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Hey, guys, I'm in the mood for a game. I've been thinking about this for a while and decided to put it on the blog today. (Maybe because the Oscars were on last night) I'm sure everyone knows that Hollywood is going to make a movie of Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. Chris Clolumbus, who directed the first Harry Potter movie, is going to make this one. So here's a game--if you were the director, who would you pick for the different parts? Now it has to be someone famous and someone who is now living, so we would know who you're talking about. OK?

Here are my picks. Keep in mind that I've been around a while and seen a lot of older movies, so these people may be more famous to me. Some of them haven't made many movies lately, but I still think they'd be great.


Dionysus--Danny DeVito. My first choice and, I think, a perfect choice. He's got that "don't bother me, you punk kids, I'm stuck here for 100 years" attitude that the D-man has in the books. Besides, he looks like a big satyr.




Poseidon--Jimmy Buffet. Yeah, the singer. Some of you may not know him because his music is more for grownups, but I bet your moms and dads have have his music. This may seem like a weird choice, but think about it--he's got that laid back, good-time beach look that Poseidon has. But I bet he could be serious when he needs to, just as in the books.






Zeus--hard choice. You'd need someone who's mature, commands respect, and still seems able to incinerate you in a minute if you cross him. I'd pick Paul Newman or Anthony Hopkins.










Ares--Hulk Hogan. Yes, the wrestler. I kept thinking of him while I read the books. He'd be great--big, loud, strong, aggressive, ready to squash you like a bug.










Hades--Alan Rickman, who was Snape in the Harry Potter movies. Capable of being scary yet funny (remember how funny it was when Hades complained of the traffic jams on the way to the underworld?) or Clint Eastwood. Now imagine him as a giant immortal, sitting on the throne of the underworld. Brrr--makes me shiver!















Athena--Maggie Smith, who was Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies. She looks like the lady you couldn't fool because she knows everything.













Voice of Kronos--James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader. Need I say more?


There are no prizes for this game--I just thought it would be fun. What do you think? Who would you choose?

Carl

Hey, everyone, Carl again. Today's post is a good one to follow Mr. Riordan's interview because we've got pictures from the Heroes program Tuesday about Theseus and the Minotaur, a comment from someone with a name from Greek mythology, and several good book versions of the Theseus Story.

Let's hear first from orestes, our newest friend:

that is so cool rick riordan is, a greek god. i cant wait till his new book come out ill be the first one at borders.

Thanks, orestes! Watch out for the Furies! Come in and get your free book! I'm like you--I can't wait until May 6. Except, being a faithful library guy, I'm going to get mine through PLCMC. I've put it on hold already! I'll be sixth in line when it comes in. When the 5th, 6th, and 7th Harry Potter books came out, we had 750 people on the waiting list!!! Hey, do you think Borders will have a Percy Jackson party, like they did for Harry Potter?

Well, let me show you some photos from the Theseus and the Minotaur program:

Here I am, pointing out the map of the Greek world and the routes Theseus traveled.

Watch out, here comes the Minotaur!

Aaaaarrrgghhhhh!!! The Minotaur gets it!!

We did some Theseus and Minotaur computer games afterward. cyber kid 303 sent us the links. I'll show them to you in a bit.

Here is Leland and his brother also enjoying the games.

You want the links? OK:

http://www.tnelson.demon.co.uk/mazes/

www.cacjl.org/game.php

These may look absurdly simple at first. Theseus is a red dot in one game and a stick figure in the other, but let me tell you, these games are hard! If you can make 3 escapes in 200 tries, you're doing better than any of us could, including Bill--and he's a real gamemeister!

All right, let me tell you about a few books. I'll be brief since there are so many.

These first three books are good, thrilling reads. The illustrations are outstanding and give the right moods of the story.

Theseus and the Minotaur by Warwick Hutton

The Hero and the Minotaur: The Fantastic Adventures of Theseus by Robert Byrd

Theseus and the Minotaur by Leonard Everett Fisher (no picture available)

Here's a chapter book version of the story:

Theseus retold by Geraldine Mc Caughrean

She also did chapter books of Hercules and Perseus. I haven't read the Hercules book yet, but I did enjoy this one.

Fantastic Creatures from Greek Myths by Pat Posner

This is a good collection of ancient Greek myths. I first read the Bellerephon and the Chimera story here and loved it. Good version of Theseus, too.

Finally, here is one called Z Is For Zeus: A Greek Mythology Alphabet by Helen L. Wilbur. Now you guys are probably groaning and saying, "An alphabet book! We're way past that!" Not to worry, mi compadres! This is not your "A is for Apple" type of book; it's got a lot of good information in here. Plus it's got really funny illustrations. (Look at the front cover and then look at the picture for the letter Z and see if you don't laugh!) I found this book just today and it's already become a favorite!

All right, guys! Go find a good gyro sandwich and enjoy these books!

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

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, guys, dig this----Rick Riordan made cyber kid 303 a Demigod of the Week!! Check it out here on Mr. Riordan's blog. Thanks, Mr. Riordan! You are not only a great author but also a nice guy!

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.

This is better than great! You guys are really writing in. We're on a roll!

Very funny. We've got a new comment from our new friend Will:

I think the Sea of Monsters is a good book because Percy Jackson goes on an adventure with Annabeth and a new friend named Tyson to go and save Grover from the evil cyclops.

Good job, Will. Come and get your free book. I agree with you on the Sea Of Monsters. I knew that if I kept telling you all about Percy Jackson that you'd like it. Will, you are also in the running for our free T-shirt.

Would you stop with the pictures!!!!!!! I meant that you are are now in the contest to win a free T-shirt from Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson author. The boy who sends in the most comments, talking about books, by January 21 will win a T-shirt that looks like this:
By the way, the standings now are:
Will--1 enrty

cyber kid 303--3 entries

Anonymous--1 entry

Tyler--1 entry

Still plenty of time! So keep on writing!

Carl

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.

NOTE TO SELF: JUST WHO IS NAUGHTY AND NICE, ANYWAY?


Every year Canada Post gets into the holiday spirit by acting as an intermediary between children and the North Pole in its annual "Write to Santa." To this end kids are encouraged to mail their letters to Santa at "SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE, HOH OHO, CANADA" The service in both English and French, has been offered going on 26 years and is overseen by 11,000 Canada Post employees known affectionately as Postal Elves. More than a million children send letters to the jolly, old, elf and receive a reply but some received an unexpected response. Make that shocked response.

Seems that somebody - likely not "the" Santa - has been dropping letters in the mail box over the last couple of days to kids living in Ottawa, Ontario, but not the nice kind. In fact some of them contained filthy messages, much to the consternation of parents'. For its part Canada Post is understandably shocked and along with the Ottawa police, have been attempting to trace down the baaaaaad Santa.

One young recipient aged 2 years received a P.S. to her letter that read: "This letter is too long, you dumb shit." Definitely not Santa-like content. Her 10 year old brother, meanwhile, had the add-on message: "Your mom is s****d**** and your dad is gay."

Lucky their mother read the letter before she handed it to her children.

Meanwhile, yesterday Canada Post shut down its Write to Santa program across the city in a joint effort with the police to track down Santa's un-helper.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071214.wsantletters1214/BNStory/National/home

The Titan's Curse
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book 3
by Rick Riordan

When Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth sneak in to Westover Hall boarding school to help Grover retrieve two half-bloods, they encounter a deadly Manticore. Annabeth is thrown over a cliff, and the others barely survive with the help of Artemis and her Hunters. When Artemis goes on a dangerous mission, she orders her hunters, all immortal preteen girls, to take sanctuary at Camp Half-Blood. But when Artemis disappears and the Oracle makes a new prophecy, a combined group of Hunters and Half-bloods go on a quest to find and rescue Artemis before it's too late. But the prophecy predicts a grim future. Who will be lost in the land without rain? And who shall perish by a parent's hand?

The Titan's Curse breaks little new ground, but it's just as fun and clever as the previous books in the series. Filled with excitement and Riordan's trademark humor, it's a book sure to appeal to kids and adults. The Titan's Curse did do more to convey how disconcerting it would be to have an Olympian god or goddess as a parent. All the normal parent-child issues are magnified, and how can you have a close relationship with a being who is so much larger than life? Even when Poseidon compliments Percy, it's an uncomfortable, awkward moment. Even with all that, though, and in spite of the danger, one can't help but feel it would be cool to be a half-blood.

My 10-year-old friend Nicky is the quintessential bribable reader. When I went shopping with his mom and older sister recently, Nicky patiently spent several contented hours in a corner of a shoe department, burrowing into The Titan’s Curse, the latest volume in Rick Riordan’s Olympian-themed Percy Jackson series. Nicky’s mom had sagely bought this hefty tome for him in anticipation of our shopping spree.

For Nicky’s generation, multicultural includes imaginary worlds. Brought up on Harry Potter and undaunted by huge page numbers, he loves books in series. “The Lionboy series [by Zizou Corder] is one of my favorites,” he emailed me. “It’s about a boy who got scratched by a leopard when he was a baby. Ever since then he has been able to speak with cats. After his parents were kidnapped his journey takes him all over the world, including his native continent, Africa. He soon finds out that it’s very hard to get 5 circus lions from France to Africa at the same time he’s trying to save his parents from a mysterious corporation before they get brainwashed.”

Nicky will be busy with Deathly Hallows for the next few weeks, of course, but until he gets hooked on a series, how does he decide what books to read? “This might sound weird, but I usually choose a book by its cover. If the cover looks interesting, I read the summary.” Nicky promises to glance up from his latest read from time to time to comment again for PaperTigers on books he loves. Meanwhile, for a list of series books for kids, click here. And here, for Stephen King’s lovely goodbye to Harry Potter.

I am catching up on all of my print reading. I just finished reading the SCBWI Bulletin for May/June. The SCBWI website has a great interview with Rick Riordan. Check it out here.

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.

=====================

Other Blog Reviews:

Becky's Book Reviews
A Fuse #8 Production
Scholar's Blog

Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse is the third book of the five books in the Percy Jackson series.

As you will know, if you've been following this series, the Big Three Olympian Gods (Poseidon, Zeus and Hades) all agreed after World War II to stop siring half-blood children with mortals as such Half-Bloods generally cause major problems for the world (such as WW2!). Unfortunately 14 year old Percy Jackson's dad reneged on the deal and Percy's the Half-Blood son of Poseidon). He's not the only one who was guilty of breaking the agreement though. Zeus also broke it and his daughter, Thalia, never made it safely to Camp Half-Blood, where the children of gods and mortals are trained to cope with the monsters that beset all Half-Bloods. As Thalia was dying, her father turned her into a pine tree and she stood guard over the Camp for many years until Luke, son of Hermes, poisoned the pine tree. Percy and his friend Grover the Satyr managed to recapture the Golden Fleece and bring it back to heal the tree which magically protected the camp, but not only did the Fleece expel the poison from the pine tree, it also expelled Thalia. This happened a few months before The Titan's Curse opens (at the end of The Sea of Monsters review).

Thalia is still getting used to being amongst people again, but she and Percy have become friends, and the two, together with Percy's friend Annabeth (daughter of Athena), set out on a rescue mission to help Grover get two newly-discovered Half-Bloods from the military boarding school where they live to Camp Half-Blood. Unfortunately, one of the school teachers is really a Manticore and he objects to Nico and Bianca di Angelo being taken from the school. During the battle that ensues, Annabeth is captured, despite the timely arrival of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and her Hunters. Artemis offers Biana the chance to become a Hunter and she agrees. Afterwards Artemis sets off alone to hunt another monster that is destined to cause the downfall of Olympus, whilst Percy, Grover and Thalia, together with the two Half-Blood siblings and Artemis' Hunters, travel with Apollo the Sun God to Camp Half-Blood for their safety.

Back at Camp, The Oracle delivers a prophecy that leads to a team of five Campers being chosen to go in search of Artemis, who has gone missing. Thus Percy, Thalia, Bianca, Zoe (another Hunter) and Grover set out on a journey that takes them across the country from East Coast to the West, to San Francisco where Percy finds out, amongst other things, what it's like to carry the weight of the sky on his shoulders. Cool monsters, skeletal warriors and bad guys abound in this tale, as well as the Gods behaving badly (and occasionally making bad haiku - Apollo). Percy gets to meet Aphrodite, they visit the Hoover Dam, two of the party of five are killed, then finally, the Gods vote on how to kill the three survivers of the quest!

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse is also available from Amazon.com - I must say, I do like this blue cover on the US edition !

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.

Riordan, Rick. 2005. THE LIGHTNING THIEF. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 0786856297

THE LIGHTNING THIEF is a surprisingly funny and charming YA novel. The basic premise of the book is that the gods and goddesses of Greek (and Roman) mythology are true. The gods and goddesses are alive and flourishing. They are still doing battle. They are still wreaking havoc on the world. They don’t reign on Mt. Olympus anymore in Greece. No, they now reside in the United States. The gods and goddesses are still coupling with humans and having offspring. These “half-bloods” have some extraordinary power. Percy Jackson is our hero. He doesn’t know it at the beginning of the novel, but by the end he not only knows but he is officially recognized as one of Poseidon’s sons. Old stories, myths, and “mythical” creatures come to life in this hilarious novel. With chapter titles like “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers” and “We Take a Zebra to Vegas.” Percy and his friends embark on one crazy (and dangerous adventure) after another. The narrative style is fabulously funny and clever. This book actually inspired me to pick up my old copy of Edith Hamilton's MYTHOLOGY.

The above review was written for "Miss Becky's Book Review" and Amazon back in 2005. I had only read the book once or possibly twice then. Now, two years later, I've read the book five times. It remains one of all-time favorites. I've passed it on to my mom who is just as in love with the series as I am. (She is currently reading Titan's Curse). Why is the book so good? It's exciting. It's funny. It's enjoyable. It's clever. Very clever. It's...undescribably unputdownable. I don't know why I love it...I just do.

I have been a bad blogger in my reviews of Titan's Curse and Sea of Monsters...because not only have I been reviewing the series in backward order...I've been failing to put up links as I go. Partly it was because I knew that I would eventually be posting them when I did Lightning Thief...but still that's not a *truly* valid excuse. So here they are belatedly...

http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm
http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/
Hear the First Chapter of Titan's Curse as read by the author!!!
The first link also contains link to listen to the first chapters of The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters.
Author Interview with Rick Riordan, 2005
Miss Erin's Interview with Rick Riordan, 2007

If you've never read any of the series...here's a brief glimpse of what it is all about.

Look I didn't want to be a half-blood. If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life. Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways. If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened. But if you recognize yourself in these pages--if you feel something stirring inside--stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you. Don't say I didn't warn you.

My name is Percy Jackson. I'm twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York. Am I troubled kid? Yeah. You could say that. I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan--twenty-eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff. I know--it sounds like torture. Most Yancy field trips were. But Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher, was leading this trip, so I had hopes. . . .I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble. Boy, was I wrong.

FROM THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan, p. 1-2

Riordan, Rick. 2006. The Sea of Monsters.

The Sea of Monsters opens a year after the closing events of Lightning Thief. Percy Jackson has spent an entire school year keeping his big secret--that he's a half-blood, the son of Poseidon. It's been a rather busy school year as well. His only friend, Tyson, is a 'big' and somewhat dorky homeless kid. Still Percy is glad that it is the last day of school and that he'll soon be on his way to Camp Halfblood. If only he could shake off these weird dreams about his best friend Grover where he's wearing a wedding dress. Talk about strange! But as a nearly lethal game of dodge ball proves, strange things are happening everywhere. Camp Halfblood is in danger! Their protective tree has been poisoned. If a cure cannot be found, there will be no safe place on earth for these half-bloods to live, to train, to rest. Could the poisoned tree be in anyway connected with those weird dreams? Is Grover trying to tell him something? Percy and his friends will have to get to the bottom of this if they want to save their summer refuge....and quite possibly the world as they know it.