"The Sun Dog" by Stephen King

The Sun Dog by Stephen King is vintage King! Kevin gets the birthday present he wanted for his 15th birthday—a camera! The first picture he takes shows something it should not! The more pictures he takes, the thing is still in there and is scares Kevin really bad! The pace of this book is really good and the ending had me turning pages as quick as I could!
(Gerard’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  But it was not practical good Kevin was thinking about.  In fact, he was not thinking at all.  He was feeling . . . and remembering.  

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"They Both Die At The End" by Adam Silvera

In They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, Mateo and Rufus are both young teen boys.  Death-cast calls chill them and tell them that today will be their last day to live!  Even though you know how it plays out, this book still works!  The boys were really great characters and it was interesting how they bonded.

Teaser from page 41:  Everyone wanted so much more out of me, myself included.  I have to honor this.  It's my last day to do so.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)  

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I Recommend "The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown

The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is a non-fiction novel about the personal journeys of the 1936 USA rowing Olympic team.  Through personal interviews, the author writes an amazing story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, teamwork, humility and competition.  I enjoyed reading about the coaches and how the team was assembled as well as the races.  The parts about Nazi Germany hosting the Olympics actually made me mad.  I acquired a new admiration for the sport of rowing after reading this book.  I thought the first part of the book was very slow but then the rest of it picked up.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is such a good book! It tells the true story of a bunch of young boys from Washington University who competed in rowing during the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. One of the best parts of this book was the stories about the boys’ personal lives and their coaches too! The races are very exciting as well. I gained a whole lot of respect for what it takes to row when I read this book. Loved it and recommend you read it too! You will be glad you did!
(Gerard’s review 8/24/13, 5+ stars)

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"The Silence of Six" by E. C. Myers

In The Silence of Six by E. C. Myers, you will meet Max, a young teen boy who knows how to hack into computers, phones and anything else.  He is very good at it!  When a close friend of his contacts him and then kills himself during a Presidential debate, Max wants to get to the bottom of it.

I enjoyed this book because there is lots of action and Max is a great character.  The ending was really good too!  If you liked Ready Player One, you will most likely enjoy this book too!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Ghost Boy" by Martin Pistorius is a True Story!

Ghost Boy--the miraculous escape of a misdiagnosed boy trapped inside his own body by Martin Pistorius is a true story!   It tells the story of Martin's life so far and what a story it is!  One day he went to school but never went back.  He spent his 14th birthday as a mute quadriplegic but then his mind came alive.  Thought to be brain dead, he was really aware of what was happening all around him but couldn't communicate it.  He knew it, but no one else did.  He refused to give up!  I also found it very interesting how people acted around him.  Give this book a try--I loved the ending!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Some Kind of Courage" by Dan Gemeinhart is a Gripping Read!

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is about an 12-yr.-old orphan boy, Joseph Johnson. He has lost just about everything he loved, but the one thing he can get back is his horse, Sarah, that was sold without his knowledge. Joseph is a great character and his adventures had me holding my breath! I so wanted him to get his horse back. I loved this book! It goes fast because it’s hard to put down. We also loved this author’s first book, The Honest Truth.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is a gripping story about a boy who goes on his own to track down his horse that was sold without his knowledge to a crooked horse trader.  He has a strong sense to do his dead parents proud and do the right thing.  Even though his parents and sister died, he still keeps their memory alive.  The story is about how important family is.  Joseph is very likable and I couldn't help but pull for him.  He met a Chinese boy along the way so had a friend on part of his journey who was also on a mission.  Both boys were very brave!

I loved this book and was surprised it was just as good as the first book by this author.  It has lots of action and kept me turning pages.  The recurring theme in the book was what Joseph's papa always said and what drove Joseph:

But Papa had said that when there's something that's got to be done, the thing to do is just to buckle down and do it the best you can.

(Karen's review, 5 stars)


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"All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely is Thought Provking

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely is about a young teen black boy who is in a store and when an incident happens, he has an encounter with a cop.  A white boy teen sees this who is friends with the cop.  Does he come forward and tell what he saw?  Did the black boy do anything wrong?

I thought this book was pretty good, but it's more of a thought provoking book than action.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Badlands" by C. J. Box Isn't Anything Great

Needs more action!

In Badlands, by C. J. Box, one of the stars in my opinion is Kyle, a young boy who is out delivering the morning papers and sees a van crash and finds a package from the van.  The other star is Cassie, the new deputy sheriff.  I thought the story line was okay but predictable without much real action.  I liked Kyle a lot but this book wasn't so great.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"Beyond the Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

Beyond the Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is the sequel to The Chocolate War and continues on with the Vigils and their shenanigans at the Trinity High School. Obie and Carter join forces to bring down Archie. Obie becomes distracted with a girl and Archie doesn’t like it. Jerry lived in Canada after recovering from the beating he took last fall, but returns and Goober feels guilty and very protective of him. This story becomes one of life and death as the year takes its toll on the boys. With one suicide and two attempted murders, this book shows a dark side of high school.

I didn’t care as much for this book as I did the first. It covered many different boys, which was a little hard to keep straight at first. If possible, it even got darker than the first one in my opinion. It too though is a quick read.

SPOILER ALERT – STOP IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS BOOK YET. I was shocked really to see how Obie got so caught up in revenge that he became as bad as Archie. Once again, Archie is in control and even after he graduates, keeps his control over the school. It’s pretty amazing how he manages it. (Karen's review, 4 stars)


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"A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

A Separate Peace by John Knowles is the story of two roommates at a boys boarding school in New Hampshire during World War II. It’s about their rivalry, friendship, and how the boys try to stay separate from the war. Gene, the introverted intellectual who tells the story is jealous of his roommate, Phineas (Finny), a natural athlete who is outgoing and a natural leader but a poor student.

I read this book a long time ago for school and decided to re-read it now because I remember liking it. I especially liked the parts with Finny and enjoyed it again. It has some fun parts, but mostly is sad, especially what happens to Phineas.
 (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Black Stallion" by Walter Farley an Exciting Fun Read

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley is a fantastic book about a boy, his fight for survival after a shipwreck, his wild black stallion and racing.  There is a lot of action in this children’s book that made me want to keep reading.  It is refreshingly uncomplicated and full of adventure.  I enjoyed this book very much and plan to read more by this author! 

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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Reading!

"Whipping Boy" by Allen Kurzweil

Whipping Boy by Allen Kurzwell is the true story about Allen who was bullied by a 12-year-old boy named Cesar while attending a Swiss boarding school.  Forty years later, Allen decides to search for and confront Cesar.  The beginning of this book is when he is bullied and how he deals with it which I thought was the most interesting part.  The search to find Cesar was pretty good, but the ending was a bit of a let down.  Still, I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart (children's book)--Both LOVED IT! (updated)

Glad you both liked this one--yea for the dog!

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about a young boy, Mark who runs away with his dog Beau.  Why does he run away?  His best friend knows the secret but she will not tell.  This children's book had me from page 1!  I LOVED IT!  What's not to like about a boy and his dog on the adventure of his life?  This is a page turner that goes quick and is the author's first book--well done!
(Gerard's review 2/23/15, 5++ stars)

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about Mark, a boy with Cancer who is tired of being the sick kid and decides to go on an adventure with his dog to keep a promise to his grandfather before he dies.  His best friend, Jess, figures out where he went but knows Mark does not want her to tell. 

This unique book deals with friendship, survival and facing death through an interesting story.   The ½ chapters sets this book apart from any I have read drew me in right away.  It is a quick read that I didn’t want to put down and I loved the surprise ending!  The honest truth is that this book will tug at your heart!  I highly recommend it; think both kids and adults would enjoy it.  I am so glad I gave up on the big fat adult book, Dust by Patricia Cornwell to read this one instead.  I enjoyed this so much more!

I even learned how to write Haiku poems from The Honest Truth.  Here is my Haiku poem I wrote about this book for Mark (and the author):

                           I read the story,

Understanding Mark’s viewpoint,
Hoping he makes it!

The boy’s dog, Beau, rocks!
Two true, loyal friends, indeed
Saving each other!

(Karen's review 2/24/15, 5 stars)

Click this link for The Personal Story Behind the Story shared by the author.

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"Touchdown Tony Crown and the Mystery of the Missing Cheerleader" by Peter Guy George

Touchdown Tony Crowne and the Mystery of the Missing Cheerleader by Peter Guy George is a fun read about three elementary school kids, Tony, Judd and Ash and Tony’s 80 lb. dog, Curly. 

This book had several angels to it:  football, a bit of mystery, and the chasing down of the criminal.  It is a book of Tony saving the damsel in distress, the missing cheerleader, with the help of a real detective, a friend and his dog.  It is geared to kids, but I enjoyed it—especially the football game part and the dog.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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We Both Liked "Dinner With the Smileys" by Sarah Smiley (Updated)

USA TODAY had "Dinner with the Smileys--One Military Family, One Year of Heroes, and Lessons for a Lifetime" by Sarah Smiley on its list of top books for the month of May.  I just finished it and it truly is a fantastic read!

When Sarah's husband has to be deployed, she does not want to see the empty chair at the table where he used to sit, so she decides to invite people of various backgrounds to have dinner with her and her three boys.  I enjoyed the whole book, it's very good!

Sarah, your writing is so good, you told it great and the pictures are really good too!  Dustin, I thank you for your service!  As for the boys, you were great too!  Keep following the Red Sox and listen to your parents.  Love your dog!!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Dinner with the Smileys by Sarah Smiley is about how a military wife and her three young boys made it through the year her husband was deployed.  Sarah came up with an idea to invite different dinner guests every week to fill the empty chair where her husband used to sit at the dinner table.  It gave them all something to look forward to every week and provided a diversion in a way.  I enjoyed reading about the special “Dinners with the Smileys” but also the family dynamics, her single parenting struggles, the baseball games, the boys’ interactions with one another and with the guests.  This is a heartwarming family documentary that is a very enjoyable read!  It gives the reader a peek into unique pressures that military families (or single parents) face.
(Karen's review)

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"A Chance To Win: Boyhood, Baseball, and the Struggle for Redemption in the Inner City" by Jonathan Schuppe

A Chance To Win: Boyhood, Baseball, and the Struggle for Redemption in the Inner City by Jonathan Schuppe is not a baseball book. It is a book about life in the inner city. Rodney, an ex-con, is left wheelchair bound after a shooting and decides to coach a little league baseball team to give young boys an outlet in an attempt to keep them from his former life of drugs. Most of the book deals with the people with whom Rodney has every day contact. These people have a rough life to say the least, but they never gave up and the part about the baseball team was enjoyable.  I think you will like this one, I did. I was rooting for the people to get their lives on track.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Karen did not like it as much as I did.  You can find her review of it here.

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We received a free copy to review but have not received any compensation. This did not affect our review in any way.

"Buddy" by M. H. Herlong

Woof!  Woof!  A great dog story about bonding!

Buddy by M. H. Herlong is a real good story about a boy and his dog. The boy is 13 and always wanted a dog. On the way to church, their dad hit a dog with their car and they took it in. When hurricane Katrina comes, they have to make some hard decisions about the dog. This is a quick read and I enjoyed it, even though it is a children's book. Although a cute dog is on the cover, this book is more about the family and what goes on with them than it is about the dog. Give it a read, you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Buddy by M. H. Herlong is a good story about a 13-yr-old boy, his family and his 3-legged dog, Buddy, who got separated when hurricane Katrina hit their home in New Orleans. The boy narrates the story from his point of view. Through the story, this book reveals what people went through in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It brought out several different emotions as I read this: happiness, sadness, and anger. It is a moving story about a kid growing up and maturing to where he thinks of others and seeks to do what is right.  I highly recommend it it to dog lovers, especially boys!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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