment From an Old Friend

Another one of our old friends and faithful witers is cyber kid 303. We got a new post from him today:

I vote for these two: Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia.
A bunch of my friends get together every month for book club and we all just read Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. It's about a kid named Jim who meets Captain Flint, a pirate with a saber cut across his cheek. Flint dies from drinking too much rum and leaves behind a treasure map. Other bad pirates come after Jim and his friends when they go to find the treasure. There are fights with swords, guns and cannons. Eventually, somebody finds the treasure and goes home with it, but I'm not going to give it away! Warning: there's a lot of old pirate language that's hard to understand, but even Jim can't understand it all.

Thanks, cyber kid. I am soooo glad that you liked Treasre Island. That has to rank as one of my all-time favorites. I think it's still the greatest pirate story ever written!! I'll never forget that mystreious stranger coming into Jim's inn, or the time Jim faced a pirate coming at him with a knife and Jim held two pistols at him and said, "If you move any closer, I'll shoot." Did he?? Man, oh, man, you have to read it to find out!!!If you guys read it, be sure tho get a copy with the illustrations (like this one) by the great N. C. Wyeth. (our library system has plenty!)

Well, cyber kid, that was a review, so you get 3 extra points!If you want more points, send in some more. That goes for everyone else, too!

Yo ho ho and looking for more reviews,

Carl

PS Hey, cyber kid, why don't you get the other guys in your book club to write to us? I thnk it would awesome!

And Now, At Long Last, the Return of LORD VADER!

Hey, one and all, we have new comments from an old friend--Mikie, otherwise known as Lord Vader. He's been writing to us for a long time and good to have him back. (I wonder if he knows a five-year-old Sith wrote in yesterday) Let's hear what he has to say:



Dear Mr. Duggin,
Thanks so much for responding to one of my posts. My mom tells me she remembers you from when she watched wrestling and says you are one of the wrestlers she thought was a really good role model. I can't wait for the new Percy Jackson book either. I didn't know the name of it until I read your post. Sorry it took so long to write back, my whole family has been sick off and on for months and I can't go onto any site without my mom to watch what I am doing. I also just finished reading my first chapter book (on my own, the others I've posted about my mom read to me before bed). It was Da Wild, Da Crazy DaVinci by Jon Szeiska. I love Time Warp Trio books, reading them is great and then I can check out the episode I just read on television. I loved Leonardo's tank invention in chapter one. After I read about him in the book my mom took me to some websites about him to look at drawings of his inventions and also some of his art. I didn't know much of his art until I saw the Mona Lisa painting. I also want to know if I can place votes in for books in the series that I have read or if it has to be from the few you have on the blog site.
Mikie (aka Lord Vader)



I'm sorry your family was sick. Hope you didn't get anything bad. Is everyone else doing all right now? I'm glad that you're reading on your own. I'm also glad that your mom took you to some Leonardo sites--we've always believed that reading broadens your world and you just proved it! It also looks like you found out how our contest works:

My vote will be for Harry Potter series, I read some of the others but they didn't make it through. My vote would probably be for the Clone Wars though but I haven't read one of them yet. I plan on picking one up this week to check it out. I loved watching the series on television but I didn't know they had a book series as well. I'm also sorry to see Percy Jackson didn't make the cut, I didn't know about the contest until a little while ago.
Mikie (aka Lord Vader)

Yeah, I'm sorry that Percy Jackson didn't make it, but he couldn't have had a more worthy opponent than The Chronicles of Narnia. I really love those books. I can't wait for the Prince Caspian movie! BTW, Lord Vader, you can still get points by writing reviews! 3 points for each one!!! That applies to everyone else in blogland. Let's do it!!
Carl

A Comment From kris-the-half-blood-dev-the-sith

Hey, everybody, we have a comment from a new friend, kris-the-half-blood-dev-the-sith: (actually, it's from two people--you'll see)



First off I wold like to say that I'm a girl. I read The Lightning Theif and recently The sea of monsters to my little brother Devin ( he is 5 now and can not type). His freind told my mum abot this site and Dev wanted me to type for him. He is amazed with 'Geek'mythology now like me and my mum told him "Great, we have a mini-Kris now..." He made me read it to him three times now and refused to go to bed without annother part in the story. oh an he says HI... ^_^



Thanks, Kris and Dev. We've had girls write in to us before, notably Melanie, our coworker. This is the first time we've had a sister-and-brother-team, though!! For writing to us, Kris, we'll give you the greatest honor we can bestow and make you an Honorary Guy. (We did that for Melanie)

I'm glad Dev likes Percy Jackson. You're the youngest Lightning Thief/Sea of Monsters fan I've known. (Did you see this, Mr. Riordan??) You know that I'm a big fan. Have you read The Titan's Curse yet? Did you know the new Percy Jackson book will be here in about a month!!!! I can't wait!!!

Darth Bill will be pleased to know that we have a young sith reading our blog. In fact, Dev may be the youngest sith ever!!

Keep writing to us,
Carl
PS--have you looked at our March Madness of Books Contest?

Fianl Four Madness!!

Hey, gang, we've got some exciting things going on with the March Madness contest. We received the prizes today from UNCC. As you know, one of them is an autographed T-shirt from the UNCC 49'ers Men's Basketball team. Here's a picture from the front:

And here's the back with all the autographs:

Another prize is the autographed poster:
I know, the autographs are hard to see because of the light reflecting on the poster, but, trust me, they really are there. I've seen them. The other prize is a paperback copy of your choice of any one of the books there were featured in this tournament.

Soooo---Bill and I were grateful to the good people at UNCC for donating this cool stuff but we looked at that shirt. I had asked for a boy's medium size T-shirt but then we realized that if an older guy won the contest, why, that shirt might not fit!!! Soooo---Bill and I decided to change the way we'll give the prizes. Here's the new awards:

First Place Winner will get to choose between the T-shirt, poster, or book.

Second Place Winner will choose between the two items left and

Third Place Winner will get the remaining prize.

All right? We apologize if this causes any major trauma or heartbreak to anyone, but we're trying to be as fair as possible. And if you've really got your sights set on a particular prize, then make sure you vote AND send in some reviews!! Every one you send gets you 3 points!!! So, the more you send, the better your chances!!!OK??? Let's hear it!! Remember, you have until 9:00 pm on Monday, April 7 to get those votes and reviews in!!! Just Do It!!

Speaking of voting, here is our first vote for the Final Four. It's from our friend Anonymous:

Here are two picks!

Harry Potter

Chronicles of Narnia

This has been fun! : )!

Yes, it has been fun and we're looking forward to even more fun!!

By the way, have you seen that our friends at the Guys Read blog are doing a March Madness tournament of their own? Take a look. You might even want to vote. I did. Go back and look at the posts from last week. I made a shocking confession in their comments section. I'd tell you what it is, but it's dinner time and I'm hungry! So I'm gone! Gotta go to their blog if you want to find out--hahahaha!!! (you can get there from the Links on the left-hand side of this page)
Need a sub sandwich now!!!
Carl

Back From the Beach

And, man, did I have a good time! North Myrtle Beach is a really cool and fun place. How fun is it? Check this out: This place is so much fun that the food seasons itself! And no one cares what you look like:

Of course, there is always some one trying to spoil the fun. The evil Sith Emperor sent his Killer Seagulls after me...

...but look, I'm not afraid. Even as they swooped in to attack, I stood firm and laughed in the face of danger because I had my secret inter-dimensional, ultra-sonic, hyper-phasic weapon handy......in other words, I had some leftover french fries to throw them.

Well, enough of this. I did get to finish the second Barnstormers book before I left and it was fantastic!!! It's called Game 2: The River City and continues the story from Game 1: Porkopolis (see the post from March 20) The Payne family has moved from to Louisville, Kentucky, the River City with their baseball team, the Travelin' Nine, to play another exhibiton game and raise money. Strange things start happening again in the middle of the game, but the Payne kids realize that those weird things are connected with their father's baseball, which really is magic. If they learn to use the ball, the team could win. Can they do it? And why does their Uncle Owen tell them to "Beware the Chancellor" and "Don't let him find out about the baseball"? Could it have something to do with the "great danger" he warned them about? And why do mysterious people suddenly appear and then are gone when the kids try to talk to them? Mystery, suspense, sports, magic--this book has it all!! Go read it!!

There's some exciting things to tell you about the March Madness of Books contest, but I'm too busy right to write about it now.
Stay tuned, keep writing, and send in those 3-pointers!
Carl

And Now Ladies and Gentleman, The Final Four (3rd Round)!!!

Hi all,
Well, the The Boys Rule Boys Read Book Series Tournament has been interesting, to say the least. Some unexpected upsets and crazy twists, but, hey, that's how these tournament things go (look how far Davidson went in the NCAA Tournament--they almost even took out mighty Kansas). Well, now it's time to vote to see who plays in the championship. You, the posters in Blogland and paper voters via ImaginOn, determine who. Oh, there are also the really cool prizes to be won. Let the games begin:



Right Side Game:


The Harry Potter Series (seed 1) Vs. Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures (seed 3):



The Harry Potter Series

Vs.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures

Left Side Game:


The Chronicles of Narnia (seed 6) Vs. The Undeland Chronicles (seed 7)


The Chronicles of Narnia

Vs.

The Underland Chronicles

So let the voting begin to see who will play for The Championship!!!!!!

Here are the rules once again:

1) The books that are going against each other will move to the next round if they receive the most votes from you guys.

2) Everyone who wants to (adults and girls also) can vote by responding to this blog and voting for the books in each match-up they would like to see go on in the tournament.

3) Multiple voting by the same individual for a particular book is not allowed. One vote for each match-up.

4) Voting will start with the posting of this blog entry. Voting from bloggers will be allowed for that day and for 8 following days (fourth round votes due by 9:00 p.m. Monday, April 7) . Also if you can get by ImaginOn, we will have paper handouts that you can use to vote.

5) You will notice that the books are seeded. What this means is the books with the higher seeds (1 being highest, 8 being lowest) are expected to go further in the tournament. Those with lower number are expected to make early exits. However, who goes on and who goes home will be determined by your votes.

6) Finally, prizes will be awarded to the one who votes for the most books that go the furthest. In the case of a tie, the number difference between upsets will be used to determine the ultimate winner (say someone picks a seed 8 to beat a seed 1, that would give them 7 points for a tie-breaker, etc.). Also the three pointer can be used to give voters more points (3 points).

7) Let me stress the 3 pointer once again!!!! One review gives the writer the equivalent of 3 right votes. Lets say you have 8 points now on the Leader Board ; one review would up you score to 11 points (the number of points the leaders have now). This is a powerful tool in the tournament!

8) Also remember the prizes for the 3 highest on the Leader Board!!!! First place will be an autographed T-shirt from the UNCC Men's Basketball Team. Second place will be an autographed poster. 3rd prize will be a book of your choosing (softcover) from all the contenders in the tournament. If you live near in the Charlotte area, you could come to Imaginon to claim your prize, If you live out of town or can't get to Imaginon, we will send your prize to you.

9) That's it all. So get in there and vote for your favorite books and more importantly have fun!!!!!!

Well that's all I have time for right now (I think I just saw the Lagamorph in the library. Gotta get my trusty two-sided lightsaber in case he is looking for trouble.

Peace all,

Bill

The Results from the Final 8 and Book Reviews!!!!

...And Then There Were Four

Well the votes are in, the three pointers shot and the survivor's standing proud. Here are the Results from The Final 8 of The Boys Rule, Boys Read Book Tournament:







First Game Left Side:

The Harry Potter Series (seed 1) Vs. The Artemis Fowl Series (seed 4):

Harry Potter 9 Points.

Artemis Fowl 5 points.

Harry Potter beats a real challenge in Artemis Fowl!!!!!

Second Game Left Side:

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures (seed 3) Vs. The Jack Sparrow Series (seed 7):

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures 8 points.

The Jack Sparrow Series 7 points.

In a very close match Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures edges by The Jack Sparrow Series!!!!!!

Overtime Game on Right Side Between The Percy Jackson Series (seed 1) and The Time Warp Trio Series (seed 8):

The

Percy Jackson Series 9 points.

The Time Warp Trio Series 8 points.

In another nail biter The Percy Jackson Series sends The Time Warp Trio Series packing!!!!!

Right Side Game 1 after Overtime Game:

The Percy Jackson Series (seed 1) Vs. The Chronicles of Narnia (seed 6):

The Percy Jackson Series 2 points

The Chronicles of Narnia 14 points.

In an upset The Chronicles of Narnia shows that it is a real powerhouse not to be overlooked in the Tournament!!!!

Right Side Game 2:

The Charlie Bone Series (seed 4) Vs. The Underland Chronicles (seed 7):

The Charlie Bone Series 5 points.

The Underland Chronicles 9 points.

Charlie Bone puts up a valiant fight but loses to The Underland Chronicles!!!!!

I have to say something here about this tournament. Although some books may go further into the tournament, this is not a reflection on their quality or general awesomeness. These books, among many others that could have been put in the tournament, are all great books. If there are some that you have never heard about, go to the library and check them out. You may find another really cool series of books that you like. In this contest there are no losers.

And now the new leader board (from computations of the first two rounds) featuring those with a total of 8 points (from voting) or more. Also shown will be three pointers, which are the equivalent of 3 correct votes and tie breaker points from the seeding upsets (ex. a seed 6 beating a seed 1 would be 5 upset points - these are only used to break up ties in voting):

1) Carl M. with 11 points (having 18 upset points) sitting in first place!!!!!
2) Melissa with 11 points (having 8 upset points) in second.
3) Bekah with 10 points (having 3 upset points).
4) A tie between Stephen and Mary with 9 points (each having 16 upset points).
5) Melanie with 9 points (having 11 upset points).
6) Leah with 9 points (having 10 upset points).
7) A tie between Cyber Kid and Anonymous with 8 points (each having 3 upset points; also Cyber Kid shot a 3 pointer!!!!!!).
8) Matthew and Mona are tied with 8 points (no upset points).

And that's were things stand right now kids. I'm sure this order will change with the next round of voting (coming soon). If you are not on this list don't give up!!!!! Keep voting and shoot some three pointers and you will be amazed at what happens.

And now for something completely different; book reviews:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney – This book is a follow up to the extremely funny “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” that I reviewed way back in my very first “Boy Read, Boys Rule Blog” Thursday, June 7, 2007. Wow, we have not even been doing this a year yet. It’s amazing how time just flies by when you’re having fun. Well this book continues the diary, err… I mean journal, entries of Greg Heffley as he begins another year of school. The book written in a diary/journal format which includes simple illustrations is truly one of the most original books I have read in some time. The main character Greg has to deal with life as kid in a world we all understand (somewhat) that anybody who is or was a boy can identify with spot on. This book, simply put, is laugh out loud hillarious to the point of tears. The family includes Greg, his obnoxious older brother Rodrick (thus the book’s title) who is the drummer in possibly the world’s worst rock band, his younger brother Manny who gets away with bloody murder, and of course his parents. The really cool thing about reading this book is that you are not only laughing at Greg’s experiences, but also happenings and events that perhaps happened to you or that you can really identify with through Greg’s writing. To get a taste of what this book is like checkout the following website: http://www.funbrain.com/journal/Journal.html.

Carl Barks’ Greatest Duck Tales Stories Volume 1 by Carl Barks – If you didn’t know by now, well it’s time to let the secret out. I’m a huge fan of Uncle Scrooge Comics!!!! The true master of all the Disney Duck tales ever told was Carl Barks (1901 – 2000). His Uncle Scrooge stories are in a class by themselves and have stood the test of time. This collection comes from Uncle Scrooge stories that Barks wrote and were adapted into a television series called Duck Tales (sans Donald who was replaced in the series by Launchpad McQuack) that ran from 1987 to 1990. These are the original stories collected in graphic novel format with Donald back were he belongs. These are wonderful stories full of adventure, action, and lots of laughs. Visit the wild and woolly Klondike, journey far beneath the earth to find the unexplainable explained, face true fear and hilarity in the face of the Hound of the Whiskervilles and the Abominable Snowman, rocket into inner space and so much more. Uncle Scrooge, Donald, and his nephews (Huey, Louie, and Dewey) will take you to the limits of your imagination with stories not soon to be forgotten.

Amulet: Book One, The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishint- Wow, this is a really cool graphic novel that I encourage everyone to give it a read. The story starts out with a terrible accident that forces major changes in the lives of sister and brother Emily and Navin. Because of the accident Em, Navin, and their mother are forced to move into an abandoned house once lived in by Grandpa Silass who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The kids find out that their grandfather was an inventor of sorts but even more importantly Em finds a magical amulet that is a total mystery to her. On the families first night in the house, they are awoken by sounds coming from the basement. While investigating the sound, a strange tentacled creature pulls their mother through a mysterious doorway to another world. Em and Navin determined to save their mom follow and thus begins their true adventure in a place like nothing they could have imagined.

Well that all to next time you crazy kooky kids. Until we blog again,

Bill