It’s here: Volume One of the official Guys Read Library. Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read initiative was founded on a simple premise:... read full description
reviews
Jun 20, 2011
Terry
rated it: 
I started off loving this book, with the first half filled with humorous standout stories: "Best of Friends" by Mac Barnett involving a kid trying to win a sweepstakes prize by befriending a nerd; "Will" by Adam Rex, a surprising comedy/scifi story with a group of kids outwitting a would-be supervillain; and, the best in the book, "Kid Appeal" by David Lubar in which two friends participate in a history contest with a painful mummy costume and a video camera. All th
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May 16, 2011
daniel
rated it: 
this book was not really all as great as i had wanted it to be in my opinion i do not think that it was really that good and i think that it really lacked some important things. mainly this book is a whole bunch of stories from different famous authors who tell a story and it is supposed to be funny. that was what i was hoping for in the blurb of the book it says that this took was supposed to make you spit chocolate milk in your friends face well in my opinion i do not think it made me spi
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Nov 29, 2010
Christina
rated it: 
Great book for young guys: ten short stories by different authors, with plenty of gross-out humor and silliness. One is a science fiction story about a guy's parents being taken over by aliens; another is a bloody horror story about what happens when a wild kid doesn't tell his parents about the stupid stuff he's done to himself; Eoin Colfer's story "Artemis Begins" talks about his prankster brother and how that gave him the idea for his character Artemis Fowl. There's a goofy history
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Oct 05, 2010
Amanda
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There is a pretty wide range of stories here so it was hard to give it a rating as a whole. I came up with three stars as an average. Getting more young boys into reading is a very noble goal so I had higher hopes. A few of these had messages that I'd rather my own boys were not exposed to, particularly humor at the expense of others. I hope some of the other guys read collections are better.
Best of Friends (2 stars) - This is a story about a kid pretending to be friends with someon More...
Best of Friends (2 stars) - This is a story about a kid pretending to be friends with someon More...
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May 23, 2011
Kate
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First of all, several of the stories in this book weren't even funny. I realize that humor is a subjective element in a book, but when I say they weren't funny, I mean, they were downright DEPRESSING. the first story alone almost made me want to close the books.
Most of the time, the characters weren't likeable, and I found myself confused by the audience these books are trying to reach. The book says it's aimed at middle school boys, but I couldn't see much in here that they would find h More...
Most of the time, the characters weren't likeable, and I found myself confused by the audience these books are trying to reach. The book says it's aimed at middle school boys, but I couldn't see much in here that they would find h More...
Jul 12, 2010
Dan
rated it:
If talking turkeys. mummy mishaps, and lots of stupid friends sounds like your kind of holiday then this is the kind of anthology (bunch of stories in one book) for you. This book is a collection of 10 stories from some of the funniest guy authors on the planet. There are ten stories written by Mac Barnett , Adam Rex (author of Fat Vampire), Eoin Colfer (author of Artemis Fowl), Jeff Kinney (author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Kate DiCamillo (not a guy but equally funny), Jon Scieszka, David Yoo,
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May 10, 2011
Sps
rated it:
Abridged from booktalk* at a nearby elementary school:
I was reading this book on the bus this week and laughing so hard I thought the grandma in the seat in front of me was going to turn around and go “Shhhh!” You know it’s bad when someone else is shushing the librarian.
This book has stories by 11 different authors. Normally in a collection like this there’s one or two really good stories, one or two stories that are just so terrible that you can’t believe they were included, and More...
I was reading this book on the bus this week and laughing so hard I thought the grandma in the seat in front of me was going to turn around and go “Shhhh!” You know it’s bad when someone else is shushing the librarian.
This book has stories by 11 different authors. Normally in a collection like this there’s one or two really good stories, one or two stories that are just so terrible that you can’t believe they were included, and More...
Oct 03, 2010
Cathe
rated it: 
This is a collection of stories by various children's authors, such as Adam Rex, Eoin Colfer, David Lubar, etc. While there were a couple of stories that were just so-so for me, most of them were freaking hilarious. I was laughing out loud through most of the book and ended up reading a couple of stories to my daughters because they just had to know what I was laughing about. I especially liked David Yoo's story of the boy being ousted from his family by a macho turkey and Sciezka and DiCamillo'
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Nov 15, 2011
Ubalstecha
rated it:
An excellent collection of funny, silly and sometimes gross short stories and essays, written with the male reader in mind by some of the best children's authors out there.
Several stories in this collection stand out. The first is the short, and apparently true story, by Eoin Colfer about his inspiration for Artemis Foul. It involves a broken crystal plate, three brothers and a very angry mother.
The second is the equally good, but purely fictional, story about a you More...
Several stories in this collection stand out. The first is the short, and apparently true story, by Eoin Colfer about his inspiration for Artemis Foul. It involves a broken crystal plate, three brothers and a very angry mother.
The second is the equally good, but purely fictional, story about a you More...
May 09, 2011
Allison
rated it:
This collection of short stories offers its readers ten humorous tales, ranging from autobiographical to fantastical, by some great children's authors. Standouts include the collaboration between Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo (the only woman author in the collection, representing ladies fabulously), who together wrote "Your Question for Author Here," a story in alternating letters parodying "Dear Mr. Henshaw." The student in this tale lacks interest in the write-to-an-autho
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Oct 02, 2011
Dan
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(This is how I reviewed the book on my class's reading blog) This is the first book in what is intended to be a series of books compiled by the creator of the Guys Read web site. Many of these short stories are written by authors boys are already familiar with including Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl series), Christopher Paul Curtis (Bud, Not Buddy, The Watson’s Go to Birmingham), Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux), Jack Gantos (Joey Pigza series), and Jeff Kinney (Diary
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Jan 21, 2011
Caitlin
rated it:
NOTE: I won this book on a GoodReads First Reads giveaway. This volume of ten short stories is a fun mix of silly and humorous writing from some of today's most popular children's and young adult authors and illustrators. As with any eclectic short story collection, I liked some pieces more than others. Several of the stories are obviously geared more toward preteen boys (but, hey I can't really fault the authors or editor for this...the book is called "Guys Read" after all!), and are
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Jan 15, 2012
Tiffany
rated it:
The whole point behind Guys Read is to get boys reading and to have them enjoying reading. This book will definitely serve that purpose, but at the same time there were a few lackluster stories in here, in my opinion. There were 3 that I really enjoyed: Kid Appeal by David Lubar, Your Question for Author Here by Kate DiCamillo & Jon Scieska, and The Bloody Souvenir by Jack Gantos - the last of those three being the class favorite/most disgusting yet hilarious story.
Overall, I know t More...
Overall, I know t More...
Nov 08, 2010
Deanna
rated it:
A collection of 10 humorous short stories written by some author superstars including; Adam Rex, Eion Colfer, David Lubar, Kate DiCamillo and yes, more! A nice assortment of stories with a little "something-for-everyone" appeal. While I did not LOVE every single story I remembered something someone once said to me. "Reading an anthology of short stories is akin to listening to a CD, rarely do you like every song on the disc". So true! The stories ranged from laugh out lo
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May 29, 2011
Mrs.
rated it:
"Guys Read: Funny Business" is the first installment in a brilliant series spearheaded by the great Jon Scieszka. He's determined to reach boys who don't like to read, boys who might feel like there aren't any books out there written for them. Well this is that book! Scieszka gathered the funniest authors around - Jeff Kinney, Adam Rex, and David Lubar, to name a few - and the result is this hilarious anthology. Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming books featuring non-fiction, action
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Nov 27, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
This book is perfect for its target audience: boys. I would recommend it to every boy to read. As an adult female, I enjoyed it, though stories like Jack Gantos's "The Bloody Souvenir" are really hard for me to take. My favorite story was "Your Question For Author Here" by Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo. I literally laughed out loud at that one, and quite a few of the others, too. "Will" by Adam Rex was very clever, and "Fistful of Feathers" by David Yoo
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Mar 29, 2011
Beth
rated it:
I had high hopes for this book. I wanted to like it so I would have a new series to tell the boys at my school about. I really liked "Your Question for the Author Here" by Kate DiCamillo and Jon Scieszka, but most of the others were just OK. Several stories had potty humor and grossness for the sake of grossnes, as well as characters being rude, selfish, and acting dangerously. Maybe that is what being a guy is all about, but that is not what I wish to encourage in my students. Th
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Feb 19, 2011
Dana
rated it:
You just gotta love Jon Scieszka. He just understands and writes book that kids like to read. Time Wrap Trio has always been one of my favorites. This new series of story collection books Guys Read is just perfect for those boys that like guy stoies. The concept of collecting stories from many authors is genius on his part. It not only gives boys the type of stories they will read, but introduces them to great authors. Hopefully this will lead to them reading books by some of these other authors
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Jun 03, 2010
Mr. Steve
rated it:
I loved the idea of this book and I loved the stories in it. I agree with the person who said that they weren't all funny. Some of them I found were just plain weird (but interesting nevertheless).
As a children's librarian, I embrace anything that will encourage boys to read and this is a great book to booktalk. The ARC did not include the Jeff Kinney story, which was disappointing - I'm sure that will be a great one. Guess we'll have to wait until the book comes out.
Loo More...
As a children's librarian, I embrace anything that will encourage boys to read and this is a great book to booktalk. The ARC did not include the Jeff Kinney story, which was disappointing - I'm sure that will be a great one. Guess we'll have to wait until the book comes out.
Loo More...
Jan 09, 2011
Debbie
rated it:
An interesting collection of stories by some talented authors. I found about half of the stories laugh-out-loud funny. I would be curious to hear from male readers since the focus of this book is guys. My favorite is definitely "Your Question for Author Here" by Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo. As a teacher, I found this one especially funny! My second favorite was "Kid Appeal" by David Lubar. I will laugh every time someone mentions the word "mummy" after having re
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May 23, 2011
Lauren
rated it:
"Guys Read: Funny Business" is the first installment in a brilliant series spearheaded by the great Jon Scieszka. He's determined to reach boys who don't like to read, boys who might feel like there aren't any books out there written for them. Well this is that book! Scieszka gathered the funniest authors around - Jeff Kinney, Adam Rex, and David Lubar, to name a few - and the result is this hilarious anthology. Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming books featuring non-fiction, action
More...
Oct 11, 2011
Heather
rated it:
I won this book in just a random Twitter follow a few months ago from Walden Pond Press. I don't read short stories very often but this one pulls you in and you can't help but read this one. First of all, it's got a plethora of funny kid authors. Then, they are writing funny stories. What more could you ask for? The stories range from chuckle funny to so funny I was wiping my eyes trying to read. Some of my favorites were the ones by Eoin Colfer with "Artemis Begins" and "Y
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Apr 14, 2011
R
rated it:
I got this from Goodreads First Reads, whatever it's called. So far, this is the best book I've won!
It's a book of short stories for boys, pretty much, but even though I'm a girl I still found them funny. (Most of them, anyway.) Here's the rundown on stories, humor levels, and likability:
1. Best of Friends by Mac Barnett: When Dean finds out class nerd Ernest has won the Nestle Sweepstakes, which gives him and a friend a tour of the factory, Dean makes it his personal mission More...
It's a book of short stories for boys, pretty much, but even though I'm a girl I still found them funny. (Most of them, anyway.) Here's the rundown on stories, humor levels, and likability:
1. Best of Friends by Mac Barnett: When Dean finds out class nerd Ernest has won the Nestle Sweepstakes, which gives him and a friend a tour of the factory, Dean makes it his personal mission More...
Oct 06, 2010
Kim
rated it:
October 2010 SLJ: Gr 5-8–
Building on the success of Guys Write for Guys Read (Viking, 2005), Scieszka continues his mission to take the “reluctant” out of readers with this first volume of the “Guys Read Library.” For this title, Scieszka invited some of today’s top writers of children’s fiction to contribute a humorous short story. Not surprisingly, the resulting compilation has something for everyone. Looking for a story heavy on the ick-factor? Suggest Jack Gantos’s “The Bloody Souvenir More...
Building on the success of Guys Write for Guys Read (Viking, 2005), Scieszka continues his mission to take the “reluctant” out of readers with this first volume of the “Guys Read Library.” For this title, Scieszka invited some of today’s top writers of children’s fiction to contribute a humorous short story. Not surprisingly, the resulting compilation has something for everyone. Looking for a story heavy on the ick-factor? Suggest Jack Gantos’s “The Bloody Souvenir More...
May 25, 2011
Krista
rated it:
Eh. Perhaps I didn't find this funny because I'm not a guy.
I did like the Adam Rex story, "Will." I simply adored "Your Questions for Author Here" by Kate DiCamillo and Jon Scieszka. But other than that, I was rather unmoved and, often, rather offended, particularly by the first story, which was about manipulating people and using people. Not funny.
But I might buy the book someday for my kid, if only to get my hands on the two stories mentioned abo More...
I did like the Adam Rex story, "Will." I simply adored "Your Questions for Author Here" by Kate DiCamillo and Jon Scieszka. But other than that, I was rather unmoved and, often, rather offended, particularly by the first story, which was about manipulating people and using people. Not funny.
But I might buy the book someday for my kid, if only to get my hands on the two stories mentioned abo More...
May 14, 2011
Eoin
rated it:
I think it may be hard to give this book a review as a whole so I'm going to break it down:
Good:
Unaccompanied Minors-Jeff Kinney
Artemis Begins-Eoin Colfer
The Bloody Souvenier-Jack Gantos
Your Question for Author Here- Kate DiCamillo
Kid Appeal-David Lubar
Okay:
Best of Friends-Mac Barnett
Will-Adam Rex
"What? You Think You Got It Rough?"-Christopher Paul Curtis
Bad:
A Fistful of Feathers- David Yoo
M
Good:
Unaccompanied Minors-Jeff Kinney
Artemis Begins-Eoin Colfer
The Bloody Souvenier-Jack Gantos
Your Question for Author Here- Kate DiCamillo
Kid Appeal-David Lubar
Okay:
Best of Friends-Mac Barnett
Will-Adam Rex
"What? You Think You Got It Rough?"-Christopher Paul Curtis
Bad:
A Fistful of Feathers- David Yoo
M
Jan 02, 2011
Stacey
rated it:
I am enjoying the stories but I didn't think the first two were funny. So far my favorite is the mummy story by John Lubar, "Kid Appeal".
I enjoyed many of these stories but my original thought of them continued; many of the stories weren't funny. My least favorite story was "My Parents Give My Bedroom to a Biker" by Paul Feig. The story is about the kids parents and others get possessed by an alien and the day is saved with broccoli. It was really weird.
I enjoyed many of these stories but my original thought of them continued; many of the stories weren't funny. My least favorite story was "My Parents Give My Bedroom to a Biker" by Paul Feig. The story is about the kids parents and others get possessed by an alien and the day is saved with broccoli. It was really weird.
Jan 13, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
This is a series of short humourous stories written for boys. Some were just too silly or gross for me, but I did find a few quite funny. My favorite, and I recommend to anyone perusing the book, is "Your Question for Author Here". It was a parody of Dear Mr. Henshaw, which was one of my favorite books as a kid. This one was written by Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo - and it was hilarious! Great funny short stories for any reluctant reader!
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Jan 12, 2011
Whitney
rated it:
Definitely hits the target audience: boys. But hey, I'm a girl and I really liked it too! My favorite short stories out of the 10 were the ones by Adam Rex and Eoin Colfer. I read those out loud to my students and they loved them! A few kids would look at it during silent reading time-- they really liked "The Bloody Souvenir" which made me cringe in every possible way, but they got a kick out of it. What a great collection!
Dec 08, 2010
Childrens
rated it:
A collection of stories that is often more annoying that funny. I asked two middle schoolers to read them also to make sure that it was not my jaded adult view that did not find the stories funny. They did not go for them either. I think Scieszka is trying too hard to appeal to boys and maybe the book will booktalk itself. I surely won't hand it to many kids. It is okay, but does not deserve the hand sell. -Maeve
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