In search of a lightning bolt

“The Lightning Thief”

Rick Riordan

Perseus (Percy) Jackson finds out he’s a half-blood, which means he’s half-human and half-god. His mother sends him to a camp named Camp Half-Blood. There he trains as a warrior. Percy’s father is a god too. At camp, his father (Poseidon, the Sea God) claims Percy as his son. Little does Percy know that soon he will go on a heart-bending quest to find Zeus’ master lightning bolt. As he embarks on his journey with his loyal friends, Grover (a satyr) and Annabeth, daughter of the goddess Athena, Percy will fight many monsters, try to solve the puzzle of the Oracle, find the master lightning bolt, get his mother back from the Underworld, meet Hades (King of the Underworld) face to face and prove himself worthy as a warrior, all in 10 days. If not, all of Mount Olympus will have to fight a war. Will this young hero succeed or not?

Reviewed by Meri, 10

Los Feliz Elementary

Los Angeles

--

“Space Rock”

Susan Schade

Bob ties a card to a balloon. It states that whoever finds it must mail it back to him. The balloon floats to a spaceship and out falls a purple rock.

Bob finds the space rock. When he takes it home, he finds out the rock can talk. He takes it to school, but no one believes him. Would you?

Reviewed by Andrew, 7

Charles Helmers Elementary

Valencia

--

“Christmas for a Kitten”

Robin Pulver

A big gloved hand grabbed a kitten away from its mother and put him in a sack. He got out of the sack and hid inside a hole in a tree.

On Christmas Eve a family came to cut down a Christmas tree and took the kitten home. After the tree was decorated, the family left milk and cookies and went to sleep. The kitten was hungry so he ate the cookies and dipped his paw in the milk and licked it.

Then there was a noise from the fireplace. First some boots came down, next the legs and red pants. The kitten saw gloved hands and the big sack, just like the gloved hands and the sack that had taken him away from his mother!

If you want to know what happens to the kitten, read the book and find out.

Reviewed by Mayu, 8

Language Systems International

Torrance

--

Kids, send us your reviews. Mail them to Kids’ Reading Room, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail kidsreadingroom@latimes.com.