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maryquitecontrary_22's review against another edition
4.0
Good recommendation for adolescent boys who prefer nonfiction. Best stories by far were: Sahara Shipwreck, Hugh Glass, A Jumbo Story and This Won't Hurt a Bit. (Listened to this on audiobook.)
tswenny's review against another edition
3.0
Sahara Shipwreck- Riley and his men are shipwrecked off the coast of the Sahara desert. After being taken into slavery by desert dwellers they have to find a way back to America, alive.
Hugh Glass: Dead Man Crawling- Nathan Hale is about to be executed when a local boy drops by to hear a story... about bears of all things. Hale sets of on a tale of details that may or may not be true on Hugh Glass who survived a bear attack and various other traumas that again, may or may not have actually happened.
Uni-verses- Poems followed by details on the universe and its creations along with matter itself and other scientific topics.
A Jumbo Story- Jumbo the elephant was taken to England from his home in Africa and kept in the London zoo with his keeper Matthew Scott. P.T. Barnum then offers up a large sum of money for the elephant to join his circus and in protest of many British children and locals, Jumbo is taken to America where he became even more of a legend than at the London zoo.
Mojo, Moonshine and the Blues- Muddy Waters grew up on a sharecropping plantation where he worked and worked until he felt the blues. He recorded his first album from his living room and went on to share his music with everyone across the country.
I liked some of these stories more than others. I find comics hard to follow so I didn't love the story of Hugh Glass for that reason, and the fact that it was continually claimed as a true story while it said many details could not be known as true or false. I loved the Jumbo story because Fleming was able to make a historic event seem modern and entertaining while still making it educational. My initial reaction toward all of these stories is that they were meant to educate while entertaining young boys. After being impressed or not about all of them, they did manage to entertain and educate thus fulfilling their purpose.
Content Warning:
-Alcohol (Mojo, Moonshine, and the Blues, A Jumbo Story)
-Some violence (Hugh Glass: Dead Man Walking)
-Gross imagery (Sahara Shipwreck)
Hugh Glass: Dead Man Crawling- Nathan Hale is about to be executed when a local boy drops by to hear a story... about bears of all things. Hale sets of on a tale of details that may or may not be true on Hugh Glass who survived a bear attack and various other traumas that again, may or may not have actually happened.
Uni-verses- Poems followed by details on the universe and its creations along with matter itself and other scientific topics.
A Jumbo Story- Jumbo the elephant was taken to England from his home in Africa and kept in the London zoo with his keeper Matthew Scott. P.T. Barnum then offers up a large sum of money for the elephant to join his circus and in protest of many British children and locals, Jumbo is taken to America where he became even more of a legend than at the London zoo.
Mojo, Moonshine and the Blues- Muddy Waters grew up on a sharecropping plantation where he worked and worked until he felt the blues. He recorded his first album from his living room and went on to share his music with everyone across the country.
I liked some of these stories more than others. I find comics hard to follow so I didn't love the story of Hugh Glass for that reason, and the fact that it was continually claimed as a true story while it said many details could not be known as true or false. I loved the Jumbo story because Fleming was able to make a historic event seem modern and entertaining while still making it educational. My initial reaction toward all of these stories is that they were meant to educate while entertaining young boys. After being impressed or not about all of them, they did manage to entertain and educate thus fulfilling their purpose.
Content Warning:
-Alcohol (Mojo, Moonshine, and the Blues, A Jumbo Story)
-Some violence (Hugh Glass: Dead Man Walking)
-Gross imagery (Sahara Shipwreck)
jshettel's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent (if somewhat gory, brutal, & awful) selection of nonfiction short stories.I'd like to see what "the guys" think of this collection.
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
I will never be fond of the title of this series, but it was an enjoyable collection of stories.
chelseymarie's review against another edition
4.0
Picked this up for the Nathan Hale comic, because I have become a Nathan Hale evangelist. I was surprised that so many of the rest of the stories were so good - there are several five star stories in here, along with a few threes, which is pretty unusual for a short story collection. Some topics include: a scientist who studies giant bird-eating spiders in the jungle, a shipwreck on the edge of the Sahara that end with the crew enslaved and bartering for their survival, and an absolutely horrifying (and totally true!) history of dentistry. Give to: anyone who loves the I Survived books, books about the Titanic, Salem Witch Trials, Donner Party, and other similar Grisly But True topics. Also great for teachers looking for nonfiction to hit Common Core standards while still being engaging.
pun_intended's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories; some great, some not my favorite. Reluctant readers looking for something a little wilder would probably love this.
howifeelaboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I love the Guys Read series because there is a huge variety of authors and writing styles in each book. This book included science poetry and a short historical graphic novel! There were also personal essays, memoir, and historical nonfiction. Each story was interesting and written in a way that is accessible to a range of ages (middle grade and up) and reading levels. I wasn’t a huge fan of nonfiction as a kid because I thought it was boring, research-type reading, but if I had read this one, I would have tried to find more nonfiction just like it! And I’m saying that as a girl (re: Guys Read).
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
5.0
In the latest anthology from Jon Scieszka's Guys Read series, the focus shifts away from short stories and onto short pieces of non-fiction. Contained in this collection are essays and articles on history, nature, the arts, science, survival, danger, and adversity from a host of expert authors. Each piece is completely different from the next, but all focus on high interest topics likely to appeal to middle grade boys.
There are so many wonderful selections in this book that would make great read-alouds and that would easily support lessons based on the common core standards. Douglas Florian's simple poems defining scientific principles would make wonderful posters for a science classroom and great memorization exercises for kids who are learning about time, gravity, etc. Thanhha Lai's descriptions of her childhood in Vietnam help contextualize the Vietnam War and provide concrete glimpses into Vietnamese culture. A biography of Muddy Waters easily connects to lessons about civil rights, sharecroppers, and jazz music, while the story of Jumbo the elephant's close relationship with his keeper highlights the remarkable sensitivities and behaviors of animals.
All educational possibilities aside, however, this book is also just plain fun to read. Boys and girls alike will enjoy each author's unique voice and the heartfelt, gross, funny, and surprising details each one uses to relay his or her story. Readers who believe that non-fiction is flat, boring, or difficult to read will find their outlooks dramatically changed after reading this book. An absolute must-buy for all libraries serving middle schoolers.
There are so many wonderful selections in this book that would make great read-alouds and that would easily support lessons based on the common core standards. Douglas Florian's simple poems defining scientific principles would make wonderful posters for a science classroom and great memorization exercises for kids who are learning about time, gravity, etc. Thanhha Lai's descriptions of her childhood in Vietnam help contextualize the Vietnam War and provide concrete glimpses into Vietnamese culture. A biography of Muddy Waters easily connects to lessons about civil rights, sharecroppers, and jazz music, while the story of Jumbo the elephant's close relationship with his keeper highlights the remarkable sensitivities and behaviors of animals.
All educational possibilities aside, however, this book is also just plain fun to read. Boys and girls alike will enjoy each author's unique voice and the heartfelt, gross, funny, and surprising details each one uses to relay his or her story. Readers who believe that non-fiction is flat, boring, or difficult to read will find their outlooks dramatically changed after reading this book. An absolute must-buy for all libraries serving middle schoolers.
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
I will never be fond of the title of this series, but it was an enjoyable collection of stories.