It’s long been a top-requested book in libraries—and the latest tome promises to be no exception. The 62nd edition of Guinness World Records 2017 is packed with amazing achievements in every category you can think of, plus some you probably couldn’t. Interested in how high the most nimble llama can jump? Nearly four feet, as it turns out. Or maybe you’re wondering which album was streamed the most on Spotify? Beauty Behind the Madness by the Weeknd takes that honor. Fun, quirky pictures and smart graphics will entice reluctant readers, especially those between the ages of seven and 10. “There’s really something in the book for everyone, including space travel, the animal kingdom, superlative pets, and incredible highlights from the past year in sports,” says Craig Glenday, the World Records’s editor in chief. To give you a sneak preview, we’ve interviewed three of this year’s young world record holders. Meet Lucas, Maxwell, and Tyler, an exceptional trio to be sure.

Cube-tastic!

Lucas Etter. Photo: Charles Bertram | Staff

Lucas Etter, a 15-year-old high school sophomore from Lexington, KY, became interested in the Rubik’s Cube at age eight when he found an old one in his dad’s childhood bedroom. “My grandparents then bought me a new cube when they saw how interested I was. And then I solved it the same year and started competing the next, at age nine,” he explains. And the rest, as they say, is history. Lucas holds two Rubik’s records: fastest average time to solve a 2x2x2 cube (1.51 seconds) and the 3x3x3 version (4.9 seconds). When he’s not busy twisting this plastic puzzle, Lucas’s hobbies include video games, baseball, and all things STEM. “I’m going to continue to work on breaking my own world and personal best records,” he says. He’s beaten one record at home several times, he reports, but—for now, at least—that’s unofficial.

Holy feet!

Maxwell Day. Photo: Paul Michael Hughes/Guinness World Records

Maxwell Day, a 14-year-old from the Enfield section of London, was born with an unusual set of tootsies. He holds the world record for the largest external foot rotation at a whopping 157 degrees, smashing the previous record by 37 degrees. Fortunately for Max, it doesn’t hurt a bit to turn his feet around. “When I do this, it feels normal—almost as if they’re facing forward,” he says. He can also walk with his feet facing backwards, though not as quickly as he can when they are turned in the usual direction. Computers and swimming fill Max’s time as he starts year nine in school. His incredible ability doesn’t seem to have been inherited and resides only in his lower half, he reports. “I’m generally a flexible person, yet only my legs are record breaking. And, so far, I’m the only one in my family who can turn his feet this way,” he notes.

Hair for days

Tyler Wright.  Photo: Kevin Scott Ramos/Guinness World Records

Tyler Wright’s hair is a thing of beauty—and a labor of love, according to his mother, Ronnie Wright. “It can be painful for him when I comb it,” she reports. Tyler, a 15-year-old ninth grader from St. Louis, MO, likes to wear his hair in a variety of styles, sometimes twisted or braided, other days wet and curly. Tyler has wanted to grow his hair to its current length ever since he was in the third grade. After seeing a picture of his father’s hair when he was about the same age, Tyler decided to try and grow it out in 2012. The result is stunning: he now holds the world record for largest male afro, measuring 10 inches in height, nine inches wide and five feet, 10 inches at the circumference. Tyler’s more than satisfied with his current hairdo, and he doesn’t plan on cutting it anytime soon. Instead, he’s having fun with some of his hobbies, which include robotics, Boy Scouts, and piano and violin playing.

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Editor Jennifer Kelly Geddes is a New York City mom of two who writes regularly for Parents.com and Highlights. Save