The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma By Trenton Lee Stewart

OK, first off I am not trying to trash this book but it was awful. The first one was great, the second OK, and the last bad. It was confusing, it droned on a bit, and I should have reread the other books first because it didn't really recap thing in the past very well. I had no idea what was going on half the time but the story line was probably good. (I couldn't tell what it was, hence no summary.) It also took me around a month to read which is never good because then you begin to forget things that happened in the beginning. The guy knows how to write a book but doesn't know how to make it make sense. Anyway there was one part in the back that cracked me up...

Why I Find Green Plaid So Annoying, And What I Intend to Do about It:

An Explanation of My Heroic Actions

For one thing, plaid's hideous, a pattern cooked up

By dimwit designers who must have been mad.

It's also perfidious (a word I looked up -

It means lots of different things, all of them bad).

Why it's nothing but lines! Lines and more lines!

Not one single curve! Not one polka dot!

What monstrous minds could have called these designs?

They ought to be caught and tied up in the spot!

But worse, even worse, is the fact that it's green,

The color you turn when you've eaten a bug,

And of all gross and nasty things I've ever seen,

Like pond scum and slime molds, or a horrible slug

All covered with fungus out in the backyard

That I say Tuesday night right before I got sick.

No matter how hard I have tried (I've tried hard)

I can't see green things without thinking, "Ick!"

So what can I do? There isn't much for it

If I'm to get rid of this hideous sight:

If green plaid I hate (and I do, I abhor it)

Then action is called for! A battle! A fight!

I must free the man who so long has been held

Behind prison fences ( that crisscrossing plaid)!

Long covered by so much grass-green it's a veld!

I must save this man who will soon be my dad!

(For if he's my dad, then with him I'll be seen!

So away with this plaid, and good day to this green!)

-Meg

PS: Try to 1+ stuff that you find useful! Thanks!

Summer Books

All right people now that summer has started I hope you're all still reading. This summer my personal #1 reads are...

-I Am Number 4
-The Maze Runner
-Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf (A story told through stuff)
-The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
-Fire Star

I'll probably read more but that's my starter list. Anyway happy summer and hope you guys read some good books!!!!

-Meg

The Fire Within By Chris D'Lacey

Great First Book!!! I read this in about two days it was so good. David Rain is a college kid who decides to rent out a house nearby. He had no idea what was in store. First he meets a 11 year old girl, Lucy, the daughter of Elizabeth Pennykettle, owner of the house. She tells him the story of some squirrels that used to live in their neighbor's tree until he cut it down and how apparently one of them, Snigger, has an eye injury and can't find his way around. Then he discovers Elizabeth's clay dragons and the Dragon's Den, the one place he isn't allowed. These Dragons seem to walk and talk but nobody will believe him. This is his story of how he proves his point and what a cat can do. (Long story, literally. It's 340 pages!)

OMG!!!

OMG!!! SON OF NEPTUNE COVER REVEALED!!!!!!!!!!!!! This I'm guessing was the big news!!!!! You can also read the sneak peak at www.heroesofolympus.com !!!! Percy's BACK!!!

-A very excited and anxious Meg

PS: GO READ PRONTO!!!!!!!!!

Rick Riordan LIVE!

BEST NIGHT EVER! We got there around five so we had an hour to spare before Rick did a little speech. There was sooo much to do! First you could get Snake Spit (Italian Soda) or Phunkey Pharaoh (Sweet fruit smoothie) at the Cafe. Then you could get your picture taken as Carter or Sadie is one of those stick-your-head-in things or have kohl (Pharaoh eyes) drawn on your face, then you could make ankhs or use hieroglyphic stamps. It was a blast! Then after waiting for an hour he made a speech. He said that Son of Neptune would be coming out on October 3 or 4, (I forget and my camera died so I couldn't tape it and none of us could understand Mag's cell phone video.) and to check his website in 2 weeks for important news. (I forget what.) Then we waited 2 more hours for our turn to get signed. Everybody who bought a book go a wristband and let's just say we were number 11 and it took around 15 minutes for each letter to go. (Stupid letter K.) But we made it there eventually. And here our your answers...

Q: What inspired you to write The Kane Chronicles?

A: All of you fans

Q: What was your inspiration for Sadie?

A: British school girls and his mother who was raised in Britain like Sadie but was born in America.

So there you have it. I also asked him what Carter's birthday was and he told me he had to check his notes. But there's more yesterday he made a post about the event and here's what he said...

Everyone was so polite and enthusiastic, despite the long signing line. I met several ‘Sadie Kanes’ with combat boots and highlighted streaks in their hair. One even had her own boomerang wand, and was accompanied by Thalia Grace, with aegis shield and a sword. Awesome!

Me and Mag were the only ones int the building with highlighted streaks. Also check this out...


Favorite comment of the night: I signed a book for a young girl who looked down at the inscription with absolute disgust. “What is that?” she demanded. I replied, “Er, that’s my signature.” I almost thought she was going to demand I erase it, or shout, “How dare you defile my book!” She accepted the explanation, but still looked pretty repulsed. Yes, my signature is not very pretty. Oh, well. Guess I’ll have to work on that.

And one more thing,

Favorite Questions of the Night

Q: Do you like Greek mythology?
A: What gave me away?

That cracked me up! Anyway thanks for the question and putting up with this long post,
-Meg

THRONE OF FIRE!!!!

The website is booked with new stuff!!! New pictures and A NEW SWEEPSTAKES!!! The winner gets to have their name printed in the next book. Anyway, WOO-HOO THRONE OF FIRE!!!!

Early Author Of The Month

OK everybody, are you ready for some great news? Me and Maggie are going to meet Rick Riordan in person on his Throne of Fire tour. Before I say anything else though I just want to say thanks to you guys and the chat box. If I hadn't checked it we would never be going. I will take questions but they must be posted by May 3. I'll check at about 7pm and anything after that will not count. I also cannot guarantee any answer due to the fact that I have no idea how many people will be there. So congratulations Rick for becoming May's author of the month!

-Meg