It’s here: Volume One of the official Guys Read Library. Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read initiative was founded on a simple premise: that young guys enjoy reading most when they have reading they can enjoy. And out of this comes a series that aims to give them just that. Ten books, arranged by theme, featuring the best of the best where writing for kids is concerned. Each book is a collection of original short stories, but these aren’t your typical anthologies–each book is edgy, inventive, visual, and one-of-a-kind, featuring a different theme for guys to get excited about.

Funny Business is based around the theme of–what else–humor, and if you’re familiar with Jon and Guys Read, you already know what you’re in store for: ten hilarious stories from some of the funniest writers around. Before you’re through, you’ll meet a teenage mummy; a kid desperate to take a dip in the world’s largest pool of chocolate milk; a homicidal turkey; parents who hand over their son’s room to a biker; the only kid in his middle school who hasn’t turned into a vampire, wizard, or superhero; and more. And the contributor list includes bestselling author, award winners, and fresh new talent alike: Mac Barnett, Eoin Colfer, Christopher Paul Curtis, Kate DiCamillo (writing with Jon Scieszka), Paul Feig, Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, Adam Rex, and David Yoo.

Guys Read is all about turning young readers into lifelong ones–and with this book, and each subsequent installment in the series, we aim to leave no guy unturned.

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.

Meet Jack: He lives in a tree house. His interests include snacks, petty theft, and lipstick graffiti. Jack also loves his friends, he just has a funny way of showing it sometimes . . .

A perfect read-aloud with snappy, rhythmic text, this series will bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books and fill the Elephant-and-Piggie-shaped hole in young readers’ hearts.

When the Crown Jewels go missing from inside a locked room, Mac’s spy skills are put to the test. How did the thief break in? Where did the jewels go? And will Mac be able to solve this locked-room mystery before the thief escapes? This mystery isn’t just a whodunit… it’s a howdunit! The action in this adventure is nonstop as Mac travels to an ancient Irish castle to solve the mystery. There, he encounters everything from killer king cobras to bizarre ice sculptures…and even a revenge plot dating back hundreds of years! Will you be able to solve the mystery before Mac does? Featuring historical facts masterfully woven throughout the plot, the second entry in the totally smart and side-splittingly funny New York Times bestselling series Mac B., Kid Spy shouldn’t be missed!

Retired private detective and current seventh grader Steve Brixton has a new career: taking out the garbage on Wednesdays for five bucks a week. But it’s hard to leave the old game behind, and on a train trip down the California coast, Steve finds himself pulled back into sleuthing. Soon he’s in over his head in four feet and eleven inches of mystery involving a fleet of priceless automobiles, a deadly assassin (or maybe just a faulty lock on a sauna door), and a secret train car filled with intrigue. Plus there’s a girl involved, which complicates everything. I mean she’s just Steve’s friend. And really, they barely even know each other. It’s not like they’re boyfriend or girlfriend or anything, okay?

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.

The Lady and Rex have a baseball game against the Big City Brats. Jack is not allowed to swing the bat, so he is told to be the Bat Boy. That is, until the Lady Town Ladies and the Big City Brats are tied. It’s up to Jack to hit a home run, but on the way to home plate he spots some snacks . . .

Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times bestselling and award-winning team of Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli.

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.

Jack, Rex, and the Lady visit the zoo. But when Jack gets hungry, he sneaks into a koala’s cage to steal some snacks. In a case of mistaken identity, the Lady takes the koala home and leaves Jack stuck in the cage. How will Jack escape, and will the Lady and Rex be happier with the new Jack?

Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times bestselling and award-winning team of Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli.

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.

When the Lady is mad at Jack, she decides to send him and Rex on a one-way trip to outer space. While she enjoys some rare peace and quiet, Jack and Rex get into trouble, resulting in their exile to the dark side of the moon. After an alien chase and some snacks, Jack and Rex get blasted home to Earth. But will the Lady take naughty Jack back?

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.

Jack and the Lady take the train West to visit a dude ranch. One night, there’s a bank robbery next door, and Jack is pegged as the bandit. But thanks to Jack’s new rope tricks, the real robber is caught, and Jack leaves the Wild West a free rabbit with a big secret.

Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times bestselling and award-winning team of Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli.

You would like being friends with Leo. He likes to draw, he makes delicious snacks, and most people can’t even see him. Because Leo is also a ghost. When a new family moves into his home and Leo’s efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin. This charming tale of friendship-from two of the best young minds in picture books: the author of the Caldecott Honor-winning Extra Yarn and the illustrator of the Bologna Ragazzi Award-winning Josephine-is destined to become a modern classic that will delight readers for years to come.

Mac must crack a secret code that has been recovered from a double agent. A series of clues leads Mac to France and then to Japan, where he comes face-to-face with his arch-nemesis, the KGB man…and the world headquarters of Nintendo! Is the KGB Man secretly behind all of this? And are Mac’s video-game skills good enough to face down his enemy at the Video Game World Championships? Featuring historical facts woven throughout–and, of course, intrigue and hilarity–the fourth entry in the totally smart, wholly original, side-splittingly funny series from the wildly talented Mac Barnett shouldn’t be missed!

The Queen of England calls on her trusty spy, Mac B., once again. This time, Mac must navigate secret tunnels beneath the Berlin Wall in order to retrieve cheat codes from a Soviet scientist. Floppy disk in hand, our hero finds himself trapped in East Germany, stuck between the wall and the Stasi. How will he escape? Well, it is 1989, and walls do fall down.

The precious Crown Jewels have been stolen, and there’s only one person who can help the Queen: her newest secret agent, Mac B. To help her, he must travel around the globe in search of the stolen treasure…but will he find it in time? From secret identities to Karate hijinks, this fast-paced, witty, and historically inspired chapter book will keep listeners guessing. With fascinating historical facts masterfully sprinkled throughout, the first entry in this series offers adventure, intrigue, absurdity, and humor. Discover this totally smart and side-splittingly funny series, and experience what it’s really like to be a kid spy.

Paolo the dachshund is trapped. Although he lives in Rome, a city filled with history and adventure, he is confined to a hair salon. Paolo dreams of the sweet life–la dolce vita–in the Eternal City. And then, one day, he escapes! Paolo throws himself into the city, finding adventure at every turn.

Join our hero as he discovers the wonders of Rome: the ruins, the food, the art, the opera, and–of course–the cats. Everyone will cheer the daring of this bighearted dog, whose story shows that even the smallest among us can achieve great things.

Steve Brixton always wanted to be a detective . . . until he found out he already was one.

It all starts here: the thrilling story of Steve Brixton’s first case. Our hero has a national treasure to recover, a criminal mastermind to unmask, and a social studies report due Monday—all while on the run from cops, thugs, and secret-agent librarians.

Just another day for a kid detective.

“The boy detective novel is back with Mac Barnett’s tongue-in-cheek homage to the Hardy Boys mysteries. Arte Johnson is spot-on as narrator. His serious, straightforward delivery adds just the right leavening to this funny and entertaining story.”—AudioFile

“Arte Johnson gives Steve’s predicament a matter-of-fact, almost sardonic tone, with methodical pacing and understatement that provides listeners with laugh-out-loud enjoyment of this wholly improbable story. Fans will also enjoy the other titles in this series.”—School Library Journal

As seen on The TODAY Show! New York Times bestselling Mac Barnett and Caldecott Honor award-winning illustrator Shawn Harris turn their massively popular The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza live cartoon into an action-packed and hysterical graphic novel series–perfect for fans of Dav Pilkey, Raina Telgemeier, and Jeff Kinney. A Kids’ Indie Next List Pick and an Indie Bestseller!

Something terrible is happening in the skies! Rats are eating the MOON!

There’s only ONE hero for the job, a bold and fearsome beast bioengineered in a secret lab to be the moon’s savior and Earth’s last hope! And that hero is . . . a cat. A cat who will be blasted into space!

Accompanied by the imperious Moon Queen and LOZ 4000, a toenail clipping robot, the First Cat in Space journeys across a fantastic lunar landscape in a quest to save the world. Will these unlikely heroes save the moon in time? Can a toenail-clipping robot find its purpose in the vast universe? And will the First Cat in Space ever eat some pizza?

Steve Brixton is America’s next great kid detective (and now he has his own agency to prove it)….
 
When twelve-year-old detective Steve Brixton gets a call that the Fairview diamond has gone missing, there are only two things to do: grab his new business cards and take the case!

But Steve quickly learns there’s an even bigger mystery afoot.

MacArthur Bart, a.k.a. Steve’s hero, a.k.a. the author of the Bailey Brothers Mysteries series, has been kidnapped! With the man who taught him everything he knows about sleuthing in trouble, Steve and his best chum, Dana, know they must stage a daring rescue. . . .

Once they find out where Bart is . . .and who took him . . .and why.

England is in trouble! A priceless violin has been stolen, and there’s only one person who can help: Mac B., kid spy. Mac’s adventure takes him on a top-secret museum night watch, zip-lining in Italy with his trusty corgi sidekick, and on an undercover mission in the heart of enemy territory. But when he ends up as a captured prisoner, is the mission lost for good? With fascinating historical facts masterfully sprinkled throughout, the fifth entry in the Mac B., Kid Spy series offers adventure, intrigue, absurdity, and humor.

Miles Murphy had it made. He lived in a great town near the ocean, he had two best friends, and most importantly, he had a reputation for being his town’s best prankster. All of which explains why he’s not happy to be moving to Yawnee Valley, a sleepy town that’s famous for one thing and one thing only: cows. Worse than that, Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster–and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he’ll have to raise his game.

It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery, until the two finally decide to join forces to pull off the biggest prank ever seen, a prank so huge it would make the members of the International Order of Disorder (a loose confederacy of pranksters that flourished a couple of centuries ago) proud.

In The Terrible Two, bestselling authors and friends Jory John and Mac Barnett have walked an impressive tightrope, creating a series that has its roots in classic middle-grade literature yet feels fresh and daring at the same time.

On their own, pranksters Miles and Niles were pretty devious. Now that they’ve formed a pranking duo, they’re terrible! But their powers will be tested when their favorite nemesis, Principal Barkin, is replaced by his stern and cunning father, former Principal Barkin. Now Miles and Niles will do just about anything to get their old antagonist back–including pranking alongside him.

From authors and friends Mac Barnett and Jory John comes the second installment in the series that celebrates inventiveness, friendship, and the power of teamwork–for good, or for terrible.

Everyone’s favorite pranksters are at it again!

School’s out, and Miles and Niles are running wild in the woods outside town: climbing trees, exploring caves, and, yes, pranking. But these leafy, lazy days of mischief darken when bully Josh Barkin and his cadets from a nearby kids’ boot camp discover the merrymakers–and vow to destroy them. Are our heroes’ sharp minds any match for these hooligans’ hard fists?

The latest installment in the witty, on-target series proves once again that, in the hands of the powerless, pranks can be tools of justice–plus, they’re funny.

It’s Miles’ and Niles’ final year at Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy, and the Terrible Two have one goal: an epic prank. Something big, something brilliant, something that will leave a lasting legacy at their school. It should be easy-peasy for these experts, especially now that their principal has gone from archnemesis to pranking protege.

But their smooth sailing gets downright bumpy when they find out that the new superintendent is none other than Bertrand Barkin, their principal’s father … and their sworn enemy. Now that Former Principal Barkin is Acting Superintendent Barkin, he has a first order of business: his long-promised revenge on the Terrible Two.

This rollicking finale to the bestselling series by Mac Barnett and Jory John will settle once and for all who–between quick wits and powerful fists–will have the last laugh.

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.

The Lady gives Jack a gift. It’s a lab kit! Jack goes into the shed to experiment and doesn’t come out until he’s made another Jack and another Jack and another. But one Jack was already too many. Can Jack stop his naughty robot clones before they destroy the town?

Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times bestselling and award-winning team of Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli.

What’s Mac B.’s newest top-secret mission? Travel to Iceland and retrieve the ravens that were stolen from the Tower of London…before Britain is ruined. In Iceland, he discovers secret submarines, hungry polar bears, mysterious blueprints… and his old archnemesis! Is the KGB man behind this birdnapping? Can Mac get the ravens to safety? It’s time for an epic top-secret smackdown between these two secret agents! With fascinating historical facts masterfully sprinkled throughout, the third entry in the Mac B., Kid Spy series offers adventure, intrigue, absurdity, and humor.