More reviews of books you may want to read!

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan (gr 5- 8)

This fantasy adventure introduces us to the life of Percy Jackson who at first appears to be a troubled 12 year old that gets kicked out of six schools in six years. But he soon learns the true nature of who he is and why he has unusual experiences. His mother gets him safely to Camp Half-Blood where Percy learns that his missing father is Poseidon, the God of the Sea in Greek mythology. Riordan fills the book with Greek Myths and legends as we follow Percy in his quest to be a hero, retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt, and stop an epic war between the Gods. This book is contemporary, fast-paced, fun and slightly dangerous. - similar to the Harry Potter series. A great read!

Extra Credit - Andrew Clements (gr 4-7)

When Abby learns that she is failing school and may have to repeat sixth grade, her teachers offer her a chance to earn extra credit by writing to a pen pal. Since she loves mountain climbing, she selects a small village in the mountains of Afghanistan. We learn that the best student in the village in Afghanistan is a boy and it is improper for him to write letters to a girl so he writes letters for his sister. Clements shares information about the lives of students in very different cultures as he writes another realistic fiction school story that gives insight to a country that is in the news.

Mrs. Cullen's Book Review

Notes From A Liar and her Dog - by Gennifer Choldenko
Grades 5 - 8
By the same author that wrote Al Capone Does My Shirts, this is a funny yet touching story of a 12 year old girl, Antonia. that feels like she doesn't fit in her family. Going by the nickname, Ant, she has one older sister and one younger sister and they are both perfect. Ant somehow always manages to get into trouble with her lying and drives her parents crazy. She copes with her situation by pretending that she is adopted and writing letters to her "real" mother. Ant's only friends are Harrison and her dog, Pistachio. When the friends volunteer at the zoo, Ant's lying gets them into a very dangerous situation. In the end, Ant realizes that her mother does love her even if she isn't always lovable.