Jon Scieszka's Guys Read Library-a collection of books featuring contributions from some of the biggest names in children's literature-is one of the hottest new tween series around thanks to the hilarious, star-studded debut title, Guys Read: Funny Business, and its equally buzzed-about follow-ups: Guys Read: Thriller, Guys Read: The Sports Pages, and Guys Read: Other Worlds. Those books came together as advertised: filled with short stories by some of the biggest names and freshest talent around, but not your typical anthology-something exciting, edgy, visual, one-of-a-kind, and featuring authors from many different backgrounds but who are all kid-tested and teacher-approved. And the reception so far shows that it's working: excellent sales, stellar reviews, and a rabid reception from teachers and kids as Jon and the various authors tour the country.
For the fifth installment, we've turned to an even more classroom- and library-friendly genre: NON-FICTION. And the contributor list is another who's-who of great writers for guys: Harper's own Thanhha Lai-author of the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor- and National Book Award-winning Inside Out and Back Again-Steve Sheinkin-author of Bomb, a Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist-and acclaimed authors Candace Fleming, Douglas Florian, Elizabeth Partridge, James Sturm, Nathan Hale, Sy Montgomery, and T. Edward Nickens, not to mention Brian Floca providing cover and interior artwork. And like the first four books, it is sure to find an enthusiastic audience with parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and kids alike. What more could a guy ask for?