Good Guys 5-Minute Stories, edited by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, reviewed by Anneliese White

Summary: There seems to be a short story for every type of personality in a boy in this collection, but the underlying theme is there: boys are awesome! “Space Boy,” “Real Cowboys,” and “Curious George and the Firefighters,” show male readers different careers they may dream of, and all three of them have a heartwarming aspect to them. “Happy Belly, Happy Smile,” tells the story of a boy named Louie visiting his grandfather’s Asian restaurant, and has unique and exquisite artwork. “Mustache Baby,” and “Quiet Wyatt” will make readers laugh out loud. “A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever,” is a great camping tale, and “Kid Amazing vs. the Blob,” and “Brothers,” will connect with readers who have to deal with siblings, younger or older. Finally, “Guyku,” tells the story of a whole year in the form of a haiku. All ten stories are fantastic as individual reads, and a powerhouse as a collection of stories.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is an easy automatic add for all libraries! It has ten stories, all of which are great for storytime on their own, let alone as a collection with different messages for male readers. The illustrations are on point for each of the stories; some are super artsy, most are vibrant in color, and as a whole, represent diversity which is important. An obvious thing to point out is that this will most likely not attract girl readers, but there is a companion book of five-minute stories for girls that could be purchased too. It does a great job of having a story for a variety of interests that boys typically have, and would be fantastic for a variety of lessons.