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The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

By Rick Riordan

There are five books in the Percy Jackson series, and many more books in the series Heroes of Olympus, which is kind of the sequel series to Percy Jackson. Today I will be reviewing the first book. The first book is good, I guess, it's okay. But it didn't appeal to me that much. *SPOILERS BELOW So basically the story centers around a kid named Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson has been expelled from every school he's been to so far because of accidents, like landing the whole class in a shark tank in the aquarium. When his current school, Yancy Academy, goes on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his class, including his nemesis, Nancy and his best friend, Grover. His teacher, Ms. Dodds, turns out to be one of the Furies. The Furies are demons, basically, in Greek Mythology. His other teacher, Mr. Brunner, gives him a sword that can be disguised as a pen, called Riptide. Percy defeats Ms. Dodds and sends her back to Tartarus, which is the ultimate-horrible-place-to-go-when-you-die- place. Percy and his mom drive to Montauk Beach, but is met by Grover, who gives them a warning to go back. However, while driving, they are attacked by a Minotaur (monster that is half-bull, half-man.) He takes Percy's mom and Percy kills the Minotaur, before falling with exhaustion. Later, he and Grover are rescued and taken to Camp Half-Blood. While at Camp-Half Blood, Percy discovers that he is a demigod, a son of a mortal and one of the gods/goddesses in Greek Mythology. He also learns that Grover is a satyr (a mythical creature with horse-like features) and that Mr. Brunner is a centaur (half-horse, half-man). He also meets other demigods, like Annabeth, who is a daughter of Athena, Luke, who is a son of Hermes, and Clarisse, who is a daughter of Ares. Since no one knows who his god parent is, they place him in the Hermes cabin. Later, when they play a game of Capture the Flag, a trident appears above Percy, revealing that he is the son of Poseidon. Percy learns that Zeus, the king of the gods, thinks Poseidon used Percy to steal Zeus' lightning bolt, Zeus' chief weapon. The Oracle (a fortune-teller) tells Percy to return the stolen lightning bolt to Zeus to prove that he didn't steal it. Percy then has to go on an odyssey to find the lightning bolt with Annabeth and Grover. Percy, Annabeth and Grover defeat several mythological creatures, including the demon Medusa, who has snakes for hair. Now here's where it gets super confusing - at least for me. The trio find Hades, god of the dead, who has taken Percy's mom because he thinks Percy stole the Helm of Darkness (Hades' most powerful weapon). He says if Percy returns the Helm, Hades will return his mother. Percy realizes that Ares has all the stolen items. The backstory behind that is that when the lightning bolt was stolen, Zeus sent four of the most agile, quick, young and smart gods out to search for it, Apollo, Artemis, Athena and Ares. Only Ares found the true thief, Luke (the son of Hermes) but didn't turn him in. Instead Ares took the lightning bolt and the Helm of Darkness to start a war between the gods (because Ares is the god of war.) Percy challenges Ares to a duel, and surprisingly, wins. After getting all the items and returning them to their rightful owners, (and freeing his mother), Percy, Annabeth and Grover return to Camp Half-Blood. At Camp-Half Blood, Percy doesn't know that Luke is the thief (because Ares left that detail out) but Percy gets it quick enough when Luke tries to kill him with a scorpion. It is also revealed that Luke is a servant of Kronos, the King of the Titans, the enemy of the Gods. After all that, Percy decides to not stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, only in the summer and to spend the rest of the year with his mother. Okay, here it is. There's a lot of five-star reviews, and I like this book. But it isn't one of my favorites because for one, the characters seem a bit one-sided. Percy's brave, Annabeth's witty, Grover's loyal. That was pretty much everything interesting about the characters. That kicked it down one star. The imagery and world building - amazing. Up one star. Descriptions were pretty good. Up one star. Managed to make my emotions go up and down and all around. One star more. One star less because it was so confusing and generally, I couldn't understand it near the end even though I have a solid base of Greek Mythology. It is a good book, I just feel it could use some improvement. But let's just say this - it's a book that stuck with me through and through and basically, it's worthy of putting on a special shelf on my bookcase. ~FelicisOwl

Stick Dog

Stick Dog

By Tom Watson

Have you ever been so hungry and craving something just right? Stick Dog is a dog that lives in a pipe under a highway. One day when he was with his friends, his belly rumbled. Their plan is to find and eat the perfect hamburger. Some funny things happen along the way! I really like this book. One reason I like it is because it’s very exciting and adventurous. Another reason is because the illustrations match the story perfectly. I really recommend that you read this book!

The School for Good and Evil

The School for Good and Evil

By Soman Chainani

"The only way out is through a fairy-tale.." By opposites' attraction, Sophie and Agatha of Gavaldon are best friends.. Sophie is beautiful, but only on the outside - she only performs her Good Deeds because her greatest dream is to be kidnapped by the School Master and accepted to the School of Good. Everyone in the village calls Agatha a witch because of her not-so-beautiful appearance on the outside, but inside, she has a heart of gold and she's just lonely for true friendship. When the School Master kidnaps both Agatha and Sophie (to Sophie's delight and to Agatha's horror) but to both of the girls' horror, he places them (supposedly) in the wrong school! While Sophie (School of Evil) and Agatha (School of Good) are struggling in their new schools, feeling their destiny has been horribly switched, Sophie falls for a prince in Good, Tedros, King Arthur's son, while Agatha just wants her friend and her home back. Desperate to get back home, Sophie and Agatha pay a visit to the School Master and the magic, story-writing pen, the Storian.. only to be presented with a riddle ("What's the one thing Evil can never have.. and the one thing Good can never do without?") and a very unsatisfying answer to their pleas ("The only way out is through a fairytale.") It seems that the only way to get out of this "dungeon" is through their fairytales.. Agatha as a princess and Sophie as an evil witch. But unexpectedly, both start excelling at their studies - is it possible that there hadn't been a mix-up after all? If they were exactly in the school they were supposed to be? With the upcoming Circus of Talents where Good boys ask Good girls to be their date for the Snow Ball, Sophie is anxious to be Tedros' date and to receive her true love's kiss.. but Tedros asks the now beautiful and kind Agatha instead to be his date.. In blind rage, Sophie is set on destroying the school that is ultimately destroying her life, and Tedros declares war on Evil. Suddenly.. it seems that Sophie will never become Agatha's friend again, and that they'll never get home to their beloved Gavaldon, ever again. What will happen to the two beloved friends? Read this compelling, magical, absolutely spellbinding book to find out! I loved this book! It is hands down, probably the best fairy-tale twist book I have EVER read! It was extremely captivating, and hooked me on the first page - I just felt a rush as I read it, and I honestly couldn't turn the pages fast enough! This book defies what other books have said - you don't have to be beautiful on the outside to have a solid gold heart on the inside! I've read books about perfect friendships.. but in my mind, those aren't friendships at all. You have to have bumps in the road (very MAJOR bumps for Sophie and Agatha) and it's the strength that takes to rebond, over and over again, to look over each other's faults, to still remain true to each other even when things are rough or when you'll different, and most of all (SPOILERS) to sacrifice yourself for each other. Discover a tearjerking story full of undying, true love, differences, magic, the power to overcome challenges, being yourself, and most of all, it tells you just how important and beautiful true friendship can be! I can't wait to get the second and third books!

Dog Man Unleashed (Dog Man #2): From the Creator of Captain Underpants

Dog Man Unleashed (Dog Man #2): From the Creator of Captain Underpants

By Dav Pilkey

Dog Man Unleashed is the second book in the Dog Man series. It is written by the same author as Captain Underpants so if you like those books, you will LOVE this book. It is about a police man with the head and brain of a dog. There is a short summary of how that happened in the beginning of the book. But if you want to follow the entire series you should also read the first Dog Man book. In the book there are mysterious things happening and it is up to Dog Man to figure it out and stop the crime. This book was fun to read because of the entertaining story and vivid pictures. It also has instructions of how to draw the characters in the back of the book and a bonus comic. I personally would recommend this book for kids in grades 2-5.

Halfway Normal

Halfway Normal

By Barbara Dee

Middle school is hard enough, but how do you adjust when they've missed two years due to an awful illness. Norah Levy will tell you. She just completed treatment for leukemia and is ready to start a "normal" life as she heads into seventh grade. However, no one can quite define her normal. She has parents who are overprotective, but for different, understandable reasons. She has friends, but the relationships feel strained. She hates getting pity or having certain treatments just because of her illness. And please, just call it cancer - don't tiptoe around the subject! She has to deal with people making fun of or mistaking her identity based on her new appearance. Plus how can she possibly explain to a new, cute student about her experience when she just wants to move on. It was easy to get lost in her struggles and sympathize with the challenges that she was facing. There are many books that focus on sick children, but I love that this one told the other half of the story. How hard it is to step back into your old life and pick up on relationships and experiences that were halted once your world was flipped upside down. I love Norah. She has a great voice and I definitely felt her many frustrations. I absolutely love her doodling and all of the mythology that was woven into the story. The author was inspired to share this story after her son faced his own cancer battle. You can tell that her writing drew from personal experiences and felt very real. I loved this book, and I give it 5 stars.

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)

By Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, and Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, are sent to find two extremely powerful half-bloods in a military school. While trying to escort them to Camp Half-Blood, a manticore appears and ruins their plans. The iconic Hunters of Artemis come to their rescue, and the older of the two half-bloods, Bianca, decides to join them. While Kronos' army starts to build, a new prophecy arises. One that stated that the moon goddess, Artemis, is in danger, both campers and Hunters must unite. I feel that this, out of all five books, was the best. It stands out on its own. It really has depth to it, and I almost cried once or twice. But Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia have to get through it, otherwise the planet will be destroyed. New characters rise and fall, and the whole book is one big roller-coaster ride. This fantasy-mystery book will keep everyone hooked, even the mysterious General.

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)

By Rick Riordan

This is the second book of the Percy Jackson series. A lot of important events happened in this stories. it started off with a competition, it showed that Percy Jackson had a new competitor, and she's the daughter of war, Clarisse. She's really tough, strong and clever, and very competitive, likes to tease Percy Jackson about that all he did (In the lightning thief serie) was because of luck. And then, he found out that he has a step brother, that is half god, half cyclops. During a usual day, they heard something huge, sounds like something is bumping the wall of Thalia (the daughter of Zeus). It brought a great disaster in the camp, because without that wall, anything, monsters, beasts can go in and destroy the half bloods. So they decided to send a group of the strongest kids to go find the golden fleece, known that it can heal anything. Although the directors sent Clarisse, and another half goat, but Percy thinks that he has the responsibility to save the camp, because of the prophecy he heard. And so he went on an adventure to find the golden fleece, to save the Olympus. It's also very intense to read, the scenes reveal in your eyes vividly, a really good book to read, it's also pretty funny. I really recommend this book the kids in any age, because it's not too hard, and it's interesting, have fun reading this fantastic book!

Rebound

Rebound

By Kwame Alexander

Awesome sequel to The Crossover! This story takes place 30 years before The Crossover, in the summer of 1988. Charlie (Chuck) Bell has just suffered from the terrible loss of his father. He is upset at his mom, because she is just not the same, and no matter how much she tries she never will be. He gets in trouble for "stealing", and as punishment his mom sends him to his grandparents in Washington DC. For the WHOLE SUMMER. No skating with his best friends CJ and Skinny. And absolutely no more road trips to state capitals with his father. Chuck finds basketball as a safe spot to calm down about his father. But then Skinny comes to Washington DC on a trip with his aunt and cousins. Disaster strikes. Sirens blare. and Chuck and Skinny end up at the police station. But for what? Find out in Rebound!

The Crossover

The Crossover

By Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is the author of the book The Crossover - The reader is a basketball who describe himself with metaphor and simile has the best and his father who played in the Euro league of basketball and he's a dad health problem and his mom. The setting of The Crossover takes place at school and it takes place in the gym and at home . The main characters in The Crossover Is JB and Josh Bell the twins and their father Da Man and their Mom. Reader are introduced with funking names and it about boy who known for playing basketball and his twin brother and the readers talks about their father playing in the Euro Basketball League and there mom has their parents in their it also has some feeling to it with his dad's health problem. Alexander writing style is a poetic writing with describe the characters and it get to point of a feeling and gives me a sense of the setting like when jb and josh are on the court playing basketball and how his father played in the Euro Basketball League and I have enjoy this book because it's all about basketball and how the author used lot of rhyming. For Example This is the quote from the book the crossover “At the top of the key I’m MOVING & GROOVING POPping & ROCKING flossing flipping and my dipping will leave you slipping on the floor while I swoop in to the finish with fierce finger roll straight hole swoooooooooooosh. The Crossover Book is a amazing book it made think of a place writing all poetic things to image things about jb playing basketball it made see a boy who loves to play ball with his twin brother and a life of tough times and it's good for people love sports and tough times. The Crossover won John Newbery the Honor Award and the Coretta Scott Key Award. Kwame Alexander published the book 2014 Alexander grew up in Reston Virginia.

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