Starred Review The funny fellow (Jon Scieszka) with the impressive title (Emeritus National Ambassador for Children's Literature) presents a collection of 10 humorous (you were expecting tragedy?) stories by some leading lights in literature for young readers. This is the first volume of the promised official Guys Read library, which is named for Scieszka's well-known Web site, designed, like this book, to encourage boys to read. And what better way to start than with this collection of howlers by the likes of Eoin Colfer, David Lubar, Christopher Paul Curtis, and other yuk-inducing luminaries. Standouts include Kate DiCamillo (the lone female among the authors) and editor Scieszka's charmer of a story in letters between a famous author named Maureen O'Toople and a boy named Joe; David Yoo's wacky, laugh-out-loud story about a disappointed father and an evil turkey; and from the diabolical imagination of Jack Gantos, a cautionary tale about dangerous friends and rusty pliers. A must-have collection for the boys in your library d while you're at it, get a copy for the girls, too!

All of the 10 stories in this first volume in the ""Guys Read Library"" are solid, and several are stellar. Mac Barnett's volume-opener, ""Best of Friends,"" sets the tone%E2%80%94no bad deed will go unpunished. The squeamish (and probably all parents) are advised to avert their eyes from Jack Gantos's ""The Bloody Souvenir."" Rex has provided full-page artwork for each story, as well as his take on a school for superheroes. Artemis Fowl fans will relish Eoin Colfer's admission about the inspiration for his young criminal mastermind. Jeff Kinney describes the psychological warfare he subjected his younger brother to while growing up. A true gem comes from the editor's desk%E2%80%94Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo pen an epistolary exchange between a writer and a student. ""I am supposed to ask the questions. You are supposed to send back the author answers,"" the student writes. ""That is all you have to do."" Future volumes will cover such genres as nonfiction, science fiction, mystery, and sports. If they're as good as this one, boys%E2%80%94and girls%E2%80%94are in for a treat. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. (Oct.)

Humorous stories by some of the most well-known contemporary writers for children, such as Eoin Colfer, Christopher Paul Curtis, Kate DiCamillo, Jack Gantos, Jon Scieszka, and others, are here compiled. While most revolve around the exploits of mischievous boys, others feature an incompetent super villain, a homicidal turkey, and alien body snatchers. Most readers will find these quick reads relatable and enjoyable.

"Your brain is doing some great work when it's laughing," states evangelist Scieszka in this humorous anthology, the first of a proposed Guys Read series that promises to cover a range of genres. Each tale is geared toward boys and sometimes relies on gross humor for laughs. "Will," by Adam Rex is a standout. Will attends a school for kids with super talents and hero abilities. When his class is attacked by a supervillian in a gadget-ridden exoskeleton, mayhem and the unexpected unfold, driven by quick-witted dialogue. On the flipside, "A Fistful of Feathers," by David Yoo, is a distressing tale in which Sam's dad has decided to make him less girly by buying him a live turkey that will be eaten on Thanksgiving. As Dad begins to favor the weirdly talented turkey over him, Sam's actions begin to verge on sociopathy. These tales are not for the faint of heart: The content doesn't shy away from dangerous stunts, damaged flesh, alien-body takeovers and switch-wielding grandpas. In other words, utterly dude worthy. (Short stories. 9-13)

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," in which the Pagoda brothers return to wreak more havoc. David Yoo's "A Fistful of Feathers" features a bloodthirsty turkey intent on destroying the narrator's life. Eoin Colfer offers an autobiographical piece that shares how his younger brother was his real-life inspiration for Artemis Fowl. Kate DiCamillo and Scieszka team up to offer a hilarious correspondence between Joe and an author who knows how to hold her own with unmotivated students. While these shorter stories may not have the liveliness of the authors' full novels, each one is solid, and more importantly, it offers an introduction to that author's style and voice. Don't be surprised if students come seeking longer works by David Lubar, Christopher Paul Curtis, and other contributors after sampling them in this collection. Scieszka promises future volumes featuring other genres, among them nonfiction, sports, and action/adventure. Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA