An Interview with the Great Ms. Yingling!

Hey ho, all guy reading fans everywhere! This is Iron Guy Carl, back from another long absence. This time I've got a terrific interview with one of the most terrific book bloggers out there. Her name is Ms.Yingling. She's a school librarian in Ohio and blogs at Ms. Yingling Reads. She's also been a friend to Ronin Ninja Bill and me for a long time. She also hosts a weekly Guy Friday on her blog that recommends books for boys! Hmmmm--wonder where she got that idea??? Anyway, she does a lot for boy reading and we're happy to have her aboard for an interview.

There's a nasty rumor out there that says it's uncool for boys to read. How do you think it got started?

I think that some boys find it hard to read, and it's easier to say it's not cool than to say it's hard. It's hard to sit still, the words are tiny, and their mother keeps handing them The Secret Garden. Their teachers are girls, their librarians are often girls, and there are just not enough MEN out there to make it cool.

That’s why you have the Iron Guy in blogland, making reading cool for boys. What would the boys at your school say to the answer to the first questtion? And why do you think it's cool for boys to read?

    We have an awesome 6th grade teacher, Mr. Buxton (http://buxtolicious.blogspot.com/) who is very influential. If he book talks something, 50 students come in to request it. Reading is highly encouraged in our school, so the boys see each other reading. Also, we have a good selection of books with action, dog poop, robot decapitation, etc. that boys actually enjoy reading.
     I think it's cool for boys to read because it makes them smarter, and smart guys are THE coolest.

What are the favorite books of the boys at your school?

 

    Notebook novels like Wimpy Kind, Big Nate, and Dragonbreath, any sports books that are about basketball or football, and the world record books.

If you became Queen of the Universe and could tell every librarian everywhere what the 5 best books for boys of all time are, what would you say?

    Did someone take my crown away? I would have to say Horowitz's Stormbreaker, Riordan's The Lightning Thief, Korman's Ungifted, Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak and Mack's Mathlete vs. Athlete.

  Ms Yingling believes that a librarian should LOOK like a librarian!

 You used to be a Latin teacher. What made you choose to be school librarian? What are the best and hardest parts of it?

    I didn't exactly choose to leave the field-- there were just no jobs. I have always loved to read, and I could get an MLS and not have to get another bachelor's degree. The best part of my job is when I am riding my bike home and a student who is hauling  garbage cans back to the garage runs out to say "Ms. Yingling! The book you gave me is AWESOME!!" (happened just last night!), or when I am describing a book to a student, and another student pipes up "That book is great. You have to read it!" I also like my little slice of internet "fame" and all the interesting authors, librarians and teachers I have met.

The hardest part is that it's a ton of work. It's a 24/7 kind of job. I'm at school for ten hours a day, and do another 3-5 hours of work at home, which leaves very little time for other things. I even dream about overdues. I wouldn't spend the time if I didn't enjoy it, though, so I can't complain!

Would you say, "Boys are awesome" in Latin?

"Pueri optissimi sunt" would be "Boys are the very best!"

How about "The Iron Guy and Ronin Ninja Bill are kings of MANLY MEN”?

Viri ferri Carolus et Ronin reges viri virilissimi sunt.

That said, it's been 20 years since I have taught Latin; I just ripped Ned Vizzini about the Latin in House of Secrets, so feel I should be careful!

Because of your excellent blog and your great work for guy reading, we gave you our highest honor and made you an Honorary Guy. Have you ever gotten over the shock of receiving such a great award?

    I have never gotten over the shock, but I attribute my current reading tastes (romance and dog poop? Fantastic!) to this award. I feel honored every day when boys trust me to get them a book they will enjoy.

I ask these final questions of everyone I interview--Which do you prefer, cheeseburgers or pizza? What do you like on them?

    Girly answer to this one: I don't care for either! Also, I'm an old person, so I eat more grilled vegetables and hummus!

Don't worry about your girly answer. We're proud of our MANLINESS, so you should be proud of your GIRLYNESS!

Well, all kidding totally aside, we're are very glad that you're out there, sharing your love of books, especially with boys. Thanks for all you do and for taking time to answer our questions. And be sure to check out her blog, boys, and be doubly sure to read her Guy Friday posts!

Good Graphic Novel Reads from The Swamp and More

Hi all,

Ronin Bill has been wondering the lands of literature and has stumbled across some pretty great Graphic Novels. You know I remember when comics where just 25 cents an issue. Guess that dates me a bit, but I still love them. The first comic that I ever bought was Flash 235 by Cary Bates (writer), Irv Novick (penciller), Tex Blaisdell (inker) and the wonderful Dick Giordano (cover artist).
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Giordano several times late in his life. On one occasion he was invited to an event where no one knew who he was except me. Needless to say I made sure he was properly taken care of at this event. We talked a little and he asked me who was one of my favorite heroes that he had drawn. I immediately said Batman and before the event was over he gave me a drawing of Batman that I will treasure forever. He was a class act. Here is the synapses from http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Flash_Vol_1_235: "The Flash and Green Lantern find that both Iris Allen and Carol Ferris have been kidnapped, and both go to Earth-Two to help the Flash of that world battle Vandal Savage, who has kidnapped Carol." Man not only do you get the Silver Age Flash, but a team up with the Silver age Green Lantern and the golden age Flash against the iconic Flash Villain Vandal Savage. I was hooked!!!!!!

Well enough reminiscing lets talk about my recent reads:

Saga of The Swamp Thing Volumes 1 and 2 by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, John Totleben and others (no disrespect intended) - The Swamp Thing was created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson and the work they did with the character was phenomenal. During the second run of the comic series at issue #20 Alan Moore and crew took over. The world of comics was about to be changed forever. Collected in Volume 1 are issues 21 thru 27. The mind blowing stuff starts right off with the famously titled "The Anatomy Lesson." The Swamp Thing appears to be dead an frozen in cryochest as a result of a battle with the evil General Sutherland. Southernland hires Jason Woodrue, otherwise know as "The Floronic Man," to decipher how Alec Holland was transformed into The Swamp Thing. The Floronic Man is considered an expert in this field due to experimentation on himself in which he transformed himself into a plant/human hybrid. What he discovers blows the roof off everything we thought about The Swamp Thing. From there The Floronic Man comes into contact with "The Green," the worlds plant life and goes on a rampage in which the earth's plants turn against mankind. The mighty Justice League looks on helplessly as there is nothing they can do. Of course The Swamp Thing plays a pivotal part in the outcome. We are also treated in Volume One to a very new interpretation of The Demon as he joins up with The Swamp Thing and Abby Arcane to fight the ghostly evil of The Monkey King (a supernatural entity that preys on the nightmares of children).

 The Floronic Man

                                                  The Demon, Swamp Thing and Abby Arcane

Wow that was only about Volume 1! Well Volume 2 covers a deadly vendetta by Abby's Uncle Arcane, once a man now something so vile and wicked it makes the denizens of Hell shutter. Following that story, The Swamp Thing has to actually travel to the afterlife to save Abby's soul which Arcane has doomed to Hell. The Swamp Thing Travels to Purgatory, Heaven and Hell in search of Abby's soul, but gets a little help from his friends such as Deadman, The Phantom Stranger (one of my favorite DC characters), The Spectre and once again Etrigan The Demon. There is much more included in this volume and it cooks!!! These Graphic Novel deal with some mature topics so I would recommended it for teens 13 and up. Great stuff!!!!!!!




Swamp Thing, Deadman, The Phantom Stranger, The Spectre and once again Etrigan The Demon. 

X-Force, Old Ghost, Volume 2 by Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Mike Choi and others - If you have not checked out any of The X-Force GNs boy you are missing out. This entry is about Volume 2, but if you find it interesting you need to check out Volume 1 and the ones that follow also. X-Force is a secret team of mutants put together by Cyclops to take care of mutant threats before they can harm other mutants. The team as of this volume consists of Wolverine, X-23, Wolfsbane, Archangel, Warpath, Domino, Elixir and The Vanisher (although in his case it is quite against his will). Basically there are two story lines one following Warpath as he goes to visit his brother's grave and ends up confronting a Demon Bear. He soon finds himself in need of help and The Ghost Rider enters the fray. The other part of the team sans Wolfsbane is trying to locate the dreaded Legacy Virus that has already killed many mutants in the past. They need to find it first and also figure out who is after it. It does not help matters that Warren in his Archangel identity is fighting to maintain control of his more violent tendencies toward friend or foe and that Wolfsbane is left behind because in her wolf form she only wants to kill Angel/Archangel. Highly recommended for older teens!!!!!

Well that was quite a bit. Hope I didn't get to long winded. Until next time, keep fighting the good fight.

Peace,

Bill

Atomic Bombs and Shadow Ops

Hi all in The Land of Blog it is your Ronin Librarian Bill reporting in once again. I have 2 very cool books to tell you about, so let's get this show on the road!!!!!

BOMB, The Race to Build - and Steal - The World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin - It is stated on the inside of the book cover: "In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a uranium atom split in two." This of course led to the discover of what atoms can do to make one of the deadliest, destructive weapons ever created - The Atomic Bomb. This is a fascinating story showing the race between Germany, America and the Soviet Union to make the first atomic bomb or through espionage steal the secrets needed to catch up with each other. It is a story of brilliant men such as physicist Robert Oppenheimer who gave The United States the first atomic bomb and upon realization of what he had created stated: " Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." It tells of stories of brave soldiers sneaking into occupied German territories to destroy plants and operations that were vital to them developing an atomic bomb. It is a story of men and women put into extraordinary circumstances and moral dilemmas in a race to invent something that should never have seen the light of day. This is really a great piece of non-fiction that I would recommend to all 12 years and older.





Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole - This book is a follow up to "Shadow Ops: Control Point" which you can read my review Here. In this instalment Colonel Alan Bookbinder, who works at the Pentagon and never actually seen active combat discovers he is "Latent" meaning he has manifested the ability to do magic, but not what kind as yet. He turns himself into the appropriate military authorities as "Selfers" those who do not turn themselves in are hunted down and either imprisoned or killed. Bookbinder soon finds himself transported to "The Source" another plane of existence where magic is everywhere along with magical creatures both friendly and definitely unfriendly. Things soon fall apart due to events in the previous book and the U.S. Installation in the Source finds itself cut off from the home plane, our plane of existence, and under siege from enemies that far outnumber them. Oscar Britton is back as he pursues and tries to take down a very dangerous witch know as Scylla. Bookbinder soon finds out what his magical power is and boy is it a big one. The Frontier Fortress under constant siege and running out of everything puts Bookbinder on an adventure to find Britton, a Portamancer (the ability to open and close gates to different locations and dimension) so that he can save the men and women serving at the Frontier Fortress. He forms a squad an some very interesting allies and enemies along the way. Just as good if not better than the first book! As before with the first book I must caution that this really is an adult book (language and violence being the strongest issues). This book is recommended for older teens. Great stuff!!!!!

That's all for now. Remember, war at time may be necessary, but it should never be the first choice of action.

Peace,
Bill

The Undiscovered Country and Beyound...

Hi ho all in "The Land of Blog,"
Tis good to talk with you again.

At the moment I am a Youth Services Librarian without a home (not working at a Library). However I am still reading great books for tweens and teens. Therefore my name has been changed to Ronin Librarian Bill. Now you may be asking, what exactly is a Ronin. Well this is a pretty good/brief definition I found:

Ronin - in Japanese history, masterless samurai , knights of feudal Japan without Lords to serve. 

 

 

 

Okay let's talk some recent reads:

 

 

The Last Apprentice: The Spook Bestiary, The Guide To Creatures Of The Dark by Joseph Delaney and Julek Heller - Well if you are a fan of The Last Apprentice Series, this book is a must for you or any other up and coming Spook. This book covers not only all the creatures that the Spook John Gregory has dealt with in his lifetime but also notes from the likes of Spook Apprentice Tom Ward, Past Apprentices, the much missed Spook Bill Arkwright and many more. Covered not only in text but with wonderful illustrations the book cover Boggarts (and believe me there are many different types). The most frighting of all Boggarts to me are Rippers which feed on animal and human blood (very dangerous) eventually killing their victims. Also of interest covered are The Old Gods (such as Aphrodite, Artemis, The Bane - a very nasty creature that can cause it's victims to be crushed, breaking bones and crushing internal organs, by exerting a tremendous amount of pressure, The Fiend (known by other names such as the Devil, Satan, Lucifer and The Father of Lies), Golgoth (Lord of Winter), Pan (The Horned God) and many more. Of course witches are covered (man there are so many types), Elementals and things Spooks and others have only heared tales of. This is a great companion piece to go with the series and even has some encounters by various Spooks featured guaranteed to curl the hair on your very head. Recommended for readers 11 years old and up!!!!!! Great Stuff!!!!!


The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin The Witch Assassin (Book 9) by Joseph Delaney - I have to tell you one of my favorite characters in this series the Witch Assassin Grimalkin of the Malkin witch clan. Once a sworn enemy of The Spook and Tom, she becomes a part of of an alliance between them and Alice. Spoiler Alert - The alliance is primarily the assurance that The Fiend is once and for all taken care of (that is put out of the picture if you know what I mean). Grimalkin has in her possession the head of The Fiend and is on the run from dark forces while Tom, The Spook and Alice search for a way to end The Fiends threat forever. If the head and body are reconnected The Fiend will live again so Grimalkin along with her apprentice Thorne are running from forces that even give Grimalkin a challenge. The main being an evil obscenity known as a Kretch that actually hurts Grimalkin very badly. How long can Grimalkin and Thorne keep ahead of the deadly hunt by the Kretch and other dark beings? Read and find out if this very cool knife throwing witch assassin is up to the task. A page turner for sure. Recommended for those 13 and up mainly because of the violence factor.

A very cool action pose of Grimalkin!!!!

I know it has been awhile since I wrote a review, but hopefully things will get better in the future and thanks to everyone who has been hanging with the blog.

Peace,

Bill

I'm back... with Jonah Hex and Ender Wiggins!!!

Hi all you cool cats in "The Land o Blog." I've been travelling the waste lands all by my lonesome for a little while now, but have found the communication portal once again. Big shout out to Iron Carl for carrying the load all by his lonesome will I was missing in action!!!! Luv ya dude!!!! Anyway since I'm back I'd like to make this post a little special. Hold tight all:




For a Few Dollars More staring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef!!!!
After reading my first review you will understand why I included this awesome clip!!!!

Jonah Hex, Bury Me In Hell by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and others - For those of you unfamiliar with Jonah Hex let me fill you in. Jonah Hex is the ultimate western anti-hero out there in the world of comics. This Graphic Novel covers the comics numbered 61-70. If you love the Spaghetti Westerns (The Good, the Bad and The Ugly, For a Few Dollars More and A Fistful of Dollars) made with Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach (The very best with all 3 involved), you will love this Graphic Novel. This GN includes Jonah taking on a Killer Octopus (I know this one has you scratching your head), being stranded in a town where breakfast, lunch and dinner are more than a tad odd and plenty of other stories involving bandits, gunslingers, saloons, whiskey and general wild west adventure. I must caution that this book is not for younger readers as the violence, language and general mature level is definitely for older western fans. My recommendation would be at least 14 years old and up. If you like this one there are many other excellent Jonah Hex GNs out there. Great stuff!!!!!





Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card - Orson Scott Card is by far and away one of the finest writers of Science Fiction that I know. Now to me what makes for great Scfi is not just futuristic machines and gadgets, spaceships, etc., but also great written characters and a solid plot that peaks your interest. "Speaker For The Dead" has all of these items and I flew through it. Now if you are not familiar with "Ender's Game," the first book in which we meet Ender Wiggins and the war against the Buggers is held, stop right now and read that book first. I would also suggest following "Ender's Game" with "Ender's Shadow" about another interesting character named Bean. Okay after reading those two books dive into this one. This book is about what happens to Ender after The Bugger War ("Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow" occur at the same time, just focusing on different characters). He becomes what is called a Speaker of the Dead and tells the story of people's life that are no longer with us.

The story starts on a world know as Lusitania that is colonized by humans. The problem is there is an alien race already living their known as the Porquinhos or Piggies (although in no way or form do they resemble pigs) which means because of incidents that occurred in "Ender's Game," humans are forced by The Starway Congress to have limited contact with this newly discovered species. The limited contact that is allowed for study leads to quite a mystery. A mystery that involves death and causes great pain and suffering until it builds to multiple calls for the most famous Speaker of the Dead....Andrew Wiggins. also not known by many to be Ender (despised by many for reasons you will have to read about)!!!!!!! A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Recommended for those13 and up.

Well I missed you guys and I will be back soon. Let me know if you are reading something you really like by commenting on this post?

Peace all,

Bill

Yes, Indeed!!! Rick Riordan Wrties TWO More Winners!!

I've told you before that I'm probably Rick Riordan's # 1 fan in Charlotte and there's a very good reason. It's because he writes fan-tastic books.Actually, now there are TWO more very good reasons and they are THE DEMIGOD DIARIES and THE MARK OF ATHENA, two terrific books!! You want action? You got it! You want suspense that will make your pulse race like a Kentucky Derby horse? It's there. And you want the trademark goofball humor? It's all there!
Take a look:

The Demigod Diaries--There are four stories, written by different demigods in their diaries. Luke Castellan and Thalia get trapped in a decrepit old mansion in Richmond, waiting for a monster to devour them. Percy and Annabeth have to get the cadeuceus, the symbol of Hermes, back from a giant who runs a flea market! Leo Valdez tries to track down his walking mechanical table while dodging the Maneads--the most frightening creatures I've seen yet in a Rick Riordan book. At the end is a story by a guest author--and wait until you find out who it is! All these stories move along and keep you laughing, gasping in suspense and reading, reading, reading. Plus there are cards, puzzles, etc. A true winner! If you haven't already read it, don't waste a minute--go find it at your library or bookstore or get it on your e-reader.

The Mark of Athena--The seven demigods finally set off on their quest to keep Gaea from awakening and destroying the world. Of course, to do so, they must sail across the Atlantic and try to survive what awaits them. If they make it, then they must get past the Pillars of Hercules--and past Hercules himself! If they can do that, then the REAL danger begins in Rome! Annabeth must go on a quest alone to follow the Mark of Athena and recover the Pallas Athena. (what's that? I won't tell you! You gotta find out!) Percy and Jason and Piper must overcome two giants while Leo and Hazel and Frank make an unexpected discovery. Do you think they've faced danger before? Ha! Just wait until you see who Annabeth meets!! Or the underwater trap waiting for Percy, Jason and Piper. And, while this is going on, the demigods from Camp Jupiter are moving across the country to attack Camp Half-Blood. Whew!
If you haven't noticed, there's a lot going on in this book! These are two of the best in the whole Percy Jackson series. There's enough adventure and excitement to satisfy the most enthusiastic or reluctant guy reader. But not only is there action, there's also laugh-out-loud humor. Like when Percy tries to save the quest from half-dolphin monsters by using a can of Diet Coke. Or when they face an evil giant wearing a tutu. And there are very touching scenes as well, like when Hazel finally figures out the connection between her and Leo and Sammy Valdez. And then there's the scene in which Annabeth starts to descend under Rome to find the Pallas Athena. She knows that the chances are coming back alive are extremely slim. She looks up and sees the blue sky framed in the doorway leading underground. She also knows that she can go back up those stairs into the sunshine and be safe. She has a choice to make.What will she do? THAT'S masterful writing, guys!

These books get the Iron Guy Seal of Approval as Two Terrific Books!!

BUT---

I have to warn you. There is--there is--well, the only way to warn you properly is to make a Public Service Announcement:

Well, you've been warned but you've also been encouraged. Go and get these two fantastic reads!! You will not regret it. And if you've already read them, hit that "Comment" button below and send me a review. We love to hear what reader guys think!

This Turkey Is Thankful For Good Football Books!

It's almost Thanksgiving, the day a lot of guys like to eat insane amounts of turkey and watch FOOTBALL! Of course the Iron Guy does too. (I guess that makes me the Gridiron Guy---ah hahahaha!!!) The season is halfway over and we in Charlotte have groaned all year, watching our beloved and frustrating Panthers lose some games that were going our way. Anyway, here are some good books about the pigskin sport:

How Football Works by Keltie Thomas

Here's one that I've written about before and it's still terrific. Chock-full of useful information, this book is a must-read for the the novice or the long-time fan. You can see my original  review here.here. Go ahead and take a look--not only does it tell you how terrific the book  is, but it lets you see how hopeful we Panthers fans at this time last year. Well, we had Cam Newton tearing up the gridirons in his impressive rookie year, so we had good reason. But this year---Oh, will we ever learn????


Long Arm Quarterback by Matt Christopher

Most reader guys know that the name "Matt Christopher" on a book guarantees a good read. Here's what I said in the original review:

 Long-Arm Quarterback by Matt Christopher. I hope you know about him already. He writes sports books and I haven't read one yet that I didn't like. Cap Wadell is frustrated because his little Texas town is so small that they can't get enough guys together to make a football team. His grandfather Tully remembers when he was in high school and played with six-person teams; in fact, there was a high school league made of six-person teams. Tully suggests that all the small towns in that area get together and make such a league. Cap's friends get excited at the idea and, before long, there's a league going. Tully agrees to coach Cap's team but there's a problem--Cap's friend Jimmy joins the team. That's not so bad, but Jimmy's grandfather Sable comes along to help coach. Sable used to play on Tully's league on a different team and was a good player. Tully won the championship that year and Sable is still mad about it after all these years. Will that old rivalry tear the team apart? Will Sable ever put his anger away and think about the good of the team? I had to read all the way to the end to find out!

NFC South by Michael Teitelbaum

This is a good one if you want some quick facts about the teams in the NFC South Division: the Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers, the New Orleans Saints or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The whole book took me only 15 minutes to read. There a short history of each team (only a page long) plus info on the Home Field, Big Days, Superstars (Then and Now), and Stat Leaders for each team. Interesting reading.

And here's a video to make you laugh. It's based on an old Andy Griffith routine called "What It Was Was Football" about a young hillbilly boy who sees his first football game. It'a about 7 minutes long, so make yourselves comfortable.

If I don't see you before then,  I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.