Boys Blogging Books

Times up.

2010-08-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

It is time to officially close shop. While I love the idea of boys blogging books, sadly, the boys who originally committed to this are no longer able to commit.

Kurtis, while he is still reading , is busy recording for a CD that will be released in the fall. While he has previously been on three compilation CD's, this year he will release a CD that is all his music.

Hopeful is one of the songs on this years compilation released in April:

You can find more of his music on iTunes and/or by going here: http://polyphonixrecords.bandcamp.com/album/behind-our-eyes

Michael will be starting High School this year and has begun pursuing music as well. He also remains an avid reader, but unfortunately, does not have time to keep reviewing.

Here are some other Boys Book Blogs you might want to check out:

Boys Rule Boys Read!

Boys Read

Guys Read

Thanks to everyone who stuck it out through our sporadic postings. Thanks to the guys who committed for at least a while. I'm not taking the blog site down. There are some great reviews and interviews. Hopefully they will encourage someone to read something they might not have otherwise tried.

Sadly,

Sheri (The adult behind the curtain)

Re: Wanted

2010-04-16T04:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Readingjunky for contributing this list of great reads from her students!

UNWIND by Neal Schusterman

GODLESS by Pete Hautman

TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins

THE BOOKS OF PELLINOR by

A HERO TYPE by Barry Lyga

FAB 5 by Mitch Albom

SCHOOL SHOOTER by Mark Frye

BULL RIDER by Suzanne Morgan Williams

COUNTERFEIT SON by Elaine Marie Alphin

THE BAT BOY by Mike Lupica

RAIDERS NIGHT by Robert Lipsyte

BOY TOY by Barry Lyga

CARTER FINALLY GETS IT by Brent Crawford

Check out more great book reviews from Readerjunky here:

http://freshdawgs.blogspot.com/

http://readingjunky.blogspot.com/

WANTED

2010-03-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Boys Blogging Books would like to hear from you!

Well if you happen to be a boy who happens to like reading Middle Grade/Young Adult books. We want to know about books you are reading and falling in love with. Perhaps you know a boy...that works too. Let us know what he is reading and falling in love with.

If you are interested in being a guest reviewer send your review to:

goadingthepen at yahoo dot com (Replace the at with @ and dot with .)

Put Guest Review in the subject line. Please only send positive reviews. We want to share the good stuff!

We are ALWAYS looking for full time bloggers! If you want to share what you are reading on a consistent basis please email your interest.

Wow it really has been nearly a year!!

2010-03-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last year around this time we put up a poll asking where Michael should review his next book. The results were, while playing ping-pong. Unfortunately after busted pipes and a flooded basement the ping-pong table was put out of service. =(

The book he was going to review was Slob by Ellen Potter. This book rated thumbs up from Michael.

Other books he has read since then include:

Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan

He read the entire series and was excited by the idea of the movie. Unfortunately when you read a story that you like so much it is disappointing when the movie does not compare.

Skeleton Creek by Sarah Fincher

These books were a total scare! Literally. If you aren't too much of a chicken, check them out. Well worth it.

Coming Very Soon:

Full reviews of:

Books of Umber by PW Catanese

Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday by Garth Nix

Bug Boy - Eric Luper (Just Released Today!)

2009-07-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Bug Boy
Author: Eric Luper
http://www.ericluper.com/home.shtml
http://www.myspace.com/ericluper
http://eluper.livejournal.com/
Reviewer: Kurtis

I have never looked at horse racing as anything more than skinny guys on horses running around a dirt track. I never understood why the old men up in the stands would waste away their money betting on which one would cross the finish line. As I began to read Bug Boy I was full of questions. I wanted to know everything about the race. Eric Luper brings us into the world of horse racing through Jack Walsh, a stable boy who is discovered by a stable owner who gets him started as a horse racer. Of course, things get interesting when Jack finds fame and a female bookie who takes a not so healthy interest in his new life. It doesn’t take long to learn there is so much more to horse racing than just the race.

Another great book by Eric Luper:
Big Slick

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

If your weekend plans have you hitting the road be sure and grab a book or two! Here are a few the boys HIGHLY recommend.

John Green Books -- Any of them

David Lubar -- Any of the Weenie books!

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Compound by S.A. Bodeen

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

Head Case by Sarah Aronson

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

by Heather Brewer

Uninvited

by Amanda Marrone

Happy Reading and Happy Memorial Day!

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

2009-05-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Twilight

Author: Stephanie Meyer

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

Reviewer: Stephen

As a boy I saw this book become popular I thought eww that is a chick flick, what type of guy would read that? Then, I saw the movie and realized that it was not so bad. When I needed some thing to read and a friend was reading it I decided that I would try it. The book was about a girl named Bella Swan, a girl whose parents are divorced and lives in Arizona with her mom. When her mom goes to live with her boy-friend Phil, Bella decides to move in with her father who is the police chief in a little town of forks on the Olympian peninsula. On her first day of school she is really nervous when she gets to her second to last class she has to sit next to Edward Cullen a very attractive guy she saw at lunch. In that class he completely ignores her and is absent for the next week. When Edward gets back he is a lot nicer and socializes with her. Over the next few months they fall in love. When Bella realizes that Edward is not exactly human she learns that he and his family are vampires that feed on animals instead of humans. When another group of vampires visits, one of them, James starts hunting Bella. When James takes Bella's mom hostage she meets him alone to save her mom. When she learns James didn't have her mom she gets in a fight and breaks a leg and gets mortally wounded. Will Edward come to her rescue in time or will she die? Twilight kept me at the edge of my seat. I definitely recommend this book, even to the guys out there.

Mini-Monday Review

2009-04-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our first Mini-Monday Book Review by Aaron. His choice this week is Animal Strike at the Zoo. It's True! by Karma Wilson

Vlad is coming back!

2009-04-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

We told you what we thought of Heather Brewer's books, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod.
You can read the reviews here if you missed them:

Ninth Grade Slays & Eighth Grade Bites Reviews

It is almost time again! June 25th, 10th Grade Bleeds will be available! You can pre-order now. We will be posting our reviews of this one too, because we are sure we're going to love it, how can we not?

Did you know that you can get free "Minion Bling?" All you have to do is send a self addressed stamped envelope, with at least 60 cents postage and "Auntie Heather" will send you free bling! For real check it out here: Show Me The Bling!

Also, if you haven't gotten your Vlad Hoodie yet there is a contest going on RIGHT NOW! You have a chance to get a hoodie of your very own: Show Me The Hoodie!

Have a Fangtastic Weekend!

What's New?

2009-04-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Where Oh Where Should My Next Review Be?
Michael needs your help deciding where to tape his next video review. We’ve posted a poll in the side bar. Vote today! Voting will go through April 26th.

Mini-Mondays
Boys Blogging Books is going to add Mini-Mondays to their agenda. Our youngest reviewer yet will join the ranks starting April 27th! 6 year old Aaron will be doing video reviews of his favorite Picture Books. Be sure and check it out.
Give young boys books they love and they will grow into young men who love books!

Guest Reviewers
Are you a guy who loves reading but can’t commit to being a full time reviewer? Boys Blogging Books would love to hear from you. If you have read a book that you just love and want to share let us know. We would love to post your “Guest Review!”

In Boys Blogging Books News
We have made a few cosmetic changes to the site and updated the reviewer info. What do you think?
Kurtis is excited that he has made it on to iTunes! His songs My Heart is in Ontario and The Gift of a Memory can be found on iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon. They are part of the album: Salmagundi: A Collection of Things Congrats Kurtis!

Things Not Seen - Andrew Clements

2009-04-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Things Not Seen
Author: Andrew Clements
http://andrewclements.com/
A video review by: Michael

Lament - Maggie Stiefvater

2009-04-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

Lament

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/

Reviewer: Kurtis

Being a musician, I understand that it is music that brings the world to life. In Lament, by Maggie Stiefvater, ours is not the only world it brings to life. Deirdre is a gifted harp player who meets an irresistibly charming boy named Luke Dillon, who is a faerie queen's captive assasain. She then discovers she can see faeries and they LOVE good music. But Deirde finds herself in a pickle when the faerie queen wants her dead. I admit I had no interest at first in the book, but when I started to read it I had a whole different opinion on what faeries were. Maggie delivers a mysteriously haunting love story through the world of vicious, greedy, and powerful creatures. You can never guess how things might turn around. Its like nothing I've ever read before.

Can't wait until October for the sequel!

Wow! It is already March.

2009-03-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you all know things are starting to stir at Boys Blogging Books. We are excited to add a few new reviewers. You will be hearing from them very soon.

Coming Soon:

MIKE LUPICA! David will be letting you in on his thoughts on the Comeback Kids series and interviewing Mr. Lupica. We also have 3 Autographed copies of this series to give away. Stay tuned to find out how to win one.

Michael has been busy reading the Cirque Du Freak series. He will be sharing why he loves them and why he can barely stand waiting to open the next book.

Kurtis will be sharing his thoughts on his latest reads too! Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist...Lament....An Abundance of Katherines.....and more!

Two new reviewers to be revealed VERY SOON!

Long time no hear!

2008-12-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

With the new school year storming in, the boys found themselves overwhelmed with obligations. Several of the kids are taking high school classes in middle school, and the high school boys have been taking college classes in high school.

Unfortunately,there have been several other circumstances that have made it near impossible to keep up with our postings. We had to say good-bye to a very dear friend in October after she lost her battle with cancer.

While the boys have not had the time to sit down and write reviews worthy of posting, they do have a list of great reads:

Love {and other uses for duct tape} by Carrie Jones
"Carrie didn't let me down!"

Hit the Road, Manny by Christian Birch
"OMG! Funny!"

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
"This had me on the edge of my seat."

The Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha
"Definitely thought provoking."

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
"Intriguing, must read."

The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones by Helen Hemphill
"An adventure well worth the read!"

Hopefully we can pick up the pace after the new year. We are looking into doing vlog's or podcasts. Hoping they might work out better for the boys.

Thanks to everyone who hung in there and supported the boys in their efforts.

I am continually on the lookout for boys who like to read and have time to send in reviews. If you know of any please send them my way!

Wolf Brother-Michelle Paver

2008-09-18T03:42:00.000-07:00

Wolf Brother
Author: Michelle Paver
http://www.michellepaver.com/
Reviewer: David

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver is an action-packed odyssey that has been on the National Best Seller list. Set in 6,000 BC, Wolf Brother is about two friends: Torak, a twelve-year old boy, whose father has been killed by a mindless bear and Wolf, a wolf around 3 weeks old whose pack has been drowned by a flood. Torak is able to speak the wolf language because he has a special gift. Unfortunately, early in the story Torak is accused of stealing a roe (an ancient deer), and is taken to Fin-Kedinn, the clan leader, who will decide his fate. Torak’s fate is to fight Hord, a raven clan youth, and Torak wins the fight by blinding Hord with steam from a stew. When a dark evil called the soul eaters threaten to take over the world, Torak and Wolf must fulfill the prophecy given to them by the leader of the Raven Clan and kill the demon-bear. Joined by Renn of the Raven Clan, the threesome journey to the Mountain of the World Spirit where Torak will give his blood to the World Spirit, and the demon-bear will die. The world created by the author is cool, and I hadn’t thought about that ancient time like that before. The dangerous setting was intriguing. Also, the characters were appealing because the wolf and human could talk to each other and were friends. I’d really like to be friends with a wolf. Wolf Brother is the first book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series and is the most renowned, too. The sequels to Wolf Brother are, Spirit Walker and Soul Eater, which are also very good. This book is definitely very hooking, so don’t read it unless you have time to sit on the couch for long periods of time. Lastly, in 2005 the press announced that there will be a movie of Wolf Brother, but the release date has not yet been determined. Overall, Wolf Brother is a big hit and will last for a very long time.

More Books In This Series:

Extras:

You can be a part of the Torak Clan on this awesome interactive website:

http://www.torak.info/

Coraline - Neil Gaiman

2008-08-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
http://www.neilgaiman.com/
Reviewer: Joseph

As people who are familiar with his Sandman books will know Neil Gaiman has a twisted sense of reality. Gaiman takes the old theme of a child stepping into a wonderland through a parallel dimension and horribly distorts it. Coraline is a modern fairytale where nothing is as it seems and reality is distorted. In Coraline the young protagonist is drawn to adventure the area around her house because of boredom. The weather is horrible, it constantly rains and is foggy, there are no other children in her neighbourhood, and her parents completely ignore her. She is drawn to a mysterious door in her house that supposedly leads to no where. It is locked and has a brick walll on the other side as she finds out. But when her parents are gone and she finds the key it turns out to be a sort of mirror world where her mother is loving and a brilliant cook, her neighbours are beautiful entertainers, and she plays with friendly rats from the man upstairs. This world seems perfect until she realizes that she is a pawn in a game this other mother has played for years. Coraline is at once a fairy tale, an adventure story, a mystery, and a cautionary tale. It features some extremely interesting characters including a talking cat who guides Coraline, two neighbours who give Coraline the key to her victory against the other mother, a man upstairs who has a band of musical rats (mirrored by the evil rats in the alternate reality), and a father who can’t cook. This book quickly became one of my favourites. And Neil Gaiman also plans to release this book as a graphic novel later this year even though the illustrations by Dave Mckean in the regular version are fantastic.

Coraline is coming out as a film in 2009

And here is a sneak peek we found on YouTube:

The Cry of the Icemark - Stuart Hill

2008-08-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Cry of the Icemark
Author: Stuart Hill
http://www.doublecluck.com/authordetails.php?aname=Hill,%20Stuart&btype=fiction711
Reviewer: David

"The Cry of the Icemark" is an epic story about a thirteen-year-old girl that has to fulfill her destiny as the Queen of Icemark. Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield is a beautiful girl and is destined to rule the small kingdom of Icemark. Her father, King Redrought, has been killed defending Icemark from the powerful Polypontians. The Polypontians have never lost a war, are more advanced technologically, and will stop at nothing to destroy Icemark. They also have a general that's never lost a battle. In the process of destroying the first army of the Polypontians (there are many Polypontian armies), Icemark's army has been destroyed. Now, Thirrin Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield has retreated to the neighboring allies, the Hypolitan, and must form a collaboration of allies to even hope to have a chance in the upcoming war. Thirrin will forge an alliance with the vicious Wolf-folk, the Dark Vampires from the Lands of the Ghosts, and the courageous Snow Leopards from the Hub of the World. Thirrin won’t do this alone, and will find help from Oskan, a young Warlock who had extraordinary powers and is brave in the face of great danger.

Parts of "The Cry of the Icemark" were catchy, and I enjoyed reading those parts, because there were action-filled battle scenes and heroics. You would like these parts of the book if you’re into books about King Arthur,” “Lord of the Rings,” and the “Inheritance” series by Christopher Paolini. The only bad thing about this book was that it dragged at some times, and it seemed as if there were a few too many chapters about Thirrin finding good allies. I would have liked the climax battle scenes to be longer. This book is the first book in the Icemark Chronicles. The author has created a world that reminds me of Paolini's world with lots of interesting characters, creatures, and conflicts. Lots of readers will have fun hanging out in that world.

What some other fans think found on YouTube:

Chronicles of Icemark

1. The Cry of the Icemark (2005)
2. Blade of Fire (2006)
3. The Last Battle of the Icemark (2008)

Uncle Pirate - Douglas Rees

2008-07-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Uncle Pirate
Author: Douglas Rees
http://otterlimits.org/doug/
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2228/Rees-Douglas-1947.html
Reviewer: Michael

If you like pirates, talking penguins, and schools turning into pirate academy then Uncle Pirate is the book for you! Wilson has to deal with bullies but now his Pirate Uncle is coming to stay with him. When Uncle Pirate comes Wilson is surprised to see a real pirate and a penguin that talks! Wilson learns a lot from his uncle. Although his uncle is smart he still has to learn to fit in with modern day society. I loved this book and was ready to say ARGH when I was done. You feel so much into the story you will hate to set it down. I highly recommend this book to any kid!

The Outcasts - L.S. Matthews

2008-07-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

The Outcasts
Author: L.S. Matthews
http://www.lsmatthewsonline.co.uk/
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/catalog/author.pperl?authorid=58241

Reviewer: Jason

L.S. Matthews’ The Outcasts dares you to think outside the box and discover if the world around you is really what it seems. As a group of misfit teens go on what seems to be a school fieldtrip, they end up being tossed into a different sort of world where the rules don’t apply. Facing one challenge after another, will the group make it out of the alternate world together? Or will one fall behind? The Outcasts keeps you interested with its creepy mood and mysterious twists. I highly recommend it for the great twists and turns it throws at you during the entire story.

Check it out! Tons of resources on The Outcasts:
http://www.lsmatthewsonline.co.uk/theoutcastsresources.htm

Here you can find some teaching ideas for The Outcasts:
http://www.lsmatthewsonline.co.uk/outcasts%20resources.pdf

Glass Houses

2008-06-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Glass Houses
Author: Rachel Caine
http://www.rachelcaine.com/
Reviewer: Jason

The first installment in The Morganville Vampires series, Glass Houses, is a thrilling adventure that tells the story of Claire Danvers as she starts her new chapter in life as a college student. Tired of being bullied by the more popular girls, Claire seeks out somewhere off campus to stay. What she finds is an old house that looks and feels haunted. After convincing her new roommates to let her stay, Claire discovers a dark secret about one of her new friends and the terrible things that haunt the night in Morganville, changing how she lives her life forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I loved the characters and their very different personalities. Some parts will leave you on the edge of your seat, much like the cliffhanger at the end.

If you enjoy a good adventure with a dab of mystery, don’t miss this great series. Be sure to check out the next book in the Morganville Vampires series, The Dead Girls’ Dance. Available now along with the rest of the series!

Also make sure to check out the author’s awesome website, where you can win some free stuff and see her other series that are now available: http://www.rachelcaine.com/index2.html

Down the Rabbit Hole

2008-05-27T04:13:00.000-07:00

Down the Rabbit Hole
Author: Peter Abrahams
http://www.peterabrahams.com/index.html

Reviewer: Joseph

Peter Abrahams’ Down The Rabbit Hole is the first book in the Echo Falls series and other than its adventurous hero Ingrid Levin Hill the most interesting character in the book has to be Echo Falls itself. There are multiple storylines at work here and they are all extremely intriguing, from Ingrid who has to find out who killed Cracked up Kate, to Ingrid’s grandpa (who is probably the reason Ingrid is so feisty) who has to save his house, and a love story in Echo Falls’ history that could be the key to Ingrid finding the murderer. Thanks to Peter Abrahams fine hand we become captured by most of the characters in the book including Ingrid’s dog. It is one of the best mysteries I’ve read and definitely one of the best mysteries for kids.

Check out an interview with Peter Abrahams at Kidsreads.com:

http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-abrahams-peter.asp

Other books in the series:

Behind the Curtain - Book 2

Into the Dark - Book 3

I Heart You, You Haunt Me

2008-05-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Author: Lisa Schroeder
http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/books.html
http://www.myspace.com/writerlisa
http://lisa-schroeder.livejournal.com/
Reviewer: Kurtis

Imagine,
the love of your life
dying
right before your eyes.

You think:
I’ll never get
to tell him
what I wanted.

There’s so many things
I wanted to do.

It’s as if
your life…
will never be the same.

Then,
he comes back.

This is exactly what happens to Ava in Lisa Schroeder’s I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME. This was a particularly interesting story, creatively told in verse. It’s the story of a girl who struggles to move on from her dead boyfriend, Jackson. Of course, who wouldn’t have a hard time forgetting when he is there every day to remind her. It becomes even harder when she meets a “real” boy and Jackson becomes overly jealous for her attention. Her only way to move on from this ghastly situation is to let go and not blame herself for his death. But she can’t bring herself to do it.
I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, is a gripping story of love and remorse. I would definitely recommend this one.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me Book Trailer

Lisa reads from I Heart You, You Haunt Me on her official release day.

The Battle of the Labyrinth

2008-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Battle of the Labyrinth
Author: Rick Riordan
http://www.percyjacksonbooks.com/
http://www.rickriordan.com/
http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/
Reviewer: David

Note: If you haven’t read “The Lightning Thief,”
this review contains spoilers. And why haven’t you read it yet?
It’s awesome. Go get it. NOW!

“The Battle of the Labyrinth” written by Rick Riordan is a very hooking and comic adventure. This fourth establishment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, that started with “The Lightning Thief,” is definitely one of my favorite books and one of the best at mixing comedy with action/adventure. In the middle of the most serious circumstances, the author will crack a really funny joke that isn’t corny. This series reflects on a modern day world with the Greek gods. The main character, Percy, is a half-blood. That means that his dad (Poseidon) was a god and that is mom was a regular mortal. During this series the titans are back and are trying to take over Mt. Olympus.
This epic starts with a surprise attack on Percy by a demon-cheerleader while at a summer orientation for a new school that he is trying to go to the next year. He luckily escapes, and meets up with his friend Annabeth (also a half-blood). They go to Camp Half-blood and real adventure starts. They discover that Luke (a half-blood who betrayed the gods, and joined the titans in an earlier book) and his army of monsters and evil half-bloods, is trying to attack the camp through a nearby entrance to the Labyrinth. So, together with his friends Annabeth, Grover (a satyr), and Tyson (a cyclops), they enter the labyrinth.
This odyssey is amazing and is a must-read!! This adventure shows the theme of having great friends that you trust to the death. Their friendship prevails no matter what the odds are. If you like mythology and action/adventure books like “Lord of the Rings,” then this book is definitely right for you. If you are looking for a great book that will keep you on the end of your seat throughout the story, then this is the next book for you. So, read this book!!!!!!

The first three of this four book series:

TheLightning Thief

The Sea of Monsters

The Titans Curse

Teen, Inc. - Stefan Petrucha

2008-05-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Teen, Inc.
Author: Stefan Petrucha
http://www.petrucha.com/
Reviewer: Jason

Jaiden Beale lived an ordinary life…Well, as ordinary as it gets if you’re worth forty million dollars and you’re adopted by NECorp, a multimillion dollar company. With all of his decisions being made by the company, Jaiden is forced to live a life in secrecy. No one knows of his identity of the boy adopted by a company. Teen, Inc. delivers a fast paced adventure about Jaiden and his discoveries about the horrible crimes that NECorp has been hiding. But Jaiden’s hardest decision in this story is between whether he chooses the only “family” he has ever really had, or what he thinks is right and ultimately betraying NECorp. Stefan Petrucha’s Teen, Inc. is a wonderful read and I would highly recommend it to any adventure loving readers.

Big Slick- Eric Luper

2008-05-07T07:13:00.003-07:00

Big Slick
Author: Eric Luper
http://www.ericluper.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ericluper
http://eluper.livejournal.com/

A while back Eric Luper had a contest. He needed a book trailer for his book Big Slick.
Our very own Kurtis was instrumental in assisting in the production of the winning video.
If you haven't already read it, this book is highly recommended!
Don't take our word for it. Watch the video then go check it out for yourself!

Keep your eyes open, there are more books to come from this awesome author!

Bad Girls Club

2008-04-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

Bad Girls Club
Author: Judy Gregorson
http://www.judygregerson.com/
Reviewer: Guest-Jordon

Destiny doesn’t exactly live your normal teenage lifestyle. Instead of worrying about boys and parties, she gets to deal with a dysfunctional family. A REALLY dysfunctional family.
She has a secret. Something happened at Crater Lake with her and her sister and her mom. If she tells anybody, it could break her family apart. A dysfunctional family is better than no family. Besides she has worked too hard to keep things together and working.
Judy Gregerson tells us Destiny’s story. It’s not easy to hear. But if you listen, by the end of this book you will look at your life differently.

Want to Win an autographed copy of BAD GIRLS CLUB?

It's easy to do:

Judy Gregerson is giving away one signed hardcover copy of BAD GIRLS CLUB on May 1st. All you have to do is email her at judy (at) judygregerson (dot) com with "I'm In!" in the subject line and your name goes in the hat.

Good Luck!

We've been Syndicated!

2008-04-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

I syndicated Boys Blogging Books on LJ.
Feel free to add them to your friends list.

boys_blog_books

Safe as Houses

2008-04-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

Safe as Houses
Author: Eric Walters
http://www.ericwalters.net/
Reviewer: Joseph

Eric Walter’s latest young adult book Safe As Houses is a story about Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and three kids who try to survive it. It is based around real people on Raymore Drive, a street that was completely destroyed, and three children who survived because of the help of two real life heroes. The story centers around a young babysitter named Lizzie Hardy and the two young children she babysits. She is left alone with them in the middle of the storm without her parents or theirs. Even though at first they think the storm is nothing, they realize that the storm will be truly devastating and may kill them as it floods the house and the river outside destroys houses and cars. Throughout the book Liz tries to protect the McBride children from the dangers outside and all of the children grow because of the dangerous situation. Liz looses her self-doubt in her babysitting abilities and begins to understand David’s resentment towards her. Suzie is the youngest and most naive of the group but her youthful innocence is what gives the rest of the group hope. And David is Suzie’s older brother who believes he doesn’t need a babysitter but after the whole ordeal is over he is grateful that there was someone else that cares about him and his sister. Since the book is based on true events it helps to further the readers involvement with the characters. As you follow them every step of the way you are astonished by their resourcefulness and intelligence that are beyond their years. It is an enthralling book about a terrifying event in Canadian history that Eric Walter has shone from the perspective of three young children. It is the kind of book that effectively takes an event in history and makes it real for its readers, especially the teen audience that it was written for. As well as having excellent literary quality it is filled with moments of incredible suspense. This book is well worth reading and just like Elixir it shows Eric Walters skills in taking historical events of Canada and giving them a personal feeling.

Welcome Joseph and Steven!

2008-04-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

We have two new reviewers joining us!
Welcome to Joseph and Steven.

We'll be adding their profiles soon.

Look for more reviews soon!

Heather Brewer's Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

2008-04-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

Ninth Grade Slays
(The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Book 2 )
Author: Heather Brewer
http://www.heatherbrewer.com/
http://www.myspace.com/heather_brewer
Reviewer: Michael

If you liked the first book then get ready for twice the action! Heather Brewer has done it again in Ninth Grade Slays (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Book 2), only better.
Vlad is finally in 9th grade with his friends. Henry’s cousin is visiting and going to the same school as them. After Vlad’s last encounter with Meredith, where he failed to kiss her, he worries if he’ll still have a chance with her. Or, will she fall in love with Henry’s cousin? Girl troubles aren’t the only thing Vlad has to worry about. He has to be careful not to let out his secret, and worry about the a vampire slayer too. Vlad has so much going on he has to be careful who he can trust.

If you read Eighth Grade Bites, this sequel is a must. If you haven’t, pick them both up you won’t be sorry.

Trailer - Ninth Grade Slays by =mree on deviant ART

Check out Jason's review of Eighth Grade Bites and a link to Michael's review below.

Eighth Grade Bites
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
Author: Heather Brewer
http://www.heatherbrewer.com/
http://www.myspace.com/heather_brewer
Reviewer: Jason

If being thirteen wasn't hard enough, Vladimir Tod has to hide his identity as a vampire while attending junior high. Eight Grade Bites is the first book in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series. The protagonist of the story Vladimir, or Vlad, is your average teenage vampire. Still learning to control some of his powers, Vlad is able to float, read minds and has a taste for blood. The story starts out with a chilling opening, a mysterious man and murder. Vlad grows suspicious when his English teacher suddenly disappears and a new substitute teacher takes over, Mr. Otis Otis. Vlad searches for clues about the disappearance of his teacher, Mr. Craig, and makes some startling discoveries that lead to him learning about a whole other world of vampires. Eight Grade Bites is a blood-sucking good book with plenty of twists and turns that leaves you hungry for more.

Michael's Review of Eighth Grade Bites

Rock The Drop!

2008-04-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

This is something well worth checking out!

http://readergirlz.com/tbdpr.pdf

Today is Support Teen Literature Day!

Welcome and more.

2008-04-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome Jason, our newest reviewer to the blog. Keep your eyes open for his first review, coming soon!

Be sure and check out the new poll on the side of the page. Inquiring minds want to know.

Note to Reviewers:
If you have emailed with an interest in reviewing and you have not heard from me, please re-send. I have been having issues with my email, both in and outgoing. Somedays I have well over a hundred emails cross my desk. Sometimes things slip by me even when I am not having issues. If you have not heard from me, assume that I have not received it. I will try and respond to all inquiries within a week.

Thanks to all for the ongoing support of Boys Blogging Books!

Sheri
Site Moderator

We Love Carrie Jones!

2008-03-31T05:01:00.000-07:00

There's a "We Support Carrie Jones" campaign going on over on LJ.

So, for the record, there are Carrie Jones supporters here on Boys Blogging Books!

If you are legal voting age, and a Maine resident be sure and check this out:
http://www.votecarriejones.com/index.php

Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend

2008-03-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend
Author: Carrie Jones
http://www.carriejonesbooks.com/
http://www.myspace.com/calajones
Reviewer: Kurtis

Imagine finding the love of your life and thinking everything is going to be perfect for the rest of your life. But then, as if out of nowhere, you find out he is gay. This is what happens to Belle Philbrick in Carrie Jones’ Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. When her boyfriend, Dylan, her “Golden Boy” admits to being gay it’s as if her whole world was changed. There is a lot of hate in the world especially with the homosexual community. As the next week progresses, Belle becomes frustrated at how much ridicule both her and Dylan get. It is a constant struggle for her to be there for him while she hates him so much for how much he hurt her. Her only hope at this point is Tom. The boy who has made fun of her his whole life, and now she thinks she likes him. This book was completely inspiring to me. Carrie Jones has a way of making you rethink how you see people who live life in a way that might not be your ‘normal’. I couldn’t put this one down.

Extras:
What we learned about Postum. (Belle's drink of choice, and Carrie's too.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postum

Taken straight from the link above. How cool is this?

Postum in popular culture
Postum was sometimes marketed by an invisible cartoon ghost named, "Mister Coffee Nerves", who would appear in situations wherein normal human characters were shown in uncomfortable life-situations (e.g. irritability, lack of sleep, loss of athletic prowess) due to their use of coffee and its negative effects. These cartoons always ended with the humans switching to Postum and Mister Coffee Nerves running away until the next cartoon.[3]
In the book Tips On Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend, the main character Belle Philbrick drinks Postum because caffeine gives her seizures.[4]
It was also a sponsor for the radio show "Lum and Abner".

We also learned that Postum was discontinued by Kraft! Oh no what will Carrie and Belle do now?

We found this recipe online for homemade Postum. If you are a Postum drinker and you try it let us know if it works.

HOMEMADE "POSTUM"
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/10,1630,149185-250198,00.htm

1 qt. fine ground wheat
1 pt. coarse ground corn meal
1/2 c. molasses or dark syrup

Mix the wheat, corn-meal, and syrup. Rub them in the palms of the hand until it is well mixed. Put it into shallow baking pans and brown in a slow oven until it is a rich dark brown. It must be stirred often for even browning. Don't try to hurry the process or it will burn. When it is done, cool and store in a sealed jar or canister. Use like any cereal coffee. I use 2 tablespoons coffee for each cup and a half of water. It may be boiled or it can be made in an electric coffee-maker.
With hot milk this makes a nice evening drink.
If you can't buy ground wheat, you can sort whole grains of wheat and grind them in your blender. However, take them out before it grinds them into a flour.

Moving on to Tom and Duct Tape:
Tom, has an addiction to Duct Tape. Wonder if he knows about this site:
http://www.ducttapeclub.com/
Hey make your prom clothes out of duct tape and win this contest!
DUCK® BRAND DUCT TAPE STUCK AT PROM® SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST

Speaking of Duct Tape...
Carrie Jones celebrated her birthday and the release of her new book on March 1st!

Extras brought to you by the adult moderator because Kurtis had a more pressing engagement:

If you want to know more about Carrie Jones we found these interviews she has done:
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2007/09/author-interview-carrie-jones-on-tips.html

http://slayground.livejournal.com/205410.html

http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2007/12/carrie-jones-interview.html

http://www.teensreadtoo.com/InterviewJones.html

http://classof2k7.com/interviews/authors/carrie_jones/

http://fdreview.blogspot.com/2007/08/interview-2-carrie-jones.html

http://www.theedgeoftheforest.com/archive/2007/apr/interview.shtml

http://britlitfantwin.livejournal.com/75573.html

http://www.invictusverbum.com/blog/?p=5

Reviewers Wanted

2008-02-27T06:09:00.001-08:00

Boys Blogging Books is looking to expand!

Can you help?

If you know a guy between the ages of 10-18 who would be interested in contributing a review at least once a month please contact me for information.

goadingthepen at yahoo dot com

Many Thanks!
Sheri
Blog Moderator

Boys Reading Books

2008-02-20T05:09:00.000-08:00

I sometimes forget that not all boys love reading as much as the boys here at Boys Blogging Books. It is easy to forget when you are surrounded by boys who actually love books!
Not all boys like to read, as a matter of fact, there are probably more who don't than do.
There is a great conversation going on at Through The Tollbooth right now Tami Lewis Brown is inteviewing Andy Sherrod. They are chatting about boys and books.
You should check it out!

Sheri
Boys Blogging Books Moderator

Snakehead

2008-02-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Snakehead

Author: Anthony Horowitz

http://www.anthonyhorowitz.com/

Reviewer: David

For this next book, I read the sequel to Ark Angel in the Alex Rider series. It was very good, but definitely will not be a classic. It follows the same formula as all of the other books, but has a much unexpected twist. There is a very big betrayal at the end of the book that changes the whole course of the story.

In this book you find out a lot about Alex’s past and his parents. A reader will meet the character Ash who is Alex’s godfather. He tells Alex about his parents during a mission against a branch of Scorpia, Snakehead. The mission is to go under cover as an Iraqi emigrating from Iraq to Australia. Snakehead is illegally transferring immigrants into Australia. During this book Alex works for an Australian intelligence agency, ASIS. While in his first stop on his trip to Australia from Iraq, Alex is surprised to find out that M16 is also in Australia and that the leader of Snakehead, Major Yu is working on a big project that will kill thousands.

If a reader likes the author, Anthony Horowitz, then I suggest that they read Raven’s Gate and that series. The books are very good and don’t follow the same formula as all of the other books. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars because it had some good parts, but was the same as all of the other books.

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen

2008-01-29T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen
Author: Eric Berlin
http://www.winstonbreen.com/
Reviewer: Michael

If you like puzzles, mysteries, and adventures you will love, The Puzzling World ofWinston Breen, written by Eric Berlin.

Winston Breen is a puzzle master, he can solve puzzles and even make up his own within matters of seconds. When Winston buys a small box for his sister’s birthday gift he has no idea that the box holds clues to a great mystery.

When Winston comes upon this puzzle, made decades ago, will he be able to solve it?

What kind of strangers will Winston have to work with?

What seems to be an over-emotional librarian, and two treasure hunters, are only some of the strangers Winston will have to work with to solve the mystery. Not only does Winston have to solve this puzzle, but also catch a villain!

Eric Berlin lets you be a part of the mystery by solving puzzles as the story goes along. Will you be able to solve them? Overall I think this is a great book, I enjoyed reading it and solving the puzzles.

David's Top Five -2007

2008-01-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

My Top 5 Books of 2007 by David

Summer Ball by Mike Lupica

This great sequel to Travel Team is a thrilling and exciting book about stepping up to the next level. Danny Walker is short for his size, but that doesn’t stop him from being a basketball player. It’s a very good book that appeals to all audiences.

Maximum Ride, Saving the World and other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

This epic is the final in the Maximum Ride series. It wraps up the story with a twist and even a little romance. Max learns about her past and her destiny. This book is a must-read and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

This odyssey is the last and most important book in the best-selling Harry Potter series. It sums the story up in a way that is unexpected and brilliant. Harry is a great character and you should read all of the books about him.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton

Of all of the books that I read this year this book might just be my favorite. I thought that the actual book was very good, but the part that impressed me was how well I could relate to it. The book is about friends and helping others.

Maximum Ride, the Angel Experiment by James Patterson

This book was a great way to start the Maximum Ride series. It made me a little bit confused, but that just made me want to finish it more. If you have not read this book yet then I strongly suggest that you do!

More Cool Author Contests

2008-01-17T05:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun author contests that you won't want to miss out on.

Crissa Chappell is having a "street art" contest. Take your best shot of "street art" and send it to her by Feb. 1st, for your chance to win her book Total Constant Order and more goodies! Check out her blog for more details.
http://crissachappell.livejournal.com/26826.html

Eric Luper, author of Big Slick, is having a book trailer contest. Do you enjoy creating videos, and being creative? This contest could be the one for you. Try your hand at making a book trailer for Eric's book and you could win an autographed Advanced Reader Copy of his next book, and the chance to choose the name of one of the horses in the book.
http://eluper.livejournal.com/60731.html

Looking For Alaska- Review and Interview

2008-01-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Looking For Alaska
Michael L. Printz Award
Author: John Green
http://www.sparksflyup.com/
Reviewer: Kurtis

Miles Halter is completely bored. He’s got nothing to look forward to when he gets out of bed in the morning. Everything about his life is completely normal. Who wants to be normal? After thinking all this he decides he wants to move to a different school where he just might find the “Great Perhaps.” These are the last words of a poet named Francois Rabelais. Miles always had a knack for knowing people’s last words. When miles moves to Culver Creek Boarding School he meets some people that will change his life forever. Alaska Young is the most interesting person he will ever meet. As his year progresses and she shows him more and more about the Great Perhaps and what life really has to offer, he realizes that he is in love with her. This is a truly inspiring story that captivated me from the very start. It showed me that life isn’t just one big boring routine until you die. Life can have a meaning and everybody can have a purpose, but this is only possible if you make it that way. Looking for Alaska is just an amazing story. It is a book that must be read.

Author Interview: John Green

Kurtis: I read in your bio that Looking for Alaska has been acquired by Paramount and Josh Schwartz, and they are working on a screenplay. Who do you think would make up an ideal cast for Looking for Alaska?

John: I think the ideal cast, honestly, would probably be a bunch of people we've never heard of before. I mean, there aren't a lot of big names in Hollywood who are actual teenagers or who can convincingly portray actual teenagers, you know? I do think Ellen Page (from JUNO) would make a lovely Alaska.

Kurtis: Some authors compile soundtracks of music to listen to that inspire them when they write a certain story. Did you have any music that you listened to when writing Looking for Alaska? If so what was it?

John: At that time in my life, I was listening to a lot of bluegrass and old time country music--artists like Doc Watson and Bill Monroe and Hank Williams. There were actually a couple references to bluegrass music in early versions of "Alaska," but they were eventually revised out. When I am writing, I often listen to music when I begin a day, but then I take the headphones off after a little while because it begins to distract me from the work.

Kurtis: I haven't read An Abundance of Katherines yet so I can't pick a favorite, but you can. Does one or the other stand out for you as being a "better" book or more important to you somehow?

John: Not really. I've heard it said before that trying to pick between your books is like trying to pick between your children. I don't have kids, but I suspect that's probably true. Certainly, "Alaska" stands out to me because it was my first novel, and it was in many ways a very personal book. And "Katherines" means a lot to me because it's concerned with love and friendship, and I wrote it during a time of my life that was just full-to-bursting with love and friendship.

Kurtis: I saw that when you were a kid, you aspired to be an oligochaetologist, aka earthworm scientist, and failed. Was the tragedy of killing off your entire earthworm farm hard to overcome? Have you been able to use that experience in your writing?
John: It's true that I once wanted to be an oligochaetologist (I still think that's a great word), and that I eventually abandoned this career when I was about eight years old and somehow all the earthworms in my earthworm farm died. I don't remember being particularly traumatized by the mass extinction; I was just frustrated. I don't know that I've used the experience in my writing in any direct way, but now that you mention it, I am interested in the dreams that we discard in adolescence and the reasons we discard them.

You to can try your hand at being an oligochaetologist:

http://www.earthworm-farm.com/

(Learn how to make your own here!)

Kurtis: You mentioned in your bio that you enjoy Nintendo. What systems do you own and what are your favorite games?

John: In the past, I've owned an NES, a Super Nintendo, an N64, and a Gameboy. I now have a DS and a Wii. Pretty much the only game I play on the wii is Wii Sports, because it's super fun and my wife and I mostly play together. On the DS, I like to play FIFA Soccer.

Kurtis: In a recent video blog you said you're not fond of commercialized Christmas. You said you didn't like the dead tree thing but you like ornaments. Where do you hang them?

John: We have them on an artificial tree. Which I guess is technically a "dead tree thing," but it is not dead in the sense of having-once-been-alive.

Kurtis: While researching before this interview I found a ton of interviews that you have done. It is a challenge to try and come up with questions that you haven't already answered. Is there any question that hasn't been asked that you wish someone would ask? If so, what is it and what is the answer?

John: I can't really think of anything in particular. It is always a pleasure to see the questions that people come up with, and even if they are not new questions, the phrasing is often different, which makes me think about the question differently and may help me to better understand my answer. Anyway, I enjoy answering questions because it makes me think a little about the work I do and the reasons I do it.

Kurtis: Here are a few easy ones you might not have been asked before:

Fast food or fine food?
Fine food, although I do find the price of fast food rather alluring.

Coke or Pepsi?
I don't drink caffeine, so Sprite (which is a Coke product).

Vanilla or Chocolate?
Chocolate

T-shirt or polo?
Well, I was fervently opposed to polo shirts on the grounds that they're "preppy" and "country clubby" for many years. And then the day before my wedding, my mom and I were at a department store and she bought me a couple polo shirts, and they are amazingly comfortable. Still, I wear t-shirts more often.

Loafers or tennis shoes?
Tennis shoes.

Hot or cold?
Cold

Night owl or early bird?
Definitely a night owl

Thanks for the excellent questions, and for reading "Alaska!"

Thank you, Mr. Green for taking the time to answer our questions!

Find out more about John Green by checking out his other Author interviews around the web.
For a great starting point visit:

Seven Impossible Things: John Green Interview

There is an awesome list of other interviews on her site as well.

Everyone's Doing It!

2008-01-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

Soon Boys Blogging Books will be too. The boys are gathering their top five lists for 2007. We'll let you know what they are and why.
Coming soon:

Reviews on:
Tips on Having a Gay Ex-Boyfriend by Carrie Jones
Looking For Alaska by John Green
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

More Author interviews too! Stay Tuned to Boys Blogging Books 2008!

FREE BOOKS!

2007-12-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well, not everyone is going to get them but your chances are way better if you enter! We found these two authors doing book giveaways! Check them out.

Lisa Schroeder author of I Heart You, I Haunt You is currently running 12 Books of Christmas Book Giveaway!

Mon., Dec. 10th - HARD LOVE, by Ellen Wittlinger
Dec. 11th - CRANK, by Ellen Hopkins
Dec. 12th - STARGIRL, by Jerry Spinelli
Dec. 13th - STORY OF A GIRL, by Sara Zarr (National Book Award nominee)
Dec. 14th - LOOKING FOR ALASKA, by John Green (Printz Award winner)
Dec. 15th - TWILIGHT, by Stephenie Meyer
Dec. 16th - 30 GUYS IN 30 DAYS, by Micol Ostow
Dec. 17th - TRIPPING TO SOMEWHERE, by Kristopher Reisz
Dec. 18th - THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, by Alexie Sherman (National Book Award winner!)
Dec. 19th - DRAMA! THE FOUR DOROTHYS, by Paul Ruditis
Dec. 20th - STUCK IN THE 70's, by D.L. Garfinkle
Dec. 21st - I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, by Lisa Schroeder

Check Out all the details Here: Lisa's MySpace visit her myspace blog!

~~Jo Knowles author of Lessons from a Dead Girl is giving her book away Dec. 12th on her blog! Get all the juicy details HERE.~~

The Golden Compass - Review

2007-12-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

The Golden Compass
Author: Philip Pullman
http://www.philip-pullman.com/
The Golden Compass Website
The Golden Compass Movie Site
Reviewer: David

I thought that The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman was a very good book for three main reasons. It is very suspenseful, full of adventure and action, and makes you think about Pullman ’s world that he created in the first book of this trilogy. This book is a mix of Lord of the Rings and the Alex Rider series. It has the fantasy twist, but is set in the 20th to 21st Century.
The first reason that I liked this book is because it is very suspenseful and kept me at the edge of my seat. During The Golden Compass a reader will never know what will happen next. For example, you never know who will win a duel or a battle. The part that kept me on the edge of my seat the most was the duel between Lyra’s polar bear and the king of all of the bears. I kept on thinking that one bear was winning, and then the other bear would lash out a vicious blow towards the other bear. Also, I kept on thinking that Lyra’s uncle was good until the end when he did something that was uncalled for. The real thing that surprised me was that during Lyra’s whole adventure you never know if she will die or live. At a few points during the story I thought that Lyra was surely going to die.
The second reason that I liked The Golden Compass was because it was full of adventure and action. The story starts in the in the middle of Jordan College , near Oxford , and at the end they are at the North Pole. The story is full of escapes, capture, and battles. For example, when Lyra gets captured at Brothangar, there seems to be no way of escape, but then Lyra gets away and rescues a lot of children in the act.
The third reason why I liked The Golden Compass was because I loved the world that Philip Pullman created in this thriller. The main thing that I loved was the daemons that were soul mates and could take the form of any animal at any time. The weird things about the daemons were that they couldn’t get ore than 3-4 feet away from their human companion without having a weird pull on their heart. Also, when daemons reached a certain age they only became one shape and couldn’t shape shift any more. Philip Pullman also created witches, armored bears (amazing fighters who served as mercenaries), and other worlds that you can travel through, through the Aurora .
Overall, I thought that The Golden Compass was one of the best books that I have ever read. It was a thrilling book with many twists. The Golden Compass is the first in a trilogy and if you don’t like cliffhangers this isn’t the book for you.

Quaking - Review and Interview

2007-12-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

Quaking
Author: Kathryn Erskine
http://www.kathyerskine.com/
Kathy's MySpace!
Reviewer: Kurtis

Quaking is an inspiring story about a girl whose been to one too many foster homes and never found peace with anyone. After her dad beat her and her mom died she felt completely alone. Sam and Jessica are Quakers and become Matt’s foster parents. Of course this is an unlikely match because of her completely contradicting personality. She is Goth and amazingly apathetic towards just about everything while the Quakers are loving caring concerned people who only want the best for their new daughter. But in her new high school her history teacher and classmate are complete war mongers and are failing her solely because of her beliefs. She is too afraid to speak out against these monstrous people so she has to rely on here new guardians to protect her. And as the story goes on she rediscovers what its like to have someone who cares. As I was reading I was given the opportunity to rethink what my priorities are in life. Although there aren’t many Quakers left in the world it seems to me they have a better life than half the people I see walking around trash talking peace lovers. Kathy did a wonderful job with Quaking. I’m hoping to read many more books from her in the near future.

Author Interview: Kathy Erskine

Thank you Ms. Erskine for doing the interview with us. Its cool getting to know the author behind such a great book.

Kurtis: What was your inspiration for writing Quaking?
Kathy:Although it stems from my concerns about the war in Iraq and the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Matt's voice came to me when I was simply out on a walk, wondering if it was going to snow. A snarky teenage girl voice told me it was "too cold to snow" (which became the book's working title) and grew from there--her anger, what she'd been through, her attitude towards violence, her appreciation of peaceful people.
Kurtis: Are you a peace lover yourself?
Kathy: Definitely. From bumper stickers on my car to sending money to brave charities like Doctors without Borders (they enter wartorn countries) to writing about peace. Notice nothing about attending actual demonstrations -- I have done this but I'm a bit of an introvert and it's not something that comes easily to me. We all express ourselves in different ways.
Kurtis: I noticed that Matt did everything she could to avoid being talked to. Why is it that you chose the gothic type character?
Kathy: Matt is hiding from the world and puts on a tough exterior to protect herself. She puts others off because she's afraid of relationships. In her life, relationships have often led to pain.
Kurtis: Do you see any of Matt's personality traits in yourself?
Kathy: Yes--her desire for peace, her reluctance to speak out (until it's vital to do so), her humor (mine is not quite as snarky!).
Kurtis: Who would your characters be if they were in a movie? (Actor wise?)
Kathy: I wish I knew -- you'd be better at choosing, I'm sure. Then let me know! I'd love to hear what you think!
Kurtis: How long did it take to get Quaking in stores?
Kathy: Hmm . . . the novel was finished by late 2004, then got picked up in late 2005 and went through the editing process for about 6 months and was published a year after that in mid-2007. So, from completion of the manuscript until publication was 2 and a half years, or a year and a half if you count from when an editor took it.
Kurtis: Did it ever get turned down by the editors?
Kathy: I was lucky with Quaking. I had one editor who said if I made changes she'd look at it again, one editor who was interested but hadn't finished reading it, and Patti Gauch, who was very interested in it and I really loved working with her.
Kurtis: Did you think you would be a writer when you were my age (14)?
Kathy: No--I thought authors were special people who lived in a different stratosphere. I had no idea you could actually be one yourself.
Kurtis: Can we expect any new novels in the future?
Kathy: I'm about to submit one right now -- about a 14-year-old boy, in fact! I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Then I have 3 already written but they need some revision, another 4 partially written, and several more in the "many pages of notes" stage. And, of course, tons of ideas for more books.

Kathy: Thanks for giving me this opportunity, Kurtis (and friends)!
By the way, Quaking has been nominated by the American Library Association to be on its 2008 list of "Best Books for Young Adults!"
Kurtis: Congratulations that is really cool. I bet you're very excited!

Kathy: I just put up a myspace page!
Kurtis: ~~Hmmmm. Were missing the myspace address. I'll check into and post it when we get it.~~
Kathy's MySpace!

Kurtis: It's been great learning more about you. I'm going to think about the character choices and post them later.

If anyone has read Quaking let us know who you think would play the role of your favorite characters from the book if they were in a movie.

What's Coming Up

2007-12-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Just to keep you updated the boys are busy reading their hearts out! The holiday and school have slowed them down just slightly.

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for the boys. We are compiling a survey and will be sending it out soon. We will post the results as soon as they are in.

Just around the corner look forward to a review of Quaking and an interview with the author Kathy Erskine. Kurtis will also be interviewing John Green, author of Looking for Alaska, a Printz Award-winning first novel. Kurtis will share what captured his attention about this book.

Sometime before the new year the boys will be putting together a list of their favorite books of 2007.

Thanks to all who continue to support the boys efforts!

FYI

2007-11-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

Please note that Boys Blogging Books is a collective project between a mom and her boys. It started as an idea for the boys to share their thoughts and opinions about the books they read. It has grown into a bit more than what we expected, very quickly.

There is talk on the web about “The adult behind the curtain.” Yes there is an adult behind the curtain.

The boys like to read. They are excited about sharing their thoughts, especially when they know someone is listening to them. They also have music lessons, and homework, and sports and friends. They get to do the fun stuff, read the books, write the reviews, and I tackle the technical stuff. Some of the site ideas are theirs and some are mine. All opinions are theirs. They get final say on everything. They are solely responsible for writing their own reviews* and coming up with questions for author interviews.

*Reviews:
Before the first post ever made its way to public eyes, we spent weeks reviewing Scholastics how to on book reviews.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/bookrev/index.htm

Thanks goes out to everyone who has passed along the info about BBB and everyone who has stopped by to visit.

Most Sincerely,

Sheri Goad
Blog Moderator (aka an adult)

If there are any questions, feel free to contact me.
Goadingthepen at yahoo dot com

I will gladly pass messages on to the boys, I just prefer the WWW doesn’t have a direct link to their inboxes. =)

Calling all Authors and Writer's!

2007-11-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Here is your chance to interview your audience! For the next week we will be taking questions from you. A Reverse Interview! Want to know what makes us open a book? Just ask. Interested in what really makes us turn a page, or what makes us close a book? Just ask. It’s up to you. What do you want to know?

At the end of the week we will be making a survey and taking it to both a middle school and a high school to be passed out and completed. Once we get all the information gathered we’ll post the results here!

If you aren’t a blogger and can’t post your question in the comments feel free to email them to goadingthepen at yahoo dot com. Please put BBB-Survey in the subject line.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Eighth Grade Bites: Chronicles of Vladimir Tod - Review

2007-11-15T07:42:00.000-08:00

Eighth Grade Bites
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
Author: Heather Brewer
http://www.heatherbrewer.com
Reviewer: Michael

If you like blood dipped chocolate chip cookies, if your snack pack is missing the chocolate pudding and instead holds a pint of blood, if you prefer your steaks extra rare, you might find Eighth Grade Bites a fanglicious read! Even if these vampire treats aren’t quite your bite, Heather Brewer writes a story that surely will be.

Vladimir Tod isn’t so different than you or me, well uh, except he’s a vampire. He has to deal with bullies, strange substitutes, a principal that doesn’t like him, and the love of his life just happens to choose his best friend over him, not to mention he lost both of his parents in a freak fire accident. What else could go wrong? Little does he know there’s a vampire killer on his trail. The one person he could relate to was his teacher that went missing. Bringing the strange substitute in his place, Mr. Otis Otis. Freeky!

Ms. Brewer brought me right into the story. I felt like I was standing with poor Vlad. It was a down right fangtastic read. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into Ninth Grade Slays!

Check out Eighth Grade Bites trailer:

Flash Movie: Vladimir Tod by *mree on deviant ART

Thirteen Reasons Why - Review and Interview!

2007-11-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Edited to add that Thirteen Reasons Why has been nominated for the ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2008!
Reviewer: Kurtis

This book gave me the chills! Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is the story of Clay Jensen and how he became one of the 13 reasons why Hannah Baker committed suicide. Clay receives an unexpected package that turns out to be 7 cassettes recorded by Hannah explaining why she committed suicide. Unfortunate for him, the reason he is receiving the tapes is because he is one of the reasons why. Mr. Asher uses great descriptive imagery to guide us through the cassette tapes that explain it all. He had me on the edge of my seat right next to Clay as he wondered how he fit into the big picture. To make things more intense there is a map that the reader can follow along with Clay that shows all the places that were significant to Hannah.

This story delivers a great message. It definitely makes you stop and think about what you are doing. You never know when something you do or say is going to impact someone in ways you could never imagine.

This is one of those books that I just had to talk to all my friends about. They got chills before they even read it! It's really that good!

EVERY teen and adult should read this book!

For more spine chilling additions to this book check out the website:
http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/
I dare you to call Hannah’s cell phone! Creepy!
Drag a cassette from the map onto the recorder and listen to the haunting voice of Hannah. Imagine yourself in Clay’s shoes! He listened to hours of her voice.

Author Interview: Jay Asher

Thank You Mr. Asher for taking time out of your schedule to answer some questions for us. It was cool getting to know you a little bit better.
Jay Ashers debut novel Thirteen Reasons Why came out in October. We had these questions:

Kurtis: What were you like as a child?
Jay: Pretty much how I am now...just a little shorter (and with a little more hair). I was always highly excitable and easily distracted, so I would become massively interested in a subject or activity, such as the exploration of outer space or playing guitar, but then I'd drop that interest to pursue something else. In high school, I never played any sports, but instead played guitar or sang in several bands which never wound up playing in front of any live audiences.

Kurtis: Have you always liked to write?
Jay: Definitely. I started off writing and illustrating my own comic strip, which is something I'd still love to do, but I'd have to find an illustrator because I never took the time to learn to draw very well. Right now I'm most interested in writing for teens (and younger) as well as screenplays.

Kurtis: What was your motivation to write 13 Reasons Why?
Jay: The idea of telling someone's story through a series of audiotapes had been in the back of my mind for years, I just couldn't find an appropriate subject. I never actually sat down to look for ideas to tell in that format, though. One day, Hannah's story just popped into my head while I was driving and I immediately pulled into a gas station parking lot to scribble down some notes while the ideas were still fresh in my mind. How did you expect the book to turn out?I wanted to write an extremely suspenseful novel which discussed some important issues. I think suspense is the best way to bring up those issues, because otherwise it'd be easy for people to set the novel down when things got too heavy. But when you're writing suspense, it's almost impossible to know if it's working until other people read it. Thankfully, if there's one thing almost everyone has said about this book, it's that they couldn't put it down.

Kurtis: Has anything similar to the events in 13 Reasons Why, ever happen in your life?
Jay: Many of the events were inspired by the emotions of real events, but the actual events have been changed so much that they're unrecognizable. But a couple of the embarrassing situations (such as what happens when Clay first meets Hannah...with the untied shoelace) happened to me exactly as I wrote it. In that case, it happened between me and the first girl I ever went on a date with.Do any of the characters in the book resemble people from your life or yourself?I think some of the ways Hannah and Clay feel about themselves are ways that I, at times, feel about myself. Clay likes to see himself as a good person, but sometimes he can be a little afraid to stand up for what's right. And Hannah gets extremely bothered when people get the wrong impression of her, even if she's partially to blame. But none of the other characters were inspired by anyone I know.

Kurtis: What kind of work did you have to do to get it published?
Jay: It took me approximately 12 years to sell a book. But, up until this book, I was only writing humorous books for younger children. Having editors reject books which I spent months, if not years, writing was extremely difficult at times. The first few years, every rejection absolutely crushed my self-confidence. But I soon learned that the only thing I could do was write the best books I knew how to write and hope that someone would eventually see something promising in my work.Did you ever think of quitting?Many times. In fact, ten months before I sold this book, I told my wife that if Thirteen Reasons Why didn't sell, I was going to take a long break from writing (if not quit entirely) to see what other creative pursuits I might be missing out on. Fortunately, it pains me to make my wife cry...which she did at that moment...so I promised her that I wouldn't stop until I sold a book.

Kurtis: What kept you going through the long process?
Jay: I've made some great friends (such as my co-bloggers at http://www.discomermaids.blogspot.com/, Robin and Eve) in the writing world. Without their constant encouragement, I don't know how I would've lasted 12 years. I think, especially when you're doing something creative, you need people around you who understand and can empathize with the ups and downs you're going through.

Kurtis: Do you have anything in the works now that we can look forward to reading?
Jay: I'm currently working on my next novel for teens. Eventually, I'd like to polish up some of my old humorous manuscripts and see if I can sell one of those again.

Kurtis: Do you by chance listen to music while writing? If so what kind and who?
Jay: I don't listen to music while I'm actually writing (like I said, I'm easily distracted). But I do listen to music before I begin writing to inspire a certain mood which I'm trying to capture. For example, with this book, I mostly listened to the soundtrack of My So-Called Life and the band Buffalo Tom (I discovered them because they have a song on the MSCL soundtrack). For the very last scene in my book, I listened to Buffalo Tom's "Larry" over and over.

Here's a YouTube Video with a concert clip of "Larry" by Buffalo Tom

Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you thought about this book.

Stay Tuned!

2007-11-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

Boys Blogging Books is getting ready to launch!
Get yourself ready because we are kicking things off with a bang as we Review Thirteen Reasons Why and interview Jay Asher the author!

You won't want to miss this!