SATURDAY SERIES: "Guy Reads" by Jon Scieszka

So I have a son that doesn't much like to read anything, however, he does like these books!!!  The secret??? They are short stories geared to boys.  They only take about 30 minutes to read.  They aren't AMAZING LITERATURE, but if they get him to read, okay!!!  I thought after each one was done that he'd say he didn't really like it, but I was wrong.  I guess I just don't think like a 13 year old boy. (Thank goodness.)  Anyway, the really cool thing is that each story is written by a different author. The "Thriller" authors are all of the best mystery writers of the day, like Patrick Carmen, author of the "Skeleton Creek" series, Mary Haddox Peterson, James Patterson, MT Anderson...  and so on.  Give them a try with your son or struggling male student, or anyone else for that matter.  Girls will love them too!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jon Scieszka is the National Ambassador for Children’s Literature emeritus and the bestselling author of more than twenty-five books for kids, including The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Math Curse, Robot Zot!, and the Time Warp Trio series. Jon founded Guys Read to encourage a passion for reading among young boys, with the philosophy that boys love to read most when they are reading things they love. A former elementary school teacher, Jon lives in Brooklyn with his family.

MONDAY: Meet the Author Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, the Tres Navarre mysteries, and 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones.

View my complete profile



     

Rick Riordan

Richard Russell "Rick" Riordan (/ˈraɪərˌdɛn/), Jr. (born June 5, 1964)^[1] is an 
American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians  series. 
He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults^[2] and helped to edit 
Demigods and Monsters , a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series. 
He helped develop the ten books in The 39 Clues  series, published by Scholastic 
Corporation, and wrote the first book in the series, The Maze of Bones .^[3]He recently 
completed a trilogy that focuses on Egyptian mythology, The Kane Chronicles , and is 
working on The Heroes of Olympus , which is the sequel to the Percy Jackson series 
and focuses on Greek and Roman mythology.

Biography

Riordan has created many successful book series. The multi-award-winning^[7] Tres Navarre 
mystery series for adults follows the fast-paced adventures of an erudite Texan private eye. 
Riordan also helped create the children's book series The 39 Clues ; he authored several 
of its books, including The Maze of Bones , which topped the New York Times Best Seller 
list on September 28, 2008.^[8] His Percy Jackson and the Olympians series  features a
 twelve-year-old who discovers he is the modern-day son of an ancient Greek god. Twentieth 
Century Fox purchased the film rights and released a feature film February 12, 2010. 
Following the success of Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan created The Kane Chronicles , 
which features a modern-day Egyptian pantheon and two new sibling protagonists. 
Its first book, The Red Pyramid , was released May 4, 2010; the sequel, The Throne Of 
Fire , was released May 3, 2011.^[9] The third book in the Kane Chronicles, 
The Serpent's Shadow , was released May 1, 2012. Riordan also created a sequel 
series to the Percy Jackson books, The Heroes of Olympus . Its first book, The Lost Hero , 
was released in the U.S. October 12, 2010; the sequel,The Son of Neptune , was released 
October 4, 2011. 
Riordan expanded both series simultaneously. He has completed The Kane Chronicles , 
a trilogy, and continues to write The Heroes of Olympus , which will have five books.

The San Diego Comic-Con International 2010 featured Riordan as a guest.^[10] 
Rick Riordan lives in San Antonio with his wife and their two sons Patrick and Haley, 
who inspired his Percy Jackson series.

Published books

Olympian Demigod Series

Series One: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

• The Lightning Thief  (2005)
• The Sea of Monsters  (2006)
• The Titan's Curse  (2007)
• The Battle of the Labyrinth  (2008)
• The Demigod Files  (2009)^[11]
• The Last Olympian  (2009)
• The Ultimate Guide (2010)
• The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel (2010)
• The Sea of Monsters: The Graphic Novel (2013)

Series Two: The Heroes of Olympus

• The Lost Hero  (2010)
• The Son of Neptune  (2011)
• The Demigod Diaries  – August 14, 2012^[12]
• The Mark of Athena  – October 2, 2012
• Book 4 – Fall 2013
• Book 5 – Fall 2014

The 39 Clues Series

• The Maze of Bones  (2008)^[13]
• Introduction to The Black Book of Buried Secrets  (2010)
• Vespers Rising  (2011)

Tres Navarre Series

• Big Red Tequila  (1997)
• Widower's Two-Step (1998)
• The Last King of Texas  (2000)
• The Devil Went Down to Austin  (2001)
• Southtown  (2004)
• Mission Road  (2005)
• Rebel Island  (2007)

The Kane Chronicles

• The Red Pyramid  (2010)^[14]
• The Throne of Fire  (2011)^[15]
• The Serpent's Shadow  (May 1, 2012)^[16]
• The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide  – March 20, 2012^[17]
• The Red Pyramid: The Graphic Novel – October 2, 2012

Stand alone novels

• Cold Springs  (2004)^[18]

Untitled Norse Series

• Book 1 (2015)^[19][20]

Awards

• 1998 Shamus Award and Anthony Award for Big Red Tequila ^[7]
• 1999 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original for The Widower's Two-Step ^[21]
• 2008 Mark Twain Award for The Lightning Thief ^[22]
• 2009 Mark Twain Award for The Sea of Monsters ^22]
• 2009 Rebecca Caudill Award for The Lightning Thief ^[23]
• 2010 School Library Journal's Best Book for The Red Pyramid  ^[24]
• 2011 Children's Choice Book Awards: Author of the Year^[25]
• 2011 Children's Choice Book Awards: Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year 
• for The Red Pyramid ^[25]
• 2011 Wyoming Soaring Eagle Book Award for The Last Olympian ^[26]
• 2011 Milner Award for Percy Jackson and the Olympians series^[27]

BONUS: SUMMER READING LIST OF... More Great Books for BOYS

Grades K-4
Geronimo Stilton- Series about a mouse who has great adventures
Stink- series by Megan McDonald
*Nate the Great
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Captain Underpants
Ralph and the Motorcycle
*Roald Dahl (author of many fantastical books, including Matilda, the BFG, James and the Giant     Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Twitches)
*Magic Tree House Series
Michigan Chillers Series
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner


Grades 4-8
*Suzanne Collins - Overlander Series
Mike Lupica- Sports novels
Michael Ford- Spartan Quest Series (Ancient Greek Fiction)
*John Flanagan- Ranger’s Apprentice Series (a Fantasy series)
Patricia C. Wrede - Enchanted Forest Chronicles
*Gary Paulsen- Hatchet and Wilderness survival stories
Gennifer Choldenko- Al Capone Does My Shirts
Susan Campbell Bartoletti- The Boy Who Dared
*39 Clues Series - by various mystery authors
*Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carmen (includes connections to short You Tube vinettes)
Jeanne DuPrau- City of Ember
Joseph Bruchac- Code Talker
*Gordon Korman- The Dive, Everest, Kidnapped, Titanic, On the Run and Island Series
*Andrew Clements- Frindle and any other books he has written
Carl Hiaasen- Hoot
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
Lemony Snicket- Series of Unfortunate Events
Gary Soto- Taking Sides
Sylvia Branzei- Grossology Series –gross science facts
*Andrew Clements- Jake Drake Series
Jean Craighead George- My Side of the Mountain Series
Dan Gutman’s- Million Dollar Shot- basketball contest
RA Montgomery - Choose Your Own Adventure Series
Megan McDonald—Judy Moody Series/ Stink Series
Dan Gutman- Baseball Card Adventures
Kevin D. Garrahan- Third House Down Hidden Cove
*Percy Jackson and the Olympian Series- Greek Mythology
*Louis Sachar- Holes
*Will Hobbs - Far North, Crossing the Wire (many other stories of survival)
Holly Black- Spiderwick Chronicles
James Patterson-Alex Cross Series
*Jack Gantos - Joey Pigza Series and anything else by him

Russell (2) and Sir William the Bravest Knight (4) - " KNIGHT NIGHT" by Owen Davey

Here are some pics of my adorable 2 year old grandson reading "Night Knight" by Owen Davey.
This book came out in 2011, so it's relatively new.  My cute grandson, William, who likes to be called Sir William the Bravest Knight and is 4 and lives in Washington state, (much to my chagrin), eats, sleeps and breathes all things "KNIGHTS".   This book is about this very thing, a little boy who dreams of nothing else but being a horse riding, sword wielding, brave knight.  It's a must have for any little guy who adores fighting dragons and won't part with his swords, shields and helmet, even when it's the metal kitchen strainer.  :)

  

Here's Russell reading it!

and here's our 4 year old, Sir William the Bravest Knight, who I bought the book for!  

Shhhhh!  It's a secret! 

And here's Russell reading my favorite pop up book, 

called "Brava, Strega Nona, a Heart Warming Pop-Up Book" by Tomie dePaula

This is THE most AMAZING ENGINEERED "pop-up" book I have ever seen, truly, and I have seen my fair share.  If you haven't seen this book, find it, because you have to take a look at it.  Of course you'll have a hard time resisting buying it!!!!!  It is one in a million!

As we all know, "Pop-Up" books and 2 year old toddlers don't mix real well, 

so he looked at it with lots of help, gently.  :)

Recommended Reading List for Boys by Librarians By Elizabeth Kennedy

My 13 year old son is hard to please.  He struggles to read, really struggles...and so I do alot of reading out loud to him.  This, he loves and I pray it will be the catalyst to his becoming a better reader!  We mix it up.   Sometimes he reads a bit and then I read, but if it's too tough, I'll take over and let him "travel through the story" without effort!  I define words for him that he doesn't know or he'll define them for me if he does know them.  We discuss plot, characters, setting and author's intent as we go, but just enough that it doesn't ruin the story.  He is hard to please though and so I'm always looking for something that might fit his interests.

So far we have read the following books together:
1.  "Harry Potter", books 1, 2, and 3

2.  "Skeleton Creek", books 1, 2, and 3  by Patrick Carmen (This is an exceptionally fun series to read with a child and youtube videos are included)!  P. S. Don't read them if you get scared easily!!! :)

3.  "Running Out of Time" by Margeret Peterson Haddix
4.  "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry
5.  "Stone Fox" by John Reynolds Gardiner
6.  "Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, (I skipped some of the more gorey details).
7.  "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
8.  "Because of Winn Dixie" by Kate Dicamillo
9. "The 39 Clues" (in the middle of it)... This is a cool mystery series written by a varity of some of the best "mystery authors" around. 
10.  "On the Run" Chasing the Falconers by Gordon Korman
11.  "Bone" by Jeff Smith
12.  The Entire "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series 1-5 and counting   
13.  An endless number of picture books, nonfiction books, etc....

If you haven't spent any time at this web site, http://childrensbooks.about.com/, you are missing out.  Elizabeth Kennedy spells it all out, everything you want to know about kids' lit and more!  She is an expert and this is one site you don't want to miss out on.  Thanks Elizabeth for this amazing article on BOOKS FOR BOYS!

"If you are looking for books for boys, from young children to tweens and teens, you'll be interested in these reading lists of books for boys recommended by librarians.   The books on these reading lists for boys include children's books that will appeal to a large range of ages and interests. Even boys who complain they can never find anything good to read and, as a result, are reluctant readers should be able to find books they enjoy on some of these lists.

1. Great Books for Boys
   This article and list of books recommended for boys comes from The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. It includes a list of books recommended by The Horn Book in these categories: Picture Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-fiction Middle School/High School and Poetry.
2. Adventures in History for Boys
   This brief reading list from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library in Virginia includes cover art and a brief summary for under a dozen books of historical fiction recommended for older boys.
3. Especially for Boys
   This annotated reading list of recommended books for boys is from the St. Charles Public Library in Illinois. It includes cover art and a brief summary of 131 books for boys, from preschool age through eighth grade. To narrow your search, you can search by grade range, which is very helpful.
4. Good Books for Guys
   The Multnomah County Library in Oregon provides five reading lists, divided by grade levels: Small Fries: Pre-K, Young Guys: 1-3, Middle Guys: 4-6, Large Fries: 7-8, Older Guys: 9-12. While not annotated, the lists include cover art.
5. Chapter Books for Boys
   This annotated reading list from the Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah includes three dozen books. The list includes books by Louis Sachar, Dav Pilkey, Jerry Spinelli, Judy Blume, Garth Nix, Beverly Cleary and Rick Riordan, among others.
6. Good Books for Older Boys
   This brief list, without annotations, is from the Boston Public Library in Massachusetts. It has some excellent books for tweens and young teens on it.
7. Good Series for Younger Boys
   This booklist from the Boston Public Library in Massachusetts includes the title and author of more than two dozen recommended series for younger boys. This reading list includes The Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka.
8. Good Series for Older Boys
   The title and author of sixteen series recommended for boys can be found on this reading list from the Boston Public Library in Massachusetts.
9. Nonfiction for Boys
   This is an annotated list from the Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah. The reading list includes 18 books on a variety of topics, including brain science, history, drawing characters, and jokes to tell. Click on “check availability” to see the cover art.
10. Picture Books for Boys
    The annotated reading list of 20 picture books includes Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. This is an annotated list from the Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah. Click on “check availability” to see the cover art."