Monthly Archives: September 2013


Captain Underpants by Dav Pilney

Captain Underpants – Dav Pilney

What can you say about a book that young boys love, teachers and school librarians hate (generally ~ or at least disapprove of) and have characters such as Captain Underpants (the superhero), Dr. Diaper (the evil villain, also known as the school principal) and make use of rubber doggy doo-doo and Wedgie Power? Well, apparently you can say a lot. While reading this book in a public place, not one adult was able to pass by  without exclaiming “Captain Underpants! I know this book”! And several complete strangers felt compelled to tell me their stories about the love their son has/had of it, while also expressing a slight distaste for it. The words “potty humor” kept appearing.

Well, this little book has this effect on adults. Much like RL Stine. Academics, teachers and many parents love to hate these books. However, some young readers love them. Especially young male readers. And if this love with potty humor gets them reading, and keeps them reading then Dav Pilney is doing his job.   Captain Underpants is the creation of 2 pranksters – George and Harold. Troublemakers, these practical jokers manage to get into numerous scrapes and pranks. They are the boys in  class that often made teachers and classmates groan.

Of course, it is possible to discuss in great detail the pros and cons of reading fine writing, great literature, creative storytelling versus what might be called trashy books. But with reading experiencing an alarming decline in the US and young male readers often leading this trend it is much better to keep them to reading so they feel comfortable, enjoy it, and do it with greater ease. This might just help them to stay on the reading path.

However, maybe getting young people to read, and love to read isn’t really what it should be about. Despite Captain Underpants offering to keep young readers glued to the page apparently it tops the list(s) for being the most challenged book, especially in 2012. HERE, HERE, and HERE.  It actually is on the Banned Book list. It makes you wonder why? With television full of so much material that isn’t appropriate, video games that have little or no merit beyond hand /eye coordination in the application of weapon use how harmful and damaging is a book with potty humor?

Maybe some of the people wanting to ban the book should actually read it.

M.O.M.


It’s coming!

Halloween is coming up in just over a month and Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year.

Time to get out the Steven King novels (even though I read them throughout the year) and it is also time to get out the scary movies.

So as I love Halloween, I will be doing mostly Halloween related posts (yes, I know, a shocker…I’m actually going to start posting again).

It’s time to start screaming and jumping at those noises that you hear because Halloween is coming and it’s time to get your fright on 😀

So let the terror begin.

Jack-o-lantern

Jack-o-lantern (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


This is awkward!

Well I just finished the book Obsidian Prey by Jayne Ann Krentz, writing as Jayne Castle and I was going to do a review for it. But, here is the awkward part, it’s apparently the 6th book of the Ghost Hunter’s series. That would probably explain why I was lost during most of the book. It was still very good but I have now ordered the first and second book from my library so I can get through the series. So I cannot do a review for this book just yet because all of my complaints will be invalid since everything was probably previously explained.

This is terribly awkward.

Hopefully book one will arrive soon and I will be able to get this series up. But I will definitely be reading it 😉