Summer’s over and so is summer reading. Hope you had as many real-life and reading adventures as I did! Right now, I’ve got some serious Dude-work to do. But I’ll be back for more summer reading recs next year (if we all make it ’til then!).
Check out my finished bingo card below!
2019 CARD
(Use each book only once, Dudes!)
(And only books you haven’t read before count!)
(Sorry, Connor!)
To get a printable version of this card click these words.
Tyler’s Recs:
Here are how the Dudes books could be used on your card:
Save the Dudes could go on ACTION ADVENTURE, HISTORICAL, MARTIAL ARTS, or SPIES.
Dudes Take Over: WEAPONS, COOL BATTLE IN IT, MONEY, or HEIST.
You could use Summer of the Dudes for: ROBOTS, GAME RELATED, or HEIST.
And they all could work for: MAKES YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD, GIVES YOU IDEAS and WRITTEN BY A GIRL. (Emily counts even though she’s a grown-up.)
Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson. ****************************************************************************************** It’s about this guy named Chase who starts a new school and right away gets recruited into a secret organization of ninjas. How cool is that? The only problem is the things he has to do to get in. Don’t worry. With the help of his cousin, Zoe, Chase will figure it out.
This book is the first in a series, and each book is really short, so keep it in mind for school book reports too!
On the Dudes Summer Reading Book Bingo card, this book qualifies for: ACTION ADVENTURE, MARTIAL ARTS, GIVES YOU IDEAS, HEIST OR CAPER, or SPIES.
The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton, Daniel Morden, and Christina Balit. ************************************************** My Dudes Adventure Chronicles are totally inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, and I first read the stories for myself in this book. This book gives you the adventures in sort of the style of Homer, without having to read Greek or poetry. Plus there are really cool pictures in color on every page to help you imagine it!
Odysseus has a brilliant idea for how to win the Trojan war. Then he and his men have to outwit gods and monsters to get home to Ithaca. When he gets there, he’s got to fight a bunch of bad guys who are holding his wife captive and then convince her he really is her long-lost husband. The adventures challenge Odysseus’s brain as much as his fighting skills. Following the whole thing felt like playing a great video game and winning.
On the Dudes Summer Reading Book Bingo card, this book qualifies for: WEAPONS, MAGIC, COOL BATTLE IN IT, ACTION ADVENTURE, GIVES YOU IDEAS, HEIST OR CAPER, CLASSIC, or HISTORICAL.
Holes by Louis Sachar ************************************************************************************************************************ One time, I was in a bookstore, and this kid came up to me and said, “You’ve got to read Holes! It’s my favorite book.” So, okay, the kid was a little weird. But, I like a guy who gets jazzed about books. So I checked it out.
Holes by Louis Sachar is a great book. It’s got hidden treasure and poison lizards and a prison break.
It’s about how this kid, Stanley, is cursed and fated but learns to control what kind of friend he’s going to be and what kind of person he’s going to be. And I couldn’t put it down. So, let me just say: Dude, you’ve got to read Holes!
On the Dudes Summer Reading Book Bingo Card, this book qualifies for: MOVIE RELATED (there is a movie of the book), ACTION ADVENTURE, MONEY, HEIST OR CAPER, MYSTERY. or HISTORY (there are historical flashbacks).
The 7th Knot by Kathleen Karr ************************************************************************************************************* This is the exciting story of two brothers who accidentally uncover a secret cache of valuable art, a fleet of unbeatable weapons, and a secret plot by fanatical Germans to take over the world! Not only that, but a lot of it takes place in castles and dungeons. What’s not to like?
Even though the story is set in 1896, Miles and his brother Wick are totally like-able. They shirk homework and get into scrapes just like some other guys I know. But they do the right thing when the chips are down. I only wish this was a series, because I could definitely read another one.
On the Dudes Summer Reading Book Bingo card, this book qualifies for: WRITTEN BY A GIRL, WEAPONS, ACTION ADVENTURE, GIVES YOU IDEAS, HEIST OR CAPER, SPIES, MYSTERY, and HISTORICAL.
Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger ******************************************************************************************************** This book starts in a dimestore with the purchase of a fake mustache that turns an ordinary kid into an evil mastermind intent on stealing the presidential election. So, yeah, weird.
Having written a political thriller myself, I know just how hard it is to get the right level of ridiculousness with impossible hilarity. And Tom Angleberger has done it with Fake Mustache. This book has got two points of view (nerdy kid, and TV cowgirl), and really short chapters, so you feel like you’re flying through it. It’s also got brainwashing and an assassin and sticky hands and snot guns (Deven will love it). There’s even some light romance–if you’re into that sort of thing.
On the Dudes Summer Reading Book Bingo Card, this book qualifies for: WEAPONS, COOL BATTLE, MONEY, ACTION ADVENTURE, GIVES YOU IDEAS, MAKES YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD, and HEIST OR CAPER.
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli ********************************************************************************************* The Title doesn’t sound all that exciting. But the main character, Robin (a boy), lives through all kinds of excitement. His parents are off serving the king and queen, and Robin can’t wait to become a knight and serve in battle. But, instead, he gets sick and loses the use of his legs. Then the whole city of London gets the plague and all the servants die. Luckily, this monk takes Robin to the monastery where he learns to swim and to carve stuff out of wood–Ryan would totally be into that. Then he gets to ride a horse to a castle where he learns to shoot with a bow and arrow and to climb ladders without using his legs (try it!). Then the castle gets attacked, and it is up to Robin to escape and bring in reinforcements!
Also, this book is short. So I read the whole thing in one day. But it’s a Newbery Award winner, so you’ll get points with parents and teachers for reading it!
On the Dudes Summer Book Bingo card, this book qualifies for: WRITTEN BY A GIRL, COOL BATTLE, ACTION ADVENTURE, CLASSIC, and HISTORICAL.
Book of the Night: The Black Musketeers by Oliver Potzsch ***************************************************************************** Lukas’s family is attacked by a witch hunter. His parents are killed, and Lukas goes on the run. But why does the evil Waldemar von Schonborn kidnap Lukas’s sister, and what secret does he pursue? Luckily, Lukas finds friends to help him overcome the odds.
This novel is about magic, but it covers real-life history from the 1600’s like battles in Germany during the Thirty Years War. Also, there is tons of sword-fighting and rescues and creeping around secret libraries and dungeons–all the good stuff. Besides, “All for one and one for all!” could totally be the motto of the Dudes!
This is the first book in The Black Musketeers series.
On the Dudes Summer Book Bingo Card, this book qualifies for: WEAPONS, MAGIC, COOL BATTLE IN IT, ACTION ADVENTURE, and HISTORICAL.
Bone Vol. 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith ********************************************************************************************** If you haven’t read the Bone series of graphic novels by Jeff Smith, you’ve gotta start. Each of the 9 volumes in the series continues the story of the Bone cousins: Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone as they leave their home and make their way into a totally different land–one of beautiful sorceresses, wise dragons and horrific monsters. And, speaking of monsters, the rat creatures are somehow terrifying menace and adorable comic relief at the same time. Plus, there’s all these hilarious parts where Phoney Bone is trying to make a fortune by betting on cow races and other hokey scams. Remember, this is a graphic novel. You get to see it all instead of having to imagine how it looks. So, despite the fact that the story is pretty deep, it won’t take you long to read each volume. In fact, each time you finish, you’ll be reaching for the next one.
On the Dudes Summer Book Bingo Card, this book qualifies for: GRAPHIC NOVEL, WEAPONS, MAGIC, COOL BATTLE, ACTION ADVENTURE, and MAKES YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD.
Warriors#3: Forest of Secrets by Erin Hunter. ******************************************************************************************* And, boy, are there secrets! Secret grudges, secret kittens, secret love, and don’t forget the mysterious prophecies that the main character, Fireheart, gets in dreams from a dead friend.
I like this series because there’s a lot of strategy and sometimes battles between the rival wild, cat clans. Also, it’s all about friendship and loyalty, which, being a Dude, I can totally feel.
Also, it’s a good, long series, so there’s always another book if you’re hungry for more. The first book is: Warriors #1: Into the Wild
On the Dudes Summer Book Bingo card, this book qualifies for: ANIMALS, WRITTEN BY A GIRL, COOL BATTLE, or ACTION ADVENTURE.
Banneker Bones and the Giant Robot Bees, by Rob Kent. **************************************************************************** Okay. I read this because Nate recommended it to me, and you know he loves robots. Banneker Bones and his cousin, Ellicott Skullworth, battle some scary robot bees. But there are also good, heroic, non-insectoid robots as well as awesome jet-propelled scooters, holographic gaming, and the compelling mystery of whether Banneker can possibly be as much of a jerk as he seems.
On the Dudes Summer Book Bingo card, this book qualifies for: WEAPONS, ACTION ADVENTURE, ROBOTS (duh!), COOL BATTLE IN IT, and, for me, it counts as SOMETHING A FRIEND LIKED because Nate recommended it.
(If you read something I’ve reviewed, you can count me a friend on your card!)
Journey to the Bottomless Pit: The Story of Stephen Bishop & Mammoth Cave, by Elizabeth Mitchell. **************************** If you’re looking for real-life adventure, try Journey to the Bottomless Pit: The Story of Stephen Bishop & Mammoth Cave by Elizabeth Mitchell. This is the true story of this guy, a slave in Kentucky in the 1830’s, who explored and discovered huge parts of Mammoth Cave, which is the longest cave known in the world!
Stephen was really smart and had a great memory. He mapped the whole cave in his head, and, later, he made a map on paper, which is included in the book. So cool!
He also discovered a species of blind cave fish. And there are pits and secret rooms and underground rivers. Even though this is nonfiction, it’s really exciting. Qualifies for the ACTION ADVENTURE, WRITTEN BY A GIRL, GIVES YOU IDEAS, or the HISTORICAL space.
Lawn Boy, by Gary Paulsen.
This book turns the classic summer job on it’s head and turns the hero into a corporate officer in just a few, hilarious, pages. It’s got the stock market, it’s got pinching heads, it’s even got a weird grandmother!
And the best thing about it? It’s super short, in case, like me, you got busy with your friends and forgot to do summer reading for a while! I finished this before my mom could finish her lecture about how important it is to avoid screen-time by reading books.
Qualifies for the MONEY, the GIVES YOU IDEAS, or the MAKES YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD space.
Tyler’s Card final:
