Hey, ho, all you holiday-loving reader guys! Let me ask something--do you look forward to getting books for Christmas? Or is your attitude like this:
Well, I hope your attitude is NOT like this kid's! Let me put another question to you--what book would you WANT to get for Christmas? Good question! So write in and tell us what it would be!! If you had your wish of ANY book in the world, what would you like to see under your tree? And it could be a set of books. For instance, I'd love to get a set of the
Alvin Ho books by the great Lenore Look. Or--I'm such a sly dog to make this segue--the complete set of the Brixton Bothers books by the outstanding Mac Barnett. That's because 1) I'm a big fan and 2) I've just read
Danger Goes Beserk, the fourth and latest book in the series. Boy, was it ever a terrific read!! Each of the Brixton Brothers books gets better and better. This one has mystery and comedy and action and suspense--just what guys want in their books.
Here's a little background--12-year-old Steve Brixton is obsessed with the Bailey Brothers mysteries, a set of books published in the '50's. So when he stumbles into a mystery and becomes a private detective, he brings everything he learned from the Bailey Brothers to his cases. The only thing is--do these really help when Steve meets real-life bad guys? (BTW, Steve doesn't have a brother--he calls his agency The Brixton Brothers because it sounds cool)
In this book, Steve opens his own office--only it's in the big doghouse in his backyard. He gets hired by a surfer dude named Danimal to find retrieve a stolen surfboard. The problem? It's been taken by a dangerous surfing gang called the Beserkers. Not only that, there's a group of pirates stealing cargo ships off the coast of Steve's California town. On top of that, someone is stealing the gym shorts out a classmate's locker. Can Steve and his chum Dana solve these mysteries? Can Steve really trail a suspect by walking backwards? And what are the Beserkers really up to? The only way to find out is to read this terrific book! You will certainly enjoy yourself if you do. Mac Barnett is truly becoming a first-class mystery writer. The mysteries become more perplexing, the bad guys become more dangerous, and Steve becomes more heroic with each book. So go out and find it, guys!! Or ask your parents to get these books for you. Or run to the bookstore if you get Christmas money. Or head to your local library. Just find those Brixton Brothers! (If you want to find out more, click on the "Brixton Brothers" tab under this post)
So, how about it? Are there any Brixton Brothers fans out there? Write in and let us know. Or just write and tell us what books you'd like to get. We'd love to know.
And here's something to make your holidays merry and bright. It's Brian Setzer singing "Jingle Bells."
Have a great holiday and a rockin' new year!
Hey everyone, it's Iron Guy Carl, blogging at you from the end of summer. Yes, summer's over. It's always a little tough getting back to the grindstone, but, mercifully, the grownups created something to make reentry less painful. And that is the Labor Day weekend!! A big three-day weekend to kick up some fun before settling back into the routine. Some guys like to go to the beach over this weekend, some play or watch sports and some like to hang out. But all the readers of this blog like READING. With that in mind, let me give you a few favorite reads from the past. These will be good for those car trips or the times spent chilling out around the homestead. These books are picked randomly but every one of them is great fun for a Labor Day weekend and all of them are guy-proven great reads. (If you want to find out any more about them, click on the tab under this post--for instance, click on the "Alvin Ho" tab if you want to learn more or read reviews)
Any of the Alvin Ho books
Funny, funny, funny!!! The tales of a second-grader who's afraid of everything. Guaranteed to make you hold your sides--because, if you don't, you'll split them laughing!
The Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
Walking war machines vs fabricated animals in an alternative history of World War I. Lots of adventure, action and things that blow up.Great reads!
The 39 Clues series
Most of you probably know about these books, but if not---go get one right away!! They pull you in and won't let go!
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
One of the great guy books of all time that asks the question, "Could you eat 15 worms in 15 days?"
The
Brixton Brothers mysteries
Mystery, fun, and excitement as Steve Brixton (he has no brother--he just thinks it sounds cool) unravels criminal plots. Besides, where will you find out that all librarians know 9 forms of martial arts?
All right, guys, go out there and have a great weekend. And be sure to tell us what you read (or listened to, if you love audiobooks) when you get back!
This has been a great fall and winter for new books. Especially new books in my favorite series. There was Goliath, last in the Leviathan trilogy, (see my review here), the latest Percy Jackson book, (I'm working on that one now!) 
and two 39 Clues books. But, if that weren't enough, we were also lucky enough to get the latest installment in one of my favorite new series, the Brixton Brothers mysteries. This one is called It Happened on a Train and it's by the highly-talented Mac Barnett. This book is so...
"Wait a minute," you say, "who are the Brixton Brothers?" Well, let me give you a little background. Steve Brixton is a 12-year-old boy living in California. He's obsessed with the Bailey Brothers books, a series of mysteries written in the 1950's. In the first book, Steve gets caught up in a mystery involving a book on early American quilts and national security agents (otherwise known as librarians). He solves that mystery and decides to set up his own detective agency called the Brixton Brothers. (Steve doesn't have a brother--he just thinks it sounds cooler) The second book involves another mystery involving the author of those Bailey Brothers books. (if you want to know more, see my review of the first book here and the second here)
Got that? OK, in this book, Steve takes all his beloved Bailey Brothers books out to the curb in a garbage can and decides he doesn't want to be a detective anymore (if you've read the second book, you'll know why!) His best friend Dana tries to talk him out of it but then a strange surfer dude pulls up, presents Steve with a really odd problem and asks Steve to solve it. Steve refuses, however, because he's a "retired detective." After that, Steve and Dana get on a train to go to a student United Nations but find some very mysterious things going on. Why is there an extra car on the train and why does no one want to acknowledge it's there? Who is the scar-faced man looking so intensely at Steve? Once Steve and Dana settle in to their ride, more mysterious things start to happen--Steve meets a girl who disappears (does it have something to do with that extra car?), finds out about a plot to steal fabulously expensive antique automobiles, and gets locked inside a sauna! Someone is desperate to keep the truth hidden. Will this be enough to bring Steve out of retirement? And, if so, can he survive it?
As you can see, there's enough mystery and suspense to get any guy hooked. But that's not all; you get a healthy helping of comedy thrown in too. And sometimes you get both at the same time! Just take the scene on the cover--there's Steve on top of the train, trying to track down the bad guy in just his bath robe and shower cap! This book will make you laugh, scratch your head at the mystery, and wonder how Steve will get out of his next tight squeeze. And the retro style of Adam Rex's illustrations fit the book perfectly. This is a great book for guys who
And that's good news for guy readers! I was a BIG fan of the first book, The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, written by Mac Barnett with terrific illustrations by Adam Rex. (see my review here) So I was very excited to hear about The Ghostwriter Secret, the second one!
Steve Brixton has read and reread and reread all 58 of the Bailey Brothers mysteries. He's such a fan that, when he finds himself in the middle of a real mystery, he tries to do what the Bailey Brothers would have done. Now he has set up his own detective agency. In fact, he gets a case right away-a chance to track down the missing Fairchild diamond. But in the middle of it, he gets a letter from MacArthur Bart, the author of the Bailey Brothers mysteries, saying that he's in trouble and needs Steve's help! Can Steve and his best chum Dana rescue the missing author? Who has torn up Steve's crime lab? Why do they leave a note telling them to stay away from MacArthur Bart? And just what is a solar plexus anyway?? You won't know if you don't read this book!!
I liked this one a lot. Did I like it as much as the first one? Well, yes and no. This one was a much better mystery. I figured out the first one long before the end and The Ghostwriter Secret had plenty of surprises. This one did not have all the outrageous action and humor of the first one but, to be fair, it would have been very hard to match the first one. After all, that one had librarians who knew 7 kinds of martial arts, Steve being chased by a bookmobile and escaping from the locked hold of a Chinese freighter! But this one also has plenty of action and humor and I'd recommend it to any guy reader out there.
Now the BIG question is--will there be another Brixton Brothers book??
Welllllllll........
Wow! What a day! Today starts the ACC tournament, which is a roundball lover's dream. Go Tarheels! (I say without much hope. Well, there's always next year) On top of that, though, we have new excitement in the March Madness Slam Dunk contest because we have not one but TWO new competitors. The first is Justin B. I wonder if he's a brother to Brian B, who just wrote in yesterday. Could be--he reviewed one of the same books. That's OK--we like it when guys talk about the same book. Let's hear him:
I'm new to this and I am writing a review on the Hardy Boys #18 Pushed. It is about a teenager named Evan who got pushed off of a subway platform in the way of a subway and got ran over. Frank and Joe pretend to runaway to The Haven a place for runaway teenagers. Olivia lives in the park and killed Evan and another boy at The Haven. Frank and Joe find out because Joe was in the subway and Olivia had stuck a needle in Joe to overdose him with some drugs but didn't have time. It is a good book.
Thanks, Brian B! I'm glad guys read the Hardy Boys and glad writers still write them. Have either you or Brian read
The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity? If not, go get it! Any fan of Hardy Boys would like it. Click
here for my review and
here for an interview with the author, Mac Barnett.
The next new competitor is Shannon, an English teacher and mom of a 13-year-old boy. She should know about guy reading! She's started off really strong with three reviews!
THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE by John Flanagan
Will has been chosen to be a ranger. They are feared, respected, mysterious, elite. They guard the kingdom and protect the people. But a battle is brewing. Will his training be enough? My oldest son (almost 13) and I love this series. We pre-order every new book and wait anxiously for them to arrive. Then he gets to read them first, while I try to be a nice mom and patiently wait my turn. Not always easy. If you are looking for a new fantasy series or a good series of boy books, The Ranger's Apprentice series is wonderful!
I have mentioned this book, The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, on so many blogs recently, that I decided I needed to post a review. Right off the bat I want to say, if you have not read this book, READ IT. This book weaves together several separate storylines, each original and fascinating - a lost kitten, an evil swamp snake-witch, a magical daughter and her bird-man husband... Kids love it! :-)
Chris Crutcher is an author truly beloved by most boys. I can't tell you how many non-readers I have watched become avid readers because of his books. He aims to hit boys where they live - to write about issues important to them in language they both use and understand. If you are looking for good books for high school aged boy readers (not for younger readers), I enthusiastically recommend ANY title by Chris Crutcher.
Thanks, Shannon! Bill recently reviewed The Ranger's Apprentice and liked it a lot. Click
here for his review, everybody. I have a copy of The Underneath at home. Wow
Yes, siree,
Mac Barnett, author of the terrific
The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, has been good enough to grant us an interview. Listen up, guys--he's a lot of fun!
Why is it cool for boys to read?
The way I see it, it’s not my job to tell kids why they should be reading. It’s my job to write books that make kids want to read. Reading should never be something you feel like you have to do, like putting on sun block or taking a multivitamin. You should go to books because they’re enjoyable. I hope that’s why kids read my books, anyway.
Good point. I think you've got one here that's enjoyable. Well,then, is it cool for boys to write? Why?
Sure. Here’s one reason: People who write well get what they want more often. That’s a good thing.
Steve Brixton is a big fan of the Bailey Brothers mysteries, which seems like an obvious reference to the Hardy Boys mysteries? Were you a fan of those books as a kid? Or not?
I was a huge fan of the Hardy Boys. I loved everything about those books, except the fact that Joe was considered the less handsome brother. The only difference between him and Frank was that Joe was blond, and I was blond, and I never really got over that.
Were you a fan of any other book series?
Definitely. I read a lot of series. Henry and Ramona. Fudge. Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Shannara, and Xanth. The Hitchhikers Guide.
There were 59 Bailey Brothers books. Will you write 59 Brixton Brothers books? (maybe you could clone yourself?)
That sounds like a lot. My jokes would probably start to get old around book fifty-eight. I can promise you that there will be at least three Brixton Brothers books, though.
What do you like to do for fun? (as if writing the Brixton Brothers isn’t enough fun!)
I’ve recently taken up photography. All my pictures are of a bunch of wild turkeys that visit my house, and I took them all on my cell phone, and none of them are very good. But today I saw the lead turkey and he was huge. His head was red and he was twice as big as any other turkey around. I ran over and took his picture with my cell phone. It’s not very good.
Which do you like better--cheeseburgers or pizza? What do you like on them?
I like pizza. And I like to keep it simple. You could put a ton of toppings on a piece of boot leather and it would probably taste all right. But a good cheese pizza—that’s hard to make.
Thanks, Mr. Barnett! I really enjoyed this book and am glad there will be at least two more! Go get this one, guys!!
Carl
PS--one of the first books I reviewed was
The Missing Chums, one of the Hardy Boys series. Check out the review
here. (BTW, one of the chapters in
The Brixton B
Yep, that's right. In The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett, 12-year-old Steve Brixton is a big fan of the old Bailey Brothers mysteries. He's 
read every one of the 59 Bailey Brothers books--some of them two or three times! He also wants to be a detective, like the Bailey Brothers, and is smart enough to be one in real life. Then why is he stuck with a stupid homework assignment on early American needlepoint? When he goes to the local library and checks out the history of American quilting, the lights go out, alarms sound, secret agents burst into the building, and Steve is arrested for treason! Then the action really starts! Steve gets chased by secret agents in a bookmobile, tries to get out of a stretch limo while his arms are tied up, has to escape from his own bedroom, and is nearly run over at sea by a Chinese freighter! Wow! Is that enough excitement for you? AND this book is funny!! You'll find your selves laughing out loud one second and gasping with suspense the next. I enjoyed this book a lot. I think there are going to be more Brixton Brothers books. I sure hope so!! (PS--the illustrations by Adam Rex--who did the hilarious Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich books--are really great and set the tone well, making it look like one of those old Bailey Brothers mysteries. And wait until you see the picture of Steve trying to go undercover in his sailor costume and moustache!)
Carl
BTW, without giving too much away, you'll learn that all librarians know seven types of martial
arts. Bill, of course, has the Flashing Book Ends of Death. I have the Nunchucks of Nastiness. Yes, I may seem like the mild-mannered librarian, but with a couple of rhythm sticks, some rubber bands, and a little book tape, I become the NUN CHAKU MASTER OF DESTRUCTION!!
Hey there, ho there, it's the CARLMAN answering a challenge from Anonymous regarding the Dress Like A Nerd contest. This person wrote a comment on the "Dress Like a Nerd" post and asked us if WE would dress like nerds. Well, I"M up for the challenge! How about you, Darth Bill? Master Jedi Zack? And how about YOU, reader guys? You have through Saturday!
And we also have a note from our faithful follower Jana about a great-sounding new book:
Have you read the new novel by Mac Barnett called The Brixton Brother (s): The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity. First of all, the blurb on the front about the book is by Jeff Kinney, and you know he's got a sense of humor. Second of all it deals with librarians! I am only 1/3 of the way through so I don't know yet whether they are good or bad librarians but I know I am having trouble focusing on my work and not reading! I think this is going to be a fantastic mystery series that boys are really going to enjoy!
Thanks, Jana! As a matter of fact, I've got that book on the To Be Read pile on my desk. Can't wait to get to it, but I've got a couple of other things to read first--like
Leviathan. (BTW--I think they'll turn out to be
evil librarians. HA HA HA HHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAA!!!)
Here's a little background--12-year-old Steve Brixton is obsessed with the Bailey Brothers mysteries, a set of books published in the '50's. So when he stumbles into a mystery and becomes a private detective, he brings everything he learned from the Bailey Brothers to his cases. The only thing is--do these really help when Steve meets real-life bad guys? (BTW, Steve doesn't have a brother--he calls his agency The Brixton Brothers because it sounds cool)
Dude! You got it! I'll ask my publisher to send you a complete set of ALVIN, ASAP! Thanks for liking him!!!
Wow--thank YOU!! This would be an awesome post-Christmas present. I've overwhelmed! Thank you so much!