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Isn't this GREAT??? Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson man, has taken time out his extremely busy schedule to give us an interview. Let's hear him out:

Why do you think it's cool for boys to read?

It's cool for boys to read because there are some great adventure stories out there!Boys have awesome imaginations (of course girls do too) and reading helps us explore new worlds.

Is it cool for boys to write/draw? Why?

It's very cool for boys to write and draw. I grew up on comic books and I love graphic novels and magazine-style stories. I think boys are really visual thinkers, and they love good stories. Writing and drawing are awesome for us!

What is your favorite sport?

I have to confess I'm not a sports guy, but living in San Antonio I have to support the Spurs. I also like soccer and kind of wish I lived in Europe where it's more part of the culture.

What do you do for fun?

For fun I play the guitar (the real kind, not Guitar Hero) and I do on-line games like World of Warcraft. I also read and travel.

What is the favorite book you've written?

I can't pick a favorite book I've written. It's too hard. Definitely the Percy Jackson Books though.

Which do you like better--cheeseburgers or pizza? What do you like on them?

Oh, pizza for sure. I like vegetarian with black olives and mushrooms.


Thanks, Mr. Riordan!!!!! It's great to find out things about your favorite authors. I wonder if he plays six-string, 12-string, or electric guitar--or all of them. And I bet the black olives on his pizza are GREEK olives! (I'm with you, Mr. R--I like any kind of pizza that has black olives on it) I agree that boys are visual thinkers. A lot of the books I try to recommend create really strong images in your head. The Percy Jackson books certainly do that. So did Pond Scum. A lot of the nonfiction books I like have lots of pictures in them and that helps me understsnd them better. Don't forget, guys, a lot of nonfiction, especailly biographies, are great adventure stories. Go back and check our list of books and see if I'm right (BTW, I'm sorry I haven't updated the list since the beginning of the year. I'll get to it soon. You guys gave me a lot to add in January!!)
Thanks again. I'll try to be patient until May 6!
Carl

Isn't this great? Hacksaw Jim Duggan, one of the boys from the Guys Read blog, has written to Lord Vader.

Dear Lord Vader,
I too love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and even further advise all of you people out there who haven't read it to read it. If you like action, adventure, or even a little humor, I strongly recommend that you pick up the first of this amazing series, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Also, I can't wait for the 4th book to come out. I loved the first three, and I'm drooling in anticipation of book four, The Battle of the Laberynth.
Your fellow blogger,
Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Thanks, Jim! Lord Vader, I hope you write back to their blog soon. I'm so glad we have Percy Jackson fans on both blogs. Going to be a long time until May 6, huh?
Carl

Lookie here, everyone---Mikie (aka Lord Vader) got his free Rick Riordan T-shirt yesterday!Isn't that cool? Mikie has been a faithful contributor to our blog for a long time and the first one to write about all three Percy Jackson books, so we think he desreved this shirt. Well done, sir!

Carl

Hey, guys, Carl again. We've just got a new comment from our friend Lord Vader (aka Mikie)He's written to us before but we haven't heard from him in a while. Let's hear what he says:

Hi everyone. It's Lord Vader a.k.a. Mikie. I think that is so cool. I just finished with Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Three - The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan and I loved it so much. I can't wait to read book four. I'm thinking there will be a book five since Percy isn't 16 yet and he can't be part of the prophecy until then. Plus Hades having a child now is making things really interesting. If you haven't read any of the series yet, I really think you should.

Good to hear from you again, Lord Vader. Did you that one of your sith is on the run from a bunny??? Those Percy Jackson books are great, aren't they? LV is right--if you haven't read a Percy Jackson book, go get one now!!! Yes, there will be five books in the series. Mr Riordan has said that he will stop at five, so we'll get to know how the prophecy turns out. Any guesses?

Listen, LV, Mr. Riordan sent us 3 Medium-sized Camp Half-Blood T-shirts this Christmas. We gave away two for our last contest. That means there's one left and we'd like to give it to you since you're the first boy who's read all three Percy Jackson books and written to us about them. Come on in and pick it up!!
BTW, if you'd like to see and hear Mr. Riordan from the new book, click here.

Hey, you guys are awesome! Word about our blog is getting around and it even attracted the attention of an author---specifically, Lee Wardlaw, author of 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents. Let's hear what she said:

Hi Guys! Thanks so much for mentioning my novels 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents and 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher. I'm honored! And it's true: I have a son (he's almost 12) and two younger brothers (yes, as the Big Sis I bugged them too), so I definitely know that Boys Rule and Boys Read!
My son is a big fan of the Rick Riordan books. Some of his other favorite books are: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman; The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver; Enders Game by Orson Scott Card; The Artemus Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer; and, oh yeah, he kinda likes my books too.Keep you eyes peeled for my next book, coming next year: 101 Ways to Bug Your Friends & Enemies.

Catch that reading bug!-Ms. Lee Wardlaw

Thank you so much, Ms. Wardlaw. We're honored that you wrote to us. Please feel free to write to us again--and tell your son to write to us! I'm glad your son is a fan of Rick Riordan's books. I am, too! In fact, I've got a special something to tell you and all the other Percy jackson fans at the end of this post.

We also had a comment from a fellow blogger, Chris Everheart:


Hey guys. Groovin' on your blog. Keep up the fun. Chris


Thanks, Chris! We're definitely having fun here. Chris is an author of YA thrillers. (YA stands for "Young Adult") He used to be a reluctant reader but then he "caught that reading bug" and now writes books that boys, especailly middle school and high school boys, would like. He wants to inspire a million boys to read. If you'd like to read his story and see what he says about our blog, check out the site below:
http://millionboysread.blogspot.com/
Our library system does not have any of his books, unfortunately. He's got some good links to other sites about books for boys, so take a look---and all you parents, teachers, and librarians take a look, too!

And now for a real treat! I just came off of Rick Riordan's blog and heard and saw him read some of the opening to his new Percy Jackson book, The Battle of the Labyrinth. This book has one the best first sentences I ever heard: "The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was to blow up another school." To hear the rest, click here.

All right, guys, keep up the good work!

Carl

PS--In all the excitement yesterday, I forgot to get cyber kid 303 his free book. Come and get it next time you're here. And we still have your free T-shirt, Will. If you live in the Charlotte area, come to the library in Imaginon and pick it up.

It's Carl, reminding you of a few things:

Don't forget our contest to win a free T-shirt from Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson man. It will go to the boy who sends the most comments about books by January 21. Here's what the shirt looks like:
Pretty cool, huh? It could be yours! Write to us! And if you live in the Charlotte area, come and pick up at Imaginon at our Get to Know Heroes and Villians Festival on January 22. It will be great--lots of activities, games, crafts, and more. Lots of fun! (and it's on a teacher workday)

Also, if you get the chance, Bill and I are doing a couple of Get to Know...Heroes programs. I'm going to do one on Bellerophon and the Pegasus this Tuesday (January 8) at 2 pm. Bill will do one on Beowulf on Tuesday, January 15 at the same time. Call 704-973-2720 to register. You have to be 7-11 years old to come to these two programs, but you can be any age to come to the festival.

I've noticed that the list of posts from 2007 doesn't come down month by month like it did before 2008, but, if you want to read what we and your fellow boys have written last year, cllick on the triangle next to 2007 and the months will drop down and you can go back and see.
OK? Have a good weekend and let us hear from you!

Oh, man!! Oh, MAN!!!!! This is Carl and am I excited!! Can you imagine what it would be like to receive a fantastic, unbelievable, more-than-you-ever-believed great present 2 days after Christmas? That's what happened to me yesterday. When I got in to work, there was this package sitting on my desk from Rick Riordan, the author of the great Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The author of my favorite books sent a package to me!!! I couldn't believe it. Then I opened it and found that he had sent me a note thanking me for supporting his books on our blog AND some Camp Half-Blood T-shirts!!! Camp Half-Blood is where the demigods--kids born of Olympian and mortal parents train to...well, to survive because there are monsters coming after them all the time. (There are some places that actually hold week-long camps based on Camp Half-Blood) So I am just overwhelmed and want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, MR. RIORDAN!!!! I will keep one for myself, if you don't mind, because I've always wanted one, and give one to co-blogger Bill (because I couldn't do this without him) and I have ideas about what to do with the others--in fact, I'll tell about one idea in just a minute. But first, would you like to see what the shirts look like? Here you go:

There we are, immortalized like the people in a constellation. Yeah, that's us--HimandI The Twins!! (Him and I--Twins--get it? Him and I--Gemini? Oh, I'm so brillia...oh, never mind!)

Did you have trouble reading the shirts? Here's a close-up:

Now for the sweet part--you could win one of these T-shirts! Mr. Riordan was kind enough to send us some Medium-sized shirts, just right for boys. Here's how to get one:

We're going to do a series here at Imaginon in January called Get to Know...Heroes. On January 8, I will do a program on Belerephon and the Pegasus (there's a Percy Jackson tie-in for you!) and Bill will do a Beowulf program on January 15. On January 22, we'll hold a Get to Know...Heroes Festival at Imaginon from 2-4pm. We'll have all kinds of fun activities about heroes (probably even superheroes). Sooo--the boy who sends us the most posts, talking about books, by January 21 will win one of these shirts! If you live in the Charlotte area, you can come to Imaginon on January 22 to get your shirt. (That will be a teacher workday, so you won't have to miss school) If you live too far away from Charlotte, we'll work out a way to get it to you. OK? Let's hear from you! And check out our PLCMC website to find out about our Get to Know...Heroes sessions and festival.

Whew, it's Carl again. I told you we're busy here! We have a new comment from Zoe, a new friend. It's brief, but you can be as brief or lengthy as you'd like.

I KNOW I'M LIKE SO EXCITED FOR THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, AND THE BATTLE OF THE LABRYNTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brief and to the point! Well done, Zoe; come in and get your free book. I'm excited about the new book too. Don't forget, the Percy Jackson series made on my Favorites of 2007 list. What were your favorites? Tell us! (see our post of December 10 to find out more)

I came across some videos made by book fans today. It is fun to see their enthusiasm for their favorite books!

Harry Potter vs Percy Jackson is a hoot. Think of the time these kids put into planning this.


An ode to Inkheart


A fan's vision of the Airborn movie

Rockstar Rick Riordan is publishing his one and only Percy Jackson short story, "Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot" on his blog. Just the perfect bite for folks coming out of a post Potter fug.

The Titan's Curse, volume 3 in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, is as action-fueled, thrilling and humorous as its predecessors.

The action begins when Percy's mother drops him, Annabeth (daughter of Athena), and Thalia (daughter of Zeus), off at Westover Hall, a boarding school in Maine. They had been summoned by Grover, satyr and Percy's best friend, who identified two children there as demigods. Before long, the trouble begins in the form of the Headmaster/manticore, and Percy and friends are on the run. In a struggle, Annabeth disappears, while Percy, Thalia, the two newly identified half-bloods (the di Angelo twins), and Grover encounter Artemis and her hunters.

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, travels only with girls who achieve immortality by forsaking "the company of men" and "accept eternal maidenhood." She helps Percy and company back to Camp Half-Blood by summoning her twin brother, Apollo. Shortly thereafter, Artemis herself disappears and the prophecy states that a group of five must save Artemis (and Annabeth), an Ophiotaurus (a sea cow), and prevent Olympus from being overthrown.

The Titan's Curse serves up the action and the thrills, but goofy humor is present throughout. Consider this exchange when Apollo appears to escort Percy and friends back to camp:

"...he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. 'I feel a haiku coming on.'

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

Green grass breaks through snow.
Artemis pleads for my help.
I am so cool.

He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

'That last line was only four syllables,' Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. 'Was it?'

'Yes. What about I am so big-headed?'

'No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm.' He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to us. 'Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There once was a goddess from Sparta--'

'I've got it!' Apollo announced. 'I am so awesome. That's five syllables!''

While The Titan's Curse is told from Percy's perspective, as are The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse is much more an ensemble novel than the previous two. We learn more about Thailia, daughter of Zeus, and about relationships between the gods. Percy is also more grown up and less angst-ridden than previously, ready to take on the challenges of the future and to take his place as a hero.

The Titan's Curse is highly recommended for Middle Grade readers. As an aside, I'll mention that my six-year-old son loves the Percy Jackson series in audio format.

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Today is the day! Let the celebrations commence! Kids can now stop giving ME dark and envious looks and flock to the stores to buy their own copy of the third installment of Percy Jackson's adventures. We have been waiting for that Harry fellow no doubt, but the kids I know are even more excited to get this book in their hands.

There's a nice profile of Rockstar Rick Riordan in the Austin American Stateman today and Riordan will be celebrating with his fans at BookPeople tonight. Riordan dedicated Titan's Curse to Topher Bradfield who has been a booster of the series at BookPeople and one of the forces behind summertime Camp Half-Blood.

Riordan also dedicated the book to Toni Davis, a bookseller in Cornwall, England. Sadly, Davis passed away this week. He posted a moving tribute to her, "Farewell, My Huntress," on Saturday.

This family has organized our schedule this week to be at one of his signings here in town. We must have a complete autographed set.

I have also discovered a branch of my family, that has not found the series yet.

Bwa-ha-ha.

I'm off to sub today. Oh, I hope 5th grade is coming to the library. I know exactly what book I want to read!!!

I'm still a little surprised by how few kids are familiar with The Lightning Thief these days. The minute you introduce the Percy Jackson books to them they become these raging balls of Riordan-adoration. It's an instantaneous reaction. So I suppose I better stock up on our paperback copies of The Lightning Thief, eh? After all, if Chris Columbus is slated to film the first in Riordan's series (and with Harry Potter safely out of the way soon enough) libraries are going to have a veritable feeding frenzy on their hands.

Thanks to Alan Silberberg for the link.

So, y'know, I finished the latest Percy Jackson novel the other day, and it was fine n' all. So then I see this tie-in tee on author Rick Riordan's site and I'm mightily amused.


It's not immediately apparent, but if you read The Titan's Curse then you know that the Hunters of Artemis eschew the company of men. The fact that this will be worn by countless eight-year-old boys is especially interesting to me.

Riordan's tour dates will be posted soon but aren't up yet. And check out the Camp Half-Blood in Austin that's going on. You still have a chance to lob your tykes Texas-ward if you want. Sessions One and Two are closed, but Three still has some space. Why has no one ever done this with Harry Potter? Talk about living the dream.