We're so excited - the new Percy Jackson book comes out next week!

The students here at Redwood Day are so excited about the publication of The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan. This 5th installment of the Percy Jackson series will be published next Tuesday, May 5th. It's a great series that hooks kids looking for an exciting fantasy series, along the lines of Harry Potter.

The Last Olympians
by Rick Riordan
Disney Hyperion Books for Children, 2009. 400 pages.
ages 9 - 12.
audiobook by Listening Library, 2009 (available through iTunes)

Percy Jackson is the young hero of this exciting series. In the first book, The Lightning Thief, Percy discovers through a series of hair-raising encounters that he is actually the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Percy is a demi-god: the child of a forbidden encounter between a god and a mortal. Percy lives in the human world, but has special powers. In The Lightning Thief, Percy is chosen to solve the crime of Zeus's missing thunderbolt. A classic hero's quest ensues, putting Percy on the path of danger and adventure.

Girls and boys have loved this series. Here are some thoughts from my students:

"We've been waiting sooo long for this book to come out. All the books in the rest of the series are really exciting!" Claire

"I really like the funny chapter titles (chapter one of The Lightning Thief: "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher"). Whenever I read this, it's a new surprise because there are so many different Greek gods. I can't wait to find out what happens next, to see if Percy will make it and what happens to Luke." Sylvie

"It's exciting because there's always a new adventure coming around the corner, which is really fun. It's so good and juicy, but it's hard because it's such a long book - but I just have to keep listening. The audiobook is better than having to read it because you understand more. the reader does a really good job of being really dramatic and exciting." Simone

Do you love audiobooks? Listen to this clip of The Last Olympians from Listening Library. It's available through iTunes, and will also be available on CD starting May 12th.



Here's the list of all the books in the series:
1. The Lightning Thief
2. Sea of Monsters
3. Titan's Curse
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth
5. The Last Olympian

Are you in the Bay Area? Come see Rick Riordan at Kepler's Bookstore in Menlo Park on Saturday, May 9th.

Find The Last Olympian at your local independent bookstore or at Amazon, starting Tuesday, March 5th.