Imagine being the child of a Greek god...

The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan

Most kids have enough trouble making it through school unharmed. Percy Jackson has it doubly hard. He's constantly getting into trouble and his ADHD and dyslexia don't help. Just when he's about to make it through the school year without major incident, though, things go horribly wrong. Percy finds himself in a fight with his math teacher, who it turns out isn't a teacher, but a monster from the depths of Hades. That's right, an evil Fury sent from the Underworld. Turns out, Percy is the son of a Greek god, and the monsters from down there don't like that very much.

After wreaking havoc at school, Percy goes to a summer camp for Half-Bloods, a place for children that have one human parent and one Greek god parent, like Hermes, Ares, and Zeus. He's safe at the camp, but not for long. Someone's causing problems amongst the gods and stolen Zeus's masterbolt, the one he uses to create lightning. Percy and his friends must set out on a quest to reclaim the stolen object and his adventures along the way are nothing short of heroic.

This book is a part of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series:

Book 1: The Lightning Thief
Book 2: The Sea of Monsters
Book 3: The Titan's Curse
Book 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Coming Soon!!)

Book Review by
Mr. DiScala, Media Specialist

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Fifteen year-old orphan Will has hopes of becoming a knight. Instead, however, he is assigned by the Baron to become an apprentice to a Ranger named Halt, one member of a mysterious corps that protects the kingdom from danger. Though local superstitions of the rangers’ craft leave Will reluctant to join this secretive militia, this first in a fantastical series of books follows the exciting journey of an ambitious young man learning the skills of a cunning and stealthy group of resourceful soldiers. As former enemies of the kingdom begin to cross back into its borders, Will must summon his courage to use his newly learned skills and save his village and the kingdom from harm. These perils are just a glimpse of the dangers soon to come as the series progresses.

Less about being a fantasy book and more about being an adventure and following the lives of Will and his friends, this book takes you deep into their daily lives. Without losing momentum in the story, the reader learns as Will learns, getting to know more about him, his friends, and the world in which they live. You'll be brought into the ups and downs of their daily lives, as they overcome the difficulties of learning new skills. Excitement and anxiety about what lies ahead for Will are often present and will make you feel like you're a part of this book.

This is the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. Here is a list of the complete series:


Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan
Book 2: The Burning Bridge
Book 3: The Icebound Land
Book 4: Oakleaf Bearers
Book 5: Sorcerer in the North
Book 6: The Seige of Macindaw
Book 7: Erak's Ransom

Book review by
Mr. DiScala, Media Specialist

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

The first book in the Traveling Pants series, this novel begins the tale of four best friends separated over summer vacation. The story begins in Maryland, but as the summer begins Lena travels to Greece, Bridget is off to soccer camp, Carmen is going to visit her father in South Carolina, all while Tibby is stuck at home. These four girls have been friends since birth, are rarely separated, and are not looking forward to being apart all summer long.

Just before they all begin their separate adventures, the find a pair of pants in a thrift shop that miraculously fits all four of them (and considering Bridget tall and slender and Carmen is short and curvaceous, this is no small wonder). The pants become their bond. Though apart by location, they send the pants and letters to one another and it keeps them together. Each girl has their own set of struggles throughout the summer, but the common bond helps them through. This is a great story of friendship, teen misadventures, and growing a little bit older day by day.


Book review by
Mr. DiScala, Media Specialist