Guys Write for Guys Read

Guys Write for Guys Read, presented by Jon Scieszka

Founder of the Guys Read program, Jon Scieszka (The Stinky Cheese Man) compiles a variable collection of works where “boys’ favorite authors write about being boys.” In an effort to encourage boys to read, this anthology has short stories, essays and even illustrations that are proven to keep a boy’s interest long enough to hopefully keep him reading for a lifetime.

Authors like Avi, Jack Gantos, Anthony Horowitz, James Howe, Brian Jacques, Stephen King and Gary Paulsen have all contributed to this 70+ piece collection. Rick Reilly’s “Funny You Should Ask” from The Life of Reilly might be my favorite. While sitting outside with his son, after a deep question, Reilly tries to explain to his son why they are on earth. “We’re here to nail a yield sign with an apple core from half a block away. We’re here to make our dog bite on the same lame fake throw for the gazillionth time. We’re here to win the stuffed bear or go broke trying.” After finishing his long list, readers learn that the son was actually asking why they were at the park when they were supposed to have picked up mommy a while ago. Esquire magazine shares some helpful “rules” to follow, while Jack Gantos teaches you what not to do through experience in “The Follower.” There are some great shared experiences, such as Anthony Horowitz’s “My French Teacher Tried to Kill Me” and Daniel Pinkwater’s “Lone (star) Ranger.” From peeing on the electric fence to collecting comic books to making the big sports play (or not), this book has something for at least every boy.

While some pieces are obviously better than most, what attracts me is the variety of the collection. Yes, there are the stereotypical essays on how to be a guy, but there are also the essays about how you don’t have to fit those macho standards to truly be a man. There is a number of Jon Scieszka pieces, but I guess you earn the right when it’s your anthology and your program. Some pieces were truly wonderful like the ones above, while others where just thrown in to catch attention. I’m sure some young boys have never read anything truly outrageous, so seeing at least two pieces that include multiple characters barfing would definitely liven up their reading list, even though I thought it was disgusting. There was a large majority of pieces devoted to sports, but there were also others about completely different topics that were refreshing. The variety tried to capture as many types of boy readers as possible, which, of course, is the entire goal of Guys Read. I could have done without some of the illustrations and the commentary written by the artists; isn’t this Guys WRITE for Guys READ? One extremely valuable piece of information included is at the end of each piece. If you find that you liked a piece of work, there at the bottom was the author’s short biography, a fun fact and a selected list of other books by the author the reader might like. It’s just the little spark that might lead boys to read something longer by choice.

A valiant effort, Guys Read has put together an impressive collection. If I were to recommend it, though, I would probably just refer you to some of the better pieces and kept a few others out of your knowledge. The good pieces are worth it while the lesser ones upset you when they just do not compare. But I can promise that no matter what your interest, there is something in here for you.

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested.” - Francis Bacon

For more information on the Guys Read program, visit www.guysread.com.

The Big House

The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home, by George Howe Colt

"This work of non-fiction definitely reads like non-fiction, but the story is just too amazing to put aside. The author decides to write a memoir when he is spending the last summer at The Big House before the family has to sell it. The stories he weaves together are all of his family's history linked to this summer home on the Cape. There are some dry chapters dedicated to the history of the Massachusetts area, but all in all you want to keep reading this fantastic family history of the Colt family. Having a regular place where I spend my summers, it linked me to the memoir even more. It recalls a once traditional way of life that is now drifting away to new things. I would recommend it to anyone with or without a summer place that can stand to pull through the non-fiction aspect of this piece of work."

[Facebook's "Still Reading (Summer 2008)"]

George Howe Colt, his wife and his daughter, are all heading to their family place on the Cape for one final visit before the house must be sold. While spending his last summer at the place where the majority of his childhood memories took place, the author tells readers not only about his life at The Big House, but also his entire family history that is wrapped up in the home. From the time it is built, to the constant renovations, to its final selling and the effort to repurchase it, Howe weaves an emotional ride. His tale involves family secrets uncovered through hard investigation, love affairs, madness, but also covers all of the things you would expect at a summer home such as sail boat races and tennis tournaments. It is interesting to learn about his family and notice how the traditional values and ways of life change over time. What used to be formal dinners and routines is now a bunch of crinkled fish tracings in the barn and a cracked tennis court. There are so many fascinating stories that I loved hearing about the previous Colt generations leading up to the author's own time spent at The Big House.

Yes, this piece is non-fiction, which means that there are some chapters devoted to the history of the area, mainly focusing on other houses built, and other historical families or events. I would say that the chapter about money was a downright bore, but the entire piece combined to leave you feeling like you got to know this family. Non-fiction does not mean that it reads like a history or chemistry textbook, it just means that it is more focused on story-telling than dialogue and complex character development. And Colt's writing is just as good to get the reader going and involved. There is a beautiful part near the end where the author spends the last night in the house alone during a hurricane that moved me, maybe not to tears, but definitely to moist, glossy eyes.

I think the fact that a writer can wrap up the majority of his family history by relating it back to a single object, a house, is enough to make me recommend this book. I do have a place I go to during the summer and I could totally relate to this book. The first few pages I read in the book store totally hooked me in because I knew exactly what he was talking about. However, even if you don't regularly visit a summer place, I would still recommend this book, either to find out what you are missing, or just to learn about the amazing generations of the Colt family and everything they have been through over time. It's a good read to be recommended to the right type of reader or summer home aficionado.

“When you sell a man a book you don't sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life.”
- Christopher Morley