Tag Archives: Read All About It

Enter BL’s 2019 “Say Yes to Reading!” Contest!

• Read the winning book reports from 2017

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Write a one-page report titled “The Best Book I Read This Year” and enter it in the Boys’ Life 2019 “Say Yes to Reading!” contest.

The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words — 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories:

  • 8 years old and younger
  • 9 and 10 years old
  • 11 years old and older

First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift card from Amazon.com. Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift card; third-place winners, a $50 gift card.

Everyone who enters will get a free patch like the one on this page. The patch is a temporary insignia, so it can be worn on the right pocket of the Scout uniform shirt. Proudly display it there or on another item such as a vest, plaque or trophy! In coming years, you’ll have the opportunity to earn other patches.

The contest is open to all Boys’ Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry.

Send your report, along with a business-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope, to:

Boys’ Life Reading Contest
S306
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079

Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2019 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The Best Adventure and Mystery Books?

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We recently received a great question from reader Paul, who asks, “Which are the best adventure and mystery books?”

Let us start by saying that this question is a tricky one because there are thousands of great mystery and adventure books out there. But we will give it a shot.

Take a look below for some of our favorites. Some suggestions will require parental guidance.

  • The 39 Clues (series)
  • Billy Bud by Herman Melville
  • The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  • Dune by Frank Herbert
  • Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  • The Hardy Boys (series)
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Hatchet by Gary Paulson
  • Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
  • Huckelberry Finn by Mark Twain
  • The Lord of the Rings (series) by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  • Percy Jackson & the Olympians (series) by Rick Riordan
  • Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
  • The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
  • Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
  • White Fang by Gary Paulson
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’EngleDid we miss anything? Feel free to ask questions about the books we chose in the comments below. And as always, if you have a burning question type it into the box on the right side of this page.

Check Out The Latest From “The Maze Runner” Author

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Eye-of-Minds

They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but this is one cool cover.

“The Eye of Minds” by James Dashner (author of “The Maze Runner,” “Infinity Ring” & “The 13th Reality”) doesn’t hit stores until October, but I’ve got the first chapter for you now.

What’s it about? Here’s a synopsis:

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?
But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.
The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team. But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.

Sound good? Check out the first chapter of “The Eye of Minds” by James Dashner, by clicking the link below:

Eye of Minds: Chapter 1

For more info on the book, including videos, click here.

What did you think? Will you be buying this book when it comes out? Read more Q&A with James Dashner HERE.