Jon Scieszka’s GUYS READ organization was born out of Jon’s work as a schoolteacher, from which he learned a simple truth: young boys enjoy reading most when they enjoy what they’re reading. In this spirit comes a project Jon has been dreaming about for years: The Guys Read Library - a collection of books featuring contributions from some of the biggest names in children’s literature writing stories to capture the attention and imagination of middle grade boys. It’s a series filled with short stories, but it isn’t your typical anthology - it’s exciting, edgy, visual, one-of-a-kind, and featuring authors from many different backgrounds but who are all kid-tested and teacher-approved.
The library is arranged by theme, and what better way to kick off the project than with a perennially popular genre: HUMOR. In it, you’ll meet a modern-day mummy, a homicidal turkey, a kid whose parents have sub-let his bedroom to a biker, a sixth-grader bent on swimming in the world’s largest pool of chocolate milk, and the only kid in his middle school who hasn’t turned into a vampire, wizard, or superhero. And that’s just the start. The ten stories, from an A-list contributor group that includes Jeff Kinney, Kate DiCamillo, Eoin Colfer, Christopher Paul Curtis, Jack Gantos, and more, are joined by hilarious interstitials from Jon Scieszka and illustrations by New York Times-bestselling illustrator Adam Rex. What more could a guy ask for?
Ages 8-12.