The Blood of Olympus

By Rick Riordan

Hey fellow book lovers! Welcome to my final installment in my Percy Jackson Book reviews! I am so excited to tell you all about this book, so buckle up, bookworms!

In the Blood of Olympus, Percy and Annabeth recently escaped Tartarus ( Greek Hell) and are scarred physically and mentally. Unsure if they will ever recover, they forge on, stronger and more battle-hardened than ever. But with this new darkness hanging a veil over them, will they ever escape the Tartarus that lives in their minds?

Nico, son of Hades, is on his quest. A fellow survivor of Tartarus, he has learned to Harness his inner demons. Though he is still weak, he agrees to help in a truly dangerous mission. Take the Athena Parthenos back to Camp Half-Blood to stop an impending war between the Greeks and the Romans as history repeats itself. With the help of a Roman Traitor Reyna Ramirez Arellano and Satyr Gleeson Hedge, he must take the Parthenos across continents in a race to stop death.

Jason grace former praetor of Rome, a traitor now is threatened by the ghosts of his past. He is torn between his Roman heritage and his love of the Greeks as he begins to understand the true meaning of love and loyalty, friendship and hate, the past, present, and future, in this final thrilling conclusion to Rick Riordan’s series Heroes of Olympus.

I loved this series and how in each book it tried to tackle problems in a humorous, and sarcastic way that keeps you hooked and laughing till the end! It has been amazing to read this series and be able to share with you all how great I believe these books are. Keep on reading on, Bookworms!

War Stories

By Gordon Korman

Hey, bookworms! I know you have probably heard of the war in Ukraine and Russia. You are probably as tired of it as I am, but we need to talk about this. When wars are fought, people think surface level. Some side with Russia, others Ukraine. Yet, one thing is the same with almost all of us. We don’t understand. We are not Russians, and we are not Ukrainians. We are people from different countries siding with other countries without fully understanding. How many of you have watched the Incredibles 2? This is a quote I found especially interesting. “People don’t see the fight or what led up to it. They see what politicians tell them to see. They see destruction and they see you.”. This might be what Winston Deavor said to Mr.Incredibele, but it still has the same hold for what’s going on. People don’t see what was going on in Ukraine and Russia. They see a sudden, completely uncalled-for attack. WAR STORIES might have been written before this war, but I think it still has the same message. Gordon Korman is trying to tell us to look past perceptions and mirrors into the face of the truth.

Trevor Firestone is the average American boy. Video game obsessed. War obsessed. To him, war is a game. There are no consequences. War is just war to him. His grandfather being a war hero is of no help to his obsession. Yet, when his grandfather is invited on a tour of France before an award ceremony where he is being awarded a medal for his saving of a small French village, a group begins threatening them online and Trevor is forced to face the truth of war.

A powerful read that left me reeling by the end of it, Gordon Korman truly captured the essence of a good story. His book is trying to tell us that when we choose ignorance, we choose our paths. Trevor was forced to face the truth of war the hard way because he refused to see the truth right in front of him. This story draws you in and forces you to understand the power of perception and the strength of the truth.

Millionaires for the Month

By Stacy McAnulty

When we were in school, their always was that joker who loved to tease us bookworms for our love of reading! Their always was that annoying person who almost made us blow our tops when they insult our favorite books.I have long disliked such people, but reading this book made me think maybe their was more to their story.I loved how this book made me think in more than just one perspective. It opened my eyes. I will never love these characters, but I will love this story! Stacy McAnulty is trying to show us everyone has a story. Circumstances that shaped them. Not everything is as it seems.

Benji Porter was always the popular kid. Rich, funny and daring, everyone adored him.Yet, behind that plastic smile was pain. He never seemed good enough for his father, a stubborn, rich businessmen. He always was the disappointment. Felix Rannells was the golden child. Quiet, smart,thoughtful and kind, he always had to work for what he got. He never knew his father, and his mother and sister worked very hard to support their family. Felix never knew a privileged life and never took anything for granted. But when on a field trip, the two boys least likely to get along partnered up. However, when they find a billionaires wallet, their whole lives change.When they return the money to the owner, Laura Friendly, she gives them a challenge.Sadly, when this challenge starts too feel impossible, will these two boys fall victim to their own lives?

Stacy McAnulty aspired to show how families can shape us. We are always a part of our families, no matter how far we try to get away. We will always be the same flesh and blood. But we will not always share the same heart. Families are different, but each and every one is special.

Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year

By Nina Hamza

Hey, bookworms! Have you ever met somebody who loves words but not books? To us, they are human paradoxes! But the more we think about it the more it makes sense. I loved this book because at first, there was no clear meaning, but the deeper you delve into it, you finally see. Nina Hamza hoped to show how fractured things can become between people who once seemed as close as family. Mrs. Hamza hoped to expose the other aspect of our perfect society, and how even the closest of places have secrets.

Ahmed is quite sure this is one of the worst years of his life so far. Not only is his dad in ICU(Intensive Care Units), he and his family are moving to Minnesota. Being forced to move from his happy home of Hawaii, he moves to Minnesota. Once there, he meets family he never knew existed and begins to feel like home- until a bully ruins everything. Jack Hanson. When Jack begins his reign of terror, Add that to having to READ in Language arts and his dad in the hospital? Does no one care?

I was a little disappointed at the beginning when Mrs. Hamza seemed to paint Jack as a heartless villain. But as you go farther through the book, you finally discover Jack. I think that Nina Hamza is trying to paint a picture. No one is one thing. we all have secrets, reasons that make us who we are. We are products of our circumstances and our choices. Everyone is more than one thing. We are multilayered. But when one seems to be dealt all the bad hands in the luck of life, it shapes you, and you become the villain of another’s story.

Mr.Lemoncellos Very First Game!

By Chris Grabenstein

Mr. Grabenstein is publishing a prequel to “Escape from Mr. Lemoncellos Library”!

Chris Grabenstein’ s website tells us all about it!

“Go back to the START and meet thirteen-year-old, PUZZLE-obsessed Luigi Lemoncello!
Luigi has a knack for games and puzzles. But sometimes it feels like the cards are stacked against him. UNTIL a carnival arrives in town and Luigi gets the CHANCE OF A LIFETIME—the opportunity to work for the world famous Professor Marvelmous–a dazzling, banana-hat-wearing barker who puts the SHOW in SHOWMAN! When the carnival closes, Professor Marvelmous leaves behind a mysterious puzzle box along with a clue. A clue that will lead Luigi and his friends on a fantastical treasure hunt to a prize beyond anything they could imagine–if they can find it!
Can Luigi crack the codes and unlock the box’s secrets? Will there be puzzles? Of course! Balloons? You bet! Will it be fun? Hello! It’s a Lemon-cello! BONUS! Can YOU crack the hidden puzzle inside?!”

Whose ready to get back to square one in the series and see where the banana wearing, head-telephone showing game maker started?I am! Get ready for some serious fun(and a hint of goofy!) in Chris Grabensteins latest edition!