The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

In which Percy's teacher calls him out...again. But as soon as they are out of sight the teacher turns into a harpy and wants to kill him! While he is with his mom, Percy's best friend, Grover comes telling them that they are in danger. As they are running, Percy's mom is caught by a minotaur. After that he learns that all the Greek myths are real and that the gods are still out and about messing with peoples lives; and that he is the son of one of the gods. Soon news comes that Zeus' Thunderbolt has been stolen and Percy and his new friends must find it in only ten days. On their quest they meet many monsters, run into a god or two, go through a tunnel of love, get stuck in a hotel were time passes with out you knowing it, and learn that you can't trust everybody, even people they thought they were close to, to keep their word.

This is a very exciting, scary, adventurous, and hilarious book! Percy, Grover, and Annabeth make a great team. Percy, who knows hardly anything about Greek myths but has a very short temper, Grover who is always hungry and scared, and Annabeth who is very smart and sarcastic. The mix of the three will make you laugh out loud! Some of the Gods are very funny how they have modernized them selves to fit in with the modern culture. It took me a while to get past the first couple of chapters but if you can make it past them then you will absolutely will love this book and the rest of the series.

This is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Recommended for people who like: adventure, Yankee caps of invisibility, goofy gods, and monsters in disguise.

Walking with Witches by Lynn Huggins-Cooper

In which Eleanor and her friend Isabel see a glass case where the pages of a witch's book start turning! On Halloween they go digging and find a magic pendulum. That's when their troubles begin. They seek the aid of local shop owner Kelli and her daughter Rhanna. After many weird dreams, visions, and very strange coincidences Eleanor and Isabel learn that they alone hold the fate of many women in their hands.

If you have not figured this out yet, Kelli and Rhanna are based on  my mom and me! And Eleanor and Isabel are real people too! (Eleanor is my best friend in real life! hey Elle!) This book takes you into a city in England called Newcastle, where 16 witches and one wizard had been hung on the town moor. It takes you into many landmarks around the old city, including the Lit and Phil library and the castle keep. The dreams are very life-like and you feel almost as if you are the witch. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out how it will end! This historical fiction-fantasy book is great and even if you are not a huge reader like me, this book will change that very quickly!

 

Recommended for people who like: witchcraft, spooky stories, and magic.

Lady of Palenque: Flower of Bacal by Anna Kirwan

In which 13 year old Green Jay on the Wall lives with her many siblings and step mothers. Soon she is told that she will be leaving to go marry. She is given many lovely gifts including a belt made out of jade. On the trip to her new husband they meet some unfriendly tribes, they lose two men’s lives to the water and run into many caimans. Will she get to her new home safely?


As sad as it makes me, I did not finish this book. There are too many long names of people and places so by the end of each chapter you are exhausted. One thing I did like about this book was the creation stories. There are many of them in this book. I did enjoy learning about a new place and time. I hope that you will be able to read this book and really enjoy it.

This book is in the Royal Diaries series.

Recommended for people who like: fancy names, creation stories, and rain.

Anacaona: Golden flower by Edwidge Danticat

In which Anacaona, niece to the supreme chief, loves to write ballads and riddles, practice dances, and is preparing for her coming of age ceremony. As she is accepting gifts from other chiefs, she is given a cage full of colorful birds; the chief tells her that someday she will let the birds free and she will follow them back to him. After her uncle becomes very ill, her brother marries, and a deadly hurricane blows through, she follows the birds to her new husband where they are happy.

But their happiness did not last; soon afterwards they were attacked by "the pale men with their lighting rods” as she called them (the Spanish). This book really gives you the other side of the story of that time. When you hear about how the 'Brave Spanish' conquered the 'savage people' they were only saying that because the Spanish could not survive a day there and would look like the wimps they really were. (no offense to anybody who likes Christopher Columbus) but he had Anacaona hanged when she was 29 years old and killed many more people for no reason except greed, for the gold, land, and easy slavery. (Do you still like Christopher Columbus as much now?? I don't think so!)

This book is in the Royal Diaries series.

Recommended for people who like: Queen Anacaona, great creation stories, and proof against Christopher Columbus.

Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba by Patricia McKissack

In which 13 year old Nzingha, the first daughter of Ngola Kiluanji, loves to practice with her bow and arrows, and try to get her father's attention. While she waits for her father to come back from fighting the Portguese she gets ready for her coming of age ceremony. After talking, hunting, and becoming closer with her father, he sends her out to go talk the leader of the Portguese, who wants to ask for slaves every year. There she talks with a maid who tells her what happens to slaves that go over the sea. She is shocked. When she goes to talk to the Portguese king he tells her that she can sit on the floor. Not okay with Nzingha, she tells a servant to get on his hands and knees so she can sit on his back and be at equal height with the king.

I had never heard of Nzingha before this book. She is now my new favorite queen! She married and had one son who was later killed by her half brother. Her husband died in battle. After her father died her youger half-brother took over and went crazy with power. Some people say that when she went to talk to the Portguese king she had him killed. No matter what really happened, at age 42 she became king and ruled for 40 years! She lived until she was 82 years old, which is very old for those days. Wait! That's really old even for today :) Her sister became king after her. I now LOVE Nzingha (also spelled Nzinga) who is just like Queen Elizabeth I and I can't wait to learn more about her!

This is in the Royal Diaries series.

Recomended for people who like: spunky African princesses, warrior queens, and really awesome old wise women!

Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess by Carolyn Meyer

In which Anastasia is living with her family, who happens to be the imperial family of Russia. She loves to play with her sisters, and hates her lessons. One day her brother hurts himself and a 'saint' comes and makes him feel better. Anastasia and her family go on a cruise where the sisters catch each other doing things they are not supposed to do, make plays about bears, learn that a friend of theirs has been killed, and that the 'saint' has been attacked. Anastasia's father must send armies out to start a war, which he hopes will be over by Christmas. Christmas comes and goes and the war is still going. After her father abdicates the crown Anastasia's whole family is put under arrest and are no longer allowed to go wherever they want. Will they be rescued from this misery?

Sadly they were not rescued but end up being shot the same year the book ends. What happened to that family is just Horrible. Whenever you read a history book or listen to someone talk about history you will always hear "and then so-and-so got overthrown. then the next ruler was...." What you don't hear is what happened to the families, people, and children involved in the revolutions. This story I think is well known because it happened in the 20th century.

This is in the Royal Diaries series.

 Reccomended for people who like: Anastasia Nholaievna Romanov, sledding, and Russia.

The Chimera's Curse by Julia Golding

In which Connie tries to stop her friends from finding a terrible creature, a crazed chimera who argues with itself for all eternity, and ends up being attacked herself. On the verge of death she is saved by Windfoal the Unicorn.When she goes and talks with the Trustees they start to wonder if the chimera has been sent by Kullervo. The Trustees tell her not to prepare for Kullervo's next attack but she does it anyway, causing everybody to get mad. When Col goes missing Connie and Rat go to find him but when the Chimera attacks will Connie escape? Will Kullervo take over Connie's mind and will all humans be destroyed?

This book is SOOOO exciting!.......That's all I have to say. Have fun reading!......No I'm kidding. It is very exciting and worrying, and you feel feeling bad for Connie. She is trying to learn to be a Universal but some in the Society are worried that she will become too powerful. There is one scene with Col and Skylark that my brother and I loved. There is a very big surprise (or should I say surprises) that happens at the end making you reread the sentences again and again (I love when writing can be shocking like that). Golding writes a great ending to the series and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did :)

This is in the Companions Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: adventure, excitement, and a very cool, exciting (I said that before didn't I?) and happy ending.

Mines of the Minotaur by Julia Golding.

In which Connie finds herself being woken up by Col on the beach. She learns that she has subconsciously been using dangerous powers but Col's warnings to tell someone go unheeded. At a party Col tells Dr. Brock about what is happening to Connie, which makes her mad; she loses control and almost blasts Col, Dr. Brock, and their new friend Rat with a lightning strike! When she gets expelled from the society she goes to the moors with Argand and she hides in a mine where lives a minotaur who tells her all about mythical creatures who live underground who have been abandoned by the Society.

I love Rat and you will too! He is funny, rambunctious and loves to tease Col and Connie. His companion is very cool and is perfect for him. This is my favorite book out of this seires. It is interesting to read how Connie must learn to love all of herself, even the scary or bad parts. The minotaur is very sweet and is very protective of Connie.

This is book three of the Companions Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: hidden powers, minotaurs, and a great story all around.

The Gorgon's Gaze by Julia Golding

In which Connie is getting lessons in being a universal companion when her great aunt Godiva comes with the news that Connie can no longer be in the society! Godiva takes Connie to her house and homeschools her in a bad way. She won't let Connie see her society friends or mythical creatures. But when Connie hears that Col has gone missing with his mother she must get away. Skylark the pegasus comes for her and takes her to where Col is trapped, she saves him only to be caught by Kullervo herself. After lots of searching and worry, Connie learns to have empathy for Kullervo, and Col and his Dad dress up for a medieval fair to save a forest. Can Connie comes out on top?

This was a very exciting book to read by myself (I couldn't put it down) and to my brother (I tried to give each character his or her own voice).We both loved Argand, the little golden dragon. She is very cute in how she likes to be close to Connie. One scene my brother and I both like was when Connie is studying with Godiva and Argand flys through the window to get to Connie and Godvia screams "That damned parakeet!" We both laughed at that. And even though I don't like Kullervo, what he and Connie did together was very cool.   

This is book two in the Companion's Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: Little dragons, being brave for friends, and really funny dads.

Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding

In which Connie Lionheart goes to live with her eccentric aunt Evelyn, who leaves Connie all by herself most of the time. She meets to coolest guy in her new class, Col Clamworthy and learns that Col, his grandmother, Aunt Evelyn, and lots of other people are in a secret society she wants to join too. But when Connie fails the test to enter the society, she sneaks out one night and follows her mysterious aunt, and she is kidnapped by Sirens! She learns that the society is called "The Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures" and that mythical creatures are real.

 These books are full of adventure! The book leaves you guessing about what Connie's companion is (a companion is what mythical creature you are...well a companion to. Col's companion is a pegasus named Skylark. I love Skylark!) and when you learn the answer it is very exciting! It is fun to think that all mythical creatures are real. And you are scared and angry (at least for me and my brother) at Kullervo and no, I'm not going to tell you who he is.

This is book 1 in the Companion's Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: adventure, excitement, and sirens.