Collects a variety of essays written by thirty-seven different authors seeking to make essay writing--and reading--fun again. Topics include a character analysis of Mario and Donkey Kong; what breakfast would be like on Mars; and how having a tale would make your day different.

Includes indexes.

Camp Dread or how to survive a shockingly awful summer / Ransom Riggs -- Sasquatch is out there (and he wants us to leave him alone) / Kirsten Miller -- Warning: this essay does not contain pictures / Scott Westerfeld -- It's on like donkey kong / Alan Gratz -- The world is full of time machines / Steve Almond -- Hello, my name is / Jennifer Lou -- Breakfast on Mars: why we should colonize the red planet / Chris Higgens -- Robots only: why we shouldn't colonize Mars / Chris HIggins -- Recall and defend / Rita Williams-Garcia My life before television / Elizabeth Winthrop -- A rite of passage (and the importance of penguin etiquette) / Chris Epting --tNatural light / Sloane Crosley -- Home girl / April Sinclair -- Invisibility / Maile Meloy -- The most famous fairy-tale cat of all is a furry-faced fabulist / Daisy Whitney -- On facing my fears / Khalid Birdson -- Raised by wolves / Sarah Prineas -- Why we need tails / Ned Vizzini -- Death is only a horizon / Alane Ferguson -- Blue Jeans, Cat Stevens, and my first kiss / Lise Clavel -- King Arthur's great power / Mary-Ann Ochota -- A thousand truths: (mostly) a good dog / Steve Brezenoff -- Death by host family / Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg -- The incredibly amazing humpback anglerfish / Michael Hearst -- Showering with spiders / Clay McLeod Chapman -- River girl / Gigi Amateau -- A good lie / Laurel Snyder -- How to fly / Wendy Mass -- Blueberries / Marie Rutkoski -- Banning books-an un-American act / Sarah Darer Littman -- Laika endings / Nick Abadzis -- From seed to flower / Michael David Lukas -- Sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll / Lena Roy -- A single story can change many lives / Craig Kielburger -- Creative book camp / Joshua Mohr -- Princess Leia is an awesome role model / Cecil Castellucci -- The only job I've ever had / Joe Craig -- Break the rules / Ellen Sussman.