Great Books for Guys

Produced by PNBHS Library 2007

Author

Anderson, M. T. - Burger Wuss
They first met as she was handing over his order at a takeaway. They spent a magical night together with a gang of young rebels, but just when it seemed things couldn't be better, tragedy struck. Anthony caught Diana making out at a party with another guy. Now Anthony must devise a vengeful plan, by which he can humiliate his “humiliator” and win back his girl.

Beckett, Bernard - Genesis
Outsiders can no longer be trusted and are shot on sight. In the new Republic the people serve the State and the Philosophers who guide it. Until one man, Adam Forde puts himself at grave risk, and changes everything.

Brooks, Kevin - Martyn Pig
Martyn has no mother and he is spending his Christmas holidays coping with the corpse of his alcoholic and abusive father. There's abandonment, murder, blackmail and all manner of law-breaking but Brooks manages to make his twist-filled plot both intelligent and very funny. Brooks' favourite authors are J.D. Salinger and Raymond Chandler and it shows – there are definite shades of Salinger's Holden Caulfield in the conversations Martyn holds with himself. Although it takes a bit of getting into and the plot sometimes seems to spiral out of control, this book is well worth persevering with - the ending is stunning.

Card, Orson Scott - Ender’s Game
Ender's Game is a science fiction novel that tells the story of Andrew Wiggin (nicknamed Ender by his sister, Valentine). The story takes place on Earth in the future. Earth has been attacked twice by an alien species called Buggers, nearly destroying the human race. Mankind begins training young geniuses to become soldiers and commanders to fight in Earth's defence if the Buggers should ever attack again. Ender is extremely intelligent, and at the age of six years old, he goes to Battle School to be trained. Ender quickly rises to the top in Battle School and begins training in order to command Earth's fleet.

Catran, Ken - Red leader down
When 17 year old Matt Ellarton dreams that he is a World War Two pilot in a dogfight against the Germans, something strange happens. Later that morning, the family gets news that Grandpa, a fighter pilot in the war, died at exactly that time, 3 a.m.

Cole, Stephen - Thieves Like Us
Nathaniel Coldhardt, an aging, debonair master-criminal runs his own unique job creation scheme. He recruits teenagers with special skills - kids from the wrong side of the tracks with no real family and nothing to lose. He trains them as ruthless, efficient professionals and employs them to undertake the daring crimes he's so good at planning. He has a team of four, but for his next assignment he needs a new skill and that's where Jonah comes in. Jonah can decode anything, he's a genius at cryptology - that's what got him arrested. He doesn't know who is breaking him out of the young offender's institute but he's about to find out.

Colfer, Eoin - Artemis Fowl
Fantastic stuff from beginning to end, Artemis Fowl is a rip-roaring, 21st-century romp of the highest order. The author has let his imagination run riot by combining folklore, fantasy, and a fistful of high-tech funk in an outrageously devilish book that could well do for fairies what Harry Potter has done for wizardry. But be warned: this is no gentle frolic, so don't be fooled by the fairy subject matter. Instead, what we have here is well-written, sophisticated, rough 'n' tumble storytelling with enough high-octane attitude to make it a seriously cool read for anyone over the age of 10.

Colfer, Eoin - The Wish List
'The one soul I tell you to look out for and you lose her.' Meg Finn is in trouble. Unearthly trouble. A botched attempt to rob a pensioner's flat ends with a fatal gas explosion and puts Meg in a very sticky situation. Her soul is up for grabs as Heaven and Hell try every sneaky trick imaginable to claim it. Helping a lonely old man complete tasks on his wish list is her only chance. But even if she takes that chance, will she really have enough points to face up to St Peter?

Deborah Ellis - Parvana
Based closely on real life, this is the exciting and inspiring story of Parvana, a young girl growing up in Afghanistan, as she struggles to make a life for herself and her family under the harsh rule of the Taliban. There are many types of battles in Afghanistan. Imagine living in a country where women and girls are not allowed to leave the house without a man. Imagine having to wear clothes that cover every part of your body, including your face, whenever you go out. This is the life of Parvana, a young girl growing up in Afghanistan under the control of an extreme religious military group.When soldiers burst into her home and drag her father off to prison, Parvana is forced to take responsibility for her whole family, dressing as a boy to make a living in the marketplace of Kabul, risking her life in the dangerous and volatile city.By turns exciting and touching, Parvana is a story of courage in the face of overwhelming fear …

Flanagan, John - The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice)
Like the other 15-year-old wards of Castle Redmont, Will is nervous about Choosing Day, when each of them will be assigned to a different master for training. Though his dearest wish is to enter the Battleschool, his small stature prevents it. Instead, Will is apprenticed to the grim-faced, mysterious Ranger. Soon Will learns that becoming a ranger is more difficult, dangerous, and worthwhile than he had imagined.

Ford, Vince - Boyznbikes
After Callum gets into trouble at school, his parents decide he should join his father on his annual motorbike ride south. The journey turns into a discovery, about his father, his family history, and himself.

Gantos, Jack - Hole in my life
The author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler, was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college, all the while hoping to become a writer.

Higson, Charlie - Silverfin (Young Bond #1)
Before the name became a legend, Before the boy became the man,Meet James Bond.The dark waters around a remote Scottish castle hold a sinister secret. One man with a thirst for power will use it - whatever the cost. SilverFin is dangerous. SilverFin is the future. SilverFin must be destroyed.


Horowitz, Anthony - Stormbreaker (Alex Rider series)
When his guardian dies in suspicious circumstances, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider finds his world turned upside down. Forcibly recruited into MI6, Alex has to take part in gruelling SAS training exercises. Then, armed with his own special set of secret gadgets, he's off on his first mission to Cornwall, where Middle-Eastern multi-billionaire Herod Sayle is producing his state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers. Sayle has offered to give one free to every school in the country - but there's more to the gift than meets the eye.

Jones, V. M. - The Serpents of Arakesh
Adam Equinox was abandoned on the doorstep of Highgate Orphanage 12 years ago. He has no idea who - or where - his parents are; no friends; nothing he's good at; and nowhere he really belongs.

One day, reeling from yet another visit to the principal's office, he notices Cameron Haig's unusual bookmark. It's the entry form for the Quest Golden Opportunity Competition, a competition Adam - along with 40,000 other kids - would love to win. Adam doesn't seem to stand a chance until Cameron gives him his ticket.

Unbelievably, Adam is chosen as one of the finalists. But it's only when he and his four companions begin the gaming workshop that Quentin Quested reveals why they are really there - and launches them on a real- life quest into the parallel world of Karazan, where the Serpents of Arakesh stand guard over the most precious prize of all.

Jacques, Brian - Redwall
Only the lost sword of Martin the Warrior can save Redwall Abbey from the evil rat, Cluny, and his greedy horde. The young mouse, Matthias (formerly Redwall's most awkward novice), vows to recover the legendary weapon. In the course of his quest, Matthias forges strong ties with various local animals. As much as the magic of the sword, it is the help of these new friends that enables Matthias to defeat Cluny once and for all. Jacques's clever use of detail creates an animal world as compelling as that of The Wind in the Willows. This epic adventure contains elements of all grand quests, with heroic archetypes that will keep fans of Tolkein and King Arthur tales engaged to the final battle.

Jordan, Robert - The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time Series)
"[The Wheel of Time] will be the definitive American exploration of Tolkien's territory for many years to come. Jordan can spin as rich a world and as event-filled a tale as the master, and the presence of women and a certain sense of the comic possibilities of a high destiny add further dimension to the work." —Booklist

L.S. Lawrence - Eagle of the East
The year is 53 BC. The disastrous Battle of Carrhae is over. Forty thousand Romans lie dead on the field. Tribune Marcus Drusus Pontus must negotiate to save his men's lives. They must serve the triumphant Parthians, or die. They will be marched to the east to guard the frontier. But then, the Emperor changes his mind.

Lloyd-Jones, Robin - Red Fox Running
Adam's father was a whaler in the Arctic - until the time he never came back. 16-year-old Adam desperately wants to find his father, so he signs on as a cabin boy in the next expedition travelling North. One of his earliest allies on board is an Eskimo girl called Pipaluk. When the ship gets stuck in the ice, Adam and Pipaluk must travel over the treacherous ice floes in search of help. As their journey lengthens, Adam learns a great deal about Arctic survival, about himself, and finally about his love for Pipaluk and her harsh homeland.

Sam Enthoven - Black Tattoo
Jack doesn't know what he's got himself into. One minute he and his best friend, Charlie, were up in Chinatown having crispy duck with Charlie's dad (and Jack was having to listen to Charlie shouting at his dad for leaving his mum) - then next minute they were in a mysterious room above a theatre, with some of the strangest characters they'd ever encountered. And they were about to take The Test. . . and something very very weird was about to begin. The Test transformed Charlie - leaving him with the distinctive markings of the Black Tattoo - and with a temper that seemed out of control. The boys' meeting with Esme, a young girl with the most impressive martial arts skills this side of Bruce Lee, her huge and hairy father Raymond, and the mysterious Nick seemed to have swept Charlie and Jack into a world they had no idea existed. And it was only going to get stranger. . .

McNabb, Andy and Robert Rigby - Boy Soldier
Danny Watts's grandfather, Fergus, was a traitor. One of the worst sort. An SAS explosives expert, who betrayed his country and his Regiment for money. Drug money. He was arrested and left to rot and die in a Columbian jail. At least, that's what seventeen-year-old Danny is told when his hopes of becoming a soldier are destroyed for ever. But, he knows something the army doesn't seem to know. Fergus Watts is alive and in the UK, living in secret under an assumed name - but where? Fergus is Danny's only living relative. Burning with fury and desire for revenge, Danny sets out to track down his grandfather and expose him. In doing so, he sets in train an explosive sequence of events which throw Danny and Fergus together on the run from the people who want Fergus, and now Danny, dead. Packed with breathtaking action, SAS procedures and surveillance and survival techniques, this is a fast-moving, action-packed thriller for teenagers.

Marsden, John - Tomorrow, When the War Began
Australian teenager Ellie and six of her friends return from a winter break camping trip to find their homes burned or deserted, their families imprisoned, and their country occupied by a foreign military force in league with a band of disaffected Australians. As their shock wears off, the seven decide they must stick together if they are to survive. After a life-threatening skirmish with the occupiers, the teens retreat to their isolated campsite in the bush country and make plans to fight a guerilla war against the invaders. Writing in a distinct voice and showing rare intelligence and sensitivity, Ellie recounts their courageous battles against the Goliath in control of their land.

Martin, Denis - Face it
Trapped on a remote island in the Marlborough Sounds, three teenagers struggle to stay alive and outwit their enemy.

Muchamore, Robert - The Recruit
A terrorist doesn't let strangers into her flat because they may be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home and they run all over the place. The terrorist doesn't know that one of these kids has bugged every room in her house, made copies of all her computer files and stolen her address book. The kid works for CHERUB.

Nix, Garth - Mister Monday

Paolini, Christopher - Eragon, Eldest

Patterson, James - Maximum Ride

Paulsen, Gary - The beet fields
Tells of the author's experiences as a migrant labourer and carnival worker after he ran away from home at sixteen.

Paulsen, Gary - Hatchet series, Tucket series