The Alchemist, by Michael Scott (Fantasy) The Alchemist was a fantastic book. The main characters are Josh Newman, Sophie Newman, Nicholas Flamel, Pernelle Flamel, Dr. John Dee, and Scatach. The book is about the two kids (Sophie and Josh). They both work for people who seem normal, until they find out that Josh works for a 600-year-old Alchemist named Nicholas Flamel, and Sophie works for his wife, Pernelle Flamel. They protect The Book of Abraham the Mage, a sacred book with the power to alter the world. That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee, an immortal magician, plans to do with it once he steals it from Nicholas. Josh and Sophie travel with Scatach as well, a 2000-year-old warrior who trained almost every great warrior from her time that you could imagine. During their adventure Pernelle gets kidnapped by the one and only Dr. Dee, and the once ordinary Josh and Sophie Newman realize they’re more important than they think. This book is absolutely marvelous and out of five stars I would give it an eight.
By Harrison B.
The Alchemist: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott (Fantasy)
Josh and Sophie Newman are just you’re ordinary 15-year-old twins, right? WRONG!! Well, in the beginning they are normal. Josh works at a bookstore for Nick and Perenelle Fleming. Sophie works just across the street at a coffe shop. It’s a nice and normal day until Josh smells rotten eggs and mint. He goes to the roof to see what is causing the smell and he sees Nick Fleming fighting with a small man. They are not touching but they are throwing energy at each other like magic. The small man turns out to be John Dee, accompanied by golems. Yes, golems. Creatures created by magic and made out of clay. John Dee is looking for a book called the Codex (The Book of Abraham the Mage) and he wants to use it to destroy the world. Read this AMAZING book to find out what happens and if you like it there are two more out and three more coming out. I would highly recommend this to anyone.
Adam R
The Alchemyst {The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel} by Michael Scott (Fantasy)
“The two that are one, the one that is all.” What could this mean? Is it talking about the ordinary Josh and Sophie Newman? They are in fact twins. Their parents are archeologists who travel the country, dragging along their children. Finally one summer, when the twins are about fifteen, their life changes. It all starts with one bright and sunny day. Sophie Newman is working at a completely empty coffee shop when she sees big “things” walking into the bookstore across the street where her brother works. The strange part about them is that they are dressed as if it was twenty degrees, when in fact it was somewhere around eighty. The “things” advance into the store along with a short man named Dr. John Dee. Inside, the owner of the bookstore, Nick Fleming, notices the presence of one of his enemies by the odor of sulfur. He presumes that Dee is looking for The Book of Abraham the Mage, more commonly known as the Codex. Then Dee sends his “things” at his nemesis along with balls of energy. Fleming starts to fight back when Josh Newman comes up from the cellar. He sees clay men or golems and also witnesses explosions caused by balls of energy. Dee eventually grabs the Codex out of Josh Newman’s hands and kidnaps Fleming’s wife. But what Dee doesn’t realize is that he ripped the two most important pages in the book. For some odd reason, Fleming tells Josh and Sophie (who also witnessed the event) that they have to leave. However, Josh and Sophie are very confused about what just happened. Fleming turns out to be Nicholas Flamel (a real person not just someone who you have read about in Harry Potter) and mentions something about auras. Josh and Sophie soon realize that not everyone can be trusted.
This was a very thrilling book and almost every chapter ended with a cliffhanger. The book makes five stars and is one of the top on my list. The funny thing is, Scott tells a fantastic story over the course of only two days. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy.
By Benji J.
The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Ari. H.
Ever wanted to go somewhere really far, really fast, unseen? Ever checked underground for the means to do it? Deep below the surface, lies an ever changing, ever growing cluster of hallways with entrances all over the world. “The Labyrinth” was created by Dedalus, an ancient Greek architect, for mysterious reasons. This great mass of mazes is still functioning in modern times when the story takes place. Supposedly, there was only one thing that could navigate the maze, and it was called “Ariadne’s string.” In the wrong hands, it could lead to world domination. Imagine vast armies moving, unseen and unheard until they pop out of an invisible hole. In The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan, the Greek gods all have children with mortals and these children are called demigods. To protect their home and very lives from the vast armies using the labyrinth, it is important that the demigods make their move immediately. After finding an entrance to the labyrinth in Camp Half-Blood, the place where demigods go for the summer, the demigods have no choice but to get to the string before the evil armies led by Kronos, King of the Titans, convince Dedalus to fork it over. As all the campers know, Kronos’ first move will be to destroy Camp Half-Blood. From here on out, it is a race to Dedalus’ workshop. The campers, a Cyclops, and a satyr, all led by a mortal with special abilities, must navigate the maze. Not long after these explorers are in the maze they are back out with bad news: Kronos is coming. Now I leave you with defeat lurking in the shadows poised to strike. The question is, who will be its next victim? Read The Battle of the Labyrinth to find out… if you dare. I give this book five stars for the suspense and action, which, when put into pages, make a great book. I recommend this to anyone who likes action, adventure and suspense.
Bloodhound, by Tamara Pierce Reviewed by Ari M. Meet Beka Cooper, a teenage girl in the Provost's Guard, the police force in Beka's home, Corus, the capital of the realm of Tortall. Beka has a special ability to talk to the dead and hear voices on permanent whirlwinds called "dust spinners,"and she has a magical talking cat with purple eyes named Pounce. Beka has just been elected a full member of the Provost's Guard, or the "Dogs" and is already on her fourth partner on her watch in five months. When Beka Cooper was elected a full member of the Dogs, she never imagined how complicated it could be. After being abandoned by her fourth partner in five months, she gets put with her training Dogs, Goodwin and Turnstall. When a bad rye crop drives prices higher causing a riot, Turnstall gets both his legs broken. A group of men form Port Cayn, Hanse Remy, Steen Bolter, and Dale Rowan, give them a hand getting him to safety and it brings an adventure for Beka and Goodwin. Their adventure begins when the brothers of someone Beka arrested come to her house and give her a beating to pay her back. The Dogs decide that it is the perfect cover story for Beka, Goodwin and the scent hound, Achoo, to go to a nearby city, Port Cayn, to investigate a rising amount of forgeries of silver coins. The coins are called silver nobles and the forgeries are called "coles," and they spread mostly through gambling. While on the boat, Beka finds Dale, one of the men from the riot, who is a big gambler. The next day, Beka stops a pickpocket and finds out that the pickpocket did not take the purse of the person they were after, but switched it with another and Beka wonders why. After that, Goodwin and Beka go to one of Goodwin's old friends, to see if they can find out where the silver is coming from. While walking home, the city's Rogue, (the king or queen of the thieves), takes Beka and Goodwin to her court. She screams at Beka and Goodwin about catching one of her pickpockets, and treats them disrespectfully. After she and Goodwin manage to escape the Rogue, Hanse and his gang invite them to dinner. Dale takes a liking to Beka as his gambling "luck," and Beka does not know what to think. The next day they find out that the Rogue is spying on them. Beka finds she is in love with Dale, and has a hard time finding the line between her duty and her own life. To find yourself in a world of love, betrayal, friendship and magic, read Bloodhound, the second book in the Beka Cooper trilogy. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5 for a thrilling book that brings you into the wonderful world of Tortall in 247 HE. However, it is very long and requires a lot of maturity to read.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe, by C.S. LewisReviewed by Madelyn S. Bombs are dropping left and right in London, England. To be safe, a mother sends her four kids on a train to a professor who has volunteered to take care of the children. These children’s names are Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy. While living in the professor’s house Lucy discovers a wardrobe. She climbs into it and finds another world. It seemed to her that it was winter in this strange place. Then she bumped into a faun (half human half goat). He asked her name and what she was. She said she was a girl. And the faun takes her to his home and tells her the place is Narnia. After leaving, Lucy runs and tells her siblings. They look in the wardrobe but there is no Narnia. Then they know they’re going to get in trouble so they run and hide in the wardrobe. There wasn’t enough room so they kept pushing each other back and then they landed in Narnia. They explore but find out that they are getting chased by the White Queen. She is one evil queen. Do Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy get caught? Find out when you read The Chronicles of Narnia. *= what I rate the book
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Book 1: Eighth Grade Bites, by Heather Brewer
Only three humans know Vladimir’s a vampire: his late mother, his mother’s friend Nelly, and his best friend Henry. For the past three years, since Vlad’s parents’ deaths, he and his Aunt Nelly have been keeping Vlad’s secret. Then, in eighth grade, Vlad’s favorite teacher goes missing. After a few weeks with the principal subbing, a crazy substitute teacher takes over the class. The English class gets weirder and weirder until Vlad gets a mythical creature project. He is sure his assignment card said werewolf, but he read it again and saw the word “vampire.” You’ll have to read the book to find out who the substitute teacher really is.
Samuel H.
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
Coraline takes you on an adventure full of courage and believing. when Coraline Jones and her family move into an old flat, Coraline knows there's something creepy going on here. And it's not the fact that upstairs are 2 old ladies who used to be actresses and a crazy old man that claims his mice know how to play musical instruments. one day, she asks her mother what is behind the door in the room with her grandmother's furniture. her mother replies that there is just an old brick wall. That night Coraline sneaks out of bed and goes to the room with the furniture. And what do you know! there's a whole other world in there! And it looks exactly like our world. There's even an other mother and father! This world is perfect! But here's the catch; The other mother and father want her to stay there and their daughter. Coraline turns them down and decides to go home but her parents are gone. It will take all her courage to out smart her other parents. But does she actually have enough of it? Not since Lucy opened the wardrobe has there been magic like this! By Abby M
Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer (Romance and Fantasy) Eclipse is part of the Twilight series. Edward (the Vampire) has come back and Bella (his love) wants to become a vampire. Bella wants to become a vampire after her and Edward’s senior graduation. There is a vampire whose name is Victoria. (If you read Twilight, you will remember her.) She has come to kill Bella because Edward killed her mate so she thinks she will get even by killing Edward’s mate (Bella). Jacob and Edward both want to help save her. This is a problem because Jacob is a werewolf and werewolves and vampires hate each other. During this entire frightening time Edward and Bella are trying to have an agreement about what do about the whole vampire situation and what is going to happen afterward.
I really like this book a lot because it is truly scary while being affectionate. It has a more dangerous feeling than other Twilight books and has some sexual parts but otherwise it is amazing. If you like fantasy books or romance books you would really like this series. I also recommend Breaking Dawn, New Moon, Twilight and Harry Potter.
By Tali G.
Eldest, by Christopher Paolini
Eldest is the sequel to Eragon in The Inheritance cycle. In this book, Eragon goes to visit the Elves in Ellesmera and meets a multitude of new allies. In Ellesmera, he also finds one of Galbatorix’s old enemies, who helps Eragon train in the old ways of the Dragon Riders. Meanwhile the Varden is moving their whole army to Surda. What Eragon does not realize is that his brother has now started his own quest, traipsing through Alagaesia, to find his betrothed. Will Eragon finally kill his enemies? Who is Galbatorix’s old enemy? What will happen when the Varden declares war on Galbatorix? Read Eldest and find out! I think this book is better than Eragon, but you need to read them in order to make sense of them. If you enjoy both of these, you’ll really enjoy the third one, Brisingr.
William E.
ELLA ENCHANTED, by Gail Carson Levine Ella Enchanted is a famous book, and famous for a reason. Ella of Frell is the daughter of an oblivious father and caring mother, but neither can help her with the biggest obstacle in her life - rules. Cursed at birth to obey any command, can Ella live happily ever after? Her quest to find the fairy that cast the terrible spell gets even harder when her father forces her to go to finishing school with a nasty girl who somehow knows about Ella's curse! Ella runs away, but then... Sorry! No more spoilers here! You'd better read the book, though. Here's an idea why. Did you ever wonder what was behind the story of a fairytale? This book is a wonderful interpretation of one such fairytale. Full of laughter and magic (both metaphorical and real), you'll never look at rules the same way again. By Anne P Eragon, by Christopher Paolini Eragon is an adventure book about a boy named Eragon who becomes a dragon rider. He goes hunting and finds a dragon egg. After a week, the dragon hatches and he names her Saphira. When the evil king sends his dragon rider hunters. they kill Eragon’s uncle, and he and his friend Brom seek to kill the dragon rider hunters. The Dragon Rider hunters are paid by the evil king Galbatorix because Galbatorix doesn’t want any powerful enemies. Brom reveals that they are called the Razak. Brom and Eragon go traipsing all across the king’s country in search of them. What will happen? Will they perish? Will they kill the Razak? If you want to know, read the book. I recommend this book because it will keep you reading till the very last page.
William E.
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini (Fantasy)
Eragon is a farm boy living in an isolated house a couple of miles away from Carvahall, a village in the spine, which is a mountainous area in the north of Alagasea. Eragon lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran. His Aunt Marian died before the story begins. He doesn't know who his father is but his mother's name is Selena. Their family is poor but happy. Eragon usually has to go into the spine to hunt so they don't starve in the winter. The spine is a place which most people hate and are scared of because Galbatorix, an evil king, lost half his army there, although no one knows why. Eragon is out hunting when he wanders upon a herd of deer. He sets his eye on a plump doe with an injured foot. He is about to shoot it with an arrow when suddenly the herd runs off and Eragon feels a disturbance. He sees a flash of light, hears a vociferous boom and all of a sudden a blue stone with whitish veins materializes in front of him. He takes the stone hoping it might be worth enough to buy some meat for winter. Once he gets to his village he goes to the hut of Sloan the butcher, who doesn't like Eragon. When Eragon says he found the stone in the spine, Sloan yells at him and is about to kick him out when Horst, Carvahall's smith and a very nice person, walks in, pays for the meat and gives it to Eragon. Sloan doesn't like the spine because his wife died there. After some time at home during the night a rattling wakes up Eragon. He notices the stone shaking faster and faster until a crack appears in it and then a head. What is it that lives in the stone? What happens next? Will the creature in the stone destroy Alagasea or save it? Read Eragon to find out.
This is an excellent book and I give it 5 stars.
Ofek P.
The Frog Princess, by E.D. Baker
Once upon a time there was a princess. She didn't act or look like a normal princess. She was always messy and dirty, and she loved nature. Her laugh didn't sound beautiful like a normal princess's should – at all! Her name was Emeralda, and she was the main character in the book The Frog Princess. One day she was walking down to the swamp as usual. But this time she met a frog named Eadric who claimed to be an enchanted prince cast under a spell that turned him into a frog. The only way for him to transform back into a human was to kiss a princess! So of course he convinced Emma to kiss his slimy frog lips, but instead of him turning into a human... she turned into a frog just like him! At first she was shocked, but as soon as she got the hang of being a frog, she discovered things about herself that she never realized before. Travel with Eadric and Emma on their quest to become humans again and meet some fantastic creatures on the way! If you fell in love with the movie, “The Princess and the Frog,” you will love this book, because the movie is based on its story. The Frog Princess is a magical, interesting, amazing book that I'm sure anybody would love as much as I did!
-Zoe G.
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
This Harry Potter book, which is the 7th in the series, was the best one yet. If you want to read this book I advise starting from the first one. I don’t want to give away any secrets but the beginning is boring. If you just stick with the story it will get more exciting. It is a very well written book and once you get into it you won’t want to get out till you finish. J. K. Rowling uses a great amount of detail in her writing. Also, she can make the end of a chapter into a cliff hanger. This book is about Harry trying to find the deathly hallows, which are three magical items, that if you get them all, you can master death. He is also looking for horcruxes, magical items that let people be immortal. If he kills Voldemort before he gets all the horcruxes, Voldemort will come back to life.
By Sam C.
Help! I am Trapped in the First Day of Summer Camp, By Todd Strasser Jake Sherman is heading to sleep-away camp for the first time. His two buddies are in a different bunk and that means he is assigned to be in a bunk with all new kids. Jake is bunk-mates with the popular boys and a few nerdy ones, too. The popular boys made nicknames up for all the kids in their bunk, and some of those names are mean and rude. Jake’s nickname is “Sleeping Beauty” because he fell asleep on the bus headed to Camp Walton. The popular boys are not being nice to one boy in particular named Peter. When everyone was headed to their bunks on the first day, the boys started making fun of Peter for carrying a plastic bag with a water pic in it. Those boys, with the meanest one Zack in the lead, picked him to make fun of because he seemed too babyish for sleep-away camp. They decided to make his summer miserable by calling him “Gummi Bear” since he needed a water pic for his gums, and by challenging him in sports where they knew that he couldn’t do it. Also they pulled pranks on him, like filling his water pic up with soap and short-sheeting his bed. First Jake tried to be on the cool side and he joined them in making fun of Peter. After he did that and felt kind of bad for doing that, he went to sleep and woke up headed on his way to summer camp again. This has happened to him before when he has run into problems, where he keeps reliving the same day over and over again. He couldn’t believe that he would relive this day of camp all over again. He ends up reliving the day many times and trying different ways to handle the conflict between Peter and the popular boys. He doesn’t want the popular boys turning on him too. He is also tired of knowing what lunch is going to be before anyone else, since he knows what is going to happen every day that he relives. Will Jake ever get out of this first day of camp?I give this book 5 stars because it really kept my attention the whole time. By Annie B.
HERCULES, RETOLD BY GERALDINE McCAUGHREAN (Fantasy and Mythology) Hercules, the Strongest, Bravest, Mightiest and most Tortured man in the Greek world! Why? Well here… it all begins with Zeus. Now Zeus goes off and impregnates some random lady (as usual) and she gives birth to a demigod, Hercules. And so of course he grows up being the tallest and strongest in his class. However Hera, Zeus’s wife, gets angry and jealous and bestows burdens and tasks onto him in hopes that he is destroyed. It was kind of like his to-do list. Slay the Nemean Lion; Slay the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra; Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis; Capture the Erymanthian Boar; Clean the Augean stables in a single day; etc. However through quick wits, remarkable strength, and favor from Zeus, Hercules gets through Hera’s traps one by one. Or does he? It is a great and quick read and a great interpretation of the myth. I give it five stars.
By David T.
I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore Reviewed by Davi C. I Am Number Four is about a 16-year-old boy who is very different than almost everyone else in the world. It all started with a planet named Lorien. There were aliens who lived on this land but they looked and talked like everyone else. They had special powers but not everyone had the same powers. Some people could be invisible, fire-proof, able to run extremely fast, pick things up with their minds, etc. The animals on Lorien also had powers and could change into other animals. One day another group of aliens called Mogodorians invaded Lorien and killed almost everyone and everything. When the residents of Lorien escaped, there was only one plane that survived on the way down to Earth. On the plane there were nine young people from Lorien and each of them had someone who would teach them about their powers when they got older. They would teach them how to fight against the Mogodorians. These people were called garde. There was also a Loric Charm that only allowed the Mogodorians to kill the people who lived on Lorien in order. The title of the book comes from a poem about this charm. “ In the beginning we were a group of nine. Three are gone, dead. There are six of us left. They are hunting us in order and they won’t stop until they’ve killed us all. I am number four. I know that I am next.” The main character of the book is John Smith. His garde’s name is Henry. John Smith isn’t actually his real name but he needs a fake name so he can’t be tracked down by the Mogodorians. John and Henry lead a very dangerous life. They have to be careful about every single thing they do. If one of their pictures gets put on a computer they have to move to a completely different state. The longest they have stayed in a house is probably two months. One day they moved to Paradise, Ohio, and John loved it there. It was a very small town but it was the first time John actually made a couple of friends. He usually didn’t make friends because he left the state after a month or so. The only problem was that John’s picture was on the computer a lot and people were starting to figure out who he actually was. Henry told him that they had to leave but he refused and eventually the Mogodorians tracked them down. I rate this book a 5/5! It was probably the best book I have ever read! When I first saw the book I looked at it and said “OH NO!!!! It’s 440 pages long!” But I started reading it and I literally couldn’t put it down. I definitely recommend reading this book.
The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1: The Lost HeroBy RICK RIORDANReport by Noah B. G The Lost Hero is about friendship and coming together. In a place where the ancient, mythic world of Greece is a reality, a boy named Jason (age 16) is found by apparent strangers on a bus. Somehow his memory had been wiped clean and he doesn’t remember a thing. Two other people’s memories have been modified as well. Piper McLean and Leo Valdez (the same age as Jason) have found Jason on the bus believing he is their best friend, but the feeling is not mutual. After flying miniature storms attack them, their teacher turns into a psychotic goat, and Jason miraculously learns to fly. Things only get weirder from there. The group is taken to a special camp by an extraction squad (ouch), where they find out that the Greek gods are “still alive” and better yet they are told this by a talking horse. An oracle foresees a journey Leo, Piper, and Jason must take together. Their mission; to find and save the queen of the gods and then the world. Along their quest they meet malicious monsters, face murderous mortals, encounter dreadful deities, and grapple with grotesque giants. But in the end everybody has their secret. What is fiery Leo hiding? While hanging out with drop dead gorgeous Piper, will the boys drop dead? When Jason’s memories return, will he turn out to be Greece’s sworn enemy? All of the characters in The Lost Hero have their own unique traits. Jason, the powerful son of Jupiter who suffers from serious amnesia, must take a perilous journey to recover his precious memories. Piper, the stunning daughter of Venus, has a choice between friends or family. Wouldn’t life be easier without making difficult decisions? Leo, the hot tempered son of Vulcan, has been haunted by many things from maniac babysitters to sleeping women covered in mud. The setting of the book is in the ancient Greek world, today. Greek mythology comes to life from as far west as California, as far east as New York City, as far North as Quebec, as far south as Arizona, and right in the middle of the Midwest in Illinois. Rick Riordan combines humor, thrill, and history to create a story even parents can enjoy.
I award this amazing novel five stars for outrageous humor and fantastic accuracy.
The Lost Hero, By Rick Riordan
Set in modern times, this book has you guessing at every turn of the page. This story is about three demigods (children of a mortal and a god) who travel around the country to rescue Hera, the queen of all gods. Jason Grace, the leader of this odd trio, awakes on a bus with no memory of his past. Not knowing who he is, he tries to resume life and set out on his quest with his two best friends, Piper and Leo. Even though he doesn't recall his friends, he remembers little by little what went on before his memory loss. Jason, Piper, and Leo all have special powers given to them by their immortal parents. Jason is the son of Jupiter, the god of lightning. He can fly, and control and use his father's lightning. Piper is the daughter of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. She can charm-speak people into giving whatever, whenever. Leo is the son of Hephaestus, the god of fire. He can control fire and is an extraordinary mechanic and blacksmith. These qualities are the most important of all their talents during this quest. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because of the intensity throughout the book and the feeling that you can't put the book down.
By Allison G.
Honus and Me, by Dan Gutman (realistic fiction and fantasy)
This story is about a boy named Joe who has divorced parents, and his only love is baseball. However he is horrible at it because he gets made fun of while batting and he loses his focus. One night, his mom gets him angry by telling him he can’t make his own decisions. He later is cleaning a lady’s attic for baseball card money, when he finds a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card (one of the rarest baseball cards ever). He takes it without letting the lady know. Later he takes it to a pawnshop and the owner tries to tell him it’s fake to scam him out of it for 10 bucks. That night he is holding the card and a tingling sensation comes over him, he is under a powerful force and all of a suddenly he is with Honus Wagner. Joe looks exactly like Wagner’s twin. They’re at the World Series and Wagner lets Joe bat for him and… I won’t ruin the ending. Overall, it was a great, quick read that many will enjoy. I give it 5 stars.
By David T.
Into The Wild, by Erin Hunter
Into the Wild is about a young housecat named Rusty who has dreams about living in the forest. He would like to go explore, but he is afraid of the wildcats that his friend tell him live there. One day he decides to overcome his fear and so he goes hunting on the outskirts of the forest. He is surprised by one of the "wildcats", a young tom (boy cat) about his age named Graypaw. They fight, but soon they stop and become friends. Later, Rusty meets some of the older cats in Graypaw's clan, and they are impressed with his fighting and hunting and ask him to join their clan! He accepts, and so he becomes Firepaw, a member of Thunderclan. Follow Firepaw as he learns about his new home, the other clans, his clanmates, and as he begins to grow into a warrior. I adore this book! The Warriors Series is a truly magnificent series, and I totally recommend this book to everyone, especially people who like animals, because Into the Wild is a really neat idea of what goes on in a forest.
by Anne P
King Matt the First, by Janusz Korczak
The old king is dying and the ministers are in terror. If the king dies, who will take over? Three kings have declared war if Matt doesn’t become king. The old king dies and young Matt becomes king. You should know: Young kings are a lot harder to manage than older kings. The three kings declare war anyway, but Matt’s army wins. Then Matt is invited to visit the three kings and later a cannibal king. Matt decides to go to the land of the cannibals to visit. You’ll have to read the book to see if Matt comes back.
Sam H.
Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld (Fantasy)
Leviathan is a book about a boy named Alek who is Hungarian and drives a machine called a Stormwalker. His two teachers are named Master Klopp and Count Volger. Alek is a young prince whose parents, the Duke and Duchess of Austria-Hungary, were assassinated. Their deaths caused the start of World War I, and now Alek is in the Stormwalker trying to escape his country. When Alek and his teachers were escaping in the Stormwalker, Alek thought it was just a practice ride. Later on in the ride Count Volger told Alek they were escaping because there were assassins coming to kill Alek, as well. The story is a fantasy that takes place in Europe in 1914 during the Great War, which is what people called World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and the Germans have machines and men. The British have monsters. The Leviathan is a flying monster that the British use, and it is very strong. A girl named Deryn Sharp is disguised as a British boy. She is a pilot who helps Alek and his teachers through the war, even though they are on opposite sides. It was an intense journey for them, and if you want to know more, then read the book. I loved the story, although I thought it was a little confusing at some parts. I would rate it 41/2 stars.
By Max.F
The Mark of Athena
By Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Becci S.
The Mark of Athena, the third book in the series, The Heroes of Olympus, is a book about Roman and Greek mythology. The main characters, Jason and Percy, were shipped off by the goddess Hera, to opposite camps, Camp Jupiter of Rome and and Camp Half-Blood of Greece. During Percy's quest, that started at Camp Jupiter, he meets two new friends, Hazel and Frank. Jason also goes on a quest, but in Camp Half-Blood, and he meets two new friends as well, Leo and Piper. There was a prophecy that seven demigods from the two different camps would go on a quest to save the mortal and immortal worlds from the mother of giants, Gaea. Four would go from Camp Half-Blood: Annabeth, Percy, Leo, and Piper. Three would go from Camp Jupiter:Jason, Hazel, and Frank. Later in the book the prophecy was fulfilled. The seven friends traveled on a ship called Argo II, which was built by Leo and a satyr named Coach Hedge. Everyone had to fulfill their own quest. Annabeth, for example, the daughter of Athena, had to find a statue of her mother to avenge her. Using Jason's power of lightning and Percy's power of water, the whole crew joined together to fight as one. The demigods split up into groups to go to many places in the book, like Hercules's island in the Mediterranean Sea, Kansas, and Rome. Annabeth was alone at the end of the book on her own quest. Hazel had to find her brother Nico because he was captured by twin giants.
The seven friends were risking there life to go on this quest. Did they succeed, or did they fail to save both worlds? This book is full of adventure, action, mythology, and so much more. Read Mark of Athena to find the real ending of this adventure.
I rate this book 5 stars because it was full of adventure and I love Greek and Roman mythology.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson Reviewed by Ava G.
“Do not put this book down. I’m dead serious- your life could depend on it.” --- The Angel Experiment, page 1
This story is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Maximum Ride and her flock, which consists of the dark and dangerous Fang; the blind, blond, bomb expert, Iggy; the emotion-sensing, motor-mouth, Nudge; the passing-gas impersonator, The Gasman; and Max’s little eight-year-old mind reader, Angel. The flock ma not be blood related but they are still as close as family. They all seem not quite normal, and the questions you are probably asking are: where are the parents; and what is with the bombs, emotion sensing, and mindreading? Well, the first most important thing is that they aren’t all human. They are 2% bird and only 98% human. They have wings and very interesting powers. Where are their parents? They have no clue. They were raised in a terrible place called The School, which is full of scientists trying to mutate animals, and worse, HUMANS! When Max and her flock escape with the help of one of the scientists, Jeb, they go to live in the mountains with him. When Jeb leaves and never returns, they assume he is dead. When they get over Jeb’s disappearance, they continue their “normal” life in the deserted mountains. One morning, The Flock goes to collect strawberries in the field. That is where it all goes wrong. They are attacked by Erasers, which are half human, half canine, and ALL PREDATOR! During the fight, Angel is kidnapped and taken to The School. Afterwards, The Flock has to fly to The School to get Angel back. After a successful rescue mission, they travel to New York City to find out information about their origins. Will they ever know where they came from? I rate this high-flying adventure with five stars. You’ll get sucked in as you enjoy the ride with Max and her flock. If you enjoy snarky comments and supernatural novels, you’ll love this adventurous fiction book. See through the eyes of Max as she soars through the pages. I love the amazing action and the beautiful, family-like relationships inside The Flock.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (Fantasy) Maximum Ride is about six kids who live together, named Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gassy (the gasman), and Angel. They are quite normal except for the fact that they are only 98 percent human. The other 2 percent is bird. Before they were born they had bird DNA put into them by crazy scientists called white coats (by the flock) in a place called the School, which is where they grew up. Now they all have wings but otherwise they are quite normal. One day Angel is kidnapped by a group of people called the Erasers. They are human until they morph into part human, part wolf. They were created to hunt the flock (the bird kids). The Erasers were also created in the School by the white coats and when the flock escaped, the Erasers were sent out to capture and destroy them. The flock, led by Max, goes to try and save Angel from the Erasers. Read and find out how Max and the flock use a mix of wisdom, fighting, and humor to get out of so many tight spots, and how they use new “skills” that they developed. If one book isn’t enough, then read 2,3,4,5, and 6 because it is a series. I give this book a 4.9 out of 5 because it is amazing and part of my second favorite book series. There was never a boring part and it was always filled with action. I would recommend this book to anyone between the ages of 7 and 69. It was just amazing.
By Adam R.
New Moon, by Stephanie Meyer (Romance and Fantasy) This book is a sequel to Twilight. Edward, who is Bella’s love and a vampire, has just gone off and left Bella. Bella's dad has an old friend Billy who has a son named Jacob. Jacob becomes really good friends with Bella when Edward leaves her. Last time Bella and Jacob saw each other he told her about his hobby of making cars and fixing vehicles. Bella is so depressed that she wants to carry out dangerous activities. Therefore, she buys two motorcycles and brings them to Jacob because they are not working and she wants to start riding them. She begins spending all her time with Jacob but something suddenly changes inside of him and he becomes strangely more muscular and can’t spend time with her. After he started to spend time with her again she jumped off a cliff into a lake, because she was trying to do cliff jumping and that's when the adventures begin.................... I really enjoyed this book. It was really interesting from the first word to the last word. I didn't want to put the book down any time I was reading it. I recommend Twilight, Eclipse, and Breaking dawn. All of the books are part of the same series, the Twilight series.
Tali G
Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaiman, 117 pages
Odd is a twelve year old boy who many people think is odd. Even if Odd is odd, he doesn't care. Odd's father died when Odd was 10, and whenever Odd thinks of his father, it gives him strength. Odd wanted to test out his knowledge of cutting trees using his father's ax, so he cut a tree, but crippled his leg when the tree fell on it. The winter was not getting warmer, and it was March! Odd longed for spring to come again. One cold March day, a fox led Odd to a bear stuck between two trees, trying to get the honey that was in the tree. Odd helped the bear get out and expected the bear to eat him. Miraculously, the bear did not eat him, and brought him, the fox, and an eagle back to Odd and his mother's hut. Odd heard the fox, the bear, and the eagle talk, which was very unusual, and found out that they were gods that were turned into the animals. The reason it was still winter was that the Frost Giants were the winter, and they stayed too close to Odd's world too long because of jealousy problems between them. Join Odd, the bear, the fox, and the eagle on a mysterious adventure in trying to win against the Frost Giants to get the spring back. Odd and the Frost Giants is a fast reading fun book that I liked very much.
By Dina.B
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Rebecca S. The Percy Jackson series is all about the demigods of the Greek gods. Demigods are children with one parent as a god and one parent as a mortal. Many of the demigods live in Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place for them. In this final book of the Percy Jackson series, Kronos, a Titan in the body of Percy Jackson’s arch nemesis, Luke, tries to defeat all the gods so he can rule Olympus. Percy Jackson and his other demigod friends at Camp Half-Blood have to defeat Kronos while the gods are busy with Typhon, the largest and most fearsome of all the monsters. The main Characters are Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon; Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Percy’s girlfriend; Grover, Percy’s best friend and a satyr; Luke, son of Hermes, Percy’s enemy, and host of the spirit of Kronos; and Kronos, a Titan and father of Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Chiron. The story takes place in modern-day New York. For most of the time, you find Percy and his friends fighting Kronos in New York City. He is also sometimes in Camp Half-Blood and the Empire State Building which is also secretly Olympus. Percy Jackson and Luke both bathe in the River Styx, a river in the Underworld that makes you invincible. I think that this book should have 4 1/2 stars because it is a very interesting story. It’s a modern time book with a lot of mythology in it. I liked this story a lot!
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Lyla N.
In this mythical action story of present time, Percy, an 11-year-old boy, finds out through fighting a Minotaur, that his math teacher is a Fury, a mix between a person and raven; his Latin teacher is Chiron, who is half-person, half-horse, and the being who taught Hercules how to fight; his best friend Grover is a satyr, with the top part of his body looking human and the bottom looking like a goat; and that he himself is a demigod. Most people would ask what's a demigod? It is person who was born to a mortal (human) and an immortal (god.) Therefore one of his parents is a god and Percy has to go to Camp Half-Blood for safety from monsters who want to harm him.
When Percy arrives there nobody knows whose son he is. So he is sent to the cabin for demigods whose father is Hermes, god of traveling, or for children whose parents have not shown a sign that the half-blood is their child. In Hermes’ cabin, Percy meets Luke, the counselor of the cabin. Luke teaches him how to fight with a sword and joins him as a friend when most of the people in the camp would rather keep away from him.
One day, when the camp is playing Capture the Flag, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, god of war, and enemy of Percy, pushes him into a creek when the half-bloods from her cabin are fighting him. Before he had felt weak but once he hits the water all the strength strains back into him. Then a hellhound jumps out and starts attacking him and at that moment Chiron comes out and kills it. Just as it moves out of the way, a glowing green trident hovers above Percy. It is then that Percy finds out that he is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and one of the big three. Usually children of the big three (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) are attacked by many monsters but that is not the only reason Percy has been under attack. The only way the hellhound could have gotten in to the camp is if it was summoned.
Soon Percy learns that the great Zeus believes that Percy has stolen his master lightning bolt. It is now that Percy, Grover, and a quest-thirsty girl named Annabeth (daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom) get a quest to retrieve Zeus’s master bolt in only ten days. These three go across the country from New York City to Hollywood, visiting Hades, a casino that gets them stuck in there for four days, Ares, and a group of monsters on the way. They successfully return the bolt to Zeus but if Percy didn't steal the bolt then who did?
This book is wonderful for readers who love Greek mythology. My rating for this book is five stars because I never got bored with it. I couldn't stop reading.
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Graiden M.
This book is about a boy named Percy Jackson who goes to a special education boarding school in New York and thinks he has ADHD. One day on a field trip, Percy's Pre-Algebra teacher, Ms. Dodds, turns into a monster and Percy discovers that he is a half-blood. His friend and protector Grover sends him to Camp Half-Blood. A half-blood is the child of a god and a human, and Camp Half-Blood is a camp for half-bloods to be protected. The book doesn't really have a set time period but I imagine it takes place in the mid 2000’s.The main locations in the book are Camp Half-Blood and the places Percy travels in the whole U.S. while he is trying to find the master lightning bolt that he is accused of stealing from Zeus, head of the Greek gods. The main characters in the book are Percy, Grover his friend from school who is really a satyr (half-man, half-goat); Annabeth, a half-blood friend that he meets at the camp who is the daughter of the Greek goddess Athena; Zeus the god of lightning; Poseidon the god of water; and the rest of the Olympians. If I were rating this book between 1and 5, I would give it a 4 because it was a tiny bit hard to read but still a great book.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan Reviewed by Jordan N. The Lightning Thief is about a 12-year-old boy named Percy Jackson who is the son of the sea god, Poseiden. Percy goes on a quest to save the gods from war. He does this by returning Zeus’s stolen master bolt, which is his lightning bolt that is really dangerous, and on the way he tries to save his mom from the Underworld. He is the one person that must go on the quest because he is a half-blood, which means he is the son of a god and a human. At the end, the prophecy, which says that Percy saves the gods from having war and returns Zeus’s master bolt comes true in a way that Percy did not expect it to. The book takes place in the present day in America. Some of the main characters are Percy, who goes on a quest to save the gods from war; Grover, a satyr, who goes to school with Percy and also goes on the quest with him; Annabeth, a half-blood who goes on the quest with Percy and Grover; Percy’s mom, who gets brought to the Underworld; Gabe, who is Percy’s step-father; Eres, the war god who has a fight with Percy; and Luke, who is a friend of Percy who eventually turns on him. If I had to rate the book between 1 and 5, I would rate it a 5. I loved the book and I recommend it to everybody.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan Reviewed by Adam M. Percy Jackson was living the life of a twelve-year-old dyslexic boy in New York State. He always had a tough job staying in the same school for more than a year because of academic and behavioral problems until he finds out he is connected to Poseidon, the god of the sea and is a half-blood (one of his parents is a god and the other is a human). He ultimately goes on an adventure with his friends to rescue his mother and return a stolen lightning bolt to Zeus, or else Zeus will start a war amongst the gods--all before the summer solstice. This book takes place in modern-day New York. However, it goes back and forth between modern-day and the mythological gods of Mount Olympus coming into the modern-day story. These gods interact with Percy and his friends. The first part of the story takes place at Percy’s home in New York and the second part takes place at Camp Half-Blood, a camp created to protect the half-blood children. Some parts of the story also happen during the adventures of Percy and his friends. They go to places like a casino, the Underworld, Mount Olympus, a bus station, a museum, the Yancy Academy (Percy’s school) and many other spots. The main characters in the book are Percy Jackson and his friends Grover, a satyr, and Annabeth, another half-blood. The three of them set out on an adventure across the United States together. He meets Grover at Yancy Academy and he meets Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood I would give the novel 4.5 stars because it was a great book but a lot of stories are written the same way when they are about the same topic. When the main character is the hero, you know by the end he will almost always save the day. I also liked that Percy and I are almost the same age and the book was not predictable. There was a lot of action and twists to the book and it was easy to read.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan Reviewed by Mira G
Percy Jackson is a dyslexic 12-year-old boy who believes that he has ADHD. He is actually a demigod but does not know it. A demigod is the child of a god and a mortal. When the gods come down to Earth and have a child with a mortal, the child is called a demigod or half-blood. Monsters from ancient Greek mythology are coming after him because Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy Jackson is framed for the theft. He and his friends need to return the bolt to Olympus in ten days, before the summer solstice.
The book is set in modern times, but the real story begins in ancient Greece. It goes from New York to the Underworld. The book has two sides to it -- the current time where it's just three children traveling with each other, and the mythological side, which has monsters and gods. The book takes place in New York and Mississippi and other places, but most importantly it takes place in the eyes of a young boy. The story mostly stays in America with a few mythological places, such as the Underworld, the home of Hades. That is where all the souls of the humans are sent after they die. Then there is Mount Olympus, where all the gods live(except Hades) and watch over the world. Most people think that Olympus is in Athens, but in this book it's not there anymore. Olympus is now on top of the Empire State Building.
Throughout the book you follow three characters. Percy is the main character, and the story is told through his eyes. You read the book in his point of view and "see" what he does. A second character is Grover, a satyr, half-man, half-goat. He is Percy's best friend and protector. The third main character is Annabeth, who has spent most of her life at Camp Half-Blood, which is the only place where half-bloods have safety from the monsters. If any of the half-bloods are in trouble, somebody from the camp goes to get them and bring them back to safety. Annabeth has wanted to go on a quest since she was eight years old and finally gets to go on one with Percy and Grover.
In Greek mythology there are many gods that all have different powers. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. Ares is the god of war. He gives Percy a backpack with something very special in it. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, arts and battle strategy. She is also Annabeth's mother. Dionysus is the god of wine, and the camp's headmaster. Hermes is the messenger god and is the father of Luke, Percy's counselor and friend. Hermes is also the god of thieves. Poseidon is the god of the seas. He is Percy's father. Zeus is the king of the gods and has much power over all the gods and he is the ruler of mankind. After some of the half-bloods were born, Zeus made a rule that the gods were not permitted to see their children. The Big Three were Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. They all made a pact to not have children with mortals anymore, and then the gods start to threaten war with each other. War will break out if Zeus’s, Poseidon’s and Hades’ symbolic possessions are not returned on time.
I would give this book a 4 star recommendation. It was very good and there were a lot of details. The only problem is that there were too many details. Other than that it was amazing and people should definitely read it.
PERCY JACKSON & THE Olympians: THE LAST OLYMPIAN Reviewed by Ira s.
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS:THE LAST OLYMPIAN, by Rick Riordan, takes place in a modern setting and uses mostly Greek mythology. I like this about the book since you learn Greek mythology,but you are not bored since it’s a modern setting. This book has many characters,including the Greek gods and their half-blood children (they’recalled half-bloods since one parent is a god and the other is a human); Kronos, the Titan of time; Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, the god of the sea; Anabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom; and Grover Underwood, a satyr (a half-goat, half-human child of the god Pan). They all get stuck in New York City with half-bloods and hunters (a band of immortal females), when Kronos and his army of other Titans, monsters and evil half-bloods attack. No mortals can attack since a god named Morpheus,with the power to put people to sleep and slow down time, put all the people in New York asleep. Anyone who comes in to New York also falls asleep, except for half-bloods, since they are harder to put to sleep. The half-bloods and huntersare all alone since the Greek gods are fighting a very powerful monster called Typhoon and he leaves only destruction in his path.
Percy Jacksonalmost always has action going on. It’s that type of book that you can’t take your eyes off of. I would rate the last Olympian a 5 since this book was my favorite of the series and my favorite book.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Last Olympian, By Rick Riordan (Fantasy)
This story takes place around our time in New York. Percy, Anabeth and Grover are the main characters. Percy is a son of Poseidon, Anabeth is the daughter of Athena and Grover is a satyr. These three good friends and an army of half-bloods and hunters must defend Olympus from the Evil Titan Lord Kronos. Half bloods are sons and daughters of gods. Hunters are mortals, naiads, tree nymphs, half-bloods and anything that is willing to pledge themselves to Artemis the goddess of the hunt. Only girls are allowed in the hunters and if they break their pledge to Artemis they lose their immortality. All year the half-bloods of Half-Blood Hill have been preparing for a battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of winning are grim. Kronos’s army is as strong as ever and every time he recruits something his power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain Typhon (the father of all monsters) Kronos begins his advance on New York City where Mount Olympus stands. Mount Olympus is at the top of the Empire State Building on the 600th floor. It’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of about 40 demigods to protect a virtually unguarded Mt. Olympus against thousands of monsters. I think this is an amazing book and give it five stars (out of five stars). I would recommend this book to anyone although I do recommend reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief first and then the rest of the series, since the Last Olympians is the last book in the series.
By Ofek Peres
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson was just a normal person in modern times, at least until four years previous when he discovered that he was a demi-god, a person that is half god, half mortal. Percy’s father happens to be Poseidon, the god of the sea, who abandoned his mother before his birth and left Percy just able to guess who his father was. Now that I have covered Percy’s background let’s get to the story. Percy finally gets to hear the end of his prophecy, which devastates him, although he doesn’t show it. He must fight a war against the Titans and their army but the prophecy says that when he turns sixteen years old he will see the world end. At the beginning of the book, Percy and his friend from Camp Half-Blood try to get rid of Kronus, the Titan Lord, before the war even starts. They detonate the ship on which Kronus is staying. They get trapped and Percy escapes, but his friend does not. Being the son of Poseidon, Percy can hold his breath under water indefinitely and can emerge from the water without looking wet, so he swims back to shore after diving from the top of the cruise ship. He also walks through the River Styx, which is a river in the underworld that if you try to go in, you would almost definitely die. When Percy escapes the river alive, he basically becomes invincible, so it will help him in the war. During the war Percy, his friends and the rest of Camp Half-Blood… You will have to read the book to find out what happens. The Last Olympian is the fifth book in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The books are about Greek gods. I would rate this book a four-and-a-half out five stars. It is an amazing book, well written and teaches you about Greek Mythology.
By Benji J.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief By Rick Riordan Review by Ari H.
This book is set in the present time in America. The main character is a boy named Percy Jackson who is attending a school for troubled children. Percy has always had ADHD and dyslexia. But when he goes on a summer trip with his mom things start to get stranger . . . Percy finds out that his friend Grover from school is actually his satyr (half man and half goat) protector. Then Percy discovers that not only is he the son of an ancient Greek god, but also that at that very moment he is being chased by a mythical monster called a minotaur. These are the strange facts he learns from Grover in the middle of the night The small group’s(Percy his Mom and Grover) immediate concern is to save themselves from the minotaur. They take off in Percy’s step-father’s ’78 Camaro to Camp Half Blood where they will be safe from monsters. Unfortunately, before they get to the camp, Percy’s mom is seized by the minotaur and taken away. Percy discovers that this camp was created to protect children who have ancient gods or goddesses as one of their parents. He then finds out that he is the son of the sea god Poseidon. Percy is given a quest along with Annabeth, who is the daughter of Athena and his friend Grover. They are told to retrieve the stolen lightning bolt of Zeus. As the story unfolds the three adventurers travel from New York to San Fransisco and back again. During these adventures they encounter many monsters including Medusa, the Furies, the mother of all monsters and her son the Chimera. They also run into the god of war, Ares, who brews up a nice, hot cup of trouble. This story brings myths to life as it surrounds the main characters, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth, with excitement, adventure, cliff hangers and a good plot. I would give this book a solid five stars.
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (Fantasy)
The Lightning Thief is about a boy named Percy Jackson who is the son of Poseidon. It all started when Percy was on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. When his teacher found out he was the son of Poseidon she transformed into a monster and attacked Percy because monsters like to eat demigods. Percy used a pen that could transform into a sword and killed the monster. At the end of the school year, Percy’s mother took him to a special camp that is for children that are the sons or daughters of gods. There, he learned how to fight monsters and train for Capture the Flag games. One day, Percy is given a quest. The quest is to go to the underworld (in Los Angeles) and retrieve Zeus’s lightning bolt and return it to Zeus before the end of June 10. Percy is the one given this quest because he is the most powerful demigod in the camp. On his way, he runs into trouble but that’s nothing he can’t handle, although he soon learns that the most trusted friends cannot be trusted. I would rate this book five out of five because it is action- packed thrilling and mythological, and that’s what I like out of books.
By David G.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (fantasy)
The book starts out by introducing the main character, Percy Jackson. He has been to many boarding schools and been expelled from every single one, including Yancy Academy, the school in the story. At Yancy he made a really good friend named Grover. One day they go to a museum and learn about ancient Greek and Roman stuff (as Percy calls it.) He got through the whole trip without any problems that would get him expelled until Nancy Bobfit, a mean girl in Percy's class, claimed Percy had pushed her into the fountain. Around then one of the teachers, Mrs. Dodds, brought Percy into a quiet room. She became a huge bird with talons. Mr. Brunner, Percy’s Latin teacher, tossed a pen over to Percy but Percy did no see how this helped until he uncapped the pen and it became a sword. He used it and “killed” his teacher. When he went back outside, no one even remembered Mrs. Dodds existed. Grover turns out to be more than just a human friend and tries to protect Percy from strange things that begin happening to him, especially after Percy and his mom visit their seaside cottage during summer vacation. One night when they were there, there was a TERRIBLE storm. Percy and his mom woke up to the sound of the thunder and someone knocking on the door. It was Grover! Percy's mom realized what was happening and told Percy they had to leave right away. They left and right before they had to get out of the car Percy's mom said that he had to go to a camp to which his father wanted him to go. When they got out of the car a Minotaur attacked them just like it would have done if they were in the car. Percy's mom was squeezed to death. The only trophy Percy got was the Minotaur horn. At the camp he learned more about himself and who he truly was. He made two more friends, Luke and Annabeth. He went on a quest with Annabeth and Grover while they met new challenges. I loved the book and would rate it a five out of five. I think anyone should read the book to face new monsters and familiar faces with Percy. I say this because I love mysteries and if the book is not a mystery then I usually have no interest in it. This book was completely different. I didn't even want to put the book down. I guarantee you will not be disappointed if you read the book.
Gabrielle H.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (Fantasy)
The Lightning Thief is a story about a boy named Percy Jackson, who has a lot of trouble in school. He doesn’t fit in with the other kids. He has trouble reading regular books. He only has one friend at school, Grover, who isn’t exactly normal either. Percy is suddenly thrown into an adventure when he discovers that the Greek gods are real and he is a son of Poseidon. Zeus’s lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is accused by Zeus of being the thief. The only way he can prove his innocence is by finding the lightning bolt. The stakes are very high because Zeus has threatened war against Poseidon if the lightning bolt is not found by the summer solstice. Percy thinks that Hades has stolen the lightning bolt. With only ten days to solve the mystery, Percy and his friends make an action-packed odyssey across the United States of America. Rating: 4.5 stars. The Lightning Thief was suspenseful and exciting. It is the first book in a five book series that appeals to kids and grown-ups alike.
By Zach S.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Greek gods are just myths right? Not exactly. His whole life, at school at least, wasn't going well for Percy Jackson. And things just got worse when his best friend Grover (who is actually a satyr) tells him that his father is a god. Percy didn’t exactly know who his dad was because he left before Percy was born. Now that Percy knows who he is, monsters are chasing him all over NYC! Percy's mom tells him about a special camp were demigods (a.k.a. half bloods) can stay away from monsters. On their way there, Percy's mom is caught by the Minotaur and is taken to the underworld. Percy is determined to get her back, whatever it takes. Just when he gets settled in at camp, his father claims him. It turns out that Percy is the son of Poseidon, the sea god! On top of that, there has been a robbery on Mount Olympus (which just happens to be on the Empire State Building)! Zeus's master bolt is gone! And the prime suspect is Poseidon. Now Percy must clear his father's name, get the lighting bolt, save his mother, and do a few other things on the way. But wait, here's the catch, it all has to be before the winter solstice.
by Abby M.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson was an ordinary eleven-year-old trying to live normally while being dyslexic and having ADHD. Everything was going smoothly until a school field trip to a museum, when things get bad. Percy’s math teacher tries to kill him, but Percy vaporized her with his pen that turns into a sword that another teacher gave him. Percy and his mom decide to go on vacation to the beach, for fun, but then they have to go to Camp Half-Blood, because Grover, Percy’s protector and best friend, said that it wasn’t safe for Percy where he was. At Camp Half-Blood he might never be able to see his mom again, but he has to go for his safety. On the way from their beach house to the camp, they get attacked by a Minotaur and get chased to the edge of Half Blood Hill. The Minotaur grabbed Percy’s mother by the neck, and then she vanished. At camp, Percy finds out he is a half-blood, which is the child of a god and a mortal. He finds out he is a son of Poseidon. Percy gets a prophecy from the oracle, the spirit of Delphi, to retrieve the lightning bolt of Zeus. Zeus’ lightning bolt was stolen and he thought that Percy stole it to help his father, Poseidon. So Percy, Grover, and his new friend Annabeth set out on a dangerous quest to retrieve the lightning bolt.
I thought The Lightning Thief was an amazing book. I rate it five out of five stars, because it was so amazing. After I read this book I fell in love with Greek Mythology.
By Yonah H.
The Ranger’s Apprentice Book One: Ruins of Gorlan, by John FlanaganReviewed by Ezra B. The Ranger’s Apprentice is about a 14-year-old boy named Will and his wild adventures as a Ranger, an elite spy of the kingdom of Araluen. Will is a ward, or orphan, who lives in the castle Redmont. His parents abandoned him at a very young age, and the only thing he knows about them is that his father was a great warrior and hero. Naturally, Will wishes to enter Battleschool and become a warrior just like his father. Will is too small and not strong enough for Battleschool though, and his friend Horace, another ward, always teases him about it. But Will possessed other skills; the skills of a Ranger. He can walk silently and climb very well, and is very small and agile. When the Choosing Ceremony comes, an event where the wards are chosen by masters for careers, Will is not chosen for Battleschool, but he is chosen by Halt, a Ranger, to be his apprentice. Will trains and trains over the months and becomes a skilled Ranger, and goes to the Gathering, which is a time when all Rangers meet to exchange news and information. But it ends early, for some Rangers report on the sudden deaths of many high-ranking people of Araluen. This means only one thing: Morgerath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, has arisen. Morgerath rebelled against Araluen some 15 years back and was defeated, and is seeking revenge. He sends out two Kalkaras, which are great beasts that look like a cross between a bear and an ape, have a paralyzing gaze, and have a waxy coating on their fur to make the fur like scales. The Kalkaras are skilled assassins and are sent to kill all the high ranking officers in Araluen to cause panic and fear before Morgerath’s army arrives. Will and Halt are sent to kill the Kalkaras, along with Gilan, the former apprentice of Halt, and that is when the story of a lifetime begins…and the biggest war in the history of Araluen. I rate this book five out of five, because it was like the book was glued to my hands. I kept thinking, one more page, one more page… it is a truly interesting and action-packed story.
Ranger’s Apprentice 2, by John Flanaganreviewed Reviewed by Elliott W. This book is a sequel toRanger’s Apprentice: Rangers of Gorlan. The first book is about a boy named Will who becomes a ranger. In this book, Will and Horace are on a mission, but they are still learning how to be a master ranger and a master knight. Will argues from time to time with his friends. When you read this book it is basically going through what it takes to be a master warrior and what Will has to go through. Will’s teacher is a big buff man with years of skilled experience who is now training Will how to be a ranger. The three main characters are preparing to become the best at their skill. One of the scariest scenes is when they go into Pordellath and do not see anyone there for a mile. It seems the residents packed up in a hurry and abandoned their homes. Will, Horace, and Gilan are trying to figure out why that is so. When they walk through the empty village they are on their top guard. At any second Lord Morharath’s henchmen could appear which would spell trouble. I would rate this book 6 out of 10 because it has action, suspense, and mystery. It held my attention throughout the book. I think there were some unnecessary scenes and details.
The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan Reviewed by Matthias L.
The Red Pyramid is about two siblings trying to save their father, and all of Egypt’s gods and legends along with him. These two siblings are Carter and Sadie Kane. Carter lived with his dad, an Egyptologist who traveled around the world. Sadie lived with her grandparents in London, raised as an English girl. Their mother died when they were young. The story starts in London, when their father, Julius Kane, takes them to the British Museum on Sadie’s birthday. He ends up opening a portal, intending to summon Osiris, the lord of the dead. But not only Osiris comes out. Set, the god of Chaos, also appears, captures Julius, and disappears. The story takes place currently, but some of the characters respect the same things the ancient Egyptians did. The story takes place in many different places. Some important locations are Egypt, Paris, Brooklyn, Washington D.C, and a place parallel to our world, called the Duat. The Duat is where gods, demons, and other nasty entities dwell. An interesting fact about the Duat is that it has many levels. For example, one level might be a sanctuary for mortals, but the next might be a dungeon for a demon or a god. Another interesting detail is a creature in the Hall of Judgment (where dead souls are judged to see what will happen to them in the afterlife) who devours unworthy souls. Ammit the Devourer normally sleeps and is the size of a puppy. If I could rate this book, I would give it four out of five stars. I really liked it, but I think that during some parts, it could have been a little more or a little less detailed. Over all, I think it was a really good book. If you like other adventure stories, I suggest you read this one.
The Red Pyramid, by Rick, Riordan Reviewed Ari D
The Red Pyramid takes place in the 21st century all over the world from Egypt to France and many other places. The two main characters in this story are Carter Kane who is 14 years old and his sister Sadie who is 12.They are trying to find their father Dr. Julius Kane who is an archeologist. At the British Museum he tried to contact the ancient god Osiris but released more than one god. Instead of Osiris the god of chaos, Set was released and put Dr. Kane inside of a sarcophagus and they both disappeared. The children meet and lose many friends trying to find something to take down Set. By now Carter and Sadie are trying out some of the powers of the gods that they possess. The journey doesn’t just take them to other countries, but to other realms such as the realm of death and the duat. A duat is a realm where all the Egyptian gods usually stay. And at the end of it all, they find out it was just the beginning, of new enemies and battles to prepare for.
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan Percy Jackson is twelve years old and lives with his mother, Sally Jackson, in New York City during the school year and at Camp Half-Blood during the summer. Camp Half-Blood is for “special” people. By special, I mean a demigod, a mixture of a Greek god and a mortal (regular) person. Demigods have a scent. When they find out they are a demigod, the scent becomes stronger so it is easier for monsters to hunt them down. Percy is a son of Poseidon, god of the sea. Percy is ADHD and dyslexic like most demigods. ADHD helps them in battle by keeping them moving, and dyslexia helps them read Greek more easily. Because of this, he goes to a school for challenged kids so everything is easier for him. He keeps having dreams about his friend Grover, who’s a satyr, which is half-goat half-man. Satyrs guide demigods to the camp for protection. Once they become senior protectors, they go out into the world to find Pan, god of nature, who has been missing for the last 200 years. In Percy’s dreams, Grover has been kidnapped by a Cyclops, named Polyphemus. He doesn’t know what to do to help Grover. On the last day of school when Percy thought he was going to go through a whole year without a monster attack, the school bullies turned into cannibal monsters. His friend Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, showed up right when one of the monsters was about to kill Percy. Annabeth stabbed the monster in the belly button “killing” it (monsters can’t die). Percy, Annabeth and his friend Tyson soon went to Camp Half-Blood. Percy learned Tyson is a baby Cyclopes who is also a son of Poseidon. When they got to camp, the magic borders were dying which kept monsters out. Percy and Annabeth agreed the only way to save the camp was to find the Golden Fleece, which could cure anything with its nature powers. In Percy’s dreams, the Golden Fleece was at the same place Polyphemus was keeping Grover. Percy, Annabeth and Tyson got the camp’s permission for a quest. Now they could save the camp and Grover at the same time. I would rate this book five stars because Rick Riordan made me feel like I was on the quest with Percy and his friends the whole time, and made everything feel so real, even though it isn’t. By Simon G.
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan The Sea of Monsters is another great book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. In this book, the tree of Thalia, the main source of power for Camp Half-Blood’s protection shield, has been poisoned by someone. That means anything immortal can enter Camp Half-Blood and attack it, and then it gets worse. Chiron, the camp activities director, is sent out of Camp Half-Blood because the camp owner Dionysus thinks he poisoned the tree. Chiron is one of Percy’s best friends. He was even Percy’s History teacher. Chiron is a Centaur, half-man and half-horse.
There has to be someone to replace Chiron. That person is Tantalus, who was a criminal and is probably from the Underworld. He is so mean and he hates kids, especially Percy Jackson. For anyone to go out and find the cure for the tree poisoning, they need to be given a quest. However, Percy doesn’t get a quest, so he sneaks out of camp to try to get the cure. Just to let you know, if you leave camp without a quest or permission, you will be expelled. That is not a good thing, but Percy takes the risk. So from there on out Percy and his friends, Tyson and Annebeth, are out to encounter the unbearable wrath of anything that comes in their way. I would rate this book 5 of 5 because when I started reading, I got sucked right in to the book. It actually felt like I was in the book.
By Ben J
The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis Eustace is the cousin of the kings and queens of Narnia. He has been to Narnia with his honorable family before, and now he will travel there again, but without his cousins. He and Jill, a friend of his, are called back to Narnia. There they are given a mission by the great lion himself, Aslan. He tells them to rescue Prince Rilian, the soon-to-be king of Narnia. Accompanied by a Marsh Wiggle (a combination of a frog and a human) they head north to destroy the silver chair that holds the prince under an enchantment and, if possible, the witch who cast it. This book, in fact the entire series, is quite a show. Everything seems to be everywhere and at every time (ok, so the book is a little complicated). I for one like it for this very reason. In this book (and series) you will experience many a magical phenomenon, unimaginable happenings, and incredible scenes. And, perhaps, even more. Reviewed by Ariel K.
The Sisters Grimm, by Michael Buckley The Sisters Grimm
will take you on a magical ride through Ferryport Landing on Aladdin's flying carpet. Literally! Throughout this series, you get to know Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, the newest fairy-tale detectives. In this mystery, the Grimms’ guardian, Mr. Canis, also known as the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs, is arrested for past crimes. A kangaroo court, hand-picked by Mayor Heart (The Queen of Hearts), all "coincidentally" members of the Scarlet Hand, who kidnapped the girls' parents and has put them under a sleeping spell, is determined to find Canis guilty, and get the Grimms (the last human family) out of town. That way, the barrier that trapped all of the Everafters (fairy-tale creatures) would fall. Since Puck (the fairy from "A Midsummer's Night Dream"), has left the girls to fend for themselves, it’s up to Sabrina and Daphne to find evidence to save Canis—and their investigation may reveal more than they hoped. While all of this is happening, Uncle Jake and his girlfriend, Briar Rose (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) try to track Goldilocks to come back into Ferryport Landing and break the sleeping spell on Sabrina and Daphne's parents, after Briar figures out that only true love’s
kiss will wake them. After a while of chasing and coaxing, Goldilocks admits to still being in love with the sisters' father, and shows up at the doorstep to break the spell.
By Talia P.
THE SON OF NEPTUNE, by Rick Riordan Reviewed by Noah G. Thrilling, suspenseful, amusing. These are some adjectives that describe The Son of Neptune. This book is the sequel to Rick Riordan’s book, The Lost Hero. In The Son of Neptune, Percy Jackson tells the story of how he awoke in a strange place. Percy is a sixteen-year-old demigod, a person with a mortal parent and a godly parent. Percy’s dad is Neptune, or Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses (this gives Percy control of over sea, ability to create earthquakes, and ability to talk to horses). The only thing that Percy can recall is that he was found by a wolf goddess; she trained, guided and taught him; then he was sent on a journey to find a camp for other demigods like him. The wolf goddess taught Percy that he was born for the Roman gods and that he was going to the Roman camp, but what Percy doesn’t know is that there is a camp like his, but for Greek demigods. To get to camp he’d have to defeat two gorgons over and over and over and over again, and then he’d have to carry an old, heavy hippie across a lake. Percy befriended a couple of outcasts, who were seemingly crazy weirdoes. Frank Zang and Hazel Lavesh (about the same age as Percy) had problems of their own; their cohort (the fifth, which Percy was elected to be in) was in a rut, and they had deathly scary secrets. But that all changes when a god comes to camp only to claim Frank and send him, Percy, and Hazel on a quest. They must go on a quest to kill a giant, unchain death, and recover an eagle. The quest isn’t easy, with evil wheat, women warriors, and healthy organic cupcakes.
I rate the book five stars out of five. This book was outstanding.
The Son of Neptune By Rick Riordan Reviewed by Mati Zeff
Rescue the god of death in a week from the hands of an immortal, all-powerful, giant enemy of the gods
,
who cannot be defeated in his homeland where he is holding his captive? Why not? In The Son of Neptune, Hazel, Frank, and Percy are charged with this task. They are, before their quest, at a hero training camp for the children of the Roman gods. Hazel is a daughter of Pluto with strange powers and a secret, dark past. Frank is descended from a Roman exiled to China. He’s supposed to be powerful, but thinks himself helpless, and has a secret that he believes to be a weakness. Percy is new to the camp and has lost all of his memory. The three teenagers are sent off from hero training camp with nothing more than a small boat, their clothes, and their weapons. They must reach Alaska, the lair of Alcyoneus the giant
,;
enemy of the gods, eldest of his kind, and bred to destroy the gods of Olympus. They fight their way through hostile wheat fields, unfriendly hot dog samples, Gorgons, seers, Canadians, griffins, undead warriors, and very large and unfriendly immortals. However, as in most adventure stories such as this, they receive help from many sources. Some of them are: very old ghosts, Amazons, death, a very cranky grandmother, a few gods, an elephant, a grizzly bear, an eagle and many more.
In this book, Rick Riordan continues the legacy of Percy Jackson while making use of his new design of narration. The book contains as much excitement or more as its predecessor, The Lost Hero, and smoothly incorporates the characters of his previous series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This book indisputably deserves five stars for its dazzling excitement, its uproarious humor, superb character development, and Riordan’s remarkable feat of combining all of the above into a fantastic, cohesive piece of literature. Riordan perfects his masterpiece by humanizing his characters. He makes them heroes but he also emphasizes that they too have great weaknesses, like all people. They too are subject to temptation. Heroes that they are, they still are not so sure of themselves that they cannot for a minute doubt their cause. They are human. The Son of Neptune is altogether a literary marvel of the 21st century.
The Son of Neptune, By Rick Riordan Reviewed by Madelyn S. In this sequel to the Percy Jackson Series, Percy, who was last seen in Camp Half-Blood (a Greek camp) has now ended up in the Roman Camp Jupiter. How he ended up there he doesn’t know. He doesn’t even remember who he was or what he did. His friend Hazel, who is supposed to be dead now, is falling in love with a boy named Frank. She was supposedly killed by the god Gaea while trying to save the world. Frank’s life now depends on a piece of wood. Once that wood is burned to ashes he will be dead. All of these friends are sent on a quest by Mars (the war god) to save Thantos the Greek god of death, who was captured and now can’t close and open the doors of death. Mother Gaea, goddess of the Earth, took control and now lots of monsters and giants are not dying because the doors of death are always open, meaning the dead are resurrecting. Thantos is being held in Alaska, where there is no protection from the gods. On the way to Alaska the friends run into a man named Phineas who knows all, so they try to get him to reveal the exact location of Thantos. They find out that the only way to get the location is to catch the harpy Ella, so to release her they decide to gamble with Phineas. Percy has two containers of gorgon blood: one heals and one kills, but both look exactly the same. Percy tries to connect to Gaea saying if he is so important, let Phineas die and let him pick the container that heals. Phineas does take the death container and dies while Percy takes the healing one. Ella the harpy comes with Percy, Hazel, and Frank and they go to Alaska. Do they free Thantos? Does Percy get his memory back? Read the book to find out.
STUART LITTLE, by E.B White (Fantasy)
Stuart Little, by E. B White, takes place in New York City. When the Littles went to the adoption agency they saw Stewart. Even though he was a mouse they fell in love with him. Mr. Little built some small contraptions so Stuart could use things inside the house. For Stuart’s clothes, his mom used some old doll clothes and for his hair an old doll brush. Every morning for Stuart was an adventure. Turning on the sink was the hardest part for Stuart. Every Sunday, Stuart would go to the park and watch people race boats. When he saw a man with a wrecked boat, Stuart had an idea. He said to the man that he could steer the boat in the race. Even though he had such small hands he was still able to steer the boat. When the race was about to start a crowd formed around Stuart and the boat. The thought of a mouse steering the boat was amazing. During the race, another boat rammed Stuart’s. The boats stuck together and began sinking. You’ll have to read the book to find out what Stuart did next. Even though his life was difficult, he loved being small.
By Josh J.
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan Reviewed by Mati Zeff Save the world in five days while trying to stop the ultimate, immortal king of evil and chaos? No problem! The Throne of Fire is a present day historical fiction book based on Egyptian mythology but intertwining it with modern life. It explores the fantastic possibilities of the existence of Egyptian gods and other mythological beings, like its predecessor, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and its brother, the Heroes of Olympus series. Being the second book of the Kane Chronicles, it reintroduces Carter and Sadie, the main characters, as the unfortunate adolescent siblings battle demons, spirits, the moon, magicians, gods, camels, a curse, and Chaos itself in their quest to save the world. However the siblings are not alone. They are aided by a dwarf god named Bes, a cat, a date farmer, a teenage boy who likes to hang around graveyards, King Tut’s great-great-great- ( and about a thousand more greats) grandson, a hawk, an old man, a ghost, and an overweight hippo. Traveling all around the world to find the three scrolls that make up the book of, they attempt to reawaken the sun god to fight Apophis (Chaos), in a war between Ma-at (order), and Chaos. The story takes place in the modern-day world, not based in one place; rather, it ranges from America to England, Russia to Egypt. The progression of opposition to mortal magicians and other humans is truly a master touch. It allows Riordan to dramatize his protagonists’ feelings from hate and despair to competition, rivalry, betrayal, and human dislike. I would give this book five stars: a perfectly crafted creation of Rick Riordan’s, with no good stopping points, the mark of superb writing. It holds its own not only against Riordan’s other creations, but against the all-time classics; Tolkien, Lewis, Dumas, Hugo, Hemmingway, Dickens, etc. It is altogether a captivating book.
Tunnels, by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams (Fantasy)
Tunnels is about a boy named Will Burrows who only has one similarity with his dad: A love for archeology. They both love to dig. All of a sudden, his dad, Dr. Burrows, disappears after having an argument with Mrs. Burrows and going into the basement. Then strange, hatted men in suits start following Will and his friend Chester home from digging in a peculiar wasteland. Will and Chester investigate in Will’s basement and they find a hole. They follow the hole, and end up in another world beneath the streets of London. Then, they get put in jail for trespassing by the police. Chester and Will get separated because a family comes and claims Will as their own. So Will has to go home with this family. I recommend this book to people who like long chapters with suspenseful endings and archeology.
By Alec C.
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyers
Twilight is a thrilling journey through the town of Forks, Washington. Isabella Swan moved there to live with her father Charlie, whom she rarely sees. Her mother and father are divorced so it was very difficult for her to see both parents equally since they do live quite some distance from each other. As she comes to her new school in Forks she meets some really nice friends and some mysterious ones, including the Cullen family. The Cullen family is strange and different. They are a very hard family to understand. They barely eat, they always look pale, they are always cold, their eyes change colors, and Edward (one of the Cullens) always looks at Bella like she is different from others. In the beginning of the book, Bella was bewildered with Edward and always wondered about him. Towards the middle, Edward is more daring and starts to talk to her and begins conversations, until Bella realizes something is not right. He is not normal and the same as everyone else, he is something different. As they get closer and closer to each other Bella realizes he is more than just a confusing nice guy but also a vampire! In the course of this book Bella falls in love with Edward while she is also a little bit scared of him. Throughout this book you are introduced to characters such as the Cullen family, the Nomads, and more. I liked this book because it is very adventurous and mysterious. You never know what might happen next.
Mel V.
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyers
OK, if you haven’t read Twilight, by Stephanie Meyers, yet, you are really missing out. This book is about a girl named Bella and a vampire named Edward. Bella just moved in with her dad in a town called Forks, in Washington. Edward is a vampire in disguise, but he is a good vampire; he tries not to, well, eat human blood. He and his “siblings” pretend that they are normal high school students. One day, Bella walks into her class and Edward is there. For some reason, her blood is a lot more appealing to him than any other person’s. It takes every ounce of self restraint he has not to kill Bella. Somehow, the two fall in love, and the story unfurls from there. Twilight is a positively incredible book, “The new Harry Potter” some people say. Even if you don’t like that kind of book, I can promise that you will LOVE Twilight!!!!!
Becca T.
The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett, 263 pages
Tiffany is a nine year old girl who lives in the Chalk, a fertile land made of seashells. She wants to be a witch when she grows up. It was very hard to be a witch on the Chalk, but Tiffany did not know this, and tried anyway. One day, Tiffany's little brother, Wentworth, went missing. He was stolen by the Queen, a very powerful evil being, who lived in Fairyland. Fairyland is a dark, cold, snowy world with a lot of monsters that make people dream weird dreams, then eat them up. Tiffany went to Fairyland with the Wee Free Men to rescue Wentworth from an eternity of crying over not being able to eat all the sweets in the universe. Tiffany had always thought that words and pictures didn't really matter, they were just communication and entertainment tools, but she was going to find out how very wrong she was. I give this book five stars. I recommend this book for people who like new worlds.
By Dina.B
A Wind in the Door, By Madeleine L’Engle I would not recommend this book to anyone who likes nice and easy books with a non-confusing plot and no big words. A Wind in the Door has HUGE words and a confusing plot. This book is the sequel to the award-winning book A Wrinkle in Time. The book takes place in rural America in a small village. It is there where the main character, Meg Murry, learns that her brother, Charles Wallace, is seriously ill. Her parents discover that there is something wrong with his mitochondria, but they cannot figure out what. Meg teams up with her mean ex-Principal, a friend, and a monster thing named Proginoskes to stop the evil Echthroi from killing her brother’s mitochondria before its too late! Will Meg stop the Echthroi? Will Charles Wallace be saved? The only way to find out is to read the book! by Danny N.
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle (Fantasy) A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, is a science fiction book about a girl named Meg Murray and her brother Charles Wallace whose father disappeared. The book describes their adventures and problems as they travel the universe to try to find and save their dad. They meet interesting creatures who teach them to time travel and guide them at different times when they need help, like Mrs. Who and Mrs. What who help them with locating their father and rescuing him. Even though it was a pretty good book I did not like it because the author spent a lot of time describing problems the characters had but then the book ended very quickly and there was no explanation about how everything happened. I hated how the author gave information that messed up the book, but the story-line made it a good novel. I do sugges that you read it.
By Charles S.
The Lightning Thief ,by Rick Riordan
Review by: Abe W.
The book The Lightning Thief is about a boy named Percy Jackson. He and his mother are at his beach house when someone knocks on the door. It's Grover from Mount Olympus. He is half goat and half man. He warns them that they have to leave and travel to Mt. Olympus. If Percy and his mother do not go to Mt. Olympus, something is going happen to them. Percy and his mother do not listen to Grover and try to drive home. Then a monster with horns comes and tries to kill them. Percy kills the monster, takes the horn and goes to Mt. Olympus. Grover greets Percy with Amanda and tells Percy that this is a special camp called Camp Half Blood. It is where all the half bloods, half human and half god, go to camp. Grover tells Percy that he is a ahlf blood.Amanda is the daughter of the ruler of the half bloods.
While Percy is at Camp Half Blood, Amanda teaches him how to sword fight and, surprisingly, Percy is very good. Later, Percy goes on a journey. The journey is to find Zeus' lightning rod. This journey has lots of action. The book is very interesting, but you will have to read it to find out. I would recommend this book to 4th grade and up because I think a 3rd grader would not understand it. I think the language it too fierce and scary. I personally like they book because I like action books and it was very interesting. It alsohad many cliff hangers which invited me to keep reading more. I would give it four stars because it was really fun and great book, but it could use more longer words.
The Alchemist, by Michael Scott (Fantasy)
The Alchemist was a fantastic book. The main characters are Josh Newman, Sophie Newman, Nicholas Flamel, Pernelle Flamel, Dr. John Dee, and Scatach. The book is about the two kids (Sophie and Josh). They both work for people who seem normal, until they find out that Josh works for a 600-year-old Alchemist named Nicholas Flamel, and Sophie works for his wife, Pernelle Flamel. They protect The Book of Abraham the Mage, a sacred book with the power to alter the world. That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee, an immortal magician, plans to do with it once he steals it from Nicholas. Josh and Sophie travel with Scatach as well, a 2000-year-old warrior who trained almost every great warrior from her time that you could imagine. During their adventure Pernelle gets kidnapped by the one and only Dr. Dee, and the once ordinary Josh and Sophie Newman realize they’re more important than they think. This book is absolutely marvelous and out of five stars I would give it an eight.
By Harrison B.
The Alchemist: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott (Fantasy)
Josh and Sophie Newman are just you’re ordinary 15-year-old twins, right? WRONG!! Well, in the beginning they are normal. Josh works at a bookstore for Nick and Perenelle Fleming. Sophie works just across the street at a coffe shop. It’s a nice and normal day until Josh smells rotten eggs and mint. He goes to the roof to see what is causing the smell and he sees Nick Fleming fighting with a small man. They are not touching but they are throwing energy at each other like magic. The small man turns out to be John Dee, accompanied by golems. Yes, golems. Creatures created by magic and made out of clay. John Dee is looking for a book called the Codex (The Book of Abraham the Mage) and he wants to use it to destroy the world. Read this AMAZING book to find out what happens and if you like it there are two more out and three more coming out. I would highly recommend this to anyone.
Adam R
The Alchemyst {The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel} by Michael Scott (Fantasy)
“The two that are one, the one that is all.” What could this mean? Is it talking about the ordinary Josh and Sophie Newman? They are in fact twins. Their parents are archeologists who travel the country, dragging along their children. Finally one summer, when the twins are about fifteen, their life changes. It all starts with one bright and sunny day. Sophie Newman is working at a completely empty coffee shop when she sees big “things” walking into the bookstore across the street where her brother works. The strange part about them is that they are dressed as if it was twenty degrees, when in fact it was somewhere around eighty. The “things” advance into the store along with a short man named Dr. John Dee. Inside, the owner of the bookstore, Nick Fleming, notices the presence of one of his enemies by the odor of sulfur. He presumes that Dee is looking for The Book of Abraham the Mage, more commonly known as the Codex. Then Dee sends his “things” at his nemesis along with balls of energy. Fleming starts to fight back when Josh Newman comes up from the cellar. He sees clay men or golems and also witnesses explosions caused by balls of energy. Dee eventually grabs the Codex out of Josh Newman’s hands and kidnaps Fleming’s wife. But what Dee doesn’t realize is that he ripped the two most important pages in the book. For some odd reason, Fleming tells Josh and Sophie (who also witnessed the event) that they have to leave. However, Josh and Sophie are very confused about what just happened. Fleming turns out to be Nicholas Flamel (a real person not just someone who you have read about in Harry Potter) and mentions something about auras. Josh and Sophie soon realize that not everyone can be trusted.
This was a very thrilling book and almost every chapter ended with a cliffhanger. The book makes five stars and is one of the top on my list. The funny thing is, Scott tells a fantastic story over the course of only two days. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy.
By Benji J.
The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Ari. H.
Ever wanted to go somewhere really far, really fast, unseen? Ever checked underground for the means to do it? Deep below the surface, lies an ever changing, ever growing cluster of hallways with entrances all over the world. “The Labyrinth” was created by Dedalus, an ancient Greek architect, for mysterious reasons. This great mass of mazes is still functioning in modern times when the story takes place. Supposedly, there was only one thing that could navigate the maze, and it was called “Ariadne’s string.” In the wrong hands, it could lead to world domination. Imagine vast armies moving, unseen and unheard until they pop out of an invisible hole. In The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan, the Greek gods all have children with mortals and these children are called demigods. To protect their home and very lives from the vast armies using the labyrinth, it is important that the demigods make their move immediately. After finding an entrance to the labyrinth in Camp Half-Blood, the place where demigods go for the summer, the demigods have no choice but to get to the string before the evil armies led by Kronos, King of the Titans, convince Dedalus to fork it over. As all the campers know, Kronos’ first move will be to destroy Camp Half-Blood. From here on out, it is a race to Dedalus’ workshop. The campers, a Cyclops, and a satyr, all led by a mortal with special abilities, must navigate the maze. Not long after these explorers are in the maze they are back out with bad news: Kronos is coming. Now I leave you with defeat lurking in the shadows poised to strike. The question is, who will be its next victim? Read The Battle of the Labyrinth to find out… if you dare. I give this book five stars for the suspense and action, which, when put into pages, make a great book. I recommend this to anyone who likes action, adventure and suspense.
Bloodhound, by Tamara Pierce
Reviewed by Ari M.
Meet Beka Cooper, a teenage girl in the Provost's Guard, the police force in Beka's home, Corus, the capital of the realm of Tortall. Beka has a special ability to talk to the dead and hear voices on permanent whirlwinds called "dust spinners,"and she has a magical talking cat with purple eyes named Pounce. Beka has just been elected a full member of the Provost's Guard, or the "Dogs" and is already on her fourth partner on her watch in five months.
When Beka Cooper was elected a full member of the Dogs, she never imagined how complicated it could be. After being abandoned by her fourth partner in five months, she gets put with her training Dogs, Goodwin and Turnstall. When a bad rye crop drives prices higher causing a riot, Turnstall gets both his legs broken. A group of men form Port Cayn, Hanse Remy, Steen Bolter, and Dale Rowan, give them a hand getting him to safety and it brings an adventure for Beka and Goodwin.
Their adventure begins when the brothers of someone Beka arrested come to her house and give her a beating to pay her back. The Dogs decide that it is the perfect cover story for Beka, Goodwin and the scent hound, Achoo, to go to a nearby city, Port Cayn, to investigate a rising amount of forgeries of silver coins. The coins are called silver nobles and the forgeries are called "coles," and they spread mostly through gambling. While on the boat, Beka finds Dale, one of the men from the riot, who is a big gambler. The next day, Beka stops a pickpocket and finds out that the pickpocket did not take the purse of the person they were after, but switched it with another and Beka wonders why. After that, Goodwin and Beka go to one of Goodwin's old friends, to see if they can find out where the silver is coming from. While walking home, the city's Rogue, (the king or queen of the thieves), takes Beka and Goodwin to her court. She screams at Beka and Goodwin about catching one of her pickpockets, and treats them disrespectfully. After she and Goodwin manage to escape the Rogue, Hanse and his gang invite them to dinner. Dale takes a liking to Beka as his gambling "luck," and Beka does not know what to think. The next day they find out that the Rogue is spying on them. Beka finds she is in love with Dale, and has a hard time finding the line between her duty and her own life.
To find yourself in a world of love, betrayal, friendship and magic, read Bloodhound, the second book in the Beka Cooper trilogy. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5 for a thrilling book that brings you into the wonderful world of Tortall in 247 HE. However, it is very long and requires a lot of maturity to read.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe, by C.S. LewisReviewed by Madelyn S.
Bombs are dropping left and right in London, England. To be safe, a mother sends her four kids on a train to a professor who has volunteered to take care of the children. These children’s names are Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy. While living in the professor’s house Lucy discovers a wardrobe. She climbs into it and finds another world. It seemed to her that it was winter in this strange place. Then she bumped into a faun (half human half goat). He asked her name and what she was. She said she was a girl. And the faun takes her to his home and tells her the place is Narnia. After leaving, Lucy runs and tells her siblings. They look in the wardrobe but there is no Narnia. Then they know they’re going to get in trouble so they run and hide in the wardrobe. There wasn’t enough room so they kept pushing each other back and then they landed in Narnia. They explore but find out that they are getting chased by the White Queen. She is one evil queen. Do Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy get caught? Find out when you read The Chronicles of Narnia.
*= what I rate the book
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Book 1: Eighth Grade Bites, by Heather Brewer
Only three humans know Vladimir’s a vampire: his late mother, his mother’s friend Nelly, and his best friend Henry. For the past three years, since Vlad’s parents’ deaths, he and his Aunt Nelly have been keeping Vlad’s secret. Then, in eighth grade, Vlad’s favorite teacher goes missing. After a few weeks with the principal subbing, a crazy substitute teacher takes over the class. The English class gets weirder and weirder until Vlad gets a mythical creature project. He is sure his assignment card said werewolf, but he read it again and saw the word “vampire.” You’ll have to read the book to find out who the substitute teacher really is.
Samuel H.
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
Coraline takes you on an adventure full of courage and believing. when Coraline Jones and her family move into an old flat, Coraline knows there's something creepy going on here. And it's not the fact that upstairs are 2 old ladies who used to be actresses and a crazy old man that claims his mice know how to play musical instruments. one day, she asks her mother what is behind the door in the room with her grandmother's furniture. her mother replies that there is just an old brick wall. That night Coraline sneaks out of bed and goes to the room with the furniture. And what do you know! there's a whole other world in there! And it looks exactly like our world. There's even an other mother and father! This world is perfect! But here's the catch; The other mother and father want her to stay there and their daughter. Coraline turns them down and decides to go home but her parents are gone. It will take all her courage to out smart her other parents. But does she actually have enough of it? Not since Lucy opened the wardrobe has there been magic like this!By Abby M
Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer (Romance and Fantasy)
Eclipse is part of the Twilight series. Edward (the Vampire) has come back and Bella (his love) wants to become a vampire. Bella wants to become a vampire after her and Edward’s senior graduation. There is a vampire whose name is Victoria. (If you read Twilight, you will remember her.) She has come to kill Bella because Edward killed her mate so she thinks she will get even by killing Edward’s mate (Bella). Jacob and Edward both want to help save her. This is a problem because Jacob is a werewolf and werewolves and vampires hate each other. During this entire frightening time Edward and Bella are trying to have an agreement about what do about the whole vampire situation and what is going to happen afterward.
I really like this book a lot because it is truly scary while being affectionate. It has a more dangerous feeling than other Twilight books and has some sexual parts but otherwise it is amazing. If you like fantasy books or romance books you would really like this series. I also recommend Breaking Dawn, New Moon, Twilight and Harry Potter.
By Tali G.
Eldest, by Christopher Paolini
Eldest is the sequel to Eragon in The Inheritance cycle. In this book, Eragon goes to visit the Elves in Ellesmera and meets a multitude of new allies. In Ellesmera, he also finds one of Galbatorix’s old enemies, who helps Eragon train in the old ways of the Dragon Riders. Meanwhile the Varden is moving their whole army to Surda. What Eragon does not realize is that his brother has now started his own quest, traipsing through Alagaesia, to find his betrothed. Will Eragon finally kill his enemies? Who is Galbatorix’s old enemy? What will happen when the Varden declares war on Galbatorix? Read Eldest and find out! I think this book is better than Eragon, but you need to read them in order to make sense of them. If you enjoy both of these, you’ll really enjoy the third one, Brisingr.William E.
ELLA ENCHANTED, by Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted is a famous book, and famous for a reason. Ella of Frell is the daughter of an oblivious father and caring mother, but neither can help her with the biggest obstacle in her life - rules. Cursed at birth to obey any command, can Ella live happily ever after? Her quest to find the fairy that cast the terrible spell gets even harder when her father forces her to go to finishing school with a nasty girl who somehow knows about Ella's curse! Ella runs away, but then... Sorry! No more spoilers here! You'd better read the book, though. Here's an idea why. Did you ever wonder what was behind the story of a fairytale? This book is a wonderful interpretation of one such fairytale. Full of laughter and magic (both metaphorical and real), you'll never look at rules the same way again.
By Anne P
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini
Eragon is an adventure book about a boy named Eragon who becomes a dragon rider. He goes hunting and finds a dragon egg. After a week, the dragon hatches and he names her Saphira. When the evil king sends his dragon rider hunters. they kill Eragon’s uncle, and he and his friend Brom seek to kill the dragon rider hunters. The Dragon Rider hunters are paid by the evil king Galbatorix because Galbatorix doesn’t want any powerful enemies. Brom reveals that they are called the Razak. Brom and Eragon go traipsing all across the king’s country in search of them. What will happen? Will they perish? Will they kill the Razak? If you want to know, read the book. I recommend this book because it will keep you reading till the very last page.
William E.
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini (Fantasy)
Eragon is a farm boy living in an isolated house a couple of miles away from Carvahall, a village in the spine, which is a mountainous area in the north of Alagasea. Eragon lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran. His Aunt Marian died before the story begins. He doesn't know who his father is but his mother's name is Selena. Their family is poor but happy. Eragon usually has to go into the spine to hunt so they don't starve in the winter. The spine is a place which most people hate and are scared of because Galbatorix, an evil king, lost half his army there, although no one knows why. Eragon is out hunting when he wanders upon a herd of deer. He sets his eye on a plump doe with an injured foot. He is about to shoot it with an arrow when suddenly the herd runs off and Eragon feels a disturbance. He sees a flash of light, hears a vociferous boom and all of a sudden a blue stone with whitish veins materializes in front of him. He takes the stone hoping it might be worth enough to buy some meat for winter. Once he gets to his village he goes to the hut of Sloan the butcher, who doesn't like Eragon. When Eragon says he found the stone in the spine, Sloan yells at him and is about to kick him out when Horst, Carvahall's smith and a very nice person, walks in, pays for the meat and gives it to Eragon. Sloan doesn't like the spine because his wife died there. After some time at home during the night a rattling wakes up Eragon. He notices the stone shaking faster and faster until a crack appears in it and then a head. What is it that lives in the stone? What happens next? Will the creature in the stone destroy Alagasea or save it? Read Eragon to find out.
This is an excellent book and I give it 5 stars.
Ofek P.
The Frog Princess, by E.D. Baker
Once upon a time there was a princess. She didn't act or look like a normal princess. She was always messy and dirty, and she loved nature. Her laugh didn't sound beautiful like a normal princess's should – at all! Her name was Emeralda, and she was the main character in the book The Frog Princess. One day she was walking down to the swamp as usual. But this time she met a frog named Eadric who claimed to be an enchanted prince cast under a spell that turned him into a frog. The only way for him to transform back into a human was to kiss a princess! So of course he convinced Emma to kiss his slimy frog lips, but instead of him turning into a human... she turned into a frog just like him! At first she was shocked, but as soon as she got the hang of being a frog, she discovered things about herself that she never realized before. Travel with Eadric and Emma on their quest to become humans again and meet some fantastic creatures on the way! If you fell in love with the movie, “The Princess and the Frog,” you will love this book, because the movie is based on its story. The Frog Princess is a magical, interesting, amazing book that I'm sure anybody would love as much as I did!
-Zoe G.
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
This Harry Potter book, which is the 7th in the series, was the best one yet. If you want to read this book I advise starting from the first one. I don’t want to give away any secrets but the beginning is boring. If you just stick with the story it will get more exciting. It is a very well written book and once you get into it you won’t want to get out till you finish. J. K. Rowling uses a great amount of detail in her writing. Also, she can make the end of a chapter into a cliff hanger. This book is about Harry trying to find the deathly hallows, which are three magical items, that if you get them all, you can master death. He is also looking for horcruxes, magical items that let people be immortal. If he kills Voldemort before he gets all the horcruxes, Voldemort will come back to life.
By Sam C.
Help! I am Trapped in the First Day of Summer Camp, By Todd Strasser
Jake Sherman is heading to sleep-away camp for the first time. His two buddies are in a different bunk and that means he is assigned to be in a bunk with all new kids. Jake is bunk-mates with the popular boys and a few nerdy ones, too. The popular boys made nicknames up for all the kids in their bunk, and some of those names are mean and rude. Jake’s nickname is “Sleeping Beauty” because he fell asleep on the bus headed to Camp Walton. The popular boys are not being nice to one boy in particular named Peter. When everyone was headed to their bunks on the first day, the boys started making fun of Peter for carrying a plastic bag with a water pic in it. Those boys, with the meanest one Zack in the lead, picked him to make fun of because he seemed too babyish for sleep-away camp. They decided to make his summer miserable by calling him “Gummi Bear” since he needed a water pic for his gums, and by challenging him in sports where they knew that he couldn’t do it. Also they pulled pranks on him, like filling his water pic up with soap and short-sheeting his bed. First Jake tried to be on the cool side and he joined them in making fun of Peter. After he did that and felt kind of bad for doing that, he went to sleep and woke up headed on his way to summer camp again. This has happened to him before when he has run into problems, where he keeps reliving the same day over and over again. He couldn’t believe that he would relive this day of camp all over again. He ends up reliving the day many times and trying different ways to handle the conflict between Peter and the popular boys. He doesn’t want the popular boys turning on him too. He is also tired of knowing what lunch is going to be before anyone else, since he knows what is going to happen every day that he relives. Will Jake ever get out of this first day of camp?I give this book 5 stars because it really kept my attention the whole time.
By Annie B.
HERCULES, RETOLD BY GERALDINE McCAUGHREAN (Fantasy and Mythology)
Hercules, the Strongest, Bravest, Mightiest and most Tortured man in the Greek world! Why? Well here… it all begins with Zeus. Now Zeus goes off and impregnates some random lady (as usual) and she gives birth to a demigod, Hercules. And so of course he grows up being the tallest and strongest in his class. However Hera, Zeus’s wife, gets angry and jealous and bestows burdens and tasks onto him in hopes that he is destroyed. It was kind of like his to-do list. Slay the Nemean Lion; Slay the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra; Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis; Capture the Erymanthian Boar; Clean the Augean stables in a single day; etc. However through quick wits, remarkable strength, and favor from Zeus, Hercules gets through Hera’s traps one by one. Or does he? It is a great and quick read and a great interpretation of the myth. I give it five stars.
By David T.
I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore
Reviewed by Davi C.
I Am Number Four is about a 16-year-old boy who is very different than almost everyone else in the world. It all started with a planet named Lorien. There were aliens who lived on this land but they looked and talked like everyone else. They had special powers but not everyone had the same powers. Some people could be invisible, fire-proof, able to run extremely fast, pick things up with their minds, etc. The animals on Lorien also had powers and could change into other animals. One day another group of aliens called Mogodorians invaded Lorien and killed almost everyone and everything.
When the residents of Lorien escaped, there was only one plane that survived on the way down to Earth. On the plane there were nine young people from Lorien and each of them had someone who would teach them about their powers when they got older. They would teach them how to fight against the Mogodorians. These people were called garde. There was also a Loric Charm that only allowed the Mogodorians to kill the people who lived on Lorien in order. The title of the book comes from a poem about this charm.
“ In the beginning we were a group of nine.
Three are gone, dead.
There are six of us left.
They are hunting us in order and they won’t stop until they’ve killed us all.
I am number four.
I know that I am next.”
The main character of the book is John Smith. His garde’s name is Henry. John Smith isn’t actually his real name but he needs a fake name so he can’t be tracked down by the Mogodorians. John and Henry lead a very dangerous life. They have to be careful about every single thing they do. If one of their pictures gets put on a computer they have to move to a completely different state. The longest they have stayed in a house is probably two months.
One day they moved to Paradise, Ohio, and John loved it there. It was a very small town but it was the first time John actually made a couple of friends. He usually didn’t make friends because he left the state after a month or so. The only problem was that John’s picture was on the computer a lot and people were starting to figure out who he actually was. Henry told him that they had to leave but he refused and eventually the Mogodorians tracked them down.
I rate this book a 5/5! It was probably the best book I have ever read! When I first saw the book I looked at it and said “OH NO!!!! It’s 440 pages long!” But I started reading it and I literally couldn’t put it down. I definitely recommend reading this book.
The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1: The Lost HeroBy RICK RIORDANReport by Noah B. G
The Lost Hero is about friendship and coming together. In a place where the ancient, mythic world of Greece is a reality, a boy named Jason (age 16) is found by apparent strangers on a bus. Somehow his memory had been wiped clean and he doesn’t remember a thing. Two other people’s memories have been modified as well. Piper McLean and Leo Valdez (the same age as Jason) have found Jason on the bus believing he is their best friend, but the feeling is not mutual. After flying miniature storms attack them, their teacher turns into a psychotic goat, and Jason miraculously learns to fly. Things only get weirder from there. The group is taken to a special camp by an extraction squad (ouch), where they find out that the Greek gods are “still alive” and better yet they are told this by a talking horse. An oracle foresees a journey Leo, Piper, and Jason must take together. Their mission; to find and save the queen of the gods and then the world. Along their quest they meet malicious monsters, face murderous mortals, encounter dreadful deities, and grapple with grotesque giants. But in the end everybody has their secret. What is fiery Leo hiding? While hanging out with drop dead gorgeous Piper, will the boys drop dead? When Jason’s memories return, will he turn out to be Greece’s sworn enemy?
All of the characters in The Lost Hero have their own unique traits. Jason, the powerful son of Jupiter who suffers from serious amnesia, must take a perilous journey to recover his precious memories. Piper, the stunning daughter of Venus, has a choice between friends or family. Wouldn’t life be easier without making difficult decisions? Leo, the hot tempered son of Vulcan, has been haunted by many things from maniac babysitters to sleeping women covered in mud.
The setting of the book is in the ancient Greek world, today. Greek mythology comes to life from as far west as California, as far east as New York City, as far North as Quebec, as far south as Arizona, and right in the middle of the Midwest in Illinois.
Rick Riordan combines humor, thrill, and history to create a story even parents can enjoy.
The Lost Hero, By Rick Riordan
Set in modern times, this book has you guessing at every turn of the page. This story is about three demigods (children of a mortal and a god) who travel around the country to rescue Hera, the queen of all gods. Jason Grace, the leader of this odd trio, awakes on a bus with no memory of his past. Not knowing who he is, he tries to resume life and set out on his quest with his two best friends, Piper and Leo. Even though he doesn't recall his friends, he remembers little by little what went on before his memory loss. Jason, Piper, and Leo all have special powers given to them by their immortal parents. Jason is the son of Jupiter, the god of lightning. He can fly, and control and use his father's lightning. Piper is the daughter of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. She can charm-speak people into giving whatever, whenever. Leo is the son of Hephaestus, the god of fire. He can control fire and is an extraordinary mechanic and blacksmith. These qualities are the most important of all their talents during this quest. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because of the intensity throughout the book and the feeling that you can't put the book down.
By Allison G.
Honus and Me, by Dan Gutman (realistic fiction and fantasy)
This story is about a boy named Joe who has divorced parents, and his only love is baseball. However he is horrible at it because he gets made fun of while batting and he loses his focus. One night, his mom gets him angry by telling him he can’t make his own decisions. He later is cleaning a lady’s attic for baseball card money, when he finds a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card (one of the rarest baseball cards ever). He takes it without letting the lady know. Later he takes it to a pawnshop and the owner tries to tell him it’s fake to scam him out of it for 10 bucks. That night he is holding the card and a tingling sensation comes over him, he is under a powerful force and all of a suddenly he is with Honus Wagner. Joe looks exactly like Wagner’s twin. They’re at the World Series and Wagner lets Joe bat for him and… I won’t ruin the ending. Overall, it was a great, quick read that many will enjoy. I give it 5 stars.
By David T.
Into The Wild, by Erin Hunter
Into the Wild is about a young housecat named Rusty who has dreams about living in the forest. He would like to go explore, but he is afraid of the wildcats that his friend tell him live there. One day he decides to overcome his fear and so he goes hunting on the outskirts of the forest. He is surprised by one of the "wildcats", a young tom (boy cat) about his age named Graypaw. They fight, but soon they stop and become friends. Later, Rusty meets some of the older cats in Graypaw's clan, and they are impressed with his fighting and hunting and ask him to join their clan! He accepts, and so he becomes Firepaw, a member of Thunderclan. Follow Firepaw as he learns about his new home, the other clans, his clanmates, and as he begins to grow into a warrior. I adore this book! The Warriors Series is a truly magnificent series, and I totally recommend this book to everyone, especially people who like animals, because Into the Wild is a really neat idea of what goes on in a forest.
by Anne P
King Matt the First, by Janusz Korczak
The old king is dying and the ministers are in terror. If the king dies, who will take over? Three kings have declared war if Matt doesn’t become king. The old king dies and young Matt becomes king. You should know: Young kings are a lot harder to manage than older kings. The three kings declare war anyway, but Matt’s army wins. Then Matt is invited to visit the three kings and later a cannibal king. Matt decides to go to the land of the cannibals to visit. You’ll have to read the book to see if Matt comes back.
Sam H.
Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld (Fantasy)
Leviathan is a book about a boy named Alek who is Hungarian and drives a machine called a Stormwalker. His two teachers are named Master Klopp and Count Volger. Alek is a young prince whose parents, the Duke and Duchess of Austria-Hungary, were assassinated. Their deaths caused the start of World War I, and now Alek is in the Stormwalker trying to escape his country. When Alek and his teachers were escaping in the Stormwalker, Alek thought it was just a practice ride. Later on in the ride Count Volger told Alek they were escaping because there were assassins coming to kill Alek, as well. The story is a fantasy that takes place in Europe in 1914 during the Great War, which is what people called World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and the Germans have machines and men. The British have monsters. The Leviathan is a flying monster that the British use, and it is very strong. A girl named Deryn Sharp is disguised as a British boy. She is a pilot who helps Alek and his teachers through the war, even though they are on opposite sides. It was an intense journey for them, and if you want to know more, then read the book. I loved the story, although I thought it was a little confusing at some parts. I would rate it 41/2 stars.
By Max.F
The Mark of Athena
By Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Becci S.
The Mark of Athena, the third book in the series, The Heroes of Olympus, is a book about Roman and Greek mythology. The main characters, Jason and Percy, were shipped off by the goddess Hera, to opposite camps, Camp Jupiter of Rome and and Camp Half-Blood of Greece. During Percy's quest, that started at Camp Jupiter, he meets two new friends, Hazel and Frank. Jason also goes on a quest, but in Camp Half-Blood, and he meets two new friends as well, Leo and Piper. There was a prophecy that seven demigods from the two different camps would go on a quest to save the mortal and immortal worlds from the mother of giants, Gaea. Four would go from Camp Half-Blood: Annabeth, Percy, Leo, and Piper. Three would go from Camp Jupiter:Jason, Hazel, and Frank. Later in the book the prophecy was fulfilled. The seven friends traveled on a ship called Argo II, which was built by Leo and a satyr named Coach Hedge. Everyone had to fulfill their own quest. Annabeth, for example, the daughter of Athena, had to find a statue of her mother to avenge her. Using Jason's power of lightning and Percy's power of water, the whole crew joined together to fight as one. The demigods split up into groups to go to many places in the book, like Hercules's island in the Mediterranean Sea, Kansas, and Rome. Annabeth was alone at the end of the book on her own quest. Hazel had to find her brother Nico because he was captured by twin giants.
The seven friends were risking there life to go on this quest. Did they succeed, or did they fail to save both worlds? This book is full of adventure, action, mythology, and so much more. Read Mark of Athena to find the real ending of this adventure.
I rate this book 5 stars because it was full of adventure and I love Greek and Roman mythology.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson
Reviewed by Ava G.
“Do not put this book down. I’m dead serious- your life could depend on it.” --- The Angel Experiment, page 1
This story is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Maximum Ride and her flock, which consists of the dark and dangerous Fang; the blind, blond, bomb expert, Iggy; the emotion-sensing, motor-mouth, Nudge; the passing-gas impersonator, The Gasman; and Max’s little eight-year-old mind reader, Angel. The flock ma not be blood related but they are still as close as family. They all seem not quite normal, and the questions you are probably asking are: where are the parents; and what is with the bombs, emotion sensing, and mindreading? Well, the first most important thing is that they aren’t all human. They are 2% bird and only 98% human. They have wings and very interesting powers. Where are their parents? They have no clue. They were raised in a terrible place called The School, which is full of scientists trying to mutate animals, and worse, HUMANS! When Max and her flock escape with the help of one of the scientists, Jeb, they go to live in the mountains with him. When Jeb leaves and never returns, they assume he is dead. When they get over Jeb’s disappearance, they continue their “normal” life in the deserted mountains. One morning, The Flock goes to collect strawberries in the field. That is where it all goes wrong. They are attacked by Erasers, which are half human, half canine, and ALL PREDATOR! During the fight, Angel is kidnapped and taken to The School. Afterwards, The Flock has to fly to The School to get Angel back. After a successful rescue mission, they travel to New York City to find out information about their origins. Will they ever know where they came from?
I rate this high-flying adventure with five stars. You’ll get sucked in as you enjoy the ride with Max and her flock. If you enjoy snarky comments and supernatural novels, you’ll love this adventurous fiction book. See through the eyes of Max as she soars through the pages. I love the amazing action and the beautiful, family-like relationships inside The Flock.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (Fantasy) Maximum Ride is about six kids who live together, named Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gassy (the gasman), and Angel. They are quite normal except for the fact that they are only 98 percent human. The other 2 percent is bird. Before they were born they had bird DNA put into them by crazy scientists called white coats (by the flock) in a place called the School, which is where they grew up. Now they all have wings but otherwise they are quite normal. One day Angel is kidnapped by a group of people called the Erasers. They are human until they morph into part human, part wolf. They were created to hunt the flock (the bird kids). The Erasers were also created in the School by the white coats and when the flock escaped, the Erasers were sent out to capture and destroy them. The flock, led by Max, goes to try and save Angel from the Erasers. Read and find out how Max and the flock use a mix of wisdom, fighting, and humor to get out of so many tight spots, and how they use new “skills” that they developed. If one book isn’t enough, then read 2,3,4,5, and 6 because it is a series. I give this book a 4.9 out of 5 because it is amazing and part of my second favorite book series. There was never a boring part and it was always filled with action. I would recommend this book to anyone between the ages of 7 and 69. It was just amazing.
By Adam R.
New Moon, by Stephanie Meyer (Romance and Fantasy) This book is a sequel to Twilight. Edward, who is Bella’s love and a vampire, has just gone off and left Bella. Bella's dad has an old friend Billy who has a son named Jacob. Jacob becomes really good friends with Bella when Edward leaves her. Last time Bella and Jacob saw each other he told her about his hobby of making cars and fixing vehicles. Bella is so depressed that she wants to carry out dangerous activities. Therefore, she buys two motorcycles and brings them to Jacob because they are not working and she wants to start riding them. She begins spending all her time with Jacob but something suddenly changes inside of him and he becomes strangely more muscular and can’t spend time with her. After he started to spend time with her again she jumped off a cliff into a lake, because she was trying to do cliff jumping and that's when the adventures begin.................... I really enjoyed this book. It was really interesting from the first word to the last word. I didn't want to put the book down any time I was reading it. I recommend Twilight, Eclipse, and Breaking dawn. All of the books are part of the same series, the Twilight series.
Tali G
Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaiman, 117 pages
Odd is a twelve year old boy who many people think is odd. Even if Odd is odd, he doesn't care. Odd's father died when Odd was 10, and whenever Odd thinks of his father, it gives him strength. Odd wanted to test out his knowledge of cutting trees using his father's ax, so he cut a tree, but crippled his leg when the tree fell on it. The winter was not getting warmer, and it was March! Odd longed for spring to come again. One cold March day, a fox led Odd to a bear stuck between two trees, trying to get the honey that was in the tree. Odd helped the bear get out and expected the bear to eat him. Miraculously, the bear did not eat him, and brought him, the fox, and an eagle back to Odd and his mother's hut. Odd heard the fox, the bear, and the eagle talk, which was very unusual, and found out that they were gods that were turned into the animals. The reason it was still winter was that the Frost Giants were the winter, and they stayed too close to Odd's world too long because of jealousy problems between them. Join Odd, the bear, the fox, and the eagle on a mysterious adventure in trying to win against the Frost Giants to get the spring back. Odd and the Frost Giants is a fast reading fun book that I liked very much.
By Dina.B
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Rebecca S.
The Percy Jackson series is all about the demigods of the Greek gods. Demigods are children with one parent as a god and one parent as a mortal. Many of the demigods live in Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place for them. In this final book of the Percy Jackson series, Kronos, a Titan in the body of Percy Jackson’s arch nemesis, Luke, tries to defeat all the gods so he can rule Olympus. Percy Jackson and his other demigod friends at Camp Half-Blood have to defeat Kronos while the gods are busy with Typhon, the largest and most fearsome of all the monsters.
The main Characters are Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon; Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Percy’s girlfriend; Grover, Percy’s best friend and a satyr; Luke, son of Hermes, Percy’s enemy, and host of the spirit of Kronos; and Kronos, a Titan and father of Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Chiron. The story takes place in modern-day New York. For most of the time, you find Percy and his friends fighting Kronos in New York City. He is also sometimes in Camp Half-Blood and the Empire State Building which is also secretly Olympus. Percy Jackson and Luke both bathe in the River Styx, a river in the Underworld that makes you invincible.
I think that this book should have 4 1/2 stars because it is a very interesting story. It’s a modern time book with a lot of mythology in it. I liked this story a lot!
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Lyla N.
In this mythical action story of present time, Percy, an 11-year-old boy, finds out through fighting a Minotaur, that his math teacher is a Fury, a mix between a person and raven; his Latin teacher is Chiron, who is half-person, half-horse, and the being who taught Hercules how to fight; his best friend Grover is a satyr, with the top part of his body looking human and the bottom looking like a goat; and that he himself is a demigod. Most people would ask what's a demigod? It is person who was born to a mortal (human) and an immortal (god.) Therefore one of his parents is a god and Percy has to go to Camp Half-Blood for safety from monsters who want to harm him.
When Percy arrives there nobody knows whose son he is. So he is sent to the cabin for demigods whose father is Hermes, god of traveling, or for children whose parents have not shown a sign that the half-blood is their child. In Hermes’ cabin, Percy meets Luke, the counselor of the cabin. Luke teaches him how to fight with a sword and joins him as a friend when most of the people in the camp would rather keep away from him.
One day, when the camp is playing Capture the Flag, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, god of war, and enemy of Percy, pushes him into a creek when the half-bloods from her cabin are fighting him. Before he had felt weak but once he hits the water all the strength strains back into him. Then a hellhound jumps out and starts attacking him and at that moment Chiron comes out and kills it. Just as it moves out of the way, a glowing green trident hovers above Percy. It is then that Percy finds out that he is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and one of the big three. Usually children of the big three (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) are attacked by many monsters but that is not the only reason Percy has been under attack. The only way the hellhound could have gotten in to the camp is if it was summoned.
Soon Percy learns that the great Zeus believes that Percy has stolen his master lightning bolt. It is now that Percy, Grover, and a quest-thirsty girl named Annabeth (daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom) get a quest to retrieve Zeus’s master bolt in only ten days. These three go across the country from New York City to Hollywood, visiting Hades, a casino that gets them stuck in there for four days, Ares, and a group of monsters on the way. They successfully return the bolt to Zeus but if Percy didn't steal the bolt then who did?
This book is wonderful for readers who love Greek mythology. My rating for this book is five stars because I never got bored with it. I couldn't stop reading.
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Graiden M.
This book is about a boy named Percy Jackson who goes to a special education boarding school in New York and thinks he has ADHD. One day on a field trip, Percy's Pre-Algebra teacher, Ms. Dodds, turns into a monster and Percy discovers that he is a half-blood. His friend and protector Grover sends him to Camp Half-Blood. A half-blood is the child of a god and a human, and Camp Half-Blood is a camp for half-bloods to be protected. The book doesn't really have a set time period but I imagine it takes place in the mid 2000’s.The main locations in the book are Camp Half-Blood and the places Percy travels in the whole U.S. while he is trying to find the master lightning bolt that he is accused of stealing from Zeus, head of the Greek gods. The main characters in the book are Percy, Grover his friend from school who is really a satyr (half-man, half-goat); Annabeth, a half-blood friend that he meets at the camp who is the daughter of the Greek goddess Athena; Zeus the god of lightning; Poseidon the god of water; and the rest of the Olympians. If I were rating this book between 1and 5, I would give it a 4 because it was a tiny bit hard to read but still a great book.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Jordan N.
The Lightning Thief is about a 12-year-old boy named Percy Jackson who is the son of the sea god, Poseiden. Percy goes on a quest to save the gods from war. He does this by returning Zeus’s stolen master bolt, which is his lightning bolt that is really dangerous, and on the way he tries to save his mom from the Underworld. He is the one person that must go on the quest because he is a half-blood, which means he is the son of a god and a human. At the end, the prophecy, which says that Percy saves the gods from having war and returns Zeus’s master bolt comes true in a way that Percy did not expect it to. The book takes place in the present day in America. Some of the main characters are Percy, who goes on a quest to save the gods from war; Grover, a satyr, who goes to school with Percy and also goes on the quest with him; Annabeth, a half-blood who goes on the quest with Percy and Grover; Percy’s mom, who gets brought to the Underworld; Gabe, who is Percy’s step-father; Eres, the war god who has a fight with Percy; and Luke, who is a friend of Percy who eventually turns on him. If I had to rate the book between 1 and 5, I would rate it a 5. I loved the book and I recommend it to everybody.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Adam M.
Percy Jackson was living the life of a twelve-year-old dyslexic boy in New York State. He always had a tough job staying in the same school for more than a year because of academic and behavioral problems until he finds out he is connected to Poseidon, the god of the sea and is a half-blood (one of his parents is a god and the other is a human). He ultimately goes on an adventure with his friends to rescue his mother and return a stolen lightning bolt to Zeus, or else Zeus will start a war amongst the gods--all before the summer solstice.
This book takes place in modern-day New York. However, it goes back and forth between modern-day and the mythological gods of Mount Olympus coming into the modern-day story. These gods interact with Percy and his friends. The first part of the story takes place at Percy’s home in New York and the second part takes place at Camp Half-Blood, a camp created to protect the half-blood children. Some parts of the story also happen during the adventures of Percy and his friends. They go to places like a casino, the Underworld, Mount Olympus, a bus station, a museum, the Yancy Academy (Percy’s school) and many other spots. The main characters in the book are Percy Jackson and his friends Grover, a satyr, and Annabeth, another half-blood. The three of them set out on an adventure across the United States together. He meets Grover at Yancy Academy and he meets Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood
I would give the novel 4.5 stars because it was a great book but a lot of stories are written the same way when they are about the same topic. When the main character is the hero, you know by the end he will almost always save the day. I also liked that Percy and I are almost the same age and the book was not predictable. There was a lot of action and twists to the book and it was easy to read.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Mira G
Percy Jackson is a dyslexic 12-year-old boy who believes that he has ADHD. He is actually a demigod but does not know it. A demigod is the child of a god and a mortal. When the gods come down to Earth and have a child with a mortal, the child is called a demigod or half-blood. Monsters from ancient Greek mythology are coming after him because Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy Jackson is framed for the theft. He and his friends need to return the bolt to Olympus in ten days, before the summer solstice.
The book is set in modern times, but the real story begins in ancient Greece. It goes from New York to the Underworld. The book has two sides to it -- the current time where it's just three children traveling with each other, and the mythological side, which has monsters and gods. The book takes place in New York and Mississippi and other places, but most importantly it takes place in the eyes of a young boy. The story mostly stays in America with a few mythological places, such as the Underworld, the home of Hades. That is where all the souls of the humans are sent after they die. Then there is Mount Olympus, where all the gods live(except Hades) and watch over the world. Most people think that Olympus is in Athens, but in this book it's not there anymore. Olympus is now on top of the Empire State Building.
Throughout the book you follow three characters. Percy is the main character, and the story is told through his eyes. You read the book in his point of view and "see" what he does. A second character is Grover, a satyr, half-man, half-goat. He is Percy's best friend and protector. The third main character is Annabeth, who has spent most of her life at Camp Half-Blood, which is the only place where half-bloods have safety from the monsters. If any of the half-bloods are in trouble, somebody from the camp goes to get them and bring them back to safety. Annabeth has wanted to go on a quest since she was eight years old and finally gets to go on one with Percy and Grover.
In Greek mythology there are many gods that all have different powers. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. Ares is the god of war. He gives Percy a backpack with something very special in it. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, arts and battle strategy. She is also Annabeth's mother. Dionysus is the god of wine, and the camp's headmaster. Hermes is the messenger god and is the father of Luke, Percy's counselor and friend. Hermes is also the god of thieves. Poseidon is the god of the seas. He is Percy's father. Zeus is the king of the gods and has much power over all the gods and he is the ruler of mankind. After some of the half-bloods were born, Zeus made a rule that the gods were not permitted to see their children. The Big Three were Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. They all made a pact to not have children with mortals anymore, and then the gods start to threaten war with each other. War will break out if Zeus’s, Poseidon’s and Hades’ symbolic possessions are not returned on time.
I would give this book a 4 star recommendation. It was very good and there were a lot of details. The only problem is that there were too many details. Other than that it was amazing and people should definitely read it.
PERCY JACKSON & THE Olympians:
THE LAST OLYMPIAN
Reviewed by Ira s.
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LAST OLYMPIAN, by Rick Riordan, takes place in a modern setting and uses mostly Greek mythology. I like this about the book since you learn Greek mythology,but you are not bored since it’s a modern setting. This book has many characters,including the Greek gods and their half-blood children (they’recalled half-bloods since one parent is a god and the other is a human); Kronos, the Titan of time; Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, the god of the sea; Anabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom; and Grover Underwood, a satyr (a half-goat, half-human child of the god Pan). They all get stuck in New York City with half-bloods and hunters (a band of immortal females), when Kronos and his army of other Titans, monsters and evil half-bloods attack. No mortals can attack since a god named Morpheus,with the power to put people to sleep and slow down time, put all the people in New York asleep. Anyone who comes in to New York also falls asleep, except for half-bloods, since they are harder to put to sleep. The half-bloods and huntersare all alone since the Greek gods are fighting a very powerful monster called Typhoon and he leaves only destruction in his path.
Percy Jacksonalmost always has action going on. It’s that type of book that you can’t take your eyes off of. I would rate the last Olympian a 5 since this book was my favorite of the series and my favorite book.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Last Olympian, By Rick Riordan (Fantasy)
This story takes place around our time in New York. Percy, Anabeth and Grover are the main characters. Percy is a son of Poseidon, Anabeth is the daughter of Athena and Grover is a satyr. These three good friends and an army of half-bloods and hunters must defend Olympus from the Evil Titan Lord Kronos. Half bloods are sons and daughters of gods. Hunters are mortals, naiads, tree nymphs, half-bloods and anything that is willing to pledge themselves to Artemis the goddess of the hunt. Only girls are allowed in the hunters and if they break their pledge to Artemis they lose their immortality. All year the half-bloods of Half-Blood Hill have been preparing for a battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of winning are grim. Kronos’s army is as strong as ever and every time he recruits something his power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain Typhon (the father of all monsters) Kronos begins his advance on New York City where Mount Olympus stands. Mount Olympus is at the top of the Empire State Building on the 600th floor. It’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of about 40 demigods to protect a virtually unguarded Mt. Olympus against thousands of monsters. I think this is an amazing book and give it five stars (out of five stars). I would recommend this book to anyone although I do recommend reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief first and then the rest of the series, since the Last Olympians is the last book in the series.
By Ofek Peres
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson was just a normal person in modern times, at least until four years previous when he discovered that he was a demi-god, a person that is half god, half mortal. Percy’s father happens to be Poseidon, the god of the sea, who abandoned his mother before his birth and left Percy just able to guess who his father was. Now that I have covered Percy’s background let’s get to the story. Percy finally gets to hear the end of his prophecy, which devastates him, although he doesn’t show it. He must fight a war against the Titans and their army but the prophecy says that when he turns sixteen years old he will see the world end. At the beginning of the book, Percy and his friend from Camp Half-Blood try to get rid of Kronus, the Titan Lord, before the war even starts. They detonate the ship on which Kronus is staying. They get trapped and Percy escapes, but his friend does not. Being the son of Poseidon, Percy can hold his breath under water indefinitely and can emerge from the water without looking wet, so he swims back to shore after diving from the top of the cruise ship. He also walks through the River Styx, which is a river in the underworld that if you try to go in, you would almost definitely die. When Percy escapes the river alive, he basically becomes invincible, so it will help him in the war. During the war Percy, his friends and the rest of Camp Half-Blood… You will have to read the book to find out what happens. The Last Olympian is the fifth book in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The books are about Greek gods. I would rate this book a four-and-a-half out five stars. It is an amazing book, well written and teaches you about Greek Mythology.
By Benji J.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief By Rick Riordan
Review by Ari H.
This book is set in the present time in America. The main character is a boy named Percy Jackson who is attending a school for troubled children. Percy has always had ADHD and dyslexia. But when he goes on a summer trip with his mom things start to get stranger . . . Percy finds out that his friend Grover from school is actually his satyr (half man and half goat) protector. Then Percy discovers that not only is he the son of an ancient Greek god, but also that at that very moment he is being chased by a mythical monster called a minotaur. These are the strange facts he learns from Grover in the middle of the night
The small group’s(Percy his Mom and Grover) immediate concern is to save themselves from the minotaur. They take off in Percy’s step-father’s ’78 Camaro to Camp Half Blood where they will be safe from monsters. Unfortunately, before they get to the camp, Percy’s mom is seized by the minotaur and taken away.
Percy discovers that this camp was created to protect children who have ancient gods or goddesses as one of their parents. He then finds out that he is the son of the sea god Poseidon. Percy is given a quest along with Annabeth, who is the daughter of Athena and his friend Grover. They are told to retrieve the stolen lightning bolt of Zeus. As the story unfolds the three adventurers travel from New York to San Fransisco and back again. During these adventures they encounter many monsters including Medusa, the Furies, the mother of all monsters and her son the Chimera. They also run into the god of war, Ares, who brews up a nice, hot cup of trouble.
This story brings myths to life as it surrounds the main characters, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth, with excitement, adventure, cliff hangers and a good plot. I would give this book a solid five stars.
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (Fantasy)
The Lightning Thief is about a boy named Percy Jackson who is the son of Poseidon. It all started when Percy was on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. When his teacher found out he was the son of Poseidon she transformed into a monster and attacked Percy because monsters like to eat demigods. Percy used a pen that could transform into a sword and killed the monster. At the end of the school year, Percy’s mother took him to a special camp that is for children that are the sons or daughters of gods. There, he learned how to fight monsters and train for Capture the Flag games. One day, Percy is given a quest. The quest is to go to the underworld (in Los Angeles) and retrieve Zeus’s lightning bolt and return it to Zeus before the end of June 10. Percy is the one given this quest because he is the most powerful demigod in the camp. On his way, he runs into trouble but that’s nothing he can’t handle, although he soon learns that the most trusted friends cannot be trusted. I would rate this book five out of five because it is action- packed thrilling and mythological, and that’s what I like out of books.
By David G.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (fantasy)
The book starts out by introducing the main character, Percy Jackson. He has been to many boarding schools and been expelled from every single one, including Yancy Academy, the school in the story. At Yancy he made a really good friend named Grover. One day they go to a museum and learn about ancient Greek and Roman stuff (as Percy calls it.) He got through the whole trip without any problems that would get him expelled until Nancy Bobfit, a mean girl in Percy's class, claimed Percy had pushed her into the fountain. Around then one of the teachers, Mrs. Dodds, brought Percy into a quiet room. She became a huge bird with talons. Mr. Brunner, Percy’s Latin teacher, tossed a pen over to Percy but Percy did no see how this helped until he uncapped the pen and it became a sword. He used it and “killed” his teacher. When he went back outside, no one even remembered Mrs. Dodds existed. Grover turns out to be more than just a human friend and tries to protect Percy from strange things that begin happening to him, especially after Percy and his mom visit their seaside cottage during summer vacation. One night when they were there, there was a TERRIBLE storm. Percy and his mom woke up to the sound of the thunder and someone knocking on the door. It was Grover! Percy's mom realized what was happening and told Percy they had to leave right away. They left and right before they had to get out of the car Percy's mom said that he had to go to a camp to which his father wanted him to go. When they got out of the car a Minotaur attacked them just like it would have done if they were in the car. Percy's mom was squeezed to death. The only trophy Percy got was the Minotaur horn. At the camp he learned more about himself and who he truly was. He made two more friends, Luke and Annabeth. He went on a quest with Annabeth and Grover while they met new challenges. I loved the book and would rate it a five out of five. I think anyone should read the book to face new monsters and familiar faces with Percy. I say this because I love mysteries and if the book is not a mystery then I usually have no interest in it. This book was completely different. I didn't even want to put the book down. I guarantee you will not be disappointed if you read the book.
Gabrielle H.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (Fantasy)
The Lightning Thief is a story about a boy named Percy Jackson, who has a lot of trouble in school. He doesn’t fit in with the other kids. He has trouble reading regular books. He only has one friend at school, Grover, who isn’t exactly normal either. Percy is suddenly thrown into an adventure when he discovers that the Greek gods are real and he is a son of Poseidon. Zeus’s lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is accused by Zeus of being the thief. The only way he can prove his innocence is by finding the lightning bolt. The stakes are very high because Zeus has threatened war against Poseidon if the lightning bolt is not found by the summer solstice. Percy thinks that Hades has stolen the lightning bolt. With only ten days to solve the mystery, Percy and his friends make an action-packed odyssey across the United States of America. Rating: 4.5 stars. The Lightning Thief was suspenseful and exciting. It is the first book in a five book series that appeals to kids and grown-ups alike.
By Zach S.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians--The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Greek gods are just myths right? Not exactly. His whole life, at school at least, wasn't going well for Percy Jackson. And things just got worse when his best friend Grover (who is actually a satyr) tells him that his father is a god. Percy didn’t exactly know who his dad was because he left before Percy was born. Now that Percy knows who he is, monsters are chasing him all over NYC! Percy's mom tells him about a special camp were demigods (a.k.a. half bloods) can stay away from monsters. On their way there, Percy's mom is caught by the Minotaur and is taken to the underworld. Percy is determined to get her back, whatever it takes. Just when he gets settled in at camp, his father claims him. It turns out that Percy is the son of Poseidon, the sea god! On top of that, there has been a robbery on Mount Olympus (which just happens to be on the Empire State Building)! Zeus's master bolt is gone! And the prime suspect is Poseidon. Now Percy must clear his father's name, get the lighting bolt, save his mother, and do a few other things on the way. But wait, here's the catch, it all has to be before the winter solstice.
by Abby M.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson was an ordinary eleven-year-old trying to live normally while being dyslexic and having ADHD. Everything was going smoothly until a school field trip to a museum, when things get bad. Percy’s math teacher tries to kill him, but Percy vaporized her with his pen that turns into a sword that another teacher gave him. Percy and his mom decide to go on vacation to the beach, for fun, but then they have to go to Camp Half-Blood, because Grover, Percy’s protector and best friend, said that it wasn’t safe for Percy where he was. At Camp Half-Blood he might never be able to see his mom again, but he has to go for his safety. On the way from their beach house to the camp, they get attacked by a Minotaur and get chased to the edge of Half Blood Hill. The Minotaur grabbed Percy’s mother by the neck, and then she vanished. At camp, Percy finds out he is a half-blood, which is the child of a god and a mortal. He finds out he is a son of Poseidon. Percy gets a prophecy from the oracle, the spirit of Delphi, to retrieve the lightning bolt of Zeus. Zeus’ lightning bolt was stolen and he thought that Percy stole it to help his father, Poseidon. So Percy, Grover, and his new friend Annabeth set out on a dangerous quest to retrieve the lightning bolt.
I thought The Lightning Thief was an amazing book. I rate it five out of five stars, because it was so amazing. After I read this book I fell in love with Greek Mythology.
By Yonah H.
The Ranger’s Apprentice Book One: Ruins of Gorlan, by John FlanaganReviewed by Ezra B.
The Ranger’s Apprentice is about a 14-year-old boy named Will and his wild adventures as a Ranger, an elite spy of the kingdom of Araluen. Will is a ward, or orphan, who lives in the castle Redmont. His parents abandoned him at a very young age, and the only thing he knows about them is that his father was a great warrior and hero. Naturally, Will wishes to enter Battleschool and become a warrior just like his father. Will is too small and not strong enough for Battleschool though, and his friend Horace, another ward, always teases him about it. But Will possessed other skills; the skills of a Ranger. He can walk silently and climb very well, and is very small and agile. When the Choosing Ceremony comes, an event where the wards are chosen by masters for careers, Will is not chosen for Battleschool, but he is chosen by Halt, a Ranger, to be his apprentice. Will trains and trains over the months and becomes a skilled Ranger, and goes to the Gathering, which is a time when all Rangers meet to exchange news and information. But it ends early, for some Rangers report on the sudden deaths of many high-ranking people of Araluen. This means only one thing: Morgerath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, has arisen. Morgerath rebelled against Araluen some 15 years back and was defeated, and is seeking revenge. He sends out two Kalkaras, which are great beasts that look like a cross between a bear and an ape, have a paralyzing gaze, and have a waxy coating on their fur to make the fur like scales. The Kalkaras are skilled assassins and are sent to kill all the high ranking officers in Araluen to cause panic and fear before Morgerath’s army arrives. Will and Halt are sent to kill the Kalkaras, along with Gilan, the former apprentice of Halt, and that is when the story of a lifetime begins…and the biggest war in the history of Araluen. I rate this book five out of five, because it was like the book was glued to my hands. I kept thinking, one more page, one more page… it is a truly interesting and action-packed story.
Ranger’s Apprentice 2, by John Flanaganreviewed
Reviewed by Elliott W.
This book is a sequel to Ranger’s Apprentice: Rangers of Gorlan. The first book is about a boy named Will who becomes a ranger. In this book, Will and Horace are on a mission, but they are still learning how to be a master ranger and a master knight. Will argues from time to time with his friends. When you read this book it is basically going through what it takes to be a master warrior and what Will has to go through. Will’s teacher is a big buff man with years of skilled experience who is now training Will how to be a ranger. The three main characters are preparing to become the best at their skill.
One of the scariest scenes is when they go into Pordellath and do not see anyone there for a mile. It seems the residents packed up in a hurry and abandoned their homes. Will, Horace, and Gilan are trying to figure out why that is so. When they walk through the empty village they are on their top guard. At any second Lord Morharath’s henchmen could appear which would spell trouble.
I would rate this book 6 out of 10 because it has action, suspense, and mystery. It held my attention throughout the book. I think there were some unnecessary scenes and details.
The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Matthias L.
The Red Pyramid is about two siblings trying to save their father, and all of Egypt’s gods and legends along with him. These two siblings are Carter and Sadie Kane. Carter lived with his dad, an Egyptologist who traveled around the world. Sadie lived with her grandparents in London, raised as an English girl. Their mother died when they were young. The story starts in London, when their father, Julius Kane, takes them to the British Museum on Sadie’s birthday. He ends up opening a portal, intending to summon Osiris, the lord of the dead. But not only Osiris comes out. Set, the god of Chaos, also appears, captures Julius, and disappears. The story takes place currently, but some of the characters respect the same things the ancient Egyptians did. The story takes place in many different places. Some important locations are Egypt, Paris, Brooklyn, Washington D.C, and a place parallel to our world, called the Duat. The Duat is where gods, demons, and other nasty entities dwell. An interesting fact about the Duat is that it has many levels. For example, one level might be a sanctuary for mortals, but the next might be a dungeon for a demon or a god. Another interesting detail is a creature in the Hall of Judgment (where dead souls are judged to see what will happen to them in the afterlife) who devours unworthy souls. Ammit the Devourer normally sleeps and is the size of a puppy. If I could rate this book, I would give it four out of five stars. I really liked it, but I think that during some parts, it could have been a little more or a little less detailed. Over all, I think it was a really good book. If you like other adventure stories, I suggest you read this one.
The Red Pyramid, by Rick, Riordan
Reviewed Ari D
The Red Pyramid takes place in the 21st century all over the world from Egypt to France and many other places. The two main characters in this story are Carter Kane who is 14 years old and his sister Sadie who is 12.They are trying to find their father Dr. Julius Kane who is an archeologist. At the British Museum he tried to contact the ancient god Osiris but released more than one god. Instead of Osiris the god of chaos, Set was released and put Dr. Kane inside of a sarcophagus and they both disappeared. The children meet and lose many friends trying to find something to take down Set. By now Carter and Sadie are trying out some of the powers of the gods that they possess. The journey doesn’t just take them to other countries, but to other realms such as the realm of death and the duat. A duat is a realm where all the Egyptian gods usually stay. And at the end of it all, they find out it was just the beginning, of new enemies and battles to prepare for.
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson is twelve years old and lives with his mother, Sally Jackson, in New York City during the school year and at Camp Half-Blood during the summer. Camp Half-Blood is for “special” people. By special, I mean a demigod, a mixture of a Greek god and a mortal (regular) person. Demigods have a scent. When they find out they are a demigod, the scent becomes stronger so it is easier for monsters to hunt them down. Percy is a son of Poseidon, god of the sea. Percy is ADHD and dyslexic like most demigods. ADHD helps them in battle by keeping them moving, and dyslexia helps them read Greek more easily. Because of this, he goes to a school for challenged kids so everything is easier for him. He keeps having dreams about his friend Grover, who’s a satyr, which is half-goat half-man. Satyrs guide demigods to the camp for protection. Once they become senior protectors, they go out into the world to find Pan, god of nature, who has been missing for the last 200 years. In Percy’s dreams, Grover has been kidnapped by a Cyclops, named Polyphemus. He doesn’t know what to do to help Grover. On the last day of school when Percy thought he was going to go through a whole year without a monster attack, the school bullies turned into cannibal monsters. His friend Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, showed up right when one of the monsters was about to kill Percy. Annabeth stabbed the monster in the belly button “killing” it (monsters can’t die). Percy, Annabeth and his friend Tyson soon went to Camp Half-Blood. Percy learned Tyson is a baby Cyclopes who is also a son of Poseidon. When they got to camp, the magic borders were dying which kept monsters out. Percy and Annabeth agreed the only way to save the camp was to find the Golden Fleece, which could cure anything with its nature powers. In Percy’s dreams, the Golden Fleece was at the same place Polyphemus was keeping Grover. Percy, Annabeth and Tyson got the camp’s permission for a quest. Now they could save the camp and Grover at the same time.
I would rate this book five stars because Rick Riordan made me feel like I was on the quest with Percy and his friends the whole time, and made everything feel so real, even though it isn’t.
By Simon G.
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters is another great book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. In this book, the tree of Thalia, the main source of power for Camp Half-Blood’s protection shield, has been poisoned by someone. That means anything immortal can enter Camp Half-Blood and attack it, and then it gets worse. Chiron, the camp activities director, is sent out of Camp Half-Blood because the camp owner Dionysus thinks he poisoned the tree. Chiron is one of Percy’s best friends. He was even Percy’s History teacher. Chiron is a Centaur, half-man and half-horse.
There has to be someone to replace Chiron. That person is Tantalus, who was a criminal and is probably from the Underworld. He is so mean and he hates kids, especially Percy Jackson. For anyone to go out and find the cure for the tree poisoning, they need to be given a quest. However, Percy doesn’t get a quest, so he sneaks out of camp to try to get the cure. Just to let you know, if you leave camp without a quest or permission, you will be expelled. That is not a good thing, but Percy takes the risk. So from there on out Percy and his friends, Tyson and Annebeth, are out to encounter the unbearable wrath of anything that comes in their way. I would rate this book 5 of 5 because when I started reading, I got sucked right in to the book. It actually felt like I was in the book.
By Ben J
The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis
Eustace is the cousin of the kings and queens of Narnia. He has been to Narnia with his honorable family before, and now he will travel there again, but without his cousins. He and Jill, a friend of his, are called back to Narnia. There they are given a mission by the great lion himself, Aslan. He tells them to rescue Prince Rilian, the soon-to-be king of Narnia. Accompanied by a Marsh Wiggle (a combination of a frog and a human) they head north to destroy the silver chair that holds the prince under an enchantment and, if possible, the witch who cast it. This book, in fact the entire series, is quite a show. Everything seems to be everywhere and at every time (ok, so the book is a little complicated). I for one like it for this very reason. In this book (and series) you will experience many a magical phenomenon, unimaginable happenings, and incredible scenes. And, perhaps, even more.
Reviewed by Ariel K.
The Sisters Grimm, by Michael Buckley The Sisters Grimm
will take you on a magical ride through Ferryport Landing on Aladdin's flying carpet. Literally! Throughout this series, you get to know Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, the newest fairy-tale detectives. In this mystery, the Grimms’ guardian, Mr. Canis, also known as the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs, is arrested for past crimes. A kangaroo court, hand-picked by Mayor Heart (The Queen of Hearts), all "coincidentally" members of the Scarlet Hand, who kidnapped the girls' parents and has put them under a sleeping spell, is determined to find Canis guilty, and get the Grimms (the last human family) out of town. That way, the barrier that trapped all of the Everafters (fairy-tale creatures) would fall. Since Puck (the fairy from "A Midsummer's Night Dream"), has left the girls to fend for themselves, it’s up to Sabrina and Daphne to find evidence to save Canis—and their investigation may reveal more than they hoped. While all of this is happening, Uncle Jake and his girlfriend, Briar Rose (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) try to track Goldilocks to come back into Ferryport Landing and break the sleeping spell on Sabrina and Daphne's parents, after Briar figures out that only true love’s
kiss will wake them. After a while of chasing and coaxing, Goldilocks admits to still being in love with the sisters' father, and shows up at the doorstep to break the spell.
By Talia P.
THE SON OF NEPTUNE, by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Noah G.
Thrilling, suspenseful, amusing. These are some adjectives that describe The Son of Neptune. This book is the sequel to Rick Riordan’s book, The Lost Hero. In The Son of Neptune, Percy Jackson tells the story of how he awoke in a strange place. Percy is a sixteen-year-old demigod, a person with a mortal parent and a godly parent. Percy’s dad is Neptune, or Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses (this gives Percy control of over sea, ability to create earthquakes, and ability to talk to horses). The only thing that Percy can recall is that he was found by a wolf goddess; she trained, guided and taught him; then he was sent on a journey to find a camp for other demigods like him. The wolf goddess taught Percy that he was born for the Roman gods and that he was going to the Roman camp, but what Percy doesn’t know is that there is a camp like his, but for Greek demigods. To get to camp he’d have to defeat two gorgons over and over and over and over again, and then he’d have to carry an old, heavy hippie across a lake. Percy befriended a couple of outcasts, who were seemingly crazy weirdoes. Frank Zang and Hazel Lavesh (about the same age as Percy) had problems of their own; their cohort (the fifth, which Percy was elected to be in) was in a rut, and they had deathly scary secrets. But that all changes when a god comes to camp only to claim Frank and send him, Percy, and Hazel on a quest. They must go on a quest to kill a giant, unchain death, and recover an eagle. The quest isn’t easy, with evil wheat, women warriors, and healthy organic cupcakes.
I rate the book five stars out of five. This book was outstanding.
The Son of Neptune
By Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Mati Zeff
Rescue the god of death in a week from the hands of an immortal, all-powerful, giant enemy of the gods
,
who cannot be defeated in his homeland where he is holding his captive? Why not? In The Son of Neptune, Hazel, Frank, and Percy are charged with this task. They are, before their quest, at a hero training camp for the children of the Roman gods. Hazel is a daughter of Pluto with strange powers and a secret, dark past. Frank is descended from a Roman exiled to China. He’s supposed to be powerful, but thinks himself helpless, and has a secret that he believes to be a weakness. Percy is new to the camp and has lost all of his memory. The three teenagers are sent off from hero training camp with nothing more than a small boat, their clothes, and their weapons. They must reach Alaska, the lair of Alcyoneus the giant
,;
enemy of the gods, eldest of his kind, and bred to destroy the gods of Olympus. They fight their way through hostile wheat fields, unfriendly hot dog samples, Gorgons, seers, Canadians, griffins, undead warriors, and very large and unfriendly immortals. However, as in most adventure stories such as this, they receive help from many sources. Some of them are: very old ghosts, Amazons, death, a very cranky grandmother, a few gods, an elephant, a grizzly bear, an eagle and many more.
In this book, Rick Riordan continues the legacy of Percy Jackson while making use of his new design of narration. The book contains as much excitement or more as its predecessor, The Lost Hero, and smoothly incorporates the characters of his previous series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This book indisputably deserves five stars for its dazzling excitement, its uproarious humor, superb character development, and Riordan’s remarkable feat of combining all of the above into a fantastic, cohesive piece of literature. Riordan perfects his masterpiece by humanizing his characters. He makes them heroes but he also emphasizes that they too have great weaknesses, like all people. They too are subject to temptation. Heroes that they are, they still are not so sure of themselves that they cannot for a minute doubt their cause. They are human. The Son of Neptune is altogether a literary marvel of the 21st century.
The Son of Neptune, By Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Madelyn S.
In this sequel to the Percy Jackson Series, Percy, who was last seen in Camp Half-Blood (a Greek camp) has now ended up in the Roman Camp Jupiter. How he ended up there he doesn’t know. He doesn’t even remember who he was or what he did. His friend Hazel, who is supposed to be dead now, is falling in love with a boy named Frank. She was supposedly killed by the god Gaea while trying to save the world. Frank’s life now depends on a piece of wood. Once that wood is burned to ashes he will be dead. All of these friends are sent on a quest by Mars (the war god) to save Thantos the Greek god of death, who was captured and now can’t close and open the doors of death. Mother Gaea, goddess of the Earth, took control and now lots of monsters and giants are not dying because the doors of death are always open, meaning the dead are resurrecting. Thantos is being held in Alaska, where there is no protection from the gods. On the way to Alaska the friends run into a man named Phineas who knows all, so they try to get him to reveal the exact location of Thantos. They find out that the only way to get the location is to catch the harpy Ella, so to release her they decide to gamble with Phineas. Percy has two containers of gorgon blood: one heals and one kills, but both look exactly the same. Percy tries to connect to Gaea saying if he is so important, let Phineas die and let him pick the container that heals. Phineas does take the death container and dies while Percy takes the healing one. Ella the harpy comes with Percy, Hazel, and Frank and they go to Alaska. Do they free Thantos? Does Percy get his memory back? Read the book to find out.
STUART LITTLE, by E.B White (Fantasy)
Stuart Little, by E. B White, takes place in New York City. When the Littles went to the adoption agency they saw Stewart. Even though he was a mouse they fell in love with him. Mr. Little built some small contraptions so Stuart could use things inside the house. For Stuart’s clothes, his mom used some old doll clothes and for his hair an old doll brush. Every morning for Stuart was an adventure. Turning on the sink was the hardest part for Stuart. Every Sunday, Stuart would go to the park and watch people race boats. When he saw a man with a wrecked boat, Stuart had an idea. He said to the man that he could steer the boat in the race. Even though he had such small hands he was still able to steer the boat. When the race was about to start a crowd formed around Stuart and the boat. The thought of a mouse steering the boat was amazing. During the race, another boat rammed Stuart’s. The boats stuck together and began sinking. You’ll have to read the book to find out what Stuart did next. Even though his life was difficult, he loved being small.
By Josh J.
The Throne of Fire
by Rick Riordan
Reviewed by Mati Zeff
Save the world in five days while trying to stop the ultimate, immortal king of evil and chaos? No problem! The Throne of Fire is a present day historical fiction book based on Egyptian mythology but intertwining it with modern life. It explores the fantastic possibilities of the existence of Egyptian gods and other mythological beings, like its predecessor, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and its brother, the Heroes of Olympus series. Being the second book of the Kane Chronicles, it reintroduces Carter and Sadie, the main characters, as the unfortunate adolescent siblings battle demons, spirits, the moon, magicians, gods, camels, a curse, and Chaos itself in their quest to save the world. However the siblings are not alone. They are aided by a dwarf god named Bes, a cat, a date farmer, a teenage boy who likes to hang around graveyards, King Tut’s great-great-great- ( and about a thousand more greats) grandson, a hawk, an old man, a ghost, and an overweight hippo. Traveling all around the world to find the three scrolls that make up the book of, they attempt to reawaken the sun god to fight Apophis (Chaos), in a war between Ma-at (order), and Chaos. The story takes place in the modern-day world, not based in one place; rather, it ranges from America to England, Russia to Egypt. The progression of opposition to mortal magicians and other humans is truly a master touch. It allows Riordan to dramatize his protagonists’ feelings from hate and despair to competition, rivalry, betrayal, and human dislike. I would give this book five stars: a perfectly crafted creation of Rick Riordan’s, with no good stopping points, the mark of superb writing. It holds its own not only against Riordan’s other creations, but against the all-time classics; Tolkien, Lewis, Dumas, Hugo, Hemmingway, Dickens, etc. It is altogether a captivating book.
Tunnels, by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams (Fantasy)
Tunnels is about a boy named Will Burrows who only has one similarity with his dad: A love for archeology. They both love to dig. All of a sudden, his dad, Dr. Burrows, disappears after having an argument with Mrs. Burrows and going into the basement. Then strange, hatted men in suits start following Will and his friend Chester home from digging in a peculiar wasteland. Will and Chester investigate in Will’s basement and they find a hole. They follow the hole, and end up in another world beneath the streets of London. Then, they get put in jail for trespassing by the police. Chester and Will get separated because a family comes and claims Will as their own. So Will has to go home with this family. I recommend this book to people who like long chapters with suspenseful endings and archeology.
By Alec C.Twilight, by Stephenie Meyers
Twilight is a thrilling journey through the town of Forks, Washington. Isabella Swan moved there to live with her father Charlie, whom she rarely sees. Her mother and father are divorced so it was very difficult for her to see both parents equally since they do live quite some distance from each other. As she comes to her new school in Forks she meets some really nice friends and some mysterious ones, including the Cullen family. The Cullen family is strange and different. They are a very hard family to understand. They barely eat, they always look pale, they are always cold, their eyes change colors, and Edward (one of the Cullens) always looks at Bella like she is different from others. In the beginning of the book, Bella was bewildered with Edward and always wondered about him. Towards the middle, Edward is more daring and starts to talk to her and begins conversations, until Bella realizes something is not right. He is not normal and the same as everyone else, he is something different. As they get closer and closer to each other Bella realizes he is more than just a confusing nice guy but also a vampire! In the course of this book Bella falls in love with Edward while she is also a little bit scared of him. Throughout this book you are introduced to characters such as the Cullen family, the Nomads, and more. I liked this book because it is very adventurous and mysterious. You never know what might happen next.
Mel V.Twilight, by Stephenie Meyers
OK, if you haven’t read Twilight, by Stephanie Meyers, yet, you are really missing out. This book is about a girl named Bella and a vampire named Edward. Bella just moved in with her dad in a town called Forks, in Washington. Edward is a vampire in disguise, but he is a good vampire; he tries not to, well, eat human blood. He and his “siblings” pretend that they are normal high school students. One day, Bella walks into her class and Edward is there. For some reason, her blood is a lot more appealing to him than any other person’s. It takes every ounce of self restraint he has not to kill Bella. Somehow, the two fall in love, and the story unfurls from there. Twilight is a positively incredible book, “The new Harry Potter” some people say. Even if you don’t like that kind of book, I can promise that you will LOVE Twilight!!!!!
Becca T.
The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett, 263 pages
Tiffany is a nine year old girl who lives in the Chalk, a fertile land made of seashells. She wants to be a witch when she grows up. It was very hard to be a witch on the Chalk, but Tiffany did not know this, and tried anyway. One day, Tiffany's little brother, Wentworth, went missing. He was stolen by the Queen, a very powerful evil being, who lived in Fairyland. Fairyland is a dark, cold, snowy world with a lot of monsters that make people dream weird dreams, then eat them up. Tiffany went to Fairyland with the Wee Free Men to rescue Wentworth from an eternity of crying over not being able to eat all the sweets in the universe. Tiffany had always thought that words and pictures didn't really matter, they were just communication and entertainment tools, but she was going to find out how very wrong she was. I give this book five stars. I recommend this book for people who like new worlds.
By Dina.B
A Wind in the Door, By Madeleine L’Engle
I would not recommend this book to anyone who likes nice and easy books with a non-confusing plot and no big words.
A Wind in the Door has HUGE words and a confusing plot. This book is the sequel to the award-winning book A Wrinkle in Time. The book takes place in rural America in a small village. It is there where the main character, Meg Murry, learns that her brother, Charles Wallace, is seriously ill. Her parents discover that there is something wrong with his mitochondria, but they cannot figure out what. Meg teams up with her mean ex-Principal, a friend, and a monster thing named Proginoskes to stop the evil Echthroi from killing her brother’s mitochondria before its too late! Will Meg stop the Echthroi? Will Charles Wallace be saved? The only way to find out is to read the book!
by Danny N.
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle (Fantasy)
A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, is a science fiction book about a girl named Meg Murray and her brother Charles Wallace whose father disappeared. The book describes their adventures and problems as they travel the universe to try to find and save their dad. They meet interesting creatures who teach them to time travel and guide them at different times when they need help, like Mrs. Who and Mrs. What who help them with locating their father and rescuing him. Even though it was a pretty good book I did not like it because the author spent a lot of time describing problems the characters had but then the book ended very quickly and there was no explanation about how everything happened. I hated how the author gave information that messed up the book, but the story-line made it a good novel. I do sugges that you read it.
By Charles S.
The Lightning Thief ,by Rick Riordan
Review by: Abe W.
The book The Lightning Thief is about a boy named Percy Jackson. He and his mother are at his beach house when someone knocks on the door. It's Grover from Mount Olympus. He is half goat and half man. He warns them that they have to leave and travel to Mt. Olympus. If Percy and his mother do not go to Mt. Olympus, something is going happen to them. Percy and his mother do not listen to Grover and try to drive home. Then a monster with horns comes and tries to kill them. Percy kills the monster, takes the horn and goes to Mt. Olympus. Grover greets Percy with Amanda and tells Percy that this is a special camp called Camp Half Blood. It is where all the half bloods, half human and half god, go to camp. Grover tells Percy that he is a ahlf blood.Amanda is the daughter of the ruler of the half bloods.
While Percy is at Camp Half Blood, Amanda teaches him how to sword fight and, surprisingly, Percy is very good. Later, Percy goes on a journey. The journey is to find Zeus' lightning rod. This journey has lots of action. The book is very interesting, but you will have to read it to find out. I would recommend this book to 4th grade and up because I think a 3rd grader would not understand it. I think the language it too fierce and scary. I personally like they book because I like action books and it was very interesting. It alsohad many cliff hangers which invited me to keep reading more. I would give it four stars because it was really fun and great book, but it could use more longer words.