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Hey, guys, it's Carl. I get a message last week from someone named Deasy who runs a very cool Percy Jackson fan website (fansite) called PercyQuest and she wanted to add our blog to her Top Affiliates. So I said, "Sure!" and now it's up there, right on the front page. THANKS, Deasy!!!! I checked out the site and, as I said, it's very cool. There are forums, a blog, links to other PJ fansites, and there will be places for fan art and fiction. There's even a link to place to learn Roamn numerals! There are links to the books PLUS links to three PJ SHORT STORIES, including one called "The Bronze Dragon", which I had never heard of. You can read it online. It's good!! I also found out that the title to Percy Jackson 5 is out--it's called The Last Olympian. Deasy talks about it on her site. Check it out at Percy Quest or go to http://www.percyquest.com/ This site is so cool and Deasy is so great for making us a Top Affiliate that we're going to give her the highest honor we can bestow and make her an Honorary Guy. You deserve it!

While I was on her site, I also checked out Rick Riordan' latest project, The 39 Clues. This is a very exciting project that Scholastic publishers and Mr. Riordan started.There will be a series of ten books. The basic premise is that two kids get involved in a chance to solve a mystery that could change (or save) human history. But it's dangerous--so dangerous that they're given the choice to solve the mystery and become unbelievably rich (while possibly losing their lives) or taking one million dollars on the spot and walking away. What would you do? Well, the kids obviously choose to take up the challenge and find that they must go around the world and find 39 clues. But there are other people, some who are not friendly, who have also looking for the clues. Does this sound good so far? Well, there's a whole lot more! Each book in the series will be written by a famous kid's author. Rick Riordan has done the first one; Gordon Korman, who wrote the terrifically exciting Island trilogy and the hilarious No More Dead Dogs, will write the second. I went from Percy Quest to Rick Riordan's blog and the 39 Clues website to check all this out and got hooked!! I read an excerpt from the first book, The Maze of Bones and, wow, was it great!! This book has the potential to be every bit as exciting as the PJ books. But there's a whole lot more--as I said, this book is the first in a series of 10 books! But wait--there's more!! Not only are there books, but there is also an online game in which you can look for the clues and win prizes. And there are collectible cards to go with the books and game. BUT WAIT, THERE'S EVEN MORE--the first book, The Maze of Bones, will be made into a movie directed by none other than Steven Spielberg!!! Man, this all sounds exciting!! The Maze of Bones has been released today. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library system has ordered several copies and I have one on hold. You can do the same. What are you waiting for? Go check out Rick Riordan's blog and The 39 Clues sites and then go online or go to your local library and request your copy now!!! And if you play the game or read the book, tell me what you think!

PS--Don't forget to go to Bill's Capt'n Eli event here at Imaginon tomorrow from 4-6. Plenty of time to get there after school. Click here to find out more.

This guy is hot!! Here's another review from our friend cyber kid 303:



No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman is an okay book about Wallace Wallace who writes a bad book report on Old Shep My Pal. His teacher makes him go to the school play rehearsals which turns out to be Old Shep My Pal. This book is very funny and I suggest you read it.



Very good, cyber kid! Did you happen to read Darth Bill's review of it on May 7? Keep up the good work!
Carl

Hey, everyone, our first winners have claimed their prizes from the Boys Rule Boys Read Book Series tournament. The first lucky lad is Savage Stephen, who came in sixth. Here he is:Yes, that is a girl with him, but it's Rockin' Rebecca, his sister. They are holding up his prizes; Shipwreck and The Rescue, two books by Gordon Korman. (Shipwreck is an awesome book--look up the post of 8-3-07 and find out) Stephen got one book for shooting a three-pointer and one for writing his first review. (Don't forget that everyone who writes a reivew gets a free book) Our other winner is Crafty Carl M: Hmmm, too much flash in that picture! He's not holding up a book because, as one of the top three, he got to pick a book listed in the tournament and we'll have to order it. I won't say which one it is, but it's the latest one of that series and not out in paperback yet. Betcha can't guess!!!
I agree with Bill--this was one exciting tournament and everyone did well and everyone, readers and writers, were winners.

And now, talking about exciting, there are ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS until the new Percy Jackson book, The Battle of the Labyrinth, comes out!!!!! Can I stand it??? Guess I'll have to. In the meantime, here's a video of Rick Riordan, the author, reading a portion of the first chapter:



Doesn't that have one the best first lines you've ever heard??? Do you know who the red-haired girl is? I think I do. BUT I'VE GOT TO WAIT TWO WEEKS TO FIND OUT!!! Hope you all are as excited as I am!!

Carl

You remember the story of the Emperor’s new clothes, right? No one can see the suit, but rather than speak up and admit the truth, they remain silent and let the Emperor embarrass himself. In The Elephant in the Room: Silence and Denial in Everyday Life Eviatar Zerubavel, Board of Governors Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University, explores the social and political underpinning of silence and denial. Zerubavel helps us understand why we ignore truths that are known to all of us. In the excerpt below Zerubavel looks at why we are silent. Later today we will look at why breaking the silence is so tough. Read a Q & A with Zerubavel here.

According to many psychologists, denial stems from our need to avoid pain. When awareness of something particularly distressful threatens our psychological well-being, we often activate inner floodgates that block the disturbing information from entering our consciousness. (more…)

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