Guys Read: Heroes & Villains

by Jon Scieszka (Editor), Raúl Gonzalez III, Lemony Snicket

Heroes and Villains, the seventh volume in Jon Scieszka's Guys Read Library of Great Reading, is chock-full of adventure featuring an array of characters--with and without capes.Featuring ten all-new, original stories that run the gamut from fantasy to comics to contemporary adventure to nonfiction, and featuring eleven of the most acclaimed, exciting writers for kids working today, this collection is the perfect book for you, whether you use your powers for good--or evil.Authors include Laurie Halse Anderson, Cathy Camper and Raul Gonzalez, Sharon Creech, Jack Gantos, Christopher Healy, Deborah Hopkinson, Ingrid Law, Pam Munoz Ryan, Lemony Snicket, and Eugene Yelchin, with illustrations by Jeff Stokely.

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Adventure, Middle Grade, Humor, Juvenile, Childrens

Audio CD

First published April 4, 2017

About the author

Jon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young adult stories that were often twists on fairy tales. 2 of the very best were not, though.

One was a Mexican kid trying to get across the border with his father. Nothing hero heroic about it. No powers, just some people in a really shitty situation who leave their family so they can earn a living. It's pretty damn heroic the way he handled it & probably very true to life.

The other was based on the true story of bad dairy practices in the 1850s (?) in NYC. Life was tough for Irish immigrants & this boy struggled with a really bad situation. Again, a lot of realism.

The other stories were a mixed bag. Some were funny, but none of them were all that great. I skipped through a couple. The entire collection was worth it for the other 2, though.

[JS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the book. It was packed with good short stories that we could analyze and talk about really well. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes superhero's and villains or if you like any of the authors that contributed to the book. It also has a comic/graphic novel short story in it

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunate use of language.

[Marsha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is definitely a mixed bag and nothing much comes out of it. I haven’t read any of the other books in the Guys Read stories. But, if this is indicative of the type, it doesn’t bode well for future masculinity or the females who have the misfortune of dating and marrying them.

Judging by the contents, boys aren’t interested in any story that has heroines as its central focus. Women—and strong, outspoken ones, too—do appear in its pages. But nowhere are they posited as central characters. It’s the men and boys who fill that role, as if to suggest that boys wouldn’t be interested in tales featuring powerful females as the main figures.

Instead, we get nebbishes like Wendell who gets yanked into Mother Goose’s story instead of the young girl she was expecting; the traitorous Benedict Arnold being judged by a bunch of war gods and one war goddess; a smart-mouthed Little Red Riding Hood once again shunted into the damsel-in-distress role while a snot-nosed brat called Deeb Rauber comes in to save the day; a brave and honorable mother being bullied and insulted by her husband and sidelined by her young son who’s expected to be the hero, etc. It’s depressing to think that these are the only stories that would interest guys.

Then again, I don’t equate “guys” with “men”. Guys are males who have stretched out adolescence for far too long. Guys are males who think fart and armpit noises are hilarious. Guys get sulky at women who don’t laugh at their jejeune jokes, claiming “she doesn’t have a sense of humor”.

A man, on the other hand, is a very different breed of animal. A man is someone you’d count on to look after your baby sister. A guy is someone you wouldn’t trust to take care of your goldfish.

I wouldn’t recommend this book for girls or boys. Girls would be supremely disappointed. Boys would be better off watching Marvel movies. In spite of those largely being a huge boys club, you at least have women taking center stage and firing off lasers on occasion.

[Erica Sonzogni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you always thought that it’s easy to distinguish a hero from a villain? Guys Read: Heroes and Villains challenges the idea that the two can be clearly defined. In this book of short stories, Jon Scieszka, author of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, compiles fictional accounts written by various authors. Each story includes a male main character who struggles with good and evil. An example of one is a fairy tale that involves a thief who turns into a hero by helping Little Red Riding Hood. The thief, known as The Bandit King, is a comical young boy who is a dictator over his own kingdom, but has a change of character when he encounters the strong-willed Hood. Another story is about a boy and his father who are escaping Mexico to come to the United States illegally. This child’s journey is terrifying and readers feel the intense suspense as he narrowly escapes to a better life.
Heroes and Villains has a story for every type of boy reader. From historical fiction based off true events of an Irish immigrant in America to a comic about siblings who fight off bogeymen, there is a topic for every interest. Since the book is focused on males, slight violence, harmless illegal activities, vulgar language and toilet humor are scattered through the stories. The only criticism is that many of the tales are lengthy. Chapters do not break up each individual writing piece and some readers could get bored while reading a genre that does not suit their interest. Girls should not be discouraged from reading this book either, even though the series is titled Guys Read. Both females and males will enjoy the characters, action, and humor present throughout this collection.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guys Read: Heroes Villains is part of a short story series written by the same famous author who hosts the extremely helpful and informative website for boys by the same name. Jon Scieszka's "Guys Read" selections are always original, and exactly what boys enjoy most, gore, suspense, and of course humor presented through memorable stories. The topic Heroes & Villains is the most popular topic requested by boys in our library, sometimes labeled as "superhero" tales. Heroes Villains has many shocking and entertaining stories that serve as a perfect vehicle for introducing boys to these authors, enticing them to want to read more of their suspenseful tales. Christopher Healy's "The Villain's Guide to Being a Hero" exposes opposing sides of being a hero/villain, and will have children question their own definition of both a hero and a villain. Other favorite stories include Deborah Hopkinson historical fiction tale based on real events provoked by unethical practices and greed, Pamela Munoz Ryan's heart wrenching story of a father and son's adventure attempting to cross between the US and Mexican border, Eugene Yelchin's story of Russian intrigue with suspenseful high adventure, and Jack Gantos' story of a mother arrested for murder, keep the pages flying with the suspense of each hair raising tale. All of these hero/ villain tales and many others in this collection focus on real life issues that are occurring in today's world. The fact that so many heroic deeds are performed by ordinary, everyday citizens who instinctively make the choice to risk their lives to help others is a recurring theme. A must have for all elementary/ middle school libraries. These stories make perfect individual read aloud tales, too.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroes & Villains is collection of short stories written for boys and all feature a preteen male protagonist. It's part of a series known as Guys Read. Obviously meant to encourage boys to read more.

So I willingly admit that I (a thirty year old female) am not the target demographic. That said, it was incredibly disappointing that none of the stories were about superheroes. They put them on the cover but alas — not in the stories.

Each of the stories was interesting in it's own way, all about boys who stand up to an injustice or trial and come out on top,

For me the best one was, "How I Became Stink Daley." It shines a light on a little known historical event. The New York City Swill-milk scandal, where dairy providers were adding chalk and stuff to milk in order to stretch it out. It was very fascinating.

Of course Lemony Snicket can be counted on for a laugh and the Story of General Poophead will send you to google fact checking everything about Benedict Arnold.

Final Verdict: If you know a preteen boy who needs something empowering to read then toss this his way.

[LALa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Motivation for reading this was because Cathy Camper and Raúl Gonzalez III have a story in it, which was a fun read. I like the concept of a series that encourages kids to read, and don't mind this targeting "guys" because I've read in many locations they may have lower literacy rates or reading involvement than their counterparts. So, whatever helps get kids excited and stay excited about reading is a thumbs up from me.

There's a nice mix of content with this anthology, and I liked how some writers took heroes/villains in a more literal fun sense while others made it more ambiguous and encourage the reader to make their own judgements. I would definitely read some of the earlier volumes of this series, and hope to discover some new authors along the way.

[Wolfie Smoke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew one of these stories was by Ingrid Law so I wanted to read it, but I’m not the biggest fan of superheroes, so for several years I had it on my list to buy, but never did. Finally, I received it as a gift and was like “well, I have to read it now” and after putting it off a little longer I read it.

Not a single one of these stories is about superheroes. -_-


“The Villian’s Guide to Being a Hero” - 4 Stars /// Cute
“First Crossing” - 2 Stars /// Propaganda…? But good writing!
“Need That Dog” - 1 Star /// Boring
“How I Became Stink Daley” - 3 Stars /// Sure
“The Wager” - 5 STARS! /// This one was great
“Kalash” - 2 Stars /// ??????
“General Poophead” - 3 Stars /// Cool, but… what??
“The Warrior and the Knave” - 4 Stars /// Really cool!
“The Hero of the Story” - 1 Star /// Really on the nose!
“How My Mother Was Arrested for Murder” - Didn’t Finish /// Weirdly dark for this age?

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Villain’s guide to being a hero” by Christopher Healy. Deeb, the bandit king, is a 12 year old menace and the worst villain in the 13 kingdoms. But then a bunch of princesses join together to be heroes and all of a sudden all the news is about them, not the bandit king. He decides the only way to get the attention back where it belongs is to save the next town that asks for the princes’ help. This was very silly and funny, and would make a great read aloud for class.

“First Crossing” by Pam Munoz Ryan. Marco is 12, and it’s his first time trying to sneak into the United States with his father, from Mexico. His father has been doing it for many years, since he can make so much more money in the United States. It is a complicated, expensive, and nerve-wracking experience, but they do it for the betterment of their family. This was great—it really showed rather than told the experience of trying to cross La Linea. Great details and suspense, and a great window into the experience of one immigrant boy who just wants the best for his family.

“Need that dog” by Sharon Creech. Sammy wants a dog to protect him from the neighborhood bullies who taunt him daily. What he gets is a job walking a neighbor’s teeny tiny scrap of a dog, Peep. That is absolutely not going to work for Sammy. Is it? This is short and cute, and brings up all the honest problems with owning a dog, such as scooping poop. But it also shows the more positive side, and how even the tiniest dog can be somebody’s hero. Even if it involves dog slobber.

“How I became Stink Daley” by Deborah Hopkinson. In 1858 New York City, Irish immigrant boy Danny’s father is injured, and Danny needs to go to work to help support the family. He finds work mucking out stalls at a dairy, but is appalled at the condition of the cattle, and at how the dairy owners are doctoring the milk that gets fed to babies—like his own baby sister, who is always sick. He decides to take action. This is well done and well researched, it would be a good classroom story, although it is of necessity rather gross.

“The Wager” by Cathy Camper and Raul the Third. In this graphic novel format story, two traditional Hispanic bogeyman bet each other that they can scare two kids trying to sleep. But the kids manage to counter their every move. I liked the idea behind this well enough, even though it was quite simple. I wish that the pictures had been bigger, because I had trouble with my old eyes understanding each detail of these very detailed black and white drawings.

“Kalash” by Eugene Yelchin. In Russia, the main character lives with his older brother, recently returned from the army and now firmly attached to the couch. The brother tells stories about his great heroism, and the main character needs that heroism to protect him from the bullies at school, but his brother isn’t interested in anything but watching TV. When the main character tries to get his brother a job with the thug upstairs, it results in a harrowing car chase in the snow, complete with bullets. I think the kids would like action will like this one a lot. For me it was sad because of the brothers’ lack of options, and the lives they had to lead at that place in time. Not exactly sure who the hero is in this story.

“General Poophead” by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is the afterlife of Benedict Arnold, who has been cursed to keep getting reincarnated on the Ship of the Darned in the Forgotten Sea, in a gigantic mound of pelican poop. He is regularly tried by the gods of the world to see if he has repented. He hasn’t. I didn’t really see the point of the story except for the kids who enjoy reading about gigantic mounds of pelican poop.

“The warrior and the knave” by Ingrid Law. When Wendell got stuffed into a locker, he didn’t expect it to have a portal to another world in it. It did, though, so now he’s in a different world and being sent off on a quest by Mother Goose to retrieve her goose from the Knave. She gives him a shepherd’s crook, a pie pan, and a bag that can hold anything without gaining any weight. This was fun, and I think kids will like it. I would recommend it for more third through fifth grade than older. It has the rhythm and structure of a fairytale, but with modern details and lots of laughs.

“The hero of the story” by Lemony Snicket. A homeless 13-year-old boy is asked to watch a baby for a minute in the park, but then the “mother” never returns. The boy takes the baby to the library and reads a story about a girl who was a hero and had adventures, but is the boy a hero? Should he have taken the baby to the police instead? I liked the story well enough, but it was a little confusing in terms of how it fit into this collection. That was perhaps the point though – what makes someone a hero and what makes them a villain? Could the same actions result in either heroism or villainy?

“How my mother was arrested for murder” by Jack Gantos. When Jack’s mother found a babysitter abusing Jack’s baby brother, she said she was mad enough that if she’d had a gun, she would have shot the babysitter. So Jack’s father buys her a gun, which she doesn’t actually want, but she agrees to learn to shoot it. When things go awry, Jack has to decide if he is more like his mother or his father, which will dictate his actions. I think kids will like this one especially because Gantos always goes further than other authors and his somewhat horrifying details that may or may not be autobiographical. I like the ethical conundrum that Jack has to go through, and I think he’s a good role model for not giving in when his sister tries to guilt him into doing something that he knows is wrong in the name of saving his mother. Jack knows his mother would not want him to do it no matter what, and he sticks to his guns (pun intended).

[Rebel Rider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of these stories were rather boring. In one, there seemed to be no hero or villain, and some of the other stories had no hero.
I also got a little annoyed at two of the stories pushing an agenda. One was about an illegal immigrant crossing the border. (Overall, the author did decently and the story didn't feel very preachy, but I could tell what the author was doing.) Another was about a boy whose mother thought she'd shot a guy. This one was especially bad because of how stupidly it depicted gun stuff. Firstly, anyone with half a brain knows better than to shoot a gun at night without having a target, and secondly, the story depicted the father, who liked guns, as having no regard for human life and generally a bad guy who treated his family like trash, all the while spouting pro-gun phrases. If it hadn't been for this preachy story and its straw man antagonist, I'd have given the book three stars because I liked the story about the boy who ratted out the dairy for poor practices. (That story was also a bit political, but really well done because it pulled at my heart strings since my family has milk cows, and the dairy was certainly in the wrong.)

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection of short stories for kids. I loved how diverse each story was. Some had strong messages of heroism and villainy and some were complex. I think this would be a great book to see if you like any of these super popular authors and want to read their full length novels because they all had a very strong style. My personal favorites were by Sharon Creech (about the boy dog sitting) and Lemony Snicket (the boy with the baby at the library). This is not surprising because I have read some of their other stories and loved them. I wouldn't expect anything here to be profound, but they did have a great balance of humor and serious world issues being introduced in an age appropriate way.

[Jtimko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read about heroes and villains from various contemporary authors in this seires of books from Guys Read editor Jon Scieszck.
This is the seventh book in the series by editor Jon Scieszck featuring authors that readers are presently reading. Authors include Pam Munoz Ryan, Sharon Creech, Deborah Hopkinson, Lemony Snicket and Jack Gantos just to name a few. As with all compilations, the reader will pick and choose from a wide variety of story plots. They might even try out a new author after reading their short story from this book. This would be a good selection for the young adult library. Highly recommended for grades 5 through 9.

[Amber Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short stories in this book mainly focused on the heroes (and occasional villains) that a person would find in the real world. A few of the tales were about pretty serious matters (immigration, kidnapping, etc.) and others were kinda silly (Benedict Arnold being crapped on by a giant pelican, being sucked through a wormhole in the back of a school locker and ending up in a world where Mother Goose needs your help, etc.), but they were all well written and gave their characters a real sense of purpose. These are geared toward younger boys (GUYS Read!), but I think anybody would enjoy them; their themes are universal.

[Daphne]

I'm not rating this since I only read the story by Lemony Snicket. The story was ok. It was interesting to learn a bit more about what happened to Lemony Snicket after he left Stain'd-by-the-Sea, but the actual plot wasn't my favorite. There was some interesting discussion -- albeit a shallow discussion -- on what makes a hero or villain, but nothing too groundbreaking. So, I'm not upset that I read this, but I don't think it's necessary to read this unless you're a huge ATWQ or ASOUE fan.

(Read: January 2020)

[Amanda K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for middle school readers, struggling or reluctant high school readers or advanced elementary readers. For the younger or less mature kids, it's a great family read to discuss some of the big themes about what makes a good guy good and a bad guy bad. Also the short story format can open doors to longer works written by the authors featured.

[Tessyohnka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my little guy -- my ten-year-old grandson and he gave it the 4-star rating. I might not have been that generous. It's a bit of a mixed bag with a wide variety of topics and genres. Some of the stories felt very young and others were surprisingly (shockingly?) more mature. We may try another Guys Read but we have a lot of books in our TBR pile!

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was selected for our district boys battle of the books. I was pleasantly surprised by the varied topics and authors. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I can see why it may appeal to the boys.

[Isaac Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm kind of on the fence for this book it interesting but also hard to follow. But believe me, some of these stories are really good but i think you could just have a great time just reading some of the stories but its your call but overall i give it a 3 star review.

[ethansbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Villain's Guide to Being a Hero 5 stars
First Crossing 3 stars
Need That Dog 4 stars
How I Became Stink Daley 5 stars
The Wager 3 stars
Kalash 2 stars
General Poophead 3 stars
The Warrior and the Knave 5 stars
The Hero of the Story 4 stars
How My Mother Was Arrested for Murder 4 stars

[Daniel Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked each of the short stories, but my favorite was the Bandit King companion story.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only read 1st story

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Villain's Guide by Chris Healy)

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series rocks

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

[Isaac Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how there was different stories in 1 book.

[Luella Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok group of stories. I really enjoyed the sci fi edition better.

[roopa]

10/17/2020 - The Hero of the Story

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent Guys Read collection. As always, some stories were better than others.

[Randy Garry · Rating 3 out of 5]

10 short stories. About half were good, about half weren’t. One was great. Overall, just okay.