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Howdy ho, gang! The Iron Guy has been busy once again, swimming laps around the Atlantic Ocean and checking out books for all the good people of Charlotte. I've been so busy, in fact, that I didn't think I'd have time to tell you about any more terrific books. But there was no reason to fear--our good friend Michael, (King of Books and Time Travel) has stepped in and written about two really good-sounding reads. Let's hear what he has to say:

The Missing, book 4

Torn

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Jonah and Katherine are trapped in time again. Only this time, they have no contact with JB, no helpful gadgets, and worst of all, no tracers! They've all disappeared! The two are trapped in 1611 aboard Henry Hudson's ship. But after the tracers disappear, things aren't as they seem. Hudson was supposed to be left in a rowvoat at sea, but instead, his ship came back for him! Plus, he's looking for the Northwest Passage, which doesn't exist, but suddenly, it appears out of nowhere! And one of the crew members on board isn't what he appears to be... or, more accurately, he isn't who he appears to be. How are Jonah and Katherine supposed to get time back on track? How can they survive on the ship? And how can they save JB and the rest of their friends who are still trapped in 1611? You can never guess what will happen next in Haddix's new masterpiece, plus, she goes even deeper in exploring new aspects of time. If you haven't read The Missing, you're surely missing out on one of today's greatest classics!

Hey, everyone, this is Carl. We have a new review from Sophia, that nice and intelligent girl from Metrolina Regional Scholar's Acacemy. I thought she had tried a hostile takeover of our blog, but as you will see, I was mistaken. She didn't want a takeover; she only wanted the free books! Well, as we've said before, we don't mind when girls write in; in fact, we welcome them and give them the greatest honor we can bestow by making them Honorary Guys!! And to show how fair, impartial, and generous we are, I'll also give this review to Ellen the Excellent, who started the very-awesome Girls Read Girls Rule (the World) blog. You'll be the first one to have your review appear in two blogs!!!

Island: Book One: Shipwreck

This book is by Gordon Korman. Even though this isn't about the book, I need to explain something to you guys. OK, so I'm a girl, that doesn't mean I want to take over your website. I just think your website is totally awesome! I love reading. Now, Shipwreck is the first book in the Island series. It's about a bunch of of boys and girls who were on a boat, then the boat got in this storm,and the six kids got washed up on a desrted island.

I think you should read this book, it's awesome and I love it!! Gordon Korman is a very good writer and I think you shou;d read all his books. The ones I like his Island series, Dive series, and his Everest series.

Most likely they're at a library, but if you want, you could also buy the books. They're cool. In the Island series, there are two girls and four boys. In the next book, Survival, they have to survive on the island until the can Escape, book three. Gordon Korman writes awesome books!!

Thanks, Sophia, and thanks for the compliments about our blog. We think you're pretty awesome too. A lot of kids have been reading the Island series lately; look at the posts from 11-6 and 10-29 to see what Koko B. Ware from the Guys Read blog had to say about it. BTW, I'm sending out a word of sympathy to our good friend Koko B. Ware--he lost his grandmother earlier this month and we know that must be hard for him. Take a moment and send a comment of sympathy on his post about it.

(PS--Gordon Korman really is a good writer. If you'd like to see other things we and your fellow readers have said about his books, click on the label at the bottom of this post that says "Gordon Korman")

And here's one from our new friend Jason:

The title of this story is I'll Never Share You, Blackboard Bear. I think the story iscalled The Blackboard Bear because a bear came off a blackboard. I think this story is a fairy tale because a bear can't come off a blackboard. This story is aminly about a boy named Anthony that drew the bear off the blackboard. Anthony will never give away the bear for nothing. The bear has told him to share and Anthony did what he had said. Finally everyone came happy.

And thanks to you, Jason! Here's a picture of him with his free book. Now I have to say that Jason outsmarted us--he wrote a review of a picture book!! I did tell him yesterday that he coudl get his free book if he wrote a review, so he wrote one right here in the library! Of course, I didn't say what kind of book it had to be! But I did tell him afterwards, as I'm telling all you out there, that your reviews need to be about chapter books or graphic novels or nonfiction (of more than 32 pages!) or biographies (ditto!)--in other words, you all are old enough to handle longer books! So don't just run in here or Matthews, read some picture book in 5 minutes, and expect to get your free book!!! To tell the truth, Jason didn't really try to trick us--he really didn't know. And we gave him credit for making a good effort. Besides, I'll Never Share You, Blackboard Bear by Martha Alexander is a good story about loving something so much that you don't want to share it and what happens when others ask you to share. It's good for young kids and older readers too. In fact, once I recommended a picture book to a grownup. Not for his son or daughter, but for him!! He worked for a bank, was going to make a presentation to other bankers, and wanted a simple picture book about not giving up. So I showed him The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus, one of the simplest picture books I know but one of the best. And the man checked it out!

I can't believe this! We've got two reviews already form our good friend Koko B. Ware from the totally rockin' Guys Read blog. The first is about is about Skulduggery Pleasant, a book that Bill reviewed last week. Here we go:

O man that was a GREAT book. The whole concept of a dead guy whos soul stayed around and a girl getting caught up in this "prophecy" of her uncles. My favorite part of this book was when the troll got slaughtered by um um um... well I forgot her name. And how the main girl cahnged her name to Valkry Kain, because she always was "raising cain".

Island By: Gordon Korman

I have just recently finished this book called Island. Its all about how these kids get sent to a "character building" expierience on a boat called "Pheonix". However, low and behold, the ship wrecks, (kind of expected in a book with the cover of kids struggling for life), catches on fire and the ship mate called "Rat-Face" takes the lifeboat and food rations with him. Therefore leaving the 6 kids ( Luke, Ian, J.J., Charla, Will, and Lyssa ) to die. Yet fate has different plans for the, if you may, "lucky" children. The six kids cling on to a raft composed of the roof of the captains steering deck and struggle for life until they reach an island. The, now four kids, two are lost on the voyage" try to find a way off the isalnd by signal fires and the like. One day they see a sea plane pass overhead. When they go to check out the docking place of the aircraft they quickly realize these are not life savers but takers! When Will one of the survivers awakens from the deep grasps of unconsiousness, he goes deep into the jungle in fear, for he thinks the other three are trying to hurt him because he has no recolection of the shipwreck and he believes that he is missing his trip on the sunken boat. He doesn't realize he is in grave danger so he better gain memory or he will possibly wind up as one of the illegal traders, one shot point blank... in the center of the head. Well I could go on and on about this book, but why dont you go check out this book at your library, because the series will provide hours of intense, edge of your seat action and suspense.

P.S. WHERE'S MY FREE BOOK!!! :) :) :)

Thanks, Koko B. Ware! The Island trilogy is just too intense for words! Have you read the other two books? They're even better. Take a look at my review here. All you guys out there, go check out the Guys Read blog. As I said, they rock!!

Where's your free book? Well, I've emailed your fearless leader to ask how I could get one to you. So sit tight and it'll get there. You don't mind if I pick, do you? I can't just go out into the library and pull something off the shelves, but we do have of good guy stuff here in our "prize boxes" and I'll do my best to pick one you'd like.

The great and powerful CARLMAN

PS to cyber kid--I checked that Archers, Alchemists, etc. book. Looks good!