The Last Hero

Book of the week: The Last Hero by Rick Riordan. Jason has no memories whatsoever. He and his friends, Piper and Leo, get taken to Camp Half-Blood and he gets a strange sensation that he shouldn't be there. Piper and Leo try hard to help Jason remember, but it is too much. Nevertheless, Jason and Piper get visions from Hera, saying she is in dire need of a rescue. Jason, Piper, and Leo embark on a crazy quest to save the queen of the heavens. If they don't, the king of the giants will rise and destroy the world. Your typical save-the-world mission. I read it twice and I still adore it. Unexpected monsters and trials keep you enthralled. More laugh out loud humor is to be expected. Rick Riordan makes a perfect bond between this book and the Percy Jackson series that leaves you starving for more. The first time I read it, I was devastated by the way it ended. He couldn't stop now! But this book was a classic Rick Riordan. I was capured, I was laughing, there was great suspense. This book is a good read for anyone who loves fantasy. Another awesome book by Rick Riordan is the Red Pyramid. Signing off, J.E.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Okay, I am SUPER sorry! I totally forgot to do this on Saturday but I read the book last week, I think.... Anyway, the Book of the week is Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Percy and his campmates have been preparing for Kronos's attack on Mount Olympus for a long time and now he's here! The half-bloods get ready to defend the city of the gods but, unfortunatly, there's a slight complication. The Lord of Time released a powerful titan who could bring the gods and Mount Olympus down easily. The gods are battling the titan while only forty half-bloods must defend Mount Olympus from Kronos's massive army, alone. I think what I love most about this book is it's humor. Percy is hilarious! My favorite books are the kind that have good humor in it. And the kinds where you just pick it up and look at a page and you're hooked! The action and twists will catch you. I like to write stories but I never have the surprising turns in it that Harry Potter and this book have. The prophecies always throw me for a loop. They never turn out the way anyone would expect. I also love watching them unfold and figure themselves out. This book is definatly a must. I do NOT have favorite books but this is one of the best I read. And that is saying something! :) -J.E.

The Ornaments at the Back of the Tree

Today, my neighbor advised a book his brother wrote called The Ornaments at the Back of the Tree by Shawn and Amy MacGregor. All the ornaments love Christmastime and being hung on the tree, but they dread where they will be hung. The 'Backsiders' (you can guess where THEY will be put) are old and torn and frayed while the 'Frontsiders' are new and shiny. The Frontsiders gloat and compare each other on the front, but the Backsiders are shy and hang back. A new, special ornament arrives and takes the place of wise old partridge on the top. The Frontsiders love the angel's perfectness. But the Backsiders soon have enough of the shiny ornaments' bragging. They decide to try and tip the tree so the Frontsiders will be covered and they will be visible. The Backsiders aren't strong enough to fell the tree, but they are strong enough to knock the angel off. The angel was one of Nana's favorite things and Nana, who was adored by everyone, had just died of cancer. The family is devastated when they find the shattered doll. They try to piece the angel back together, but one of the eyes is missing. So all the ornaments, quarrel forgotten, hunt for the missing eye. The partridge and a sloppy wooden soldier set out together and look for the missing eye. They pass a mirror and the solider quickly passes by. The partridge asks why he doesn't like looking in a mirror. The wooden soldier says he does not like his messy face and loose joints. The partridge says he sees memories and Christmas' long ago. The partridge looks in the mirror and sees a solution. He tells the soldier to take his last eye and give it to the angel. At first the soldier hesitates but the partridge persuades him to take it. When the partridge gives up his eye, the angel is magically fixed. The family finds the angel fixed and on top of the tree. Standing by her side is the little wooden soldier, now proud to be at the front. When I first read the book, it left me with mystery and love. The partridge gave up his sight for the sounds of Christmas joy. The wooden soldier found joy in being messily done. I felt like the partridge was unable to find happines in a broken angel and a gloomly bird on the tree. It's worth it for that, huh? This is a great story for families all year round.-J.E.

Dork Diaries

Book of the week again! Okay this isn't really a book, but I still love it. It's Dork Diares, Tales of a Not-So-Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renee Russell. Nikki is battling a fierce bully out to ruin her middle school life, stay popular, and impress her secret crush. She also(mainly) has to try to make an amazing Halloween dance out of nothing. Nikki gets into hilarious predicaments that make me cringe. Sometimes I can't believe that MacKenzie, the bully, can be so mean! You won't forget Nikki's last crazy scheme. She tries to paint 8-year-olds' faces for $150, dance with her BFF's, and hang out with her date, all at the same time! Nikki keeps you on your toes, waiting for the next laugh out loud idea. I have read this again and again and I never stop laughing. Dork Diares combines middle school social problems, love, and tangled messes that refuse to be strightened. This book will make you wince and laugh. And the pictures are half the fun. Adorable and wonderful, this is a good book for all pre-teens. -J.E.

Warriors

Todat is the day I do my book of the week! I was going to do it about a book called 'Silver Child' by Cliff McNish, but my obsessed friend ordered me to read the book she was addicted to and when I did, I loved it. The book is called 'Warriors' by Erin Hunter. It's about cats who live in the wild in clans. That makes it sound stupid but it's really terrific. The way she describes the cat's movement, their fluidity, is amazing. She describes the way they hunt as though she was a cat. I honestly like the way she made all the cats have special names and traditions. Any way, the book is about a house cat named Rusty who is recruited to join the Thunderclan. He begins to train as a warrior. The Thunderclan is recriuting as many warriors as they can to defend themselves against the Shadowclan, another group of cats who pushed the Windclan out of their hunting areas. Rusty, re-named Firepaw, is determined to be the best Thunderclan member he can be. I like this book because Erin Hunter describes fighting and moving and hunting so well. Even though she describes them eating mice and birds, you feel like they're just eating potato chips. I feel like I am a cat walking in Firepaw's pawprints. She gives the book so many twists and makes it enjoyable. I think that 'Warriors' by Erin Hunter is a must read.(Note:It's hard to find the first book. The first book is called Into the Wild. At the end, you can find the next three books listed. That should get you started.) This is J.E., signing off.

To whom it may concern.....

Hello everybody! I am so excited to make this blog! If you're an avid reader like I am,I know you'll love this. But first, I want you to get to know me a little bit. I live for books. I live off books. Books are my heaven. My heaven on earth is the library.Totally inexpensive yet filled with wordy goodness. MMMM....lucky me.Any way, my parents say I am a peacemaker. My sisters say I'm weird.I say I rock, but no one believes me.If you are having cookies and milk, I'll devour your cookie and finish your milk. But that's when I'm hungry. Most of the time, you can find me in my room on my bright pink, fluffy bean bag, reading a new book.One of my other favorite things to do is write stories. Well, I try to. I don't really have enough patience to actually write them but I have lots of ideas in my genius brain. I also adore music.I listen to my Ipod whenever I can. One of my favorite songs is 'I Gotta Feelin' by the Black Eyed Peas. To give you a heads up, this blog will be about books(if you haven't guessed already;))and I will review them. Oh and by the way, the one question I absolutely can't stand, is what is your favorite book! I have a few favorite authors but who in their right minds would be so cruel as to ask me what my favorite book is!? That is totally and completely impossible! Period...no exclamation point. No buts or ands or ifs. Im-poss-i-ble. So DO NOT ask me that. Any way, some where back in that, I said I had a few favorite authors. You will die of curiosity if don't tell you, I just know it. They are Rick Riordon,Brandon Mull, J. K. Rowling and Margaret Peterson Haddix.Well, I am done for now. Signing off, J.E. (Junior Editor)