Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

In my quest to one day in my writing career to write books for middle grade, I decided the best I could try and learn what it takes to write a middle grade book was to read them and evaluating what the author does to the books that makes them appealing to kids. The only children's books I have ever enjoyed reading were the Harry Potter series and the Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Parker, and it's mostly because I grew up with the books and saw as each new title was released each year and displayed in the bookstores. I went around asking many for recommendations and I was told the Percy Jackson books. I knew it was a movie but I honestly thought the books were YA not MG and I hadn't read the book or seen the film. So I decided to begin reading this book.





Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.




 

The Lightening Thief is book one in the Percy Jackson series. Percy Jackson is a twelve year old boy with learning disabilities. Percy has been rejected by schools and bounced around countless schools due to his abnormal behavior. Percy's math teacher also turns out to be a mythical creature in search of a mythological object. Percy soon discovers that he not like every one else, he's a demigod, the son of one of the Gods of Mount Olympus. 

When I first began reading the book, I had to try very hard to not read it with Harry Potter expectations. This has to be the first children's book I have read since Harry Potter series. I found this to be a new unique idea and plot compared to most of the books in the young adult genre. I think this book inspired the trend of Greek mythology in YA books today. I happened to find this a really good read. It almost reminded me of the Harry Potter books. The reviewers who say it's a rip-off of Harry Potter are reading it with the Harry Potter series in mind, because  they are nothing alike. The writing is what really hooked me from the first page. The world was created so well with such vivid imagination that it keeps the reader engaged into the novel. It has quirky dialogue with action that made me never want to put the book down. This is something many young boys will enjoy reading along with the Harry Potter books. Now I must go buy the DVD of Percy Jackson and read the second book before the next film comes out.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom points Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transformation power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.






I read this book for my high school for my Multicultural English class. Then when I had to sign up for second level English in college World Literature it turns out The Alchemist is the required reading for my class. When I was in high school I had never even heard of this book until I saw it was on the course syllabus to purchase. We were reading it in class and the book really appealed to me. Then to just read it all over again in college was helpful because well, I already know the book pretty well.

The Alchemist is about main protagonist Santiago, a shepherd who is on a journey and spiritual quest. During his quest he encounters people, strange dreams, and omens that stand in the way of him accomplishing. 

The books deals with nothing about magic or witchcraft or anything that would be deemed inappropriate. things that we've either forgotten about or simply dismissed as childhood fantasies. It is all about finding yourself. Finding the personal legend in yourself and pursuing your dreams regardless of anything that might come in the way . This book is really inspirational to those who are just trying to accomplish something in life. 

NaNoWriMo Letter from Nora Zelevansky

To all the participants of NaNoWri last November, Nora Zelevansky  a novelist, journalist, essayist, and editor, whose writing has appeared in Elle and Salon wrote a letter to all of those who are working on publishing their NaNoWriMo story.

Dear Writers,

There is a long-standing debate among us about which is more daunting: a blank page or a rough draft. Historically, I consider myself a stalwart of the former camp; something seems preferable to nothing. At least, I thought I felt that way until I recently finished the first draft of a new manuscript, stared into the editing abyss, and promptly developed a case of vertigo.

In 2009, I participated in National Novel Writing Month for the first time. Along with thousands of others, I aimed to write 1,667 words every day for a month in hopes of manifesting an honest-to-goodness book. I hemmed and hawed with the best of them, but ultimately relished the process of letting my imagination steer.

That year, when I finished the original manuscript, I started editing right away. As a journalist, editing is second nature to me: you write, you chop, you edit, you polish. That's how it works. And I was fortunate: in December of the next year, St. Martin's Press offered to publish the book. And in July 2012, my novel hit bookstores.

This past fall, the hoopla quieted. The time had come to sit down and write another book during November. This time, writing the first draft was a little more strenuous. Expectations and self-imposed pressure loomed large, but I kept reminding myself that I could always rewrite. No big deal, right?

Wrong. Once I finished the first draft and had to begin the edit, I felt more overwhelmed than ever. I realized, no matter where you are in your journey as a writer, the editing and notes process remains arduous and stressful. It will always test you.

I am currently awaiting notes. And I am terrified. I know that I'll likely be facing down some overarching issues without easy fixes. But I want to rewrite and take notes because I want my book to be as good as possible. We all feel that way, of course. Still, "daunting" doesn't begin to describe the feeling of staring at a document that you created, wondering how the hell you're going to take it to a final draft.

Be kind to yourself. As hard as it is, try to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. Even award-winning authors have to rewrite. A first draft is never the final product. Don't give up.

Ultimately, rewriting is hard. Maybe even harder than staring at a blank page. So I say, applaud yourself for the effort and enjoy the miraculous moments when an edit works and the language begins to click. And I will try to do the same. After all, there are few things as satisfying as that.

Nora Zelevansky 

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.





This was a book I had been so anxious to get my hands on, and I was very impressed with this witch book compared to the others I have been reading. It's like a historical paranormal romance.  I LOVE to read books that take place during another time in history. Cate is filled with so much conflict. The characters were just so captivating I can't stop thinking about them. I was upset at the end of the book. I really hope it continues as a full series (and maybe 2 novellas). Plus the new paperback release in in this pretty pink color!