The Lightning Thief reviewed by Gabrielle

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

375 pages

Hyperion

2006

Reviewed by Gabrielle

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

The narrator in Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief adds action, humor, and description of the story. Other series that Rick Riordan wrote is 39 clues and the Red Pyramid.

The Lightning Thief is adventures and a mystical series. The hero, Percy Jackson, keeps on getting kicked out of schools and it ends up because he was a half blood. He goes on a vacation with his mother but it gets ruined from a terrible storm that actually was a fight between Poseidon and Zeus.

Rick Riordan’s use of imagery is descriptive and stunning showing the characters emotion and their senses. He delivers messages and themes across the story showing important issues, ideas, and concepts. For example, some issues, ideas, and concepts are betrayal, identity, hope, and power. It’s important that he does this because he is showing description of the story.

Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief will pull readers in making them feel anxious, hopeful, and powerful. For example, readers will relate with the characters (Percy, Annabeth, and Grover) by felling the emotions. Rick Riordan’s creative writing is funny, intelligent, and stunning. Percy Jackson lives a long life after all. (Ages 7 and up.)

Warriors#1: Into the Wild reviewed by Gordon

WARRIORS INTO THE WILD by Erin Hunter

272 pages

Avon Books

2003

Reviewed by Gordon

The leading, the fighting, and intensity of four clans are showing that they don’t like each other. A kitteypet (a pet) called Rusty, tells the story, the story starts as Rusty is talking to smudge (his pet friend). Then, in a shocking moment Rusty says that he is going into the wild! But, Smudge warns him about the wild cats out there. When he was walking in the forest, he sees a cat with broad muscle, and it was charging right at him! On the final page, he’s catching food for himself, and strong. The last sentence his a suspenseful part: “he was bigger, faster, and stronger, and wiser. If he was destined to oppose Tigerclaw, then so be it. Fireheart was ready for the challenge.

Warriors are an exciting and popular book. The cat, Rusty, is a pet with friends. Rusty has always been small and weak and when his actions are dangerous, Smudge keeps warning him about the cats who live in the wild. Rusty almost gets killed by a wild cat named Graypaw. As a result Graypaw friends with Rusty and enters the clan. Then he begins his new life in one of the four clans.

Rusty is a fearless cat, he shows this when he walked into the clan and every cat was looking at him and making strange faces. Another example is when he is training and Tigerclaw doubts him, but Firepaw does succeed. Rusty is a unique cat, he likes to do something for his clan, but it brakes the rules. For example, when he goes into shadow clan territory and trys to help by trying to get back the kits. Graypaw is giving, for example when he said that Rusty can be in his clan and ends up succeeding.

Rusty changes sends a message about a person can be more then they appear, but the message is never flaky so when you read the first book you want to read the whole series. I highly recommend ages 8-13 because I think seven year olds wouldn’t get some of the parts of the book.

Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path reviewed by Andrew

Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path

317 pages

HarperCollins

2004

Reviewed by: Andrew

Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path, and its brothers (Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, and The Darkest Hour,) are all part of the first “part” of the Warriors series. They first appeared in late 2003. The books mostly follow the former house-cat (kittypet) now Thunderclan deputy Fireheart, and his best friend Graystripe, Thunderclan leader Bluestar, Fireheart’s beloved Sandstorm, and ambitious former Thunderclan deputy, now Shadowclan leader, Tigerstar.

A Dangerous Path is the fifth of this extremely exciting and entertaining series. Fireheart and the rest of Thunderclan have to drive Tigerstar out of the forest. All the excitement is topped off by the amazing and cat loving, Erin Hunter.

What Hunter does is make Fireheart first person perspective. You will empathize with him a lot. And when Fireheart does things he shouldn’t do to save the clans from destruction, Bluestar usually punishes him, but he either goes with the punishment, or finds a way to prove that he did it for the clan. And with multiple losses towards the end, you know just how he feels.

It has everything you could want, some humor, adventure, and a great hero. For kids that feel like they have a Tigerstar in their life, try to be like Fireheart. Just don’t fight. And kids who are like a Tigerstar, this book will teach them that good always will beat evil. The books in series do have violence, so I recommend this for ANYONE ages 10 and up.

Deltora Quest series reviewed by Lucas

DELTORA QUEST series by Emily Rodda

Around 130 pages each book

Scholastic Inc.

2000

Reviewed by Lucas

16 teen years old Lief is brave, and daring, and adventurous. His parents are proud of him. In the first book his parents asked him to go on the quest and he went. He missed his parents but he never backed down. He is also daring the night he went on the quest he was in a sewer with his friends. And when he came out of the sewer and it was night. Rather than staying in the sewer the whole night he went to his house where he could have gotten killed on the way. Lief is also adventurous sometimes when Barda and Jasmine would want to stop but Lief would want to keep going. Because he knows that he needs to get the seven gems as soon as possible. He was always up for an adventure.

Jasmine and Barda also go on the quest with Lief. Jasmine is kind of bossy but she is really smart. Barda is also really brave he was a palace guard when Endon and Jarred were at the castle. And then he had to escape because he could of died so he escaped.

Lief, Barda, and Jasmines quest never fails to deliver entertainment or action to the reader. You won’t want to put the book down you will finish on and immediately pick up the next. There are a lot of twists and turns in the book. Lief barda and jasmine just have to go on the ride and wish for the best. And that they don’t die. Don’t under estimate or over look someone in this book. Everyone is important.

The DELTORA QUEST series delivers a message about not giving up and perusing something that is important. For really skilled 8 year olds but usually 9-12 year old readers.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series reviewed by Andrew

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

217 pages

Reviewed by ANDREW

Greg Hefley is always trying to be popular in school and wants to impress girls but he almost always gets laughed at. Also Greg’s older brother, Roderick, always does pranks to Greg, and Greg always gets in a fight with Roderick. So Greg’s mom always grounds them, or says they can’t do something. So Roderick always annoys Greg.

Rowley Jefferson, who is Greg’s best friend, has very paranoid parents, that want Rowley to be as safe as possible and sneak healthy snacks into his deserts.

I think Jeff Kinney did a really nice job in this book series.

In this series you will find funny parts throughout the book series. I enjoyed the series a lot. If I enjoyed it then you probably will too. I think that the comedy in this series is really good. also the drawings in this series is really good. Without the comedy and drawings in this series the series wouldn’t be that good. This amazing book series teaches you to be yourself. And the illustrations are very cartoon like, and funny; these illustrations help me visualize the book.

The reader will come to understand that the theme of this book series is be yourself or else you will end up like Greg. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is a spectacular series for ages 7+. Readers will feel like they want to keep reading the series after they finish the first book. So if you like funny books that have good illustrations then read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series!