The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Book Five of Percy Jackson and The Olympians series finds Percy and his friends taking on Krono's army in New York City. Percy and the other young demigods must protect Mount Olympus while the other Olympian gods battle Typhon, another one of Krono's monsters on the loose. Will the prophecy come true? Read the last book of the series to find out Percy's fate.

The Lightning Thief (Book One) movie is scheduled for release in February 2010. Read the series before the movie comes out because you know the books is always better than the movie. Check the internet for more information on the movie.

The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu

Charlotte's cousin Zachary is coming from "across the pond" to live with her family. Zee, as he is called, is an outgoing, talented soccer player. He fits right into life at her high school. He fits in better than Charlotte. But the students are getting sick at school. Zee shares that it happened at his school in London and Charlotte begins to wonder what is going on. When two strange looking men attack Charlotte and Zee, Mr. Metos, their English teacher, intervenes. Charlotte and Zee share their suspicions with Mr. Metos. Mr. Metos warns them of the shadow thieves and confirms their suspicions. Soon Charlotte and Zee find themselves swept up in a plot to overthrow Hades in the Underworld.

If you enjoy Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, you should find The Cronus Chronicles entertaining as well.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Every year, the Capitol requires each district to send to representatives between the ages of twelve to eighteen to play in the Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games the participants fight to the death on national television. When Katniss Everdeen's younger sister, Prim, gets chosen in the lottery to represent District 12, Katniss steps forward to take her place. But Katniss has skills, she's been providing for her family for years using the knowledge her father taught her. The Hunger Games is Survivor with an edge!

Vampirates: Blood Captain by Justin Somper

Twins, Connor and Grace Tempest, continue their adventures in the third book of the Vampirates series, Blood Captain. Grace, along with the Captain and other members of The Nocturne, takes blinded Lorcan to the Santuary in hope of a cure for his failing health. While at the Santuary, Grace meets interesting characters, learns more about her healing abilities and struggles with her place in the vampirate world. Meanwhile, Connor aboard the pirate ship, The Diablo, prepares for an exciting mission that will test his commitment to his life as a pirate. Twists and surprises will keep pages turning in this thrilling adventure.

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

The Cahill family has gathered in the Great Hall for the reading of the will of its matriarch, Grace Cahill. Grace gives her last instructions to her family via a previously taped video. She offers them each a million dollars or 39 clues which lead to a secret that will make the individual or team that finds it the "most powerful and influential human beings on the planet". Dan and Amy Cahill loved their grandmother Grace and miss her greatly. They know that she was secretly training them for this mission but they must pit their wits against other more savvy members of their family to find the clues.

The Convicts by Iain Lawrence

Tom Tim's father, Captain Tim, has been taken to debtor's prison in London because of the debt he owes to the calculating Mr. Goodfellow. His mother has been paralyzed with grief from the loss of his sister, Kitty, in a drowning accident years before and isn't much help. It is up to Tom to find a way to pay the family's debt. So Tom leaves home to find away to make things right for his family. Tom finds himself down by the river while contemplating what he should do next, he notices a blind man poking his cane in the mud to find coins. Tom decides to do the same and while walking barefoot in the mud finds a large diamond. The blindman laying claim to the area goes after Tom to get the treasure. Tom fights off the blindman and loses him on the streets. There he meets Worms who gives him a ride in exchange for some help with a job and a small payment. Worms is a grave robber and he needs help stealing a body. A body that turns out to be a dead ringer for Tom. In a rush to escape being caught at the grave, Tom leaves his coat with the diamond in the pocket. Events in the story escalate with Tom getting accused of murder and continually getting mistaken for someone called "Smasher". Who is Smasher and why won't anyone believe his story? How will he get out of this mess?

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Jason Somper

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean follows the story of the fourteen-year-old Tempest twins, Connor and Grace, as they make their way in the world. When their father dies, they leave their lighthouse home to get away from their only choices: an orphanage or adoption by an uncaring couple. They steal their father's boat and head out to sea. When a violent storm capsizes their boat, Grace and Connor are separated. Connor is rescued by pirates and Grace is rescued by a mysterious ship with a ghastly crew.

Follow up this adventure with the sequel, Vampirates: Tide of Terror. Connor considers joining the Pirate Academy while Grace struggles with visions of the Vampirate ship and her connection to Lorcan.

If you like The Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you should enjoy the Vampirates series.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

(originally posted May 29 on BookTrail@edublogs.org)

The Oracle spoke: "Five shall go west to the goddess in chains, One shall be lost in the land without rain, The bane of Olympus shows the trail, Campers and Hunter combined prevail, The Titan's curse must one withstand, And one shall perish by a parent's hand."
Percy Jackson's best friend, Annabeth, is missing after a recent quest. The goddess, Artemis has dissappeared. Zoe Nightshade and Bianca Di Angelo, hunters, join Grover and Thalia on a quest to fulfill the Oracle's prophecy. Percy has been ordered to stay behind. But, it wouldn't be a story about Percy if he followed orders, now would it?
Rick Riordan's third in the series about the Olympians, is a great read. Which one of the three books is your favorite?

The Crane by Jeff Stone

(originally posted on April 17, 2007 on BookTrail@edublogs.org)

The Crane by Jeff Stone is the lastest book in his The Five Ancestor Series. The series introduces five brothers, Fu, Seh, Malao, Hok and Long, who were raised by the Grandmaster at the Cangzhen monastery. Each brother was taught an animal style of Kung-fu by the Grandmaster and finds the need to use it throughout their adventures. When the Cangzhen monastery is attacked by the emperor's soldiers led by a traitorous older brother, the younger brothers must flee. Each brother scatters in a different direction and each book tells the tale of their adventures as they search for one another with hopes to reunite.
The Crane is Hok's story and Jeff Stone's lastest installment.
I suggest you start with the first book, The Tiger. Then if you want to find out the rest of the story, like I did, read The Monkey, The Snake and The Crane.

The Trap by John Smelcer

(originally posted on April 16, 2007 on BookTrail@edublogs.org)

I recently finished reading The Trap by John Smelcer. If you like Hatchet, you should like The Trap. Albert Least-Weasel is out checking his traplines in the Alaskan wilderness as he has always done for the past sixty years. When he doesn't return as scheduled, his grandson, Johnny Least-Weasel begins to worry. The temperatures are steadily dropping. Should he follow the advice of his uncle and wait or should he follow his heart and go look for his grandfather?
There are several attributes that make this book an interesting and enjoyable read. The story is told in alternating chapters, one in Albert's voice and the other in Johnny's voice. Each chapter begins with a Native American legend which gives you an additional tale. The harsh setting of the Alaskan wilderness adds to the intensity of this survival tale. For those of you who love survival and adventure, try out The Trap.