Boys’ Life proudly presents your first look at the next ‘Frank Einstein’ book cover!

Due to release on March 17, 2015, Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger by Jon Scieszka is the sequel to the New York Times bestseller Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor.

In this second book in what will be a six-book series, Frank Einstein and his best friend, Watson, along with Klink and Klank, are once again in competition with archival, T. Edison. Their quest? To unlock the power behind the science of energy.

This book promises to deliver a lot of science fun and laughs!

Star Wars Reads Day is an international event celebrating two of my absolute favorite things: reading and Star Wars!

In 2013, there were more than 2,000 events at bookstores and libraries around the world. This year, major publishers like Abrams, Chronicle, DK Publishing, Scholastic, Workman and Disney Book Group will participate.

Some of the newest Star Wars themed titles to hit bookstores this year include:

Star Wars Jedi Academy

Roan’s one dream is to leave home and attend Pilot Academy like his older brother, father, and grandfather. But just as Roan is mysteriously denied entrance to Pilot School, he is invited to attend Jedi Academy–a school that he didn’t apply to and only recruits children when they are just a few years old. That is, until now…

This inventive novel follows Roan’s first year at Jedi Academy where, under the tutelage of Master Yoda, he learns that he possesses more strength and potential than he could have ever dreamed. Oh, and he learns other important things too–like how to make a baking soda volcano, fence with a lightsaber, slow dance with a girl, and lift boulders with the Force.

Star Wars: A New Dawn

For a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights brought peace and order to the Galactic Republic, aided by their connection to the mystical energy field known as the Force. But they were betrayed—and the entire galaxy has paid the price. It is the Age of the Empire.

Now Emperor Palpatine, once Chancellor of the Republic and secretly a Sith follower of the dark side of the Force, has brought his own peace and order to the galaxy. Peace through brutal repression, and order through increasing control of his subjects’ lives. But even as the Emperor tightens his iron grip, others have begun to question his means and motives. And still others, whose lives were destroyed by Palpatine’s machinations, lay scattered about the galaxy like unexploded bombs, waiting to go off. . . .

Star Wars: A New Dawn is set during the legendary “Dark Times” between Episodes III and IV and tells the story of how two of the lead characters from the animated TV series Star Wars Rebels.

Star Wars Workbooks

Featuring favorite characters like Luke Skywalker, Queen Amidala, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and other creatures, monsters, Jedi, and Sith, the workbooks are filled with thousands of original illustrations drawing from all six Star Wars movies and the expanded Star Wars universe. Learn well, you will.

Star Wars Origami Yoda

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.

Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight

The classic tale of good versus evil set in a galaxy far, far away, quickly became a cultural phenomenon during its time, inspiring a generation of story lovers and storytellers. Now, the original trilogy of Star Wars shines anew with the vibrant concept art of Ralph McQuarrie, the legendary conceptual designer behind the original trilogy. Collected in a picture book for the first time, McQuarrie’s art is paired with captivating text by New York Times bestselling author Tony DiTerlizzi-a winning combination that will delight Star Wars fans old and new and delight generations of readers to come.

Also, an official Star Wars event kit (free of charge), including reproducible activity sheets and trivia, is available here as a printable PDF in color and black and white.

And learn more about Star Wars Reads Day here.

If you’re a fan of football, or fantasy football, Fantasy League by Mike Lupica is the perfect book for you. It’s a fun, funny and educational look at fantasy sports from the perspective of a 12-year-old named Charlie Gaines. Charlie, like lots of middle-schoolers, is obsessed with sports.

Especially football. Charlie’s favorite hobby is playing fantasy football. He’s got too many leagues to count, and spends most of his time studying players, teams and stats. One day, his exceptional talent gets noticed by the owner of the L.A. Bulldogs. What happens next sets Charlie off on a one-of-a-kind, dream-come-true adventure.

Earlier this week, author Mike Lupica sent two exclusive videos to Boys’ Life, giving us the scoop on his new book. Take a look:

More about Fantasy League from author Mike Lupica

Learn a few expert fantasy football tips

Here’s the official synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Charlie is a fantasy football guru. He may be just a bench warmer for his school’s football team, but when it comes to knowing and loving the game, he’s first-string. He even becomes a celebrity when his podcast gets noticed by a sports radio host, who plays Charlie’s fantasy picks for all of Los Angeles to hear. Soon Charlie befriends the elderly owner of the L.A. Bulldogs — a fictional NFL team — and convinces him to take a chance on an aging quarterback. After that, watch out . . . it’s press conferences and national fame as Charlie becomes a media curiosity and source of conflict for the Bulldogs general manager, whose job Charlie seems to have taken. It’s all a bit much for a kid just trying to stay on top of his grades and maintain his friendship with his verbal sparring partner, Anna.

James Dashner (author of The Maze Runner, Infinity Ring, Thirteenth Reality) is back with an all-new book, The Rule of Thoughts. The futuristic thriller is the sequel to 2013’s The Eye of Minds, a terrifically creepy look at virtual reality and gaming.

Here’s the gist:
In The Eye of Minds, Michael’s life was turned upside-down. everything he’d ever known about his life—and the world—completely upside down. He barely survived, but it was the only way VirtNet Security knew to find the cyber-terrorist Kaine—and to make the Sleep safe for gamers once again. The truth Michael discovered about Kaine, though, is more complex than they anticipated, and more terrifying: Kaine is a Tangent, a computer program that has become sentient. And Michael’s completing the Path was the first stage in turning Kaine’s master plan, the Mortality Doctrine, into a reality. The Mortality Doctrine will populate Earth entirely with human bodies harboring Tangent minds. Any gamer who sinks into the VirtNet risks coming out with a Tangent intelligence in control of their body. And the takeover has already begun …

 Sound good? Take a look at the opening chapters below.

Are you a Maze Runner fanatic? You’re in luck. The movie based on the bestselling novel of the same name hits theaters Sept. 19.

We’ve got a look at the The Maze Runner trailer, too.

In case you missed out on the book, here’s the gist of the story:

When Thomas wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape.

It’s a scary, adventurous, thrilling, mysterious, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will not disappoint. That said, the movie — and the book — are for older audiences. I recommend the book only for kids 12 and older. If you’re wondering whether you’re ready to tackle the book, visit Common Sense Media first to learn more about the book. Or feel free to ask me any questions in the comments section.

And the movie will likely be rated PG-13 for violence, and some mild language. Even so, aside from some scary moments, the trailer is approved for all audiences.

Want more news about the Maze Runner? Check out our interview with author James Dashner.

BL: What draws you to writing for a younger audience?

J.D.: There was just something magical about reading when I was a youth, and writing for them is the only true way I can return to that magic.

BL: When you were younger, which authors were your favorite?

J.D.: I loved Judy Blume, Madeleine L’Engle, and the Hardy Boys books.

BL: Aside from your own, do you have a favorite young adult book or series? New or old?

J.D.: My favorite of all time is the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. (For those interested: Ender’s Game the movie will be released in Nov. 2013. Watch for a Boys’ Life story on the movie-making process.)

BL: You’re also involved with Infinity Ring, an epic, sprawling time-travel tale, comes out. This seems to have a lot of moving parts, with a multi-platform experience for readers. What is the series all about?

J.D.: Infinity Ring is a story about an alternate reality of our world where “Great Breaks” in time have caused the modern day world to be in really bad shape, plagued by things such as rampant natural disasters and a ruthless government. The main characters find themselves involved with an ancient society that sends them back in time to correct those Breaks in history.

BL: After the final book in the Infinity Ring series, what’s next for you? Or have you even gotten that far into planning?

J.D.: There will be a new young adult series with Random House, as well as other stories I have up my sleeve. Many fun things to come!