Nobody’s Prize (Statement discussion)

At one part in the book (when Helen and Milo try to get on to the ship, Milo goes first and leaves Helen behind to wait for him) it says:

“It was a hard thing to have Milo approach the great ship without me. I loitered well out of sight, between a stone building and a shed that smelled of fish and sour wine. I didn’t like being left behind, waiting. I wanted to meet my fate head-on. I also wanted to examine every hand-span of the ship’s body to see where I’d best be able to lie low once we set sail and my brothers were on board. A small rabbit doesn’t wait until the hounds are on their trail before she digs her burrow.”

I was wandering about what that meant with, a small rabbit doesn’t wait until the hounds are on their trail before she digs her burrow.

I think the rabbit was supposed to represent Helen, and the hounds her brothers. Because she wanted to go to the ship herself, and not wait until it is too late and the hounds are there and she does not have the time to find a hiding place.

What do you think?

Nobody’s Prize by Esther Friesner

Short Summary

This is the second book in the series (the first book is called Nobody’s Princess) and it plays in the early Greek time just before the reign of Lord Menelaus. The main character is a girl called Helen, the Princess of Sparta. She traveled to Delphi where her friend Eunike, the Pythia, has taken up cover for her so that she can follow her brothers on their quest of the Golden Fleece. Disguised as a boy, Helen and her friend Milo set off to find her brothers before they set sail on Lord Jason’s ship, the Argo.They make it there just in time and have to sneak on to the ship as weapon bearers and hide from Helen’s brothers.

On the voyage lots of exciting adventures take place, including death, love and embarrassment: Helen has never had problems with woman issues yet but in the hardest time of her life it gives her away and she now has to pretend to be Atalanta, a famous woman warrior and Helen’s friend. If that is going to have a good ending?

This is the first book Nobody's Princess

This is the bookcover of Nobody's Prize

 

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth (Questions)

At one point in the labyrinth, Grover finds a muddy path that looks like it leads to the lost god Pan. Grover is eager to go because he has been searching for him all his life and will lose his searchers licence when coming back to camp. Annabeth thinks of it in a different way. She thinks they should continue on their way. Percy suggested to split up but it was too dangerous to let Grover go alone and to every ones surprise Tyson said he would go with ”goat boy”. Annabeth still doesn’t think of it as a good way but they have to decide quickly.

If you were in a situation like this what would you do?

Would you split up or not? Why?

Have you ever been in a situation like this?

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth

Small Summery

Freshman orientation before the summer holidays was sure not to be a lot of fun for Percy Jackson, but when a group of cheerleaders suddenly turned into a group of monsters in the music room, where Percy and a mysterious mortal girl where hiding, thing get even worse.

The only save place for Percy is camp half-blood with its magic borders. And its about to be invaded by the evil Titan lord Kronus. To stop him, Percy and his friends have to set off on a quest through the labyrinth. Now that sounds pretty easy, but the labyrinth is under the ground, magic, full of monsters and traps after almost every turn. Percy has to find a way to navigate the labyrinth, involving the mortal girl from the music room and a lot of fighting. And time is running out! War between the Olympians and the evil Titans is not far!

 

Percy Jackson and the Titans Curse (Question)

If everyone you know thinks your friend is dead but you know that he/she is not, would you try to save him/her?

Even if he/she was in danger? If you would have to risk your life?

Why would you do it? How would you do it?

Would you try getting help from your friends? What would they say?

Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse

Book summary

Percy received a call from his friend Grover and his friends Annabeth and Thalia helped him get ready to battle. They were driven to Westover military school by Percy’s mother Sally. Their friend Grover said he had found two half-bloods who’s parentage was not jet known and wanted them to come help him bring them to camp. When they try getting them out of the school, Mr. Thorn gets in their way. Outside the school, he turns in to a monster and tries killing them but luckily Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and her hunters come to their rescue. For some reason Annabeth and Thalia are not very impressed or glad that Artemis and her hunters apperared but Percy could not think of a reason for their behavior. With Annabethon his back, Mr. Thorn is knocked of a cliff by an arrow and they fall on to the sharp rocks of the ocean. Everybody is convinced that Annabeth is dead but Percy knows she is not. Artemis sends her hunters, Percy, Thalia, Bianca and Nico (the two new half-bloods) back to camp with Apollo’s sun chariot.

When the hunters win the Capture of the Flag game the following night, the Oracle, a mummy that is stored in the attic, appears from of the woods. It was the first time it had left the attic and everybody was stunned. When Zoë asked her what she has to do to help her goddess Artemis, the Oracle spoke:

“Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The bane of Olympus shows the trail,

Campers and hunters combined prevail,

The Titan’s curse must one withstand,

And one shall perish by a parent’s hand.”

 

The Oracle sat down on a stone and had to be carried back in to the attic.

 

The same day, a meeting was held and it was decided that Zoë, Bianka, Phoebe, Thalia and Grover would go on the quest. Percy was disappointed he was not allowed to go but the following night, Blackjack, a flying horse from the stables knocked on his door and told him to come with him to rescue a sea animal, caught in a net.When he got back it was almost dawn and he saw Nico behind a column of the dining pavilion. Percy was about to ask him what he was doing out there in the middle of the night, when he saw who he was listening to. He pulled on Annabeths invisibility cap on and stood behind another column. The girls were talking about Phoebe. She was sick and could not go on the quest. That gave Percy the idea of going instead of her.

 

When the two girls walked away, he took it off and walked up to Nico who jumped in surprise when he saw him. Percy told Nico about him wanting to go on to the quest instead of Phoebe but he knew he would most likely not be allowed. Nico told him if he went he had to promise him to look after his sister. Percy explained he could not promise but Nico did not understand.

 

Blackjack landed next to him and the two of them took off in to the mortal world. Percy made sure they stayed in the clouds so no one could see them. They followed the white van with the two hunters, Thalia and Grover inside. They landed to take a rest. When they were about to take off again, grape vines grew around their feet not allowing them to move. Mr. D appeared and questioned them on what they were doing out of the camp boarders. Percy explained to him that he needed to go on this quest to because the Oracle said five have to go west. Without him it would only be four.

 

The Titan lord, Kronos, has prepared another set of traps for the kids and they walk right into them. Will they get out or not? They don’t know.

 

 

This is what the cover of the book looks like

 

 

Borderland

Moving around with her army-serving dad and making new friends in every new school she goes to. That’s Megan’s life. It seems boring but when she meets Laura, her life changes: Laura dresses different and never hangs out with someone. Megan tries to be her friend and eventually they come closer.

One day, Megan is at Laura’s house for the afternoon. Laura’s brother was also there. He immediately took Laura to the side where Megan could not hear them. Laura looked shocked but when Megan asked her what it was, she would not tell her.

After the next few weeks, Laura became a really good friend, though she acted like she was hiding something.

When Megan was at Laura’s house again, she showed her something that she would NEVER forget. Laura’s brother also came along. They went into a forest behind the far too big house and followed different tracks until Megan did not know where they were anymore. After a while they came to a clearing that made Megan gasp. Between the trees, well hidden was a door. Laura and her brother went straight toward it. They told her she was the first they ever told their secret: a hidden world.

When they were through the door, Megan could not believe it: there was sand everywhere, dunes, blazing sun and in the far distance  a few houses and a castle.

How would you react if you had just stepped through a door the deapth of the forest and landed in the middle of sand dunes?

Example:

I would just stand there and look, amazed by what had happened. Then I would turn around and check if there was a door back to reality. I would then go through the door and go back into the real world. I would try again and again until I am sure it was only a dream.

Percy Jackson Series

I read two of the books from this series so far. The first one is called Percy Jackson and the Lightning thief, the second one is called Percy Jackson and the sea of Monsters.

This is what the cover of the book looks like.

The Lightning thief is about a boy called Percy Jackson who gets kicked out of every school because of his behavior. He fights with other boys even if he only wants to defend his friends. When the school year is over and Percy goes home to his mothers husband, Smelly Gabe, and drives to the sea with his mother, and he discovers who he really is. In the late evening, his best friend Grover comes to their small house, monsters chaseing him. His mother packs them in Smelly Gabe’s car and drives them to a “safe place”. When they were about to reach it, Percy fights a minotaur and comes deadly close to death.

At last though, he makes it to the “safe place”, a camp for half-bloods. Half-bloods are children that have a god or goddess and a mortal as their parents. When they live in the mortal world, there are monsters that can kill them, at the camp, they are protected.

Annabeth (child of Athena and his other best friend), Grover and him are allowed to go on a quest. They have to go to the underworld and take Zeus’ stolen thunderbolt back to Mount Olympus before the Summer Solctis.

On their exciting tour, they discover the secret of Mount Olympus and their residents.

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver

The books are about a boy called Torak, who’s father died. He finds a small wolf that does not leave him and so the two of them set of and go through lots of adventures.

There are five books in the series so far: Wolf Brother, Spirit Walker, Soul Eater, Outcast and Oath Breaker.

Types of books I like to read

I like to read adventure, romance and mystery books. I like these type of books because the adventure makes them exciting and adicting. I like romance because I like to read about other peoples love life and how they handle it, and mystery because it makes me think about what is going to happen next and how people can get out of tricky situations.