Weekend Reads

Today we are featuring a review of The Lightning Thief by Graham Herzig, along with reviews of a few other books currently available in the Avonworth Resource Center! Check them out!

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

One of my favorite poems is Thomas Hardy's "Convergence of the Twain". In it, he describes the Titanic as it travels across the Atlantic while also describing the iceberg that will ultimately sink the mighty ship as it grows and travels along its own path. The City of Ember hold a similar appeal as it is a  narrative that begin with a frame story, so readers watch the characters knowing that there is something big that they are going to soon discover (even if we don't know when!). The City of Ember's frame story is set in the long-forgotten past, and my excitement to see the long-ago converge with the story's here-and-now kept me turning pages. Ember is falling apart, and readers know from the frame story that there is a secret that will be revealed when the city needs it most. The characters are engaging as well; Doon is not a typical hero but is driven and focused and wants to help his city survive while Lina is curious and empathetic. All in all The City of Ember is an engaging dystopian read - check it out!

Find it in Fiction under F DUP

Guys Read: Terrifying Tales edited by Jon Scieszka

Sometimes a novel just seems like too much; the Guys Read series is a great option for those times since it is a collection of awesome and exciting short stories about one topic that has a wide appeal. Jon Scieszka, a former elementary school teacher, developed this series with the belief that guys want to read about the things they love the most and that curating short story collections about those things would develop their love of reading. Terrifying Tales is a great option, especially for this time of year when it's getting dark so early and the days (here in Western Pennsylvania) are getting grey and dreary. With stories from awesome writers such as Kelly Barnhill (one of my favorites) and R.L. Stine (author of the Goosebumps series), the appeal is definitely not limited to guys (so don't let the title mislead you!)

Find it in Short Stories under SC SCI

The Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan (reviewed by Graham Herzig)

I recommend the book Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief. This book is about Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. In the book, Percy is in a race against time to return the lightning bolt to Zeus. This is because Zeus believes that Percy stole his lightning bolt. If he doesn’t return it in time, Zeus will wage war on theoverworld. Along the way Percy will face several obstacles in order to get to Zeus. I enjoyed the book 

even though I am not fond of reading. This is because the book starts abruptly with action. I enjoyed this because there isn’t any boring beginning. And also, the story only got better. For the bookto be structured this way is good because you don’t to stop reading without wanting to know what 

happens next. Percy Jackson is also in a series, so if you enjoyed the first book you will most likely 

enjoy the second as well. 

Find it in Fiction under F RIO

Thanks for your review Graham!