The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Steal the Bolt

What if you are the only person in the Universe who can stop a war that could destroy all of mankind? What if you are the child of one of the big three Greek gods? This may seem like a really cool dream, but it’s a frightening reality for Percy Jackson in The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. On the New York Times Best Seller list, it’s the first book in the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. You’d definitely want to read this Greek mythology based award winner.

After he’s whisked away to Camp Half-Blood, Percy just wants to save his kidnapped mom. Discovering his dad is Poseidon, he learns that his destiny is to find and return Zeus’s missing lightning bolt. But where could it be? He only has 14 days to find it. Accompanied by Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, his best friend who’s a satyr, Percy goes on a quest to stop Zeus and Poseidon from starting WWIII. Now that’s a heroic job!

This book has many themes – especially family. Unlike the gods, Percy dearly loves his family (except for his step-dad). All he really cares about his saving his mom from when the Minotaur transported her to somewhere mythical. This shows that he really cares about his mother and he would do anything to save her. It also shows in the movie form of this cool book. Percy sneaks out with Grover and Annabeth to save his mom.

Rick Riordan is a very talented author. He can mix in lots of humor with scary or serious parts, and make it look normal. It’s hard to believe that this isn’t a 15-year-old demigod writing a series of memoirs. You can also tell that Rick Riordan spent a lot of time researching about Greek and mythology. This is a conversation between Percy and Chiron on page 153. It shows that Rick Riordan has done a lot of research, like finding a name in both Greek and English.

“‘The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into,’ Chiron told me. ‘Its name is Anaklusmos.’

‘Riptide,’ I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily.”

Kids can connect with this book even if they’re not the son of Poseidon and trying to stop WWIII. Most kids have probably been teased in school, and you (or the people you know) might be afraid of spiders. Have you had a fortune teller predict your future? Have you ever gone to summer camp? If yes to any of these, you’re already connecting even though you haven’t read the book!

I recommend this book to anybody who likes action, myths, and a fun series.The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, deserves five out of five stars. Make sure you read this, or else Zeus will be mad!

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Pentomino Artistico

Only you have the power to stop an art thief influencing the world. Only you can save a precious and world-renown piece of artwork. Only you can stop the four minds working together on this evil plan. Only you can read Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett.

In this artsy exciting mystery, Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay team up to solve an international art theft that they’re in the middle of. But time is ticking. They only have a set of pentominoes, a book about strange occurrences, and odd clues to help find the Vermeer painting. Who’s up to this? Where’s the painting? How can they find it? Follow Petra and Calder to solve this mystery!

One major theme of this book is trust. Petra and Calder have to put away their differences and trust each other if they want to find the beloved Vermeer. Throughout the book you can find times where these two heroes depend on each other.

Has something ever happened to you without reason? Do you like art? Are you somebody who is great with puzzles? Are you up for a good mystery? If yes to any, you’ll be able to connect with this book easily. Have you ever made friends with the opposite gender? Have you ever had a secret symbol with your best friend? Things like this can really help you understand and connect with this book.

I recommend this book to anybody who can connect with the above. Even if you can’t, this is a thrilling page-turner that will keep you up late. Soon enough, you’ll start to suspect everybody around you has stolen a Vermeer. Maybe you’ll even buy a Pentomino set. This book is around 250 pages, including many illustrations by Brett Helquist. So you better read Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett to save your local Vermeer!

No More Dead Dogs by Gordan Korman

Sorry I haven't been updating since forever. Anyway, let's kick off the not-so-new year with a funny realistic fiction novel!

Is honesty really the best policy? For Wallace, it's the only policy. Enter Wallace Wallace, football hero and honest person. Enter No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman, the realist fiction book Wallace stars in.

Wallace Wallace can't tell a lie. So when Mr. Fogleman, his English teacher, assigns a book report for Old Shep, My Pal by Zach Paris, things don't go too well. Wallace hated the book - why did Old Shep, the dog, have to die? For writing an unfavorable book review, this football star earns detention. But it's not just any detention. Wallace must attend the rehearsals for the school play, Old Shep, My Pal. Also, when the play starts to be sabotaged, all fingers point to him. Can Wallace save the play from total doom and from sending the audience to sleep?

Gordon Korman builds lots of suspense in this awesome book. You'd never guess who the new Mango is! Also, the ending is quite a surprise. The author also does a good job keeping the reader interested. Every chapter is hilarious! This book will get you strange looks from your friends, wondering why you're laughing so much and so hard.

I would recommend No More Dead Dogs, by Gordan Korman, to anybody who loves humor. Although it's a light read, this book will keep you up until midnight, guessing who messed up the play and who dumped the pepper on the cast. So go to your nearest Borders or Barnes and Noble to buy it - it's worth every penny.

The Giver Series!

Don't forget to read the sequel to the Giver, Gathering Blue, and then the ending to the trilogy, The Messenger.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D Schmidt (Part 1)

I will post a summary for each third of the book. Warning: The second and third parts may contain spoilers, but I will not highlight them like Catching Fire...

Holling knows Ms. Baker hates his guts. There's no other reason for how she gives him the hardest problems, or makes him read...Shakespere! During Wenesday, while everyone but him is at church, Holling must do pointless chores for her: cleaning chalk-boards, pounding erasers, and many others. Then they move on to one of the most famous authors: Shakespere. It's a good thing that there is a storm, attempted murders, witches, wizards, invisible spirits, revolutions, characters drinking until they're dead drunk, and an angry monster named Caliban! Sadly, the cream puff incident occurs. When some of his classmates overhear Ms. Baker bribe Holling with another cream puff, Meryl Lee, Mai Thi, and Danny Hupfer threaten him to bring them in 3 weeks. So when Holling goes to Mr. Goldman's bakery and finds out he's $2.80 short the baker declares he needs a boy who's read Shakespere, he siezes the oppurtunity and gets the puffs. But with 2 rats on the loose, cream puffs don't last long. Once that's over with, Holling has to worry about the Shakespere show. After the show is the chance to see Mickey Mantle-a pro baseball player. Although dreams are crushed when Holling can't open the dressing room door. So he runs in yellow tights with feathers on the seat of them. After all this, he is found to be rejected by a baseball star. Is all hope lost? Or will some Yankees save the day?

The Giver by Lois Lowry

You can't see color. You don't really know love, but you don't know pain either. No war or peace either. Pointless rules are made. This is what Jonas discovers, when at the age of 12, he is assigned the job of The Receiver. The Receiver collects the memories about the past (a.k.a. where we live now and the past). Some memories are happy, invigorating ones like riding a sled on a fresh, crisp, snowy hill. Other are hard, painful ones like seeing the destruction of war. Over time, Jonas discovers that the "utopia" he is living in is really a dystopia, and one memory can change your life forever.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I finally read the book and it beat The Hunger Games and Pretty Little Liars by far. I had to stay up till 11:30 to finish it! WARNING: DO NOT READ REVIEW IF WANTING TO READ FIRST BOOK. HIGHLIGHT BELOW TO SEE REVIEW!
After Katniss and Peeta survived The Hunger Games, they now have to go on their wedding/victory tour. It goes well until Katniss hears of the uprisings in several districts. And soon, President Snow devises an evil twist to the Quarter Quell: The victors must fight each other. Can Katniss trust the other victors? Or will they all betray her in the end?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody:

Mama, ooooh (way the wind blows)
I don't wanna die
I sometimes wish I've never been born at all!

Ok, those lyrics are appropriate for a book called The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's about a girl named Katniss Everdeen who is chosen for an event-you guessed it-The Hunger Games. This story is set in the future, in the ruins of Norht America. They renamed it to Panem and there are 13 districs. Well, there was a 13th distric. Now there's only 12, district 1 being the rich, 12 the poorest. Katniss is from the 12th distric. When Katniss takes her sister's place in The Hunger Games, she is joined by Peeta Mellark. With 12 girls and 12 boys (a girl and boy from each district) they must fight to the death with only their sense, limited presents from their sponsors, what's around them, and each other. If you want to find out who the winner is, you must read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Also, the sequel, Catching Fire came out and you can read the first 2 chapters online. WARNING: SCHOLASTIC DID NOT SHOW THE WHOLE SECOND CHAPTER! Somebody's going to loan me the copy of it so I'm really excited! =^D
TTFN,
Alisha

P.S. This book also beat Twilight, but not Pretty Little Liars. Yet...

Do Not Open by John Fardon

Hey! Want to sprinkle in some non-fiction? Me neither, but this book is ok. It's called Do Not Open and it's by John Fardon (and I think some other people). It's basically about secret stuff from Hitler's Secret to The Similarity Between Lincoln and Kennedy's Deaths. Or from Spontaneous Combustion to Paris Underground. The book is easy to read, and has lots of funny and cool pictures. The book's got a secret, and it doesn't wanna keep it. Not convinced enough? Here's an excerpt from Who Got Away?:

1651
King Charles II
As a 21-year-old king, Charles II was defeated in Worcester, England by the rebel Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth Army in 1651. With only a few supporters remaining, his plight was desperate, and his only hope - escape to France - seemed impossible, as Cromwell's troops were scouring the countryside. Disguised as a woodsman, Charles made it to Boscobel House in Shropshire, the day after the battle, where he id in an oak tree (later called the Royal Oak) while the troops searched the house and surrounding fields. That night, Charles hid in one of the houses secret priest holes and in the morning, disguised himself as a lady's servant. He made it to the coast and escaped across the English Channel to France. You go, girl... or guy.

Congrats! You now know about King Charles II, and that you should read Do Not Open!
Later!

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Tuesday, August 11th, 9:45 AM, Vacation Apartment, Living Room
Hola Readers!
Today I will review The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. It's about a girl named Mia when her life goes topsy-turvy, so she writes about her life in a series of journal entries. It starts when her mom goes on a DATE with her algebra teacher. EW! Then her evil Grandmother (Grandmere) comes into town for tea. Then her father tells her she's the Princess Of Genovia. It doesn't appeal to her as much as it does to me. In fact, it doesn't appeal to her at all. But it's only the beginning. The worst part: Mia must take princess lessons with Grandmere, her scary, evil, eye-liner-tattooed-around-her-eye-lids Grandmere. But life can become even worse for Princess Mia. Read this book and live the (sort of) royal life with Princess Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis Mignonette Grimaldi Ronaldo!
-Alisha

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Hello!
You may not know me. I'm A. My mission? To destroy these Pretty Little Liars once and for all. Sadly, this series is not in my PointOfView otherwise you'll know who I am. And we can't have that, can we?
This series is about 4 girls: Emily, Aria, Hanna, and Spencer. They each have dirty secrets that I know about, so I have total control over them. Let me tell you about their past, which is very important. They were best friends with Alison, who was pretty, popular, and had everyone wrapped around her finger.
Then one day the clique were having a sleepover in Spencer's barn. Spencer and Alison had a fight, Alison stormed out. Nobody ever saw her again.
Many were sad to see her go. But not me. I was thankful.
So now, I send text messages, emails, and letters threatening the 4 girls. It's so fun to watch them cower in fear and do everything I tell them to. Too bad blackmailing is illegal. Oh well, that doesn't stop me!
That's it for now.
TTFN,
A

P.S. This is Alisha's most favorite book in the world, so yes, it did beat Twilight.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Questions:

1. What would happen if your Mom disappeared when you were young?
   
2. What would happen if a mysterious man visited your father at night?
   
3. What would happen if you had 2 worlds to live in?
   
4. What would happen if you read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke?

Answers:

1. Oh no!
2. Oh no!
3. Oh no! Wait... yay!
4. You would be reading an awesome book which I highly recommend. =)

Questions:

1. What's Inkheart about?
2. Do the questions above talk about the book?
3. Should I read this book?
4. Who's PointOfView is this told from?
   
5. Who is this really by?
6. Is this book in a series?
   

Answer:

1. Life is weird for Meggie. First, a strange man visits her father (Mo) one night. Then she and Mo have to move to Aunt Elinor's house. Then her father is kidnapped by yet another strange man, Capricorn. Then she finds out about her father's secret magical talent, where her mother was all these years, her own secret magical talent, Farid, and about a strange book called Inkheart. Question: Can life get any more strange for Meggie? Answer: Yes.
   
2. Yes
3. NO DUH!!!
4. Meggie's.
5. Harry Potter. Would I lie to you? No! It's by Cornelia Funke (for real).
6. Yes (See below)

Books In This Series:

1. Inkheart
2. Inkspell
3. Inkdeath
   

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

OMG YOU GUYS!!!! Thanks sooooo much! I got 3 good reviews for my last post, and 2 for my welcome post!!! =)
Today I will be reviewing Twilight by Stephanie Meyer:
Twilight by Stephanie Meyeris a fantastic romance story about Bella when she meets the handsome vampire Edward and their dramatic love story. It seems really complicated, because at first they are enemies, then they are dating, and I won't spoil the next books, but it becomes even more complicated! Meyer's descriptive, detailed, and fun writing will leave readers captured and amazed after reading Twilight. Although this is a fantastic book that readers will claim "The Best Book in the World", keep open minded because I have found 2 other books (will be mentioned in soon-to-be blogs). Although, you may not, but there is always a chance. Also, I wouldn't recommend this for boys, it's more of a girl book. But, hey, why not?
Other books in the Twilight Saga:
1. Twilight
2. New Moon
3. Eclipse
4. Breaking Dawn
5. Midnight Sun (Coming Soon)
So that's my review. Thanks for giving me good review points and hope you come again soon! (Wow, that sounded corny!!!)

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Hey everyone! Somebody REALLY NICE commented first on my "Welcome" post. That person asked me if I read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. And in answer to your question, Kaboom, yes. So here is my review:

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is a touching story on bullying, like shunning a classmate just because she is different. It's also about how everyone is scared that if they don't do what the "popular" crowd does, they can get punished in a emotional way. Stargirl follows the life of Stargirl when she moves to Arizona. She enjoys it a lot, and makes a new friend-our narrator Leo-until she gets punished by her school for cheering both teams at a football game. Soon everyone is shunning her. Can she redeem herself and make herself normal for Leo? Or will she stick to who she is and not care what other people think of herself? Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is a must read for all ages about bullying, relationships, and caring about you and only you.

So ya that's basically it. Thanks for reading!
-Alisha =)

Welcome!

Hey!

I'm Alisha and I'm going to share with you some of the best books of all time. I will write a review, and you can share your thoughts, suggestions, or books I should read, by just commenting!

Thanks for tuning in,
Alisha