There are five books in this well-written series. My three eldest and I started reading these over the school holidays and have quickly finished the first four and are on the waiting list at the library for the 5th one. These have been books that we have all enjoyed and spent much time discussing.
Percy feels like a failure at school - he's been expelled from every school he's ever been to and strange, unexplained things happen to him. The book starts with his class on a field trip and very quickly things become quite surreal. He soon discovers that all that he has experienced is not as it has appeared.
The author, Rick Riordan, crafts these tales skilfully and with a deft sense of humour. I'm glad that our children were older when we read these books as they have some strong themes. The Greek gods are alive and well and have continued having children with mortals. These demi-gods (Percy included) must fight monsters who are sent from the Underworld to destroy them. There is violence but it is handled in a way that draws in the reader but is not overwhelming.
We have learnt a lot about Greek mythology and along the way we have talked much about gods and how they use and abuse their power, abandonment and irresponsibilty and compared this God's faithfulness and reliability and have enjoyed speculating as to each subsequent twist and turn.
I have not read the Harry Potter books so cannot compare them with these books but feel that the Percy Jackson books are well-suited to competent readers in the 10+ age range and I have also had fun reading them and the discussion they have evoked.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This is a story set in a very dismal future (not generally a theme I gravitate towards). The world as we know it has changed (well the US at least) and there is now a ruling council and upper class and then districts which are numbered in order of importance. The story focusses on one main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, from District 12 . Their lives are very difficult - most work in coal mines and there is rarely enough for everyone to eat.
Each year a reality show/ contest is held and each district sends one boy and one girl to compete. Each year, each eligible person - aged 12-18- has one entry but families can get extra food supplies if they submit the child's name again. The drawing is held and the names are pulled out. Katniss has a number of entries but this year her younger sister, Prim, is also eligible. Prim's name is pulled out and Katniss quickly volunteers to take her place. The competitors are taken to the capitol and prepared for battle. Each team has stylists and they are prepped for the contest.
Once the games begin, they are televised live. The most disturbing aspect of these games is that they are played to the death. Only one person can win. The one who makes it to the end. This in itself is disturbing and yet we recognise in it the society we live in today with its somewhat voyeuristic desire to engage superficially in people's lives in reality programs.
It is truly a horrendous battle. There are definitely some extreme scenes played out in the book but also some very poignant scenes as well. The story draws you in and keeps you turning the pages. I read this book recently and have to say despite the quite horrible story line I was captivated by it. It suggests 11+ as the age group but I would say that it is more appropriate for young adults. My 15 year old daughter is both sensitive and sensible about what she reads. She knows what she is able to read and doesn't want to read it. My 12 year old son really wants to read it but I have told him that I think not now.
There are 2 more books in the trilogy - Catching Fire and The Mockingjay and they follow on well and bring the story to a quite satisfactory conclusion.
Each year a reality show/ contest is held and each district sends one boy and one girl to compete. Each year, each eligible person - aged 12-18- has one entry but families can get extra food supplies if they submit the child's name again. The drawing is held and the names are pulled out. Katniss has a number of entries but this year her younger sister, Prim, is also eligible. Prim's name is pulled out and Katniss quickly volunteers to take her place. The competitors are taken to the capitol and prepared for battle. Each team has stylists and they are prepped for the contest.
Once the games begin, they are televised live. The most disturbing aspect of these games is that they are played to the death. Only one person can win. The one who makes it to the end. This in itself is disturbing and yet we recognise in it the society we live in today with its somewhat voyeuristic desire to engage superficially in people's lives in reality programs.
It is truly a horrendous battle. There are definitely some extreme scenes played out in the book but also some very poignant scenes as well. The story draws you in and keeps you turning the pages. I read this book recently and have to say despite the quite horrible story line I was captivated by it. It suggests 11+ as the age group but I would say that it is more appropriate for young adults. My 15 year old daughter is both sensitive and sensible about what she reads. She knows what she is able to read and doesn't want to read it. My 12 year old son really wants to read it but I have told him that I think not now.
There are 2 more books in the trilogy - Catching Fire and The Mockingjay and they follow on well and bring the story to a quite satisfactory conclusion.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Virus Attack (hero.com #2)
As the superheroes continue their adventure, we start to see some unravelling in the ranks. Lorna and Pete feel that their efforts are being under-appreciated and that they should receive recognition (and compensation) for all that they are doing for the world (and Pete thinks matching superhero costumes are an absolute necessity!). Toby believes that they are doing the right thing and all that matters is fighting for the heroes against the villains and Emily tends to side with him but is very much a peace-maker. They are starting to doubt each other. Yet when they mention the desire for recognition, they are reminded that, "Being a hero is a state of mind, not simply a power you download from the Internet. Even a criminal has that ability." (p65 Virus Attack)
As they are online, there is a power surge and then they discover that hero.com is off-line. They can no longer download new powers but also find that some powers have downloaded at the time of the surge - but they don't know what they have or when they will fire off! They discover that they are the "last heroes". Many Primes have switched to Villains as it is more lucrative so there are not many who can fight this wave of violence.
As they are the only ones who were online they are needed to help with the onslaught of villainous activity. New villains emerge - Worm (who has emerged after being cryogenically frozen since WWII and struggles to understand all the new technology), Viral and Trojan who are responsible along with Basilisk for infecting the hero.com website with the virus that has caused the system to crash.
The battle between good and evil is becoming more blurred. Who are the villains and who are the heroes and will some of them switch sides? We are left at the end of the book with the sentence, "Toby didn't yet know that Lorna had just led them all into a world of trouble - one that would alter their lives for ever." (p265)
As they are online, there is a power surge and then they discover that hero.com is off-line. They can no longer download new powers but also find that some powers have downloaded at the time of the surge - but they don't know what they have or when they will fire off! They discover that they are the "last heroes". Many Primes have switched to Villains as it is more lucrative so there are not many who can fight this wave of violence.
As they are the only ones who were online they are needed to help with the onslaught of villainous activity. New villains emerge - Worm (who has emerged after being cryogenically frozen since WWII and struggles to understand all the new technology), Viral and Trojan who are responsible along with Basilisk for infecting the hero.com website with the virus that has caused the system to crash.
The battle between good and evil is becoming more blurred. Who are the villains and who are the heroes and will some of them switch sides? We are left at the end of the book with the sentence, "Toby didn't yet know that Lorna had just led them all into a world of trouble - one that would alter their lives for ever." (p265)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Dark Hunter (villain.net series #2)
This is much darker than either of the first books in the 2 series. Jake Hunter, AKA Hunter, Dark Hunter, has escaped from Diablo Island, a high security prison for supervillains, and is now wanted by both the Council of Evil and the Heroes.
His family's memory of him has been altered, he still exists but they can't see or remember him and he wants revenge. He is discovering that life as a supervillain is difficult and he still struggles with the idea of killing people and yet doesn't hesitate to hurt them to further his own purposes. Reflecting on how his life has changed in such a short time, Jake "remembered star-gazing with his dad many winters ago, before he'd grown up into...into the obnoxious, ungrateful bully that he'd somehow associated with being 'cool'. He wondered where his life had all gone wrong. Ordinarily he would have blamed his parents, but now he couldn't bring himself to. He was a product of his own mistakes, and he had to live with that. (p 148 Dark Hunter)
The world is in danger because Hero.com's website has been affected by a virus and cannot be accessed, so villains are thriving in the absence of heroes to fight and the Primes (heroes born with superpowers) are unwilling to put themselves on the front-line. There are some quite violent scenes especially where the villain Chromosome is involved.
There are aspects of this book that do show Jake having a conscience that is being pricked from time to time. He has learned to appreciate his family more and is disturbed greatly that they no longer know him. This is his driving force as the books continue and he is seeing the villains in a different light as he sees some who have no concern for any others but themselves. I found this book harder to read and continue to hope for resolution (a happy ending?) as the series progresses.
His family's memory of him has been altered, he still exists but they can't see or remember him and he wants revenge. He is discovering that life as a supervillain is difficult and he still struggles with the idea of killing people and yet doesn't hesitate to hurt them to further his own purposes. Reflecting on how his life has changed in such a short time, Jake "remembered star-gazing with his dad many winters ago, before he'd grown up into...into the obnoxious, ungrateful bully that he'd somehow associated with being 'cool'. He wondered where his life had all gone wrong. Ordinarily he would have blamed his parents, but now he couldn't bring himself to. He was a product of his own mistakes, and he had to live with that. (p 148 Dark Hunter)
The world is in danger because Hero.com's website has been affected by a virus and cannot be accessed, so villains are thriving in the absence of heroes to fight and the Primes (heroes born with superpowers) are unwilling to put themselves on the front-line. There are some quite violent scenes especially where the villain Chromosome is involved.
There are aspects of this book that do show Jake having a conscience that is being pricked from time to time. He has learned to appreciate his family more and is disturbed greatly that they no longer know him. This is his driving force as the books continue and he is seeing the villains in a different light as he sees some who have no concern for any others but themselves. I found this book harder to read and continue to hope for resolution (a happy ending?) as the series progresses.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Book quotes
You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me. C.S. Lewis
Two of my all-time favourite things!!
Two of my all-time favourite things!!
Supervillains
We've now read Council of Evil. The first book in the villain.net series (or anti-series as it is referred to on the cover). I feel somewhat conflicted. It's harder to read and relate to the characters when they are all villains. We are somewhat drawn to Jake Hunter, the protagonist, as he has to work through the emotions of discovering that he has been chosen to be a villain. He is a bully at school and in Rise of the Heroes he is portrayed as a bad guy but we are coming to understand a little more of who he is and what he is thinking.
I really loved the premise in the first book and looked forward to seeing it played out from the other side. And yet, I'm quite aware that I'm hoping that evil will be overcome and the heroes will triumph and I'm equally aware that I'm quite nervous that this will not be the case. Does that invalidate the stories? The boys are working through the books - one series each and are waiting to finish the first 3 of each series before they read the 4th of each. At the moment they are withholding judgement ... and so am I!
I really loved the premise in the first book and looked forward to seeing it played out from the other side. And yet, I'm quite aware that I'm hoping that evil will be overcome and the heroes will triumph and I'm equally aware that I'm quite nervous that this will not be the case. Does that invalidate the stories? The boys are working through the books - one series each and are waiting to finish the first 3 of each series before they read the 4th of each. At the moment they are withholding judgement ... and so am I!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Audio books and car travel
As a family we have enjoyed audio books since our eldest daughter was very young. Over the last 15 years we have done a lot of long-distance travel both by car and air and haven't used a DVD player for them (OK they did have fun with the individual screens on our trip here!). We've used audio books and dramas to fill many hours of travel. I can remember one trip when our daughter was about 3 when I spent time before leaving with a pile of her favourite books and read them onto tapes, complete with a bell to tell her when to turn the page. I only did that once!
We have listened to and enjoyed:
The Pond - a radio drama produced by Tommy Nelson (tommynelson.com)
We have #1 Singing in the Pond and #2 Chocolate for Life
The Chronicles of Narnia by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre
We have just recently been listening to Prince Caspian and it captivated all of us again.
The Secret Garden by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre
Jungle Jam and Friends, the Radio Show (fancymonkey.com)
There are a number CDs available with "like, 18,000 seconds, that's nearly 5 hours of serious character-building & belly-aching laughs"
This has been a favourite for a very long time. Listened to on many trips and laughed at, even quoting lines as they listened for the nth time. Nana went on a long trip with us a couple of years ago and I'm not sure she appreciated them quite as much!
As we drive along the highway, I pass lots of cars with kids of all ages watching DVDs, listening to their MP3s or iPods, in their own world, and while I can understand the attraction I wouldn't miss the hours we have spent listening together, laughing together singing together and making memories.
There are lots of audiobooks available at local libraries and online. Or make your own - read them and put them onto a CD or USB to take in the car next time!
We have listened to and enjoyed:
The Pond - a radio drama produced by Tommy Nelson (tommynelson.com)
We have #1 Singing in the Pond and #2 Chocolate for Life
The Chronicles of Narnia by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre
We have just recently been listening to Prince Caspian and it captivated all of us again.
The Secret Garden by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre
Jungle Jam and Friends, the Radio Show (fancymonkey.com)
There are a number CDs available with "like, 18,000 seconds, that's nearly 5 hours of serious character-building & belly-aching laughs"
This has been a favourite for a very long time. Listened to on many trips and laughed at, even quoting lines as they listened for the nth time. Nana went on a long trip with us a couple of years ago and I'm not sure she appreciated them quite as much!
As we drive along the highway, I pass lots of cars with kids of all ages watching DVDs, listening to their MP3s or iPods, in their own world, and while I can understand the attraction I wouldn't miss the hours we have spent listening together, laughing together singing together and making memories.
There are lots of audiobooks available at local libraries and online. Or make your own - read them and put them onto a CD or USB to take in the car next time!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Hero.com/villain.net
These are the books we are currently reading. There are 2 series with 4 books in each series. We have not finished the series as our local library only had five of the 8 books. We have ordered them using the inter-library loan service and are eagerly awaiting the second of each series and trying not to be tempted to keep reading. Both of the boys (12 and 10yrs old) are really enjoying them so far.
The premise of the hero.com series is 4 children who stumble onto a website after a lightning strike affects their computer. They discover they can download limited-use superpowers and are able to help in different crisis situations. There is lots of excitement, some violence and very funny moments as they try to use their powers without having read the instructions on the website! They face disappointment and fear and learn to think about the consequences of their actions. But what really makes the boys laugh and engages them is the way the four kids work out what super-powers they have downloaded and when they mess up as they work out how to use them!
The first book in hero.com series is " Rise of the Heroes" and the first in the villain.net is Council of Evil. The series can be read on their own but they tie in nicely together and add detail to the stories. As three of us are reading them at the same time, we are talking about the story, wondering what will happen next - especially with the villain.net series and we are discussing the motivation of the characters. Debating whether changes will happen, whether the villains will discover that they know the heroes in real life. Talking about the validity of the villain storyline. "What is the point of superheroes, mum, if there are no supervillains?" Great point. And so this journey continues....
The premise of the hero.com series is 4 children who stumble onto a website after a lightning strike affects their computer. They discover they can download limited-use superpowers and are able to help in different crisis situations. There is lots of excitement, some violence and very funny moments as they try to use their powers without having read the instructions on the website! They face disappointment and fear and learn to think about the consequences of their actions. But what really makes the boys laugh and engages them is the way the four kids work out what super-powers they have downloaded and when they mess up as they work out how to use them!
The first book in hero.com series is " Rise of the Heroes" and the first in the villain.net is Council of Evil. The series can be read on their own but they tie in nicely together and add detail to the stories. As three of us are reading them at the same time, we are talking about the story, wondering what will happen next - especially with the villain.net series and we are discussing the motivation of the characters. Debating whether changes will happen, whether the villains will discover that they know the heroes in real life. Talking about the validity of the villain storyline. "What is the point of superheroes, mum, if there are no supervillains?" Great point. And so this journey continues....
Monday, January 10, 2011
Love of books
Books have always played a huge role in my life. There is nothing I enjoy more than a quiet afternoon with a good book. As I had children and rediscovered the joy of well-written, beautiful children's books and the joy of reading them aloud (often over and over!) I became aware of the huge variety of available books. Some are exquisite stories that engross a child and awaken their imagination and understanding of the world. Some disappoint in their writing and some open doors that I would rather remain closed for some time.
In recent years, as my children have become competent, independent readers I have discovered a new challenge as a mother: how to continue to encourage reading and yet stay involved in the choices made. This is my journey through youth literature; it is not complete nor is it exhaustive but my plan is to blog about the books as I read them. Many of the books I have recently read have been aimed at about 10-12 year olds, and in particular, boys.
This is a new journey for me and a way to chronicle what we read but it may also help others find books for their family!
In recent years, as my children have become competent, independent readers I have discovered a new challenge as a mother: how to continue to encourage reading and yet stay involved in the choices made. This is my journey through youth literature; it is not complete nor is it exhaustive but my plan is to blog about the books as I read them. Many of the books I have recently read have been aimed at about 10-12 year olds, and in particular, boys.
This is a new journey for me and a way to chronicle what we read but it may also help others find books for their family!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)