Here are some picture books Arlene knows boys will like.

Know what I do at night while you're asleep? Eat your trash, that's what! See those bags? I smell breakfast! With ten wide tires, one really big appetite, and an even bigger smell, this truck's got it all. His job? Eating your garbage and loving every stinky second of it! And you thought nighttime was just for sleeping.

When big ships get to the harbor, they need me! 'Cause I'm MIGHTY! And I can nudge, bump, butt, shove, ram, push, and pull 'em in. You think this tug's too small to pull in ships twenty times his size? Think again! This guy is 100% MIGHTY!

Joe and John Henry are a lot alike. They both like shooting marbles, they both want to be firemen, and they both love to swim. But there's one important way they're different: Joe is white and John Henry is black, and in the South in 1964, that means John Henry isn't allowed to do everything his best friend is. Then a law is passed that forbids segregation and opens the town pool to everyone. Joe and John Henry are so excited they race each other there...only to discover that it takes more than a new law to change people's hearts.

Ugly Fish is ugly and big and mean, and he won't share his driftwood tunnel or his special briny flakes with anyone. And that means the wimpy little fish who keep showing up in his tank have got to go. But then one day someone bigger and uglier and maybe even meaner arrives . . . and suddenly Ugly Fish isn't feeling quite so confident anymore.

Open this book and a massive T. rex springs out, flashing a startling jawful of jagged teeth. Turn the next spread and a ravishing raptor unfurls and appears to fly off the edge of the page. Inside the amazing Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs are "shield bearers" in full-body armor, creatures with frilly headgear, and weighty, long-necked giants. There are even amusing tidbits on the history of paleontology itself — like a pop-up version of a Victorian New Year's dinner in the belly of a dinosaur model, or a pair of scientists locked in a literal tug-of-war over bones.

At last the ultimate book of pirates is here! Inside is the stuff of legend, where tales of adventure and intrigue are written in blood. Read about Blackbeard and Captain Kidd. Learn about walking the plank and buried treasure. Discover what was like aboard a pirate ship -- from a pirate's strict code of conduct to the punishments that awaited those that broke them.

Leonardo is truly a terrible monster-terrible at being a monster that is. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to frighten anyone. Determined to succeed, Leonardo sets himself to training and research. Finally, he finds a nervous little boy, and scares the tuna salad out of him! But scaring people isn't quite as satisfying as he thought it would be. Leonardo realizes that he might be a terrible, awful monster-but he could be a really good friend.

A book of impossible objects, magic mirrors, and other amazing illusions is offered by the award-winning creator of I Spy and ,A Drop of Water.

All fine beat. All beau boy. Beautiful."This stunning volume celebrates all things boy." -Publishers Weekly, starred reviewFamed author bell hooks brings us a tight, exuberant story that captures the essence and energy of what it means to be a boy. Chris Raschka's soulful illustrations buzz with a force that is the perfect match for these powerful words.

It's a long way to a million, right?Of course it is.But do you really know what a million looks like? If you'd like to see -- actually see, right now, with your own eyes -- what a million looks like, just open this book. Be prepared to learn some interesting things along the way. Like how many shoe boxes it would take to make a stack to Mount Everest. And be prepared to do some number wondering of your own. But, most of all, be prepared to be amazed. Because a million is a LOT of dots.

The following books are suggested on Jon Scieszka's Guys Read web site:

Booklist for Young Guys
Cars That Go and Things That Goby Richard Scarry The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson.Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo WillemsGo, Dog. Go!by Philip D. EastmanFrog and Toad books by Arnold LobelGeorge and Martha books by James MarshallThe Stupidsby Harry Allard. Illustrated by James MarshallGrimm’s Fairy TalesCaps For Sale by Esphyr SlobodkinaSylvester and the Magic Pebble and Dr. DeSoto by William SteigTrucks; Trains; Machines at Work by Byron Barton I Spy books by Jean Marzollo, photographs by Walter WickDr Seuss booksThe True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon ScieszkaJumanji by Chris Van AllsburgNo, David by Dave Shannon
Ted by Tony DiTerlizziParts; More Parts by Tedd ArnoldTruck by Donald CrewsHow I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark TeagueThe Adventures of Sparrowboy by Brian PinkneyDinosaur Bob by William JoyceFire Truck by Peter SisThe Maestro Plays by Bill Martin and Vladimir RadunskyThe Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky