PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: SERIES

As Jacob and I travel back and forth to my parents house we have a good 8 hours both ways. music gets old and the drive gets VERy boring VERY fast. Especially since we try to go every 2 - 3 months. Well, I've never been able to do this my entire life, but I decided to try to read books to Jacob in the car. Well it worked, and I can get a 400 page book in easily before we hit Ohio...one way. And WE LOVE IT! The ability to read to him make the drive go by so fast, and he doesn't get nearly as sleepy.

So I decided to do a book review on books that we have read so far. And by far ( I think we have read 4 books series..) PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS, is our favorite. I got them originally because Jacob really enjoys the mythology stories, and I heard from a friend that they were fairly good.

The series basically is based off a Boy finding out that he is part human and part Mythology God ( Poseidon to be exact) and then finds out that their are many kids that live across the world in the situation as him, except they are children from a variety of God's and Goddesses. Each character is hunted by the Titan army and destroyed unless a scouter finds them first and brings them to a camp where they not only are protected, but can train to use their powers.
It sounds similar to Harry Potter, but the adventures across the world to defeat evil and save each other is not only whimsical but suspenseful, and their approach refreshingly different from Harry Potter. Each book takes you through explanations of world History and run ins with mythological Gods, Goddessess, and creatures of Greek Mythology. We loved it and found it well written and thoroughly entertaining.

This is definitly a book I will read to my kids, boys and girls alike. The message it portrays, that each person can be strengthened and learn from each others abilities to rise up and conquer the bad in the world is motivating. The language and storylines are apropriate and not at all as evil as I found some other last books in series.

The final book; "The last olympian" is coming out in May 2009, and there is a movie headed for theaters in 2010. Directed by Chris Columbus the same director who directed parts of the Harry Potter movies.

Actors/Actresses include: Danny Devito, Sharon Stone, Nicole Kidman. George Clooney, the guy from HOUSE, Brandon T Jackson, Sean Connery, and Hayden Christiansen from Jumper. There are many more obviously but it looks like it will be a good one!

The authors website link is below:

http://www.percyjacksonbooks.com/main.html