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By: Keith Mansfield,
on 8/30/2010
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Note this blog entry contains spoilers about the final two Harry Potter books
It’s a truism that cinematic adaptations often pale besides their literary counterparts. An obvious counterexample is Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner but, off the top of my head, I can’t think of more. For those who’ve only seen the film, it’s well worth reading the Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to see just how different it is, but to explain some elements of the screen version you’d have to gloss over otherwise.
Read the book to discover why the Blade Runner owl is artificial
A wonderful thing about a book is that everyone’s idea of it is unique. The reader converts the printed word from the page into a world of their own imagination. How I see the Imperial Palace on Melania in my head, is different from any readers of the Johnny Mackintosh books. Perhaps that’s why film adaptations so often disappoint, as the Director is competing with thousands of movies that have already run within a reader’s head.
There’s no film I can remember that’s disappointed me more that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, directed by David Yates with a screenplay by Steve Kloves. As someone who loves the stories so deeply, it horrifies me that this pairing were also asked to make the double film of the final book. While I think the quality of film-making in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince isn’t terrible (though it is weak), what I can’t fathom were the drastic, totally unnecessary changes to the plot that were introduced, diverting from Rowling’s marvellous story architecture and characterization.
[spoiler alert]
Yates and Kloves think they know better than JK Rowling
With a long book, why introduce a mad scene where Bellatrix Lestrange destroys The Burrow? Where will they hold the wedding in the next film, or has that been scrapped too?
A more important example was the death of Dumbledore. In the book, Harry is powerless to act, hidden under the invisibility cloak with Dumbledore’s body-bind curse on him. He would do anything to fight to save his pseudo-grandfather figure, and knows all too well the Hogwarts Headmaster is dead when the curse lifts. If the film, Harry is hiding in the background, and chooses simply to watch and not act, perhaps due to some bizarre element of cowardice that Yates and Kloves wanted to introduce into Harry’s character. There are numerous other examples and a lot concerning Dumbledore’s relationship with Harry: in the books, our hero is kept in the dark and has o puzzle things out for himself; according to this film, Harry is Dumbledore’s confidant.
When I write the Johnny Mackintosh books, I confess I sometimes have a secret nod to possible future film adaptations. I know a fair amount about film theory and structure, and sometimes I’ll be particularly proud of a passage because I know how well it would translate onto the big screen. I see the same in Jo Rowling’s writing at times, where she’s gone a little out of her way to write a beautiful, cinematic scene for her directors, knowing how much it would enhance the film. Yates completely ignored this. There ar
Manuscript update: 291 words so far on my new book, and I hope to do more this afternoon, between loads of laundry. I wrote my second book in three months, so I’m setting a tentative goal of two months for this one. So, I hope to be done by June 1. I’ll keep you up to date.
My husband and I went and saw How to Train Your Dragon this weekend, and it’s a great movie. Fun, exciting, sweet, touching, funny, lots of action and piles of goey emotion — it has it all.
I wasn’t surprised to see that it was based on a book — most of the best movies are based on books — and that book is now on my to-read list.
I’m a big believer that when movie studios buy rights to a book, they should follow the story of the book. However, film and print are two different mediums, and some things that work in one won’t work as well in another. But, when a studio changes a book, I think it has a responsibility to be true to the book as much as possible and at the very least, be true to the spirit and action of the book. Some succeed, some don’t.
I haven’t read the book series on which How to Train Your Dragon is based, but judging by the Wikipedia description, the movie is different. BUT, the movie stays true to the spirit of the books, a reluctant hero finding his heroism in a way that’s unconventional from his norm. The difference is, the movie upped the anti, so to speak, made the stakes higher by changing the norm of a society that lives with dragons and trains them (the book) to a society that is threatened by dragons and so must fight them (the movie). The added danger provides more drama, which is more necessary in a movie when, as a viewer, you’re more detached than reading a book.
Also, the books are chapter books, so aimed at a younger audience. The filmmakers raised the age of the main character from 11 in the books to teen in the movie, but that works because of the added danger.
In contrast, the filmmakers behind the Percy Jackson movie changed the age of the titular character and made other changes that took away from the books, diluted the drama and alienated the fans of the books.
After I watched the Percy Jackson movie, as a big fan of the books, I wondered what author Rick Riordan thought of this very different adaptation. I read in a Publishers We
Query letter update: With my revision done (yay!), I’m back to working on my query letter story pitch. So far, I’ve got 17 versions, some similar with minor tweaks, some with more major differences. This is a process I started a couple weeks ago, and I did maybe four or five versions yesterday. Good news is, I think I’m finally in the right direction. A few more tweaks and I think I’ll be there. Fingers crossed.
Publishers Weekly put up a great article this week giving sales numbers of the biggest titles from 2009. (Thanks to Gregory for the link.) PW says series are still the biggest sellers, and all the usual suspects are there topping the list, Twilight, Percy Jackson, Wimpy Kid.
What’s wonderful is to see Aprilynne Pike’s Wings in the 100,000 copies on hardcover sold. Wings is her debut novel, and it’s great to see a debut novel do so well. Encouraging too. It’s also the first in a series, so expect to keep seeing them on this list.
The other intersting thing is in the hardcover backlist titles, which are mostly the older classics, like the Dr. Seuss titles and Golden Books’ everlasting The Poky Little Puppy. It’s wonderful that these books are still being celebrated in new generations. It’s something we should strive for with our own titles.
If you’re looking for books to read, this is a great way to find them.
Write On!
By:
Carl,
on 3/13/2010
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Boys Rule Boys Read!
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Man! You guys have been
ACTIVE!! I'm gone one day and, when I come back, my email box is FULL of book reviews! You all are
GREAT!! Since I've received so many reviews, I'm not going to comment after each set, but hold any comments until the end. In fact, I'll list the reader guy's name, put his reviews after that, thank everybody at once, and give the standings.
But before I do that, let me direct your attention to a comment from
Jana, a librarian, a mom of boys, and one of the faithful followers of our blog:
OK, guys, go over there and vote! I've already done it. Jana runs a good blog and recommends some good stuff. Take a look.
Now for the Slam Dunks. First up is magnificent Michael:
The Elijah Project, book 1On the Run
by Bill Myers
People have started noticing 7-year-old Elijah's supernatural God-given powers... even the people who want them for their own purposes. When the villains make an advance, Elijah and his siblings: 13-year-old Piper and 15-year-old Zach, find that their parents have dissapeared, and now they must run away on their own. With the help of their friends Cory and William, the group must believe in God to help them defeat their enemy the Shadow Man, and the ultimate villain the Supreme Master, who in reality is Satan. Bill Myers makes another home run with this amazing book!
Jellaby, book 1
by Kean Soo
Meet Portia. She has no friends, her parents are divorced, and now she's got a monster for a friend! But that won't stop her and her friend, Jason, from finding Jellaby's home. Fast-paced, funny, and creative, this comic book is perfect for everyone!
Then we have the dynamic
Dakota T:
The next book that I read was High Rulian By Brain Jaques. this book was about a young ottermaid who's skills in the sling exceed any others. When a Giant bird and a barnicle goose , both injured by a Tyrant who rules over Green Isle, come to Redwall to find refuge. They both tell them of where they come from and how the otter tribes are getting tormented by a raging cat who will stop at nothing to remain Tytrant of the Isle. It's up to the ottermaid to rescue the tribes enslaved. This book has more than it's fair share of action, adventure, and care for others. This was one of my favorite book in the entire Redwall series. The flaw in this series is that most of the books get off on a slow start.
I read a book entitled Holes by Luis Sachar and it's about a poor boy who is taken to Camp Green Lake where you get to dig a hole five feet wide and five feet deep. If you find anything you are to report it to the warden who turns out to be a girl. But why? This book is creative, yet realistic, and is one of my all time favorites. While telling the story of Stanely, It also tells a story about a teacher and an onion farmer. It was amazing how everything just fit together and made sense. Hope you read this and enjoy it!
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 2/12/2010
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Percy vs. Potter (the myth-based series debuts this weekend and unsurprisingly can't escape comparisons to director Chris Columbus's previous supernatural success. The verdict: the magic is gone. Plus USA Today reviews the The Percy Jackson and The... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 2/4/2010
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British YA spy series 'Cherub' (comes to the big screen. Also in anticipation of the release next week — an update on all things "Percy Jackson." And in case you missed it: another whitewashing episode sparked by the illustrated "Mysterious... Read the rest of this post
Myth:
1. a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp. one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature
New buzz on the Percy Jackson Lightning Thief movie, anyone?
Check out School Library Journal’s inside scoop on the movie companion guide.
2. an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.
Is Scarlet Whisper: Librarian/Rockstar/International Jewel Thief a mythological creature?
Discuss.
3. an unproved or false collective belief.
Check out super ninja agents Brandi Bowles, Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Colleen Lindsay and Jason Allen Ashlock bust myths about queries, agents, and publishing in general. This eight minute clip features their panel discussion from the 2009 Backspace convention. The video is truly worth a look.
Hungry for more?
Try my Italian Cream Cake. Although it’s delish, I don’t recommend trying to sneak it into the Percy Jackson movie.
Italian Cream Cake
1/2 shortening (butter flavor Crisco is best)
1 stick butter
5 eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans are great)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butter milk
Cream shortening, butter, and sugar. Add eggs. Beat well. Add buttermilk, soda, flour, coconut, nuts and vanilla. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Makes three 9 inch layers. Cool completely. Frost.
Frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar (3 3/4 cups)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, I don’t add them)
1 tsp. vanilla.
Combine until smooth. Frost your cake, then frost your beak.
BINGE!
Posted in Uncategorized, Writing Tagged: agents, Italian Cream Cake, Myths, Percy Jackson, publishing, Scarlet Whisper
My excellent coworker, Ms. Leah, has written and told us some cool news:
Ok Boys! This is Ms. Leah contributor to the Girls Read, Girls Rule(The World) blog. Just wanted to give you some breaking Percy Jackson news!The first movie is coming out on Presidents Day, February 2010.Take a look at the recently released trailer!
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the/32797/video/percy-jackson-the-lightning-thief/29410789001/percy-jackson-the-lightning-thief/29410789001
Thanks, Ms. Leah! I've taken a look and it's pretty impressive. Check it out, guys!
Carl
Hey, everyone, this is the Great and Clumsy CARLMAN, reporting back to duty after falling off our loading dock last weekend. Yep, fell off a loading dock! Can you believe it? I was helping someone unload a few things out of a car when I suddenly stepped off the dock by accident. Fortunately, it wasn't very high and I didn't just fall right over. But I did twist my leg and had to take a few days off.
The only good thing was, once the constant pain eased, I finished
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. MAN. OH. MAN. What a story!! This is it--the final confrontation between the forces of
Kronos and the Olympians. The trouble is that Poseidon is under the sea, battling the armies of the titan Oceanus, and the other Olympians are trying to stop
Typhon, the most enormous giant possible, before he reaches New York. The only ones to stand between Mount Olympus and
Kronos's massive army of monsters are Percy and his friends. Can these kids possibly stand against the Lord of Time? And to make things worse, there's a spy in the Half-Blood camp! How could it get any worse?
You will LOVE this book. There is so much action, monster fighting, and desperate battles that you won't be able to stop reading. And there's also the great Rick Riordan humor. Just wait until you meet the Party Ponies. Or see the giant in the playground who keeps saying, "Uh oh." Or witness the scenes between Demeter and Persephone. And, as always, Mr. Riordan pulls some major surprises. As when you find out what Nico's plan really is. Or when the spy is revealed. You'll never guess. Nope. You won't. I guarantee!
This is a great conclusion to a fantastic series. There are very few series that are so good that they become part of your life. The Lords of the Rings is one. Some say Harry Potter is another. (I haven't finished them) With The Last Olympian, the Percy Jackson series takes its place right with them. that's why this book deserves...
TWO THUMBS UP AS HIGH AS THEY WILL GO!!!
IT'S HERE!!!! THE LAST OLYMPIAN!!! Here I am with the copy I just checked out:
I've heard nothing but good reports on this one. Master Jedi Zack calls it "awesome." One boy told me this afternoon that he'd finished and agreed with Master Zack's assessment. I'll keep you all informed!!
Speaking of Percy and TLO, let me let all you North Carolina people know that Rick Riordan will in Raleigh, NC this Saturday!! Yes, he will speak at Quail Ridge Books on Saturday, May 16 at 7 pm. Click on the bookstore to go to their site and get all the details.
Woo-hoo!
Carl
By:
Becky Laney,
on 5/7/2009
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Riordan, Rick. 2009. The Last Olympian. (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #5) Disney/Hyperion. 381 pages.
The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car. Up until then, I was having a great afternoon.
Percy Jackson's sixteenth birthday is approaching--and fast--soon the Great Prophecy will be fulfilled. Not understanding just what his destiny holds, Percy and his friends are fighting with all their might to save the world as they know it. To save Olympus--a.k.a. Manhattan--from the Titans--led by Kronus--who would destroy it. Percy, in case you're just getting caught up, is a demi-god. He's got an all-too-mortal mother and a god of a father--Poseidon. He's not alone. There are plenty of other demi-gods (on both sides of the war I might add) with various gods (and goddesses) as parents. All with different strengths and weaknesses. Different temptations. Percy and his closest friends--Annabeth especially--face some difficult choices in this final book of the series.
For those that need a refresher course, the first four books are The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth.
Why I love this series:
They're funny.
They're clever.
They're action-and-adventure packed.
They're also packed with mythology. In a fun way. An inviting way.
They're addictive.
They're unputdownable.
They're just as fun to reread as they are the first time around. (How many books can you really and truly say that about?!)
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
If you're reading this post on another site, or another feed, the content has been stolen.
Back in June or July of 2005 the youngest entling and I made our way over to Blue Willow Bookshop to hear this guy named Rick Riordan talk about his new book, The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
.
The entling finished it before night fell and the book became my carry-along book anytime I was subbing in a library.
The rest is history.
In the years that have passed, I have had moving conversations with parents who tell me how much they owe to Riordan because his books were the ones that turned their child (and usually it is a son) into a reader.
I have only missed one Percy Jackson signing. That was last year and I really did have to attend entling no. 2's college graduation. They were the same weekend. It was hard. I had to really, really think about it.
In about fifteen minutes, my youngest and I will saddle up to see RRR one more time and have him sign The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5)
..
There were less than 30 people in the store that first time we saw him. Today, they are using the campus of my old high school because they expect so many people.
It has been a grand ride.
Thank you, Rick.
You are a rockstar.
Hey guys, Master Jedi Zack here.
Yesterday I decided that I just couldn't wait any longer for The Last Olympian so I bought my own copy. This was the Jedi thing to do because 127 people are in line for the library copies and I didn't want to make one of you guys wait any longer so that I could read it. I'm on page 109 of 381 and it is awesome! I won't give anything away, but know that this book is worth the wait!!! I will keep my eyes peeled for boxes of books that come in and make sure to get any copies out as soon as I get them.
Here I am with my copy. It's mine, all mine!!!
Oh, yes, indeed! THE LAST OLYMPIAN comes out today!! I am so pumped!! Of course, we won't get our copies today because of the way the library gets books (we get whole bunches of different titles in one shipment) but I have been assured that we will get them soon. We're all very excited today and some of us our wearing our t-shirts to honor the occasion. Here I am in my Camp Half Blood shirt:
And here's Ms. Leah, our Hunter of Artemis:
Darth Bill isn't here yet, so I can't get his picture. Are any of you on the waiting list? Are you going to buy a copy? Let us know!
Carl
PS--this is such big news that even The Wall Street Journal, that most grownup of grownup newspapers, wrote an article about it. Read it here. And guess what-- it says there will be more Camp Half Blood stories! No more Percy stories, but more CHB! Woo-hoo!
Oh, yeah, uh-huh, only ONE MORE DAY until the release of THE LAST OLYMPIAN. I've never been so excited about a new book in all the 10 years I've been with the library!! 
We won't get our copies tomorrow becasue of the way the library gets books, but I spoke to She Who Orders Books and asked if the library could make this one a priority, so we should get it sooner rather than later. And I'm # 6 on the waiting list, which means I'll be among the first to receive mine! Are you as excited as I am????
Carl
Riordan, Rick. 2009. The Demigod Files. Disney/Hyperion. 151 pages.
Part of me feels like a complete traitor for saying this, but, I am so very thankful I checked this one out of the library and didn't spend my money on it. Does that make me evil? Maybe. Slightly. But I think it makes me honest as well. And honesty is key. I think the readers who enjoy The Demigod Files are the readers who are so head-over-heels enthralled with Percy Jackson that they just can't wait until the next installment is released in May. These are the readers who probably have a countdown of days going. (May 5th according to Amazon.)
Don't get me wrong. I'm a BIG BIG BIG fan of Percy Jackson. But I can also recognize fluff when I see it. What this book does offer is three short stories about Percy. The rest comes up a bit short in my humble opinion.
What Riordan succeeds at in his writing is the ever-important first line. Most authors, I believe, aim to have that one magical first line to draw the reader in from the start. What Riordan does is offer that one magical first line in each and every chapter. And for the most part, he's a master. I wouldn't have trouble crowning him king or champion when it comes to that. He knows the importance of keeping them hooked, keeping them reading.
"I was in fifth-period science class when I heard these noises outside. Scrawk! Ow! Screech! Hiya!"
"One dragon can ruin your whole day. Trust me, as a demigod I've had my share of bad experiences."
"Christmas in the Underworld was NOT my idea."
The book also offers a sneak peak at the fifth and final installment: The Last Olympian. We get the first chapter I believe. Here is the first line of that one:
"The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car."
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
If you're reading this post on another site, or another feed, the content has been stolen.
That's right--only one more week until the release of The Last Olympian!!!! Woooo-hoooo!!! I've learned through hard and bitter experience that I won't get my copy on that date but I DON'T MIND WAITING!!!! 
Hope you guys are excited as I am!
Carl
Wow, fellow reader guys, the
March Madness Author Shoot-out has gotten everyone all excited!! We've had the most hits EVER on this blog! And the most votes ever!! The tension mounts as readers vote.
Who will win and move to the next round?
Will there be an upset?? Anything can happen!! Keep those votes coming! And don't forget that we are giving away
prizes to the three guys who write in the most reviews of books
by these authors. The first-place prize is a T-shirt from Kaza Kingsley's fan-tastic Erec Rex series
plus the first two Erec Rex books, signed by the author! To show you how extremely cool these prizes are, Darth Bill took some photos:
Here is the unbelievably handsome CARLMAN modelling the Erec Rex t-shirts that Kaza Kingsley so generously gave us:
She even signed them!
Not only that, she also gave us copies of her first two books:
And signed them too!!!
THANKS, KAZA!!!! These books and the t-shirt could be
YOURS if you send in the most reviews. The second-place winner gets a
Capt'n Eli graphic novel and cards. The third-place winner gets f
ree books and comics. We'll take your reviews until the end of the contest. Remember, when you send in a review, not only are you eligible for a prize, your author gets three more points (a "three pointer")
On to other things. A couple of new friends have written to us.
Bibliophile told us where to read the first chapter of
The Last Olympian, the next Percy Jackson book, online. Cool!!
There is a place where you can read an excerpt of The Last Olympian!!! It's on the Percy Jackson book site (percyjacksonbooks.com). You click on About the Series at the top of the page. If you're not already at the blurb about The Last Olympian, you just click on the book at the left. Next to a picture of the book that will come up, there will be a summary, and underneath that, a button that says, "read first chapter." There will be an excerpt of the last book in this amazing sereies. Thanks, bibliophile! I've gone to that site and read it. Boy, Percy doesn't waste any time getting into danger. By the end of that first chapter, he's in danger from telkhines and Annabeth! Hmmm--I wonder which I'd be more scared of--an angry telkhines or an angry Annabeth!! Read the chapter yourself by going to the Percy Jackson Booksite in the Links section on the left-hand side of the page or by going
here.
The other comment comes from
hollybookscoops. This new friend tells about how much guys like Gregor the Ovelander:
I really enjoyed Gregor the Overlander and passed the recommendation on to a Mother of 4 boys. Her oldest devoured the books and then re-read them, just to make sure he didn't miss something. Wow--he read them and then
re-read them. Very impressive! Hope that oldest boy is reading this post. He could be in the running for prizes if he sends in reviews of the Gregor books. The excitement just keeps building!!
It's March Madness, baaaayyybeeee!!!!Carl
Yes, reader guys and halfbloods everywhere, the library has finally received its copies of The Demigod Files!! I got hold of one the other day and zipped right through it. (Well, it was easy for this slow reader because I'd already read two of the stories online!) Was it good? Was it worth the wait? Oh, yes indeed! Master storyteller Rick Riordan has done it again! You get all the excitement, humor, great characters, and unexpected twists that we all enjoy in the Percy Jackson series.
There are 3 shorter stories here. In the first one, "The Stolen Chariot," Percy has to help Clarisse recover the Chariot of Ares from Phobos and Deimos, the two immortal sons of Ares. (Wait a minute--did I say that Percy helped Clarisse???) The second one, "The Bronze Dragon," has Percy and Charles Beckendorf rescue Annabeth And Silena Beauregrd from an abandoned (and deadly) camp project. The third one, "The Sword of Hades," has Percy, Thalia, and Nico going on an urgent quest through the underworld (even through the Fields of Punishment) where they meet some particularly nasty enemies.
There are also interviews with the characters (there's a really funny one with the Stolls brothers), a map of Camp Half Blood, AND a great appetizer at the end--an excerpt from The Last Olympian, the full-length PJ book that's due on May 10!! The excerpt is short, only six pages, but just enough to make you hungry for more. Good stuff for all PJ fans! Highly recommended. Makes me realize how looooonnngggg it's going to be until May 10!
Carl
PS--Random thoughts:
"The Sword of Hades" starts with another of those great first lines that Mr. Riordan does so well: "Christmas in the underworld was NOT my idea."
Mr. Riordan is a master of making the characters from classical mythology come alive. Wait until you meet Phobos, Deimos, Persephone, Sisyphus, and Melinoe. No one does it better.
The scene in which Melinoe asks Percy, "Where are your ghosts?" is one of Mr. Riordan's (and Percy's) finest moments. Percy may be obtuse, as Annabeth would say, but he's nobler and smarter than the others when it counts.
AAANNNDDD--what's up with Rachel? and Percy? Read the excerpt to see what I mean.
As I've said before, this book is the ONLY place to read an excerpt from The Last Olympian. Unless there's some cyberpirate out there who's stolen an excerpt. And we wouldn't want to support him, would we?
BTW, you'll notice that I haven't answered Darth Bill's accusations about putting a pink princess book in the Sacred Shrine of Guyhood. The armor of my innocence protects me from any arrows of accusation. Besides, he should know that no guy, not even the evil titan Kronos, would defile a place of such immortal honor!
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 on
e 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.
Well, he's new to us at Imaginon. This is Eshaan, who is a fan and came by the library and asked about a PJ book club. I had to tell him that we'd already had ours during the summer and maybe he could talk to one of the other libraries and see if they'd do one. BUT--since Mr. and Mrs. Riordan have been so generous, I was able to give him a cool Camp Half-Blood Tshirt!! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Riordan!! Hope you enjoy your shirt, Eshaan. Write to us sometime. You could get a free book!
Carl
By:
Darth Corder,
on 8/19/2008
Blog:
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Smile when you say that partner, it is I once again, the coolest Sith this side of Clint Eastwood, Darth Bill. Now I know your going to look at the two books I reviewed this go round and ask: "Bill, these books have girls as their main characters. What's up with that?" Well I'll tell you; even though these books have girls as the main characters, they kick some serious butt!!!!!! One of the books reviewed Runemarks has some serious cool dudes and chicks such as:
Odin - The All Father
Thor - The Thunderer
Loki - The Trickster
Skadi - The Huntress
Pretty cool looking characters wouldn't you say? I think so!!!!!!
And Coraline definitely earns "honorary guy status" because she's tuff as nails!!!!!!! So take a look at my thoughts on one great book and one great graphic novel.
Runemarks by Joanne Harris - This story is set 500 years after Ragnarok that ended the old world ruled by the Norse Gods. The main character in this story is a young girl named Maddy Smith who is born with a strange and magical birthmark. In Maddy's world "The Word" rules all with an iron-fist. In her world magic is taboo and imagination is highly discouraged. Because of what people perceive as Maddy's strangeness she is ignored by her father and has no friends. That is until one day when she meets and old wanderer called One-Eye who befriends here and teaches her to use the magic that has been lying asleep inside her. This book is filled with Norse Gods, Heroes, Villains and Monsters. This book will suck you in and you will not be able to put it down once you start reading it. This is a great book that I would put right up there with Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" book series. The one obvious difference is that this book rekindles excitement in Norse Mythology as opposed to Greek Mythology. This book definitely is one of my candidates for best book of 2008. Warning: This book does include some occasional curse words and probably should not be read if you or your parents are offended by such.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman Adapted & Illustrated by P. Craig Russel - Do you think it would be cool to get everything you wanted from your parents. Never having to hear then say no you can't do that or no you can't have that, etc. Well in this Graphic Novel Coraline and her parents have moved into a new house that has some very peculiar aspects to it. She finds through a bricked up doorway a gateway into another world that is exactly like hers yet different. She finds in this other world she has an other mother and father who refuse her nothing. Yet something does not feel right about this other world and worse Coraline's other mother does not want her to leave. Many mysteries and challenges Coraline must overcome if she is to return to the real world. This is a great adaption of a great book that I highly recommend.
Well hepcats that's all I got for now, but keep reading and having fun.
Peace,
Bill
Teenage demi-God, Percy Jackson is back in the fourth installment of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Percy continues to battle the evil forces who want to resurrect the Titans and overthrow the Olympian Gods. This time, Percy must navigate an underground labyrinth and find the workshops of its creator, Daedalus, and convince him not to help Luke use the maze to invade Camp
Yes, if you needed another reason to attend our Percy Jackson Summer Book Club, we've got one! We received a message from a mysterious person named Becky who has promised us something great:
Hey Carl,
You all rock! Let us know how many guys show up for the book club and we will send Camp t-shirts for the group!
Becky
Well, that's awfully good of you, Becky! Did you hear that, guys? If you attend our club, you'll get a Camp Half-Blood T-shirt!!! Isn't that too cool? Even more reason to show up! If you've never seen one, here's a picture of one of our regular readers who got one :
But---if you do show up, you're going to be expected to come to the book club. You can't just come to the party and expect to get a free T-shirt. No, sir! You got to attend to get one. So come on, guys! Show us what you're made of and we'll reward you with a shirt.
BTW, you may have noticed that our mysterious benefactor is a girl. I have to let you know that this book club won't necessarily be a boys-only club and we may have some girls there. But if you've attended our Heroes Bold From Days of Lore programs, you'll know that we've had girls there and they've been cool. But, have no fear, me lads, we have a couple of guys-only events planned for this summer!! Stayed tuned to this blog to find out!
Carl
PS--We also have a comment from our friend Rowdy Roddy at the Guys Read blog:
Hey Guys,
Sounds like a cool party, I know quite a few guys around here that would love to be able to attend. We will look forward to a report.
Rowdy Roddy
They can't come because they live far away. So let's not disappoint them! Show up and give them a good report!
All right, guys, you got to read this one!!! I've just finished The Battle of the Labyrinth and, whoa, was it good!!! 
I don't want to tell you a lot because I'd give away something important, but I will tell you that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are in the most dangerous situation yet! Camp Half-Blood might really go up in flames this time, just as some of the monsters predict. And the monsters----wow, they are the scariest, most horrible, strongest, toughest yet!! You'll really hold your breath wondering if Percy gets through it all. And Grover's in big trouble too---will he complete his search or have to live the rest of his life in disgrace? And who is this Quintus guy? Whose side is he really on? You want action, suspense, danger, excitement? Then go read it now!!! And, like all the other PJ books, this one is also laugh-out-loud funny! I can't say enough good things about this fourth book. Some books are just way above everyting else. Some books are so good that others seem like pale comparisons. I'm reading several things now and they're all good, but this one stands above the rest like a giant redwood compared to a bush. An ancient Greek philosospher, Plato, said that there are archetypes--that is, the one real and true existance of an object and everything else was just an imitation. For instance, Plato would say that there is only one true and perfect dog out there in the metaphysical world and that all the dogs on earth are imitations. That's how I feel about The Battle of the Labyrinth. Go read it, guys!!!!
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Here via WU, and I ADORED this movie! I actually don’t want to read the book because I agree that in almost all cases, the two entities are separate, and I love the movie too much to want to read a different version of it. Silly, I know, and one of the first times I’ve had this strong of a reaction.
That said, I’m a reader/writer first and foremost, and *usually* I will try to read a book before I go see a movie. I tend to like the books better, but I enjoy the movies as “companion” pieces, you know?
Thanks for the great review. I so agree that the books and movies don’t always match. My daughter really complained about this with the Percy Jackson movie. I do want to see this one.
I agree, Kristan. It’s such a wonderful movie. But I would like to read the book. In fact, I read the first few pages on Amazon and it is much toned down drama-wise from the movie. And I know what you mean about movies being companion pieces to books. I agree. It’s fun to see the world of the book visually.
Natalie, yeah, I agree with your daughter on Percy Jackson. I was really disappointed with the movie. I love those books, but the movie wasn’t good. Oh well. At least we have the books.