Modern Fantasy - The Lightning Theif

The Lightening Thief
Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Book 1
By Rick Riordan

A New York Times Notable Book of 2005
A Child Magazine Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Once again, 12-year old Percy Jackson is on the verge of being expelled. Not that its his fault - trouble just seems to have a way of finding him. When his math teacher turns into a monster straight out of Greek myth, no one seems to believe him. In fact, Percy has a hard time believing it himself. Even so, no one can doubt that strange things have been happening. The weather is out of control and Percy has been catching strange glimpses of creatures that shouldn't exist.

When Percy finds himself chased by a Minotaur en route to his summer camp on Half-Blood Hill, he realizes that both the gods on Olympus and the creatures of myth are real. Not only are they real, they're angry. Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen and his prim suspect is Percy. Percy soon finds himself and two friends on a quest to return Zeus' master lightning bolt and prove his innocence. On the way Percy finds himself grappling with mythological creatures and struggling to come to terms with his father who abandoned he and his mother for Mount Olympus.

This book was a really fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed Percy and the other characters. It might help the reader to have some knowledge of Greek myth, though most references are explained in the text. There was plenty of action, though the plot was a bit campy. Nevertheless this is a must-have. It is the first of five (there is also a companion book The Demigod Files) and from what I've seen junior high libraries can't keep them on the shelves. The characters and story appeal to both girls and boys. My only complaint was that the book read a little "young," though I'm hoping that the text and plot will age along with Percy in the books that follow, much like the books in the Harry Potter series. I would recommend this for junior high readers (6-8), though I think high school students who are avid fantasy fans would love it as well.

Book Talk Hook
Percy communicates quite well on his own. For my book talk, I would read from the first page of the book.

Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.

If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.

Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.

If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.

But if you recognize yourself in these pages - if you feel something stirring inside - stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Realistic Fiction II

Chasing Vermeer By Blue Balliett Illustrated by Brett Helquist Genre: Realistic Fiction Winner of the 2005 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile

Neither Petra Andalee nor Calder Pillay are what you would call typical 11 year olds. Petra dreams of becoming a writer and does her best to be extremely observant. Calder also thinks outside of the box, using his pentominoes to help him answer questions. Both of them adore their new 6th grade teacher, Ms. Hussey, who is even more eccentric than they are.

When a famous painting by Vermeer is stolen, the two find themselves drawn together. Unrelated events soon begin to appear to be inextricably connected. Following clues only they seem to be able to see, Petra and Calder soon find themselves entwined in an international crime where the art at stake is priceless.

Will Calder and Petra find the painting before it's too late? Are the strange events really connected, or is it just coincidence?

I found this book to be entertaining. It was easy to read, though with all the clues and theories there were a couple points where I had to go back and reread. I wouldn't say it was the best book I'd ever ready, but I can see where students would enjoy the mystery. The presence of the pentominoes and the art history references make it easy to connect the story with other content areas.Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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It's also a great book to read when discussing codes and patterns - Calder and his friend Tommy (who has moved away) have developed their own code and communicate in encrypted letters. These letters are not translated in the book, so students would likely enjoy using the cipher to find out what they say, though they could get the gist using context clues.

I would recommend this book for grades 5 & 6. The young age of the protagonists (they turn 12 over the course of the book) may negatively impact the interest of older readers, though I'm sure some 7th and 8th grade readers would enjoy it. Petra and Calder are both main characters, so I feel confident saying that both boys and girls would enjoy reading the novel. I know that a grade level at a local middle school read this book and the students really enjoyed the mystery as well as working with the pentominoes.

Book Talk Hook:

Mysterious letters.
The theft of a priceless work of art.
A centuries old crime.

Calder and Petra must work together to follow clues only they see. Will they be able to solve a crime that has even the FBI stumped? Or will they be too late?

Read Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett to find out.

Other books about Calder, Petra & Tommy

The Wright 3


The Calder Game

Historical Fiction

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts
By Richard Peck

It's a rural Indiana August in 1904. Russell Culver is 15 and can barely wait until he and his friend Charlie Parr take off for the Dakotas to work as harvesters, using the latest innovation in farming - the all steel threshing machine. Russell has been secretly planning this trip for what seems like ages. Going to back to school is the last thing he wants to do. So when the teacher, Miss Myrt Arbuckle, dies practically on the eve of the new school year it seems a miracle. Maybe now the school board will decide that it's best to shut down Hominy Ridge School for good.

No such luck.

Soon Russell finds himself under the instruction of the last person he wants teaching him orthography - his older sister, Tansy. Despite Randall's attempts to disuade Tansy - stuffing the school bell and (accidentally) bringing the boy's privy to near ruin, he soon finds that Tansy isn't all that bad of a teacher. Even Glenn Tarbox, who must be near 20 is coming to school on a regular basis and is actually learning to read!

Just when things seem to be going smoothly, a new sort of vandalism emerges, and this time Russell isn't behind it. A broken lock and a snake in the teacher's desk are hardly harmless. Never mind that Charlie and Glenn are in some kind of competition for Tansy's attention that Russell simply cannot comprehend. That, and Eugene Hammond, a salesman for an automobile manufacturer in Terre Haute has been sending quite impressive gifts to the school house.

Russell begins to wonder if he'll ever make it to the Dakotas. Charlie seems in no hurry to leave and Russell certainly can't go alone. Though he has no intention of finishing out the school year, Tansy has other, far grander plans for him.

This fabulously comedic book set in 1904 rural Indiana truly captures the spirit of the time. What was once done by hand or with a horse an plow can now be done by huge steel machines. Russell, like many boys of the time, thought they had never seen anything so beautiful as the large metal farm equipment brought in on the railroad. This was a time before standards in education, where many students and even some parents had difficulty seeing the need for education beyond junior high. This was also the dawning of the era of the automobile. Both fascinating and terrifying, these machines would soon be making their way across the country to become familiar rather than outlandish sites.

Peck offers what I believe to be a mostly accurate depiction of life during the period. Before the Great War, and even the Great Depression, there is a sense of both naivety about Russell. Students will identify with his school and family issues and find themselves laughing at the situations he finds himself in. Though Russell is 15, I would say that this is most definitely a book for junior high students. Though some high school readers might appreciate Peck's humor, most will likely find that the book reads a little "young" for them.

I have loved every one of Peck's books that I have read, and this was no exception. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading it. I would recommend this to both male and female readers for grades 6-8. It is high interest enough that it would likely attract accelerated readers in grades 4 & 5. The humor and easy flow of the book makes it a great pick for reluctant readers. This is true of all Peck's books. I read A Long Way From Chicago with my 6th grade class and they enjoyed it so much we read the follow-up, A Year Down Yonder, as well.

Book Talk Hook:
As Russell Culver

I never was one for schoolin'. That summer I certainly wasn't looking forward to going back to school. Heck, I was 15 and not even close to passing the 8th grade graduation examination. I figured I could stick it out until the time came for me and Charlie to leave for the Dakotas though. Miss Myrt, our teacher, was old as dirt - she could barely whup kids anymore and besides I figured I should stick it out with my kid brother Lloyd until I left. Then, when Miss Myrt up and died out of nowhere, we all figured it was a miracle sent down from heaven.

Boy were we wrong.

New Book from Stephenie Meyer

Any of you who work with junior high girls, watch out.  Stephenie Meyer has a new book coming out:

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner:  An Eclipse Novella

I'm sure it won't be quite as huge as the others in the Twilight Saga, but it should be in high demand come June 5th!

Realistic Fiction - Romance & Sexuality

Speak

By Laurie Halse Anderson

Realistic Fiction – Families, peers romance, coming of age (p. 49-57)

A National Book Award Finalist

A Printz Honor Book

 

Before the party that summer Melinda was a typical high school girl.  Before the party, Melinda had friends.  Something happened that night that changed everything – and Melinda is now dealing with the fallout. 

 

When Melinda calls the police at a party over the summer, the cops show and the party is busted up.  Now everyone is mad at Melinda, even her best friend Rachel.  No one will talk to her – she’s become a social outcast and a target for typical high school cruelty.  Not that people speaking to her matters much, as Melinda rarely speaks anymore.  Not to her friends (or she wouldn’t, even if she had any), nor to her teachers or her less than attentive parents. 

 

Melinda’s story is broken up into marking periods.  The reader watches as her grades fall lower and lower and she finds herself losing the only friend she does have – a new girl that she doesn’t even particularly like.  Worst of all is the constant reminder of that horrible night.  She sees IT in the halls and cafeteria.  IT winks at her as though they have a secret, the two of them.  When Melinda’s (former) best friend Rachel begins dating the “Beast,” Melinda tries to find her voice to intervene.

 

As Spring rolls around, Melinda is making headway.  She finds herself beginning to care about some things again.  She is finding an outlet for her anger and other emotions through her art, with the guidance of Mr. Freeman, an art teacher who pushes Melinda to pour her soul into her work.  Melinda finally finds a way to tell Rachel why she called the cops that night.  This leads to a confrontation between Melinda and “Beast” – and she finally finds the word that escaped her last time.  NO.

 

I found this book to be extremely compelling.  Written in 1999, it still resonates with readers today, as evidence by the powerful excerpts from letters and emails received by Laurie Halse Anderson that she includes in the poem “Listen” that can be found in the beginning of the 10^th Anniversary edition.  Laurie hits the nail on the head with her depiction of high school life – from the cliques, to the expectations, to Melinda’s being ostracized for doing what she had to.  Speak is extremely important.  It not only deals with issues that effect numerous teenagers, it shows how these issues can eat at a person if they’re not addressed.  Whether the readers identifies with Melinda, Rachel or even just the high school experience, everyone who reads this book will come away with insight that they didn’t have prior to reading it.  Teachers especially should read this, and remember that a students’ disinterest may very well have nothing to do with the subject being taught.

 

I would recommend this to high school students, as well as mature junior high students (8^th grade, perhaps 7^th in some cases).  It is not only an excellent book, it is also high-interest.  I know my 8^th grade girls would have devoured it.   Though there is a scene of assault, it is written in a way that makes it appropriate for junior high readers.  Additionally, Speak has been made into a movie, starring a pre-Twilight Kristin Stewart.  This title will definitely be on my recommended list for grades 8 and up.

 

Book Talk Hook:  Have you ever had something happen to you, but just couldn’t find the words to tell someone?  Have you ever been angry with a friend for something you thought they did, only to find out later that you were the one who was wrong?  Sometimes the truth can change everything.