Showing posts with label boy books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boy books. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Holiday Gift Guide: Adventuresome Boy Books with Matthew MacNish

A couple of weeks ago, we here at Project Mayhem started discussing the possibility of having a holiday gift giving guide, with different categories of books or writing goodies. Since we are independent types who are about as herdable as cats, we decided to let everyone do their own thing. But keep an eye out this month for occasional gift guides!

With very little deliberation, I decided to write about Adventurous books for boys! Most of these books will feature boy protagonists, but some of them will have girls in the lead, and strong, brave, hilarious boy sidekicks. Regardless, they will all be full of adventure, whether in space, a magical fantasy realm, or even a mostly contemporary small town Iowa.

All of them are recommended for boys, primarily those age 8-12, who love a great adventure story.

You Can't Have My Planet, but Take My Brother, Please, by James Mihaley

Thirteen-year-old Giles is the last person anyone would expect to save the planet. he's not as charming as his little sister, and not as brainy as his goody-goody older brother. But when Giles witnesses an alien realtor showing Earth to possible new tenants, he knows he'd better do something. With the help of an alien "attorney" and the maddest scientist in middle-grade fiction, Giles just might save humans from eviction from Earth. Let's hope so. The alternatives are...not so hospitable.

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow, by Nathan Bransford

Jacob Wonderbar is used to detentions, but when a spaceship crashes near his house, he finds himself in a whole new level of trouble. After swapping a corn dog for the ship, he and his two best friends, Sarah Daisy and Dexter, take off on a madcap adventure. They accidentally cause an epic explosion, get kidnapped by a space pirate, and are marooned on planets like Numonia and Paisley, where the air smells like burp breath and revenge-hungry substitute teachers rule. And that's only the beginning . . . It turns out that there's an entire colony of space humans, and Jacob's long-lost father just might be one of them.

The first book in debut author Nathan Bransford's hilarious space adventure series has dynamite friendships, peculiar planets, and nonstop action. You'll never look at the stars the same way!

The Mostly True Story of Jack, by Kelly Barnhill

When Jack is sent to Hazelwood, Iowa, to live with his strange aunt and uncle, he expects a summer of boredom. Little does he know that the people of Hazelwood have been waiting for him for quite a long time.

When he arrives, three astonishing things happen: First, he makes friends -- not imaginary friends but actual friends. Second, he is beaten up by the town bully; the bullies at home always ignored him. Third, the richest man in town begins to plot Jack's imminent, and hopefully painful, demise. It's up to Jack to figure out why suddenly everyone cares so much about him. Back home he was practically, well, invisible.

The Mostly True Story of Jack is an eerie tale of magic, friendship, and sacrifice. It's about things broken and things put back together. Above all, it's about finding a place to belong.

Nightshade City (Nightshade Chronicles Book One), by Hilary Wagner

Deep beneath Trillium City, a modern metropolis, lies the Catacombs, a kingdom of rats of extraordinary intelligence and ability. The once peaceful and democratic colony has become a harsh dictatorship ruled by the High Minister Kildeer and his henchman, Billycan, who runs the Kill Army and collects weekly Stipend from the terrified subjects. The two of them rule with iron fists. With most of the adult rats wiped out in Killdeer's Bloody Coup and the subsequent great flood, orphaned young male rats are forced into the army and the females into servitude or worse. But change is coming. . . .

Two orphan brothers, Vincent and Victor Nightshade, sons of a hero killed in the Bloody Coup, manage to escape from the Kill Army and meet up with Juniper Belancourt, leader of a rebel group seeking to overthrow their oppressors and restore peace and democracy in a new city. The brothers are quickly caught up in Juniper's cause: "We survive by cover of night. We live in the shadows, waiting for our redemption! Our name must symbolize our burning spirit. . . . Tonight and forever, we are Nightshade City!"

Juniper's plans are complicated by many factors. His lovely young niece Clover has been picked by Killdeer to be his next Chosen One, so the rebels and their allies the Earthworms must work fast to save her. Can the rebels locate their enemies' War Room? Can Juniper's former love, now holding a position in Killdeer's Ministry, be trusted? Will the rebels be able to execute their plans without the aid of a young Topsider (human)? And how will Vincent and Victor fare in battle will they honor their father's legacy of courage?

The Kindling (Middle School Magic Book One), by Braden Bell

All thirteen-year-old Connor Dell wants to do is pass pre-algebra, play lacrosse, and possibly kiss Melanie Stephens, but when a run-in with the school bully ignites strange powers inside him, Connor's normal teenage life goes up in flames. Now he'll need his new powers to defeat the Darkness that's coming for him. Fast-paced and original, this book's guaranteed to keep you guessing!

Storybound (Storybound Series Book One), by Marissa Burt

In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.

In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.

But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....

With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world.

The Atomic Weight of Secrets or the Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black (The Young Inventors Guild Book One), by Eden Unger Bowditch

In 1903, five truly brilliant young inventors, the children of the world’s most important scientists, went about their lives and their work as they always had.

But all that changed the day the men in black arrived.

They arrived to take twelve-year-old Jasper Modest and his six-year-old sister, Lucy—he with his remarkable creations and she with her perfect memory—from their London, England home to a place across the ocean they’d never seen before.

They arrived to take nine-year-old Wallace Banneker, last in a long line of Africa-descended scientists, from his chemistry, his father, and his New York home to a life he’d never imagined.

Twelve-year-old Noah Canto-Sagas, already missing his world-famous and beloved mother, was taken from Toronto, Canada, carrying only his clothes, his violin, and his remarkable mind.

And thirteen-year-old Faye Vigyanveta, the genius daughter of India’s wealthiest and most accomplished scientists, was removed by force from her life of luxury.

From all across the world, they’ve been taken to mysterious Sole Manner Farm, and a beautiful but isolated schoolhouse in Dayton, Ohio, without a word from their parents as to why. Not even the wonderful schoolteacher they find there, Miss Brett, can explain it. She can give them love and care, but she can’t give them answers.

Things only get stranger from there. What is the book with no pages Jasper and Lucy find in their mother’s underwear drawer, and why do the men in black want it so badly?

How is it all the children have been taught the same bizarre poem—and yet no other rhymes or stories their entire lives?

And why haven’t their parents tried to contact them?

Whatever the reasons, to brash, impetuous Faye, the situation is clear: They and their parents have been kidnapped by these terrible men in black, and the only way they’re going to escape and rescue their parents is by completing the invention they didn’t even know they were all working on—an invention that will change the world forever.

But what if the men in black aren’t trying to harm the children? What if they’re trying to protect them?

And if they’re trying to protect them—from what?

An amazing story about the wonders of science and the still greater wonders of friendship, The Atomic Weight of Secrets or the Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black, the first book of the Young Inventors Guild trilogy, is a truly original novel. Young readers will forever treasure Eden Unger Bowditch’s funny, inventive, poignant, and wonderfully fun fiction debut.

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That's it for today! Please feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments.

Friday, October 18, 2013

A Don't-Miss MG New Release -- Winter of the Robots

 
Winter of the Robots 
by Kurtis Scaletta


This is a recent release, one I can't let our Project Mayhem readers OR authors miss out on. Many thanks to Mike Winchell who passed this one along to me--I'm so glad he did.



Blurb:
Seven feet of snow, four science-fair nerds, one creepy junkyard.
Get ready for the ultimate robot battle.


Jim is tired of being the sidekick to his scientific genius, robot-obsessed, best friend Oliver. So this winter, when it comes time to choose partners for the science fair, Jim dumps Oliver and teams up with a girl instead. Rocky has spotted wild otters down by the river, and her idea is to study them.

But what they discover is bigger—and much more menacing—than fuzzy otters: a hidden junkyard on abandoned Half Street. And as desolate as it may seem, there's something living in the junkyard. Something that won't be contained for long by the rusty fences and mounds of snow. Can Jim and Rocky—along with Oliver and his new science-fair partner—put aside their rivalry and unite their robot-building skills? Whatever is lurking on Half Street is about to meet its match.

This was the most original MG story I have read in a long time. I loved it. The main characters are varied in their personalities, yet united in their friendship. I fell in love with each of them. And then there is the kicker--robots! 

Any kid out there who is even a little bit interested in robots MUST read this book. I was riveted by the detail and cool things Scaletta had them doing. Add to that some dinobots, cool cars, and a dash of young love and you have the recipe for an ideal middle grade read. This one should easily be a hit with both boys and girls. I HIGHLY recommend it.

 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Top Five Roald Dahl Novels, by Matthew MacNish

The wagon outside the cottage where he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World

Today I would like to celebrate the world's greatest children's author (note: this is my personal opinion, and is not meant to disparage Judy Blume, who is obviously amazing, but did not much appeal to me as a boy, because her books were for girls, ew).

Roald Dahl is perhaps the most well known author of middle grade titles in the world. Or at least he was before there was such a thing as middle grade and young adult, and books were either children's books or something else. I don't say this to take anything away from any other authors, and I'm sure my love for his books is influenced by the fact that I was born at the height of his success, but even if you don't consider him the best EVAH, surely you have enjoyed at least one of his tales (and if not, you might want to get on that, like STAT).

Anyway, regardless of where he ranks on the Matthew-MacNish-greatest-children's-authors-in-history-scaleTM, today I would like to share with you my top five favorite Roald Dahl novels, in order, from nearly favorite to very favorite!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory


Such a wonderful, magical book. From Willy Wonka to the Oompa Loompas, to the eponymous chocolate factory, there is so much imagination in this book. I love it with all my heart. However, while I'm well aware that many people might list this as their favorite Dahl novel, for me it is only my nearly-favorite. Only because there are so many other wonderful ones! Like: 

The BFG


As an adult with the humor bone of a twelve-year-old boy, I can never help but think of the title of this book standing for something very silly. However, while this book is full of fun and silliness, it's actually quite adorable. It also doesn't hurt that it is actually an expansion of a part of my very favorite Dahl book, shown below.

Matilda


Oh Matilda, you precocious little genius you! Matilda is probably my favorite Dahl protagonist. The ways in which she stands up to her situation are so adorable, but also so inspiring. I mean it's all fantasy, of course, but it's also so real. This book also gets a bonus for having one of the best two movie adaptations of a Dahl book (see the next entry for the other one).

James and the Giant Peach


Other than Gremlins, this is Roald Dahl's first book. It's a story about a small boy who escapes his cruel aunts inside a giant peach filled with giant insects (it's not that simple, obviously, but we're in a hurry here) and then sails it across the Atlantic, by luring a flock of seagulls into towing it. I mean, it all makes perfect sense, right? As wild and ridiculous as it sounds, this is one of the greatest children's stories ever written, and it also has a most excellent film adaptation.

Danny, the Champion of the World


I don't know if I can put my finger on exactly what it is about this book. Perhaps it was the fact that I was about Danny's age when I read it. Perhaps it was the fact that I lost my mother not long after. Perhaps it was the fact that fathers and sons are ... well, fathers and sons. I don't know exactly, but this is my all time favorite Roald Dahl novel, and it's a somewhat less well known one than most, so if you have not read it, I highly recommend you remedy that.

Roald Dahl in 1954

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

The Cloak Society Review + Giveaway by Shannon O'Donnell


 
  The Cloak Society 

by Jeramey Kraatz


Blurb:
The Cloak Society: An elite organization of supervillains graced with extraordinary powers. Ten years ago the Cloak Society was defeated by Sterling City's superheroes, the Rangers of Justice, and vanished without a trace. But the villains have been waiting for the perfect moment to resurface. . . .
Twelve-year-old Alex Knight is a dedicated junior member of Cloak who has spent years mastering his telekinetic superpowers and preparing for the day when Cloak will rise to power again. Cloak is everything he believes in.
But during his debut mission, Alex does the unthinkable: He saves the life of a Junior Ranger of Justice. Even worse . . . she becomes his friend. And the more time he spends with her, the more Alex wonders what, exactly, he's been fighting for.

Okay, middle grade book lovers, this is a can't-miss series for all fans of fantasy adventure--that means all of you Percy Jackson fans out there. Full of action, great world-building, and likeable characters, this is a sureto please series. I received an ARC of book 1 and really enjoyed it, so I shared it with  my 10-year-old son (now 11). I had NO IDEA he would respond the way he did! To say he loves this series would be an extreme understatement. He has devoured my book 2 ARC and is already "dying" for book 3. Wow.

The second book, The Cloak Society: Villains Rising will be released by HarperCollins in October.and the e-ARC is currently available from Edelweiss.

And because I know you'll love them, I am going to give away my ARC of the first book to one lucky commenter. Just make sure you're a follower of this blog--here and on Facebook--and leave a comment. I'll announce the winner next week.  Good luck!


Blurb:
Alex Knight was raised as one of the Cloak Society's most fiercely loyal junior supervillains. He proudly dedicated himself to this elite organization—until he met Kirbie. A junior member of the Rangers of Justice, Kirbie opened Alex's eyes to Cloak's true mission. Now, Alex is determined to bring Cloak down. And there's no time to lose.
The Cloak Society has just pulled off the greatest takedown in Sterling City's history. Justice Tower is in ruins. And the city's superheroes, the Rangers of Justice, have vanished.
Alex and Kirbie's only hope for defeating Cloak is to bring together the Junior Rangers and the other junior Cloak members who have turned their back on their former leaders. But after years of hatred and enmity, fighting for the same side is easier said than done.

  
If any of you give these books a try, please let me know what you think.

Have you been shocked by the reaction of a child or students to a particular book or series? 

 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Book Review: CJJ's Guide to Extra Credit

Title: CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO EXTRA CREDIT
Author: Tommy Greenwald
Illustrator: J.P. Coovert
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan)
Release Date: August 7, 2012
* ARC received from publisher

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. OF MICE AND MEN. THE GREAT GATSBY. LORD OF THE FLIES. CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO EXTRA CREDIT.

Okay, that last one might not continue the “classic” tradition of American literature, but those first four do have something in common with the protagonist of the last one, Charlie Joe Jackson. And that is, Charlie Joe Jackson is sure to have never read those first four books, and if we learned anything from the first book in the series (CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING) then we can be sure that Charlie will fight, tooth and nail, to make sure he never reads them in his lifetime. The problem is, if he doesn’t read them, he might be in danger of failing, and in turn, he might have to resort to anything to raise his grades, even (gasp), doing extra credit. Therein lies the crux of the second book in the series, CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO EXTRA CREDIT.

In this second book of the series, our lovable but ever-lazy Charlie Joe Jackson finds himself sweating bullets on Report Card Day (Charlie’s the only person who actually calls the day that, and that tells you quite a bit about his character right there). When his parents see that his grades basically add up to be an A short of AC/DC—a group I’m sure Charlie adores, since he’s a big classic rock fan—they (meaning, Dad, who serves as the “heavy” of the two parents) threaten to send him to Camp Rituhbukkee (Charlie jokes it stands for “Read-a-book”). So Charlie must attempt to make a deal with his parents to help him reclaim his summer freedom. That deal, Charlie decides, is that for the upcoming term he will get all A’s (and one B, because Science and Charlie are not A-greeable, if you get my meaning). Mom and Dad (see earlier note about the “heavy”) decide that it is a fair deal.

What follows is Charlie’s hilarious attempt at gaining extra credit in his classes, which means double the work and a whole lot of creativity on the teachers’ part to make Charlie work for it (translated: he pretty much must grovel like a pig for them). Sure to please the reluctant reader, and the reader who just acts reluctant because, you know, that’s the cool way to act, this second book is a great follow-up to the first one (which I loved) and is sure to lead to more Charlie Joe Jackson guides. I hope…you listening, Roaring Brook?

Voice aplenty, which is a strength of Greenwald’s, this book is uber-enjoyable to read. But by far, something I enjoy the most about Greenwald’s ability to craft a narrative in both this and the first book, is his way of “tricking” the reader. Behind a façade of a “Guide” he hides a full, elaborate narrative that allows for full development of some authentic characters. Using this sly slight-of-hand style, he is sure to hook and then reel in those aforementioned reluctant readers in the same manner a parent uses reverse psychology to trick the kids that veggies are not yucky, or hanging with the opposite sex is totally okay, or that wearing a sweater vest to church is the very definition of cool (okay, that last one is just evil, parents, please don’t make the kid wear the sweater vest…please).

Speaking of parenting, I kid you not, my son picked up this book many times to "read" to the point where it became a part of his hands. I think he was going for extra credit himself. Here's the proof:

In sum, yeah, the book is great. Highly recommended. It releases TOMORROW (August 7) so do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. And if you wish, feel free to check out Project Mayhem’s old review of the first book, CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING, or you can see my original interview with Tommy Greenwald to learn about the man behind the books guides.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Books, Boys, and Gordon Korman

As I've said here before, it's not always easy to find books that interest both my boys. Now that they're getting older (Happy eleventh birthday, Noah!), they're developing their own tastes, and my recommendations don't always fly. That's why it's been so fun to discover together Gordon Korman's books.


Gordon Korman has written dozens of books over the last three decades, everything from the young adult books A SEMESTER IN THE LIFE OF A GARBAGE CAN (one of my favorite titles ever) and the more recent SCHOOLED and EVEREST to the middle-grade books THE SIXTH-GRADE NICKNAME GAME and 39 CLUES. 
   
Gordon writes in a variety of styles and with a never-ending collection of memorable characters and produces books for every kind of kid. Here are the books we've enjoyed the last few months:


SWINDLE and ZOOBREAK:
Best friends Ben and Griffin right the wrongs in their community by concocting elaborate plans involving stolen baseball cards, animal heists, and villains with perfect nicknames.



THE TOILET PAPER TIGERS and THE CHICKEN DOESN'T SKATE:
I don't have one sporty bone in my body, and yet I've still been able to enjoy these books that include a small-town underdog baseball team headed up by a brilliant-but-clueless scientist and his savvy, blackmailing New York granddaughter and a science-experiment chicken that becomes a hockey-team mascot.
 

It's great to know we have so many more Korman titles to choose from in the months and years ahead!


What contemporary titles do your boys or male students gravitate toward?





Monday, February 27, 2012

An Exciting New Release

 
Explorer: The Mystery Boxes


Expected publication: March 1st 2012 by Amulet Books

Amazon Blurb:
Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what’s in the box?

Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels—or mayhem—inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll.

This is a fantastic compilation of short graphic novel stories, put together by eight top comic creators. Seven different stories and fabulous color graphics will keep middle grade readers engaged for hours. Both my 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter LOVED it. In fact, I had to steal it from my daughter in order to write this post.

My son's favorite thing about these stories was the endings. He told me he loved the way they kept the mystery alive, even at the end, and then insisted on reading three of the endings to me. Both kids loved the recurring theme of the mystery boxes in every story. I love the graphics.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this one. It's scheduled to be released this Thursday!


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Good "Boymanship" Awards

Okay, so I normally try to keep my personal blog and the PM blog separate, but I've had some recent conversations about the topic of what I call "boymanship" and I wanted to run it past everyone over here at PM. So, here goes:

I write "boy" books. Problem is, it seems to take a village to raise the consciousness of the boy sensibility in MG. A while back, I was involved in a great Twitter chat during #kidlitchat and we discussed boy books. I made a comment that I wished more MG books would accurately depict the way boys interact with one another. I went on to explain that the back-and-forth joking between boys, heavy on sarcastic razzing, is a sign of true friendship between boys, and those who don't understand this or want to paint a different picture are not being true to reality. Boys make fun of each other when they're friends (all in good fun), but the moment they need to have each other's backs they do. I equate this to the wartime bond soldiers have. It's a brotherly thing, and I don't see this truly represented in many MG books. Toward the end of the conversation I coined the term "boymanship" and I really think it fits. A perfect example is found in the following scene from the classic movie Stand By Me, and actually, in just about every scene in the movie.


This scene is true-to-life. These boys are the best of friends, but look at how they razz each other. And if you've seen the movie before, you know these kids are 100% "there" for each other (they have each other's backs). This is what I'd love to see more of in MG books of today. Please, give me "real" kids.

I have a great deal of experience with boymanship (heck, I'm a black belt). I am a teacher of junior high kids (for 12 years now), I was a boy once (shocker, I know), and I still see myself as a big kid at 37 years of age. So let me tell you: BOYS ARE LIKE THIS! And the point I made during that chat was the fact that if we can accurately capture this in MG boy books, it helps to educate boys about "boymanship" and also educates adults who've lost touch with this. I'm sick of seeing MG boy books that are treated like after-school specials (corny, cheesy, and just plain unrealistic).

Another movie that I feel accurately portrays the way boys interact with one another is the old 80's flick (dated, but still timely) My Bodyguard (trailer below). Clifford (the main character) and Linderman (his bodyguard) capture the true sense of boymanship in their friendship. And even though the bullies are nasty, their relationship is realistic as well (so is the evil streak they have as bullies). In all, kids are kids in this movie. Real kids. I highly recommend you check out this movie if you haven't seen it. 




Um, why do I find it necessary to refer to MOVIES and not books? Interesting question. Think about why that might be the case.

Okay, tell me, is there any book I might be overlooking that gets your good boymanship award?

Friday, April 8, 2011

A Ten-Year-Old's Wish List

My son's birthday was last week. Months ago he wrote up a wish list and stuck it on the fridge. And while it includes requests for the following:

821,265,000,000 dogs!
2 cats!
a million "Vinnila"Cokes
an Elvis wig 
and (I'm not making this up) new siblings named Sam the Horse, Spike, Pedro, and Lily,

there were also a number of books included:

Hank the Cow Dog #57: The Disappearance of Drover -- not available until mid-April
The Disappearence of Drover #57 (Hank the Cowdog)











Diary of a Wimpy Kid #6  -- next installment in this series (not yet available)












NERDS #3 -- next installment in this series (though -- you guessed it! -- not yet available)
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat #3 -- not available until July






My son has had to make do with a few book promises and the puppy he already has. 

What series are popular with children you know?