39 Clues: Maze of Bones Bk 1

By Rick Riordan
Ages 9+
The story starts when Grace Cahill dies and scatters cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune around the globe. Lead-off hitter Riordan (The Lightning Thief) mixes just the right proportions of suspense, peril and puzzles in a fast-paced read (Riordan mapped the narrative arc for the series, but other high-profile authors have written books in the series). 


Likable orphans Amy and Dan Cahill have moxie (plus Dan can memorize numbers instantly) and frailties (Amy hates crowds). As the siblings compete with less honorable members of the Cahill clan, all distantly related to Benjamin Franklin, to win the fortune by collecting all 39 clues (only two are found in this first book), they learn about their dead parents, each other and world history. 


While waiting for the next book you can go online and play to get more clues and to have more fun: www.the39clues.com.


Here are the books so far!

1. Maze Of Bones (2008) by Rick Riordan
2. One False Note (2008) by Gordon Korman
3. The Sword Thief (2009) by Peter Lerangis
4. Beyond the Grave (2009) by Jude Watson
5. The Black Circle (2009) by Patrick Carman
6. In Too Deep (2009) by Jude Watson
7. The Viper's Nest (2010) by Peter Lerangis
8. The Emperor's Code (2010) by Gordon Korman
9. Storm Warning (2010) by Linda Sue Park
10. Into The Gauntlet (2010) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

(HINT: The books are found on the shelf under JFic Thir for 39 Clues. )

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Grades 6+

What do you want to be when you grow up? An Athlete? A Movie Star? A Musician? A Lawyer? Not many kids or adults really want to see the inside of a courtroom or wade through piles of litagation paperwork. But the main character in this book, Theo can't decide between being a famous trial lawyer or a respected judge.

Well, Theo Boone hasn't taken the bar, but he offers advice to his friends, hangs out at the courthouse, and watches Perry Mason reruns. Things turn serious, however, when a witness to a murder, a young illegal immigrant, comes to Theo with evidence. The trial is in full swing, and it looks like the defendant will walk unless Theo comes forward. But he's promised the young man he will keep his identity confidential. What should he do?

Grisham is known for his legal mysteries, and this kids book is no exception. It is a fun read for anyone, not just aspiring lawyers.

Little Blog on the Prarie

by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Ages 10+

Imagine it is 1890. No iPods, no cell phones, no jeans or tank tops, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. This is the life that Gen Welsh has to endure for the whole summer, since her mother has decided that the family's vacation will be at a frontier-living fantasy camp near Laramie, WY. When they arrive, all modern conveniences are taken away, but Gen is granted her one wish: Clearasil. Secretly she has hidden her new cell phone in the product's box, and uses it to text her friends back home. 

Meanwhile, back at camp, a first romance and a good, clean girl rivalry are bubbling among the milking of cows and clearing of forest. As the families make their way through a difficult season, they all discover their strengths and weaknesses.

This fast read is humorous and insightful, with realistic characters that are refreshingly well rounded. Bell has captured a 13-year-old's voice, making Gen's unlikely situation feel very real.

Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan
Grades 5+

Percy Jackson is a 12 year old diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, who has been expelled from several schools. After a terrifying encounter with Mrs. Dodds, the math teacher who isn't human, Percy comes to realize that he is different. With his mother and best friend Grover, Percy is taken to a Camp Half Blood for other different kids--kids who are the children a Greek god and a mortal. Percy is a demi-god.

Days after discovering his parentage, Percy is challenged to go on a quest to discover who stole Zeus' lightning bolt. Percy and his friends must figure out the mystery before the summer equinox or risk the destruction of the world as we know it. Percy faces the wrath of the gods and of the mythical creatures we all thought didn't really exist.

This is the first book in a triology and has recently been made into a movie. Rick Riordan writes an action packed, mythological book with humor and friendship. If you liked this book then you should try Riordan's newest series The Red Pyramid or wait for the fall for the next generation of campers at Camp Half Blood.

At the Main Branch library on July 15th at 3:30pm there will be a Percy Jackson book discussion. Come and join others in their love for this adventure series! Call the Main to reserve your spot 782-4882 ext 215

Fairest

by Gail Carson Levine
Grades 6+

Larger than most humans in Ayortha, 15-year-old Aza feels like "an ugly ox . . . a blemish." However, in Ayortha people are devoted to song and music. Aza's voice is more beautiful and powerful than most; she can mimic any voice and throw the sound, a skill she calls elusing. After luckily getting to attend the king's wedding, Aza is blackmailed by the new queen, a poor singer, to sing for the queen sings in public, Aza secretly provides the sound. As the queen's treachery deepens, Aza is astonished when the handsome prince initiates a friendship.

While reading the story and readers may initially feel like foreign travelers who lack cultural context. But once you get into the book, you'll sink into the fairy-tale romance, the remarkable characters, and magical adventures. The themes of self-image and moral choices are at the core of the novel but are not preachy or irritating.

This is such an interesting book. The concept is original and thought provoking. You can experience the vicarious, heart-pounding thrill when Aza discovers love and confidence.

The Red Pyramid

by Rick Riordan

Ages 9+

Up until now I have only blogged about books that I have read in their enireity. I will have to make an exception today. Last night I started this book and it is incredible. The adventure started with page 1, actually before page one. The book opens with a warning (I love when a book warns me about reading it!) that the book is a was a dictation and was taken down as carefully as possible but it is dangerous to read.

Here is the plot of the 1st 40 pages: Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, something goes terribly wrong and Julius disappears. Carter and Sadie are wisked away to New York (by some kind of magic) and discover that they are not the "normal" family that they thought they were.

See what I mean? Adventure from the first page. It's freaking awesome!

Where Percy Jackson took on Greek myth, in the Red Pyramid, Riordan writes about Egyptian myth. If you liked Percy Jackson you are going to LOOOOVE this.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

I have seen these books fly off the shelves. People ask for them by name and want to know the order of the books. I wanted to know what all the hype was about. So I read the book.

It was exciting from the first page. Set in London, Alex Rider's uncle died in a car crash, or so Alex was told. Later, Alex finds out that his uncle wasn't a banker; he was a spy. MI6, the secret organization that employed Alex's uncle, coerces Alex to finish the job his uncle started.

Alex is quickly trained and sent out on his first mission. He runs into a the Russian mercenary who Alex suspects killed his uncle. Instead of informing MI6 who would then pull him out of the operation, he continues the mission. During his mission he swims through old mine shafts that are now underwater to find a secret laboratory, hijacks a plane, escapes from a giant jellyfish and so much more.

This isn't a long book. It is action packed. Apparently there is a movie based on the book. You can read it in a few sittings. I finally understand why they are so popular. I want more! Luckily there are more books in this great series.

The Time-Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer

Grades: 8-12
I have to confess that I am a little bit of a reality TV addict. I am just very interested in how people live. This interest spreads into a general interest in people and culture. I love books that are journal format (Dear America, Bridget Jones Diary, Ophelia, etc) because I feel like I get to eavesdrop. Isn't that like the most fun in the world?

Well, this book combines all those reality TV guilty pleasures with actual history. It is a "history" book but it is written like a travel guide. It breaks down every principle to the basic ideas and then expounds upon them. Very informative while being sooooo interesting!

Medieval England's social structure is completely different from the modern world we know and love. Even the basic "Christian" beliefs are different. Not only was deodorant not invented yet, it was thought that taking a bath could kill you. Think about life without indoor plumbing, toothpaste, band-aids, Advil. The average person lived to be 38. 38? That is not that old. How old are your parents right now. My Dad is 59. He likely would have been dead for the past 21 years.

I am always amazed that people could live at all without modern conveniences. I just don' t know how a person could even consider living without a microwave. Why would anyone WANT to do that. It just seems unfathomable. But that is history. Everyone has ancestors who were alive at that time. I don't know where mine were, but they very likely could have been in England not bathing and dying at age 38. Who knows?

This book used facts and historical events to capture my imagination more than Survivor EVER has.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (bks 1 and 2)by Jeff Kinney

Grades 4+ 
Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.

In the second book, Greg enters the new school year. He’s eager to put the past three months behind him . . . and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules chronicles Greg’s attempts to navigate the hazards of middle school, impress the girls, steer clear of the school talent show, and most important, keep his secret safe.

Alright. Greg is not a nice person. He is ashamed of his best friend. He is jealous of anyone who gets any attention. He lies and doesn't understand the purpose of being nice--unless it gets him something. He is always trying to get more even if he doesn't deserve it. Greg is a pretty miserable human being and is the type of person who made my life horrible in middle school--the bullied becomes the bully. If Greg is the type of hero that the world has to offer, the world is in trouble!

The books are certainly funny and capture the essence of Middle School. I was always hoping that Greg would do the right thing but I don't think he ever did, not once. For anyone who has read (or seen the movie) Emma, Greg is basically Emma: a self centered, unrepentant, jerk.

And yet, I read the first 2 books in one day and I want to read the third book. Is there something wrong with me?

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Grades: 11-12

17-year-old Lucy Scarborough is a reasonable girl who lives with her foster parents while her crazy bag lady mother wanders around the city seemingly terrorizing people. But everything changes the night of Prom. Lucy discovers her family is under an ancient curse by an evil Elfin Knight, she realizes to break the curse she must perform three impossible tasks described in the song her mother always sang to her. She must complete the tasks before her daughter is born in order to save them both.

I was stuck in an airport by myself when I remembered I had this book. It was a good read because it took me to another place. While Lucy was grounded in the "real world" there were elements of fantasy that were really fun.

The song was haunting. I had to go and listen to the Simon and Garfunkle song.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Grades 4+
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy"--a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. The story starts on the eve of Mibs's 13th birthday. But when Mib's father is in an accident, Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up--and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

This is a very interesting premise. I really like the Beaumont family. Everyone knows that there is something not quite right but of course, no one will ever guess that the Beaumonts have special powers. I also like the family because even though their situation is extraordinary, they act like a real family. There are little inside jokes, fights, and all that stuff that happens in a family--they just keep a different kind of secret.

The Beaumont family, even with it's oddities(Mibs' brother name is Fish!), when juxtaposed with other familes, are doing just fine. Maybe even better than fine. They care about one another and support one another. I would rather be weird, than have a family that doesn't really love me.

I love the premise of the book and the cover art doesn't hurt either. Isn't it a good picture?

Masquerade (Blue Bloods, #2) by Melissa De La Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen is starting to get more comfortable with her new found vampire powers, but she still has many unanswered questions. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the famous Four Hundred Ball. In true Blue Blood fashion, the ball is totally fab, complete with masks, and hidden behind this masquerade is a revelation that will change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

This is the second book in the Blue Blood series about vampires with a different folklore. It is strange that there are new "theories" about vampirism so late in the game. I mean, the idea has been around for a while, but it is refreshing that we don't get the same sparkly picture that Stephenie Meyer paints. Variety is always welcome.

I really like this series ::looks slight ashamed::. It is fun and the snarky antagonist named Mimi Force, is so fun to read. Mimi is just someone you have in your life that you hate and feel totally justified in it. Mimi is a name for a person destined to be the alpha female in a group who will totally bite your head off for wearing that shirt with those pants ! Love it.

Although, as I read more of the series the mystery starts to wear off. The same thing happened to me when I read Harry Potter. As Harry becomes more familiar with his new environment there are not as many surprises. I really enjoy being enveloped in a new culture and trying to figure out what is going on. But that is not to say there is no mystery at all. We still don't know what is going to happen or what the silver bloods are up to. Very intriguing!