Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief - Book One

When twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns that his father is actually Poseidon, god of the sea, and that several other gods of Mount Olympus are unhappy about that, he takes refuge at Camp Half-Blood. Here he learns more about his half-boy, half-god heritage and a few skills before he must embark on a quest to find Zeus' master lightning bolt. On a cross-country quest with his friends Grover, a satyr and Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, their mission takes them to Los Angelos, home of Hades and the Underworld. Can they find the master lightning bolt and prevent World War III on Mount Olympus before the Summer Solstice? Will Percy be able to save everyone he loves? And will he finally meet his father?

 

The graphic novel version of the novel leaves out some of the smaller parts and background infromation, but does follow the original story.

The Sea of Monsters - Book Two

Percy's seventh-grade year was surprisingly quiet until a game of dodgeball unearths a gang of cannibal giants. Things get worse with the unexpected arrival of Annabeth who bears bad news. Thalia's tree at Camp Half Blood was poisoned and the safety of the camp is in danger. Can Percy and the gang complete their quest in time to save Camp Half Blood? What will Percy think when he meets his previously unknown half brother? Hilarity once again ensues wherer Percy is concerned but readers will be shocked by the twist at the end.

The Titan’s Curse - Book Three



When Percy receives an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he must rely on his mother to drive him, Annabeth and Thalia to Maine to help him out. Upon their arrival, they are stunned to learn that Grover has discovered not one but two half-bloods, sister and brother Bianca and Nico di Angelo. The di Angelos have no idea that they are demigods and the escape from Westover Hall doesn’t fair well for all of them. Soon our young heroes learn that Kronos, the Titan lord, has set his most devious trap yet and Percy and the gang have unwillingly fallen prey.

The Battle of the Labyrinth - Book Four

When Percy goes to Freshmen orientation in June at Goode High School, the last person he expected to run into was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Unfortunately the two also encounter two empousai and a brief battle entails that is interrupted by Percy’s mother’s boyfriend, Paul Blofis. Fleeing from the school, Percy runs into Annabeth and tells him they must go to Camp Half-Blood immediately.



As Percy’s fifteenth birthday nears, the Titan Lord Kronos and his army are gathering strength and have the once impenetrable camp in their sights. When the campers begin putting the clues together, they realize that Luke is trying to enter the camp through the labyrinth and bypass its borders. It’s up to Percy, Annabeth and the gang to go on a quest through the labyrinth.

The Last Olympian - Book Five


It’s been one year since The Battle of the Labyrinth and Percy’s sixteenth birthday is one week away. After a flawed mission to destroy the Princess Andromeda, Percy finds himself for the first time in his father’s realm. Things are going very badly for the Olympians in their war against Kronos and his army. Percy is disappointed when his father sends him back to Camp Half-Blood instead of joining his army.



At camp, Percy finally gets to hear the prophecy surrounding his sixteenth birthday. He is shocked by what he hears but then receives even worse news. The mighty monster Typhon has escaped Mount St. Helens and is rampaging towards New York City and Mount Olympus. When Percy hears that the Gods are battling Typhon and Olympus is unprotected, he believes that it is a ploy of Kronos’ to destroy the Olympian gods once and for all.


Is Percy right about Kronos’ plan and can he convince his fellow demigods to join him on the fight? Can Olympus be saved? And who will survive in the conclusion of Percy’s tale?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Ultimate Guide by Mary-Jane Knight

A short, illustrated guide that highlights important people/Gods, places and events that transpire in the Percy Jackson series. Does contain some spoilers if you haven’t read the entire series yet.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Life is good for seventeen-year-old Mia, until that fateful day. One flake of snow closed school for the day and her family decides to visit a family friend’s new baby and then dinner with the grandparents. Only they never make it due to a fatal car accident. Not knowing how the wreck happened, Mia sees that her parents were killed instantly and soon finds her own injured body. Told from Mia’s perspective of an out of body experience and flashbacks, Mia recalls significant moments from her life while silently witnessing the reactions of her family and friends. Throughout the day, Mia realizes that only she is in control of her life. Will Mia decide to join her family in death or what will her life be like if she stays?

Visit Gayle Forman’s website

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrpMNXdEl3Q

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval has a form of high functioning autism. He attends a special school and works at the horse stable where kids with special needs receive therapy. Marcelo also hears music that only he can hear. But at the age of seventeen, Marcelo’s father thinks it is time for him to experience “the real world.” Instead of working at the stables for the summer, Marcelo will be working in the mailroom at his father’s law firm. If he can adapt and follow the rules, then Marcelo can choose where he will attend high school his senior year; Paterson or a real high school.

Jasmine, a few years older than Marcelo, is his supervisor is the mailroom. He soon realizes that Jasmine is not thrilled to have Marcelo working for her but before long; trust and friendship develop between them. After a few weeks, Wendell, the son of Marcelo’s father’s law partner, makes him an offer. If Marcelo helps Wendell make the moves on Jasmine, then Wendell will tell Marcelo’s father that he is capable of making it in the real world. Marcelo never agrees because he realizes that Wendell wishes to harm Jasmine. He soon finds himself as Wendell’s helper on a big lawsuit.

In working on the lawsuit files, Marcelo finds a photo of a girl his age whose face has been scarred. He becomes drawn to her and soon embarks on a journey to discover her story. Part self-discovery, part coming of age and part legal drama, the story of Marcelo Sandoval’s seventeenth summer will have readers cheering for the underdog.

Visit Francisco X. Stork's website.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

"His eyes. Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and stange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of tier first meeting. They didn't seem human...
Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.
Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expectred her to join him he would be disappointed."

 Those three paragraphs on the dust jacket flap drew me into this book. Katsa lives in the land of the seven kingdoms where some people are born with an extreme skill, called a Grace. Some graces are harmless and have little influence, but others are more powerful, feared and even exploited. Katsa is a Graceling, easily identifed by her two different colored eyes. An orphan, Katsa lives with her uncle, King Randa of the Middluns. At the age of eight, Katsa'a grace made itself known in a horrific way when a cousin touches her in an undesirable way and she strikes back, killing him. Katsa has the grace of killing and is the king's thug and enforcer. But it is not a role she desires and is working secretly throughout the seven kingdoms doing good through the Council.


Katsa and the Council rescue the kidnapped Prince Tealiff, father of the Lienid king. Katsa's life takes an unexpected turn when Prince Po enters her life. Everything she knows about herself is turned upside down in this tale of romance and adventure. Fire is a companion to this book.

Read Kristin Cashore's blog.

This book trailer is a bit chessy, so don't hold it against what is a fantastic book.

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Absolutely loved this book! Read in one day and cannot wait for the third installment in August 2010. Must read title since the movie version is in the works. If you liked the Uglies series by Westerfeld, this is the read for you. Action packed and each chapter ends in a clifhanger. Definitely hard to put down. My FAVORITE of the year!

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 with her mother and twelve-year-old sister Primrose. District 12 is located in Panem, a place once known as North America. To keep the twelve desitute districts from overthrowing the wealthy and powerful Capital, the Hunger Games are held annually. Think of a Survivor-type contest to the death. Each district sends one boy and one girl to the Capital to participate. Katniss volunteeers to take Prim's place when her sister's name is drawn and considers this as her death sentence. But since Katniss has learned what hunger and survival mean at home, she quickly becomes a surprising contenter in the Games.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers for those of you who haven’t yet read the first book in the trilogy (The Hunger Games), but this was a book that I read in its entirety in one day. I could absolutely not put it down until I was finished. I kept telling myself just one more chapter and I’ll stop but Collins made the end of every chapter a cliffhanger. She is just egging you to continue the story.
New characters are introduced to the reader as the seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin. The beginning of the story is a little slow as parts of the first book are rehashed but the ending is just building up the climax for the third book, Mockingjay, which comes out August 24, 2010. As I finished this book, I loudly exclaimed, “I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year to find out how the story ends!”

Book Three in the Hunger Games trilogy due out on August 24, 2010. This will be one of the most talked about books 2010!

Unwind By Neal Shusterman

WOW! I absolutely loved this book. The United States has had it’s Second Civil War, the Heartland War, and it was a battle between the Pro-Lifers and Pro-Choicers and everyone lost. Life is scared from conception to the age of 13. But between the ages of 13 and 18, parents can choose to have their children unwound. Harvest camps operate to harvest organs and body parts. They are then set aside for recipients. No part is wasted.

Conner’s parents see him as a troublemaker and sign the unwind order. Risa is a ward of the state and is being unwound to cut costs. Lev was born a tithe and has been preparing to be unwound his entire life. Circumstances bring these three teens together as they set off on a cross country journey to escape with their lives. Now they just have to make it to 18.