Our challenge to you is to look at the photographs we post and see where they may take you, and your pen.
Let your imagination wander freely! And, please feel free to share comments you have, or stories, poems, musings that were spurred on by this week's photo.
Happy writing!
Clare Recommends:
Radiant Darkness
By Emily Whitman
Clare's review
The legend and myth of Persephone has been told and treasured for thousands of years. In all the stories, Hades forced Persephone to rule with him on his underworld throne, none of them mention that maybe she chose to accompany him to the realm of the dead. In this version, Demeter is not at all the loving mother, but a vain and egotistical goddess who cares more about the barely and wheat on Earth more than her own immortal daughter's well-being. Hades does not suddenly fly out of the sky to kidnap the goddess, but instead courts her in secret, letting her choose whether or not she wants to rule at his side. She comes back not because Zeus forced her to, but to keep the promise she made to a deceased mother to find and protect her newborn child. The natural flow and style of the writing ensures that this is not a tale to forget, but one to pass down, along with the original tale of the goddess, Persephone.===
Clare Schuett is 13 and lives in Sebastopol California. She is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She reviews YA books, prior to their publication, for the American Library Association. We have the privilege of posting her reviews on our blog.
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Want to know more? Visit:
http://amzn.to/9HpQLM
Our challenge to you is to look at the photographs we post and see where they may take you, and your pen.
Let your imagination wander freely! And, please feel free to share comments you have, or stories, poems, musings that were spurred on by this week's photo.
Happy writing!
The Last Olympian
by Rick RiordanThe Last Olympian is the final book in the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series. It is also my favorite. For months, the entire mythological world has been preparing for war. Now it has finally arrived. Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon, must now face the bloodthirsty battle, bent on either saving or destroying all he has ever known. His friends, his family, and Olympus itself are all at risk, and he is the only one who can save them.
Clare's review
This is my favorite book out of all five in the series. The cover was really cool. The dark hues hinted trouble, and the sword in Percy's hand indicated battle. From the first sentence, "The end of the world started when a Pegasus landed on the hood of my car,' I was hooked. I couldn't put it down! The author's playful yet gripping tone really suited the story. The action, the intrigue, the romance, was perfection on paper. All the characters stood out, each claiming my attention even when I thought I had none left to give! From the very beginning, I felt as if I knew each character personally. (That could also be because of the series; if you haven't, read it, read it now!)
The story has many twists and turns such as, the identity of the spy - I won't spoil it by explaining it here! The flow of the writing made it seem like the entire story was just lifted out of history and copied onto paper; it seemed so natural. The ending was wonderful, with just the right pace of winding down. There were hints that there will be another Olympian series. I sure hope so!
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Clare Schuett is 13 and lives in Sebastopol California. She is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She reviews YA books, prior to their publication, for the American Library Association. We have the privilege of posting her reviews on our blog.
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Want to know more? Visit:
http://amzn.to/cwwLS8
Have you ever seen and read the awesome website put out by the Office of Letters and Light?
They are the folks who dreamed up and put on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). www.http://www.nanowrimo.org/.
Each November, they challenge and support adult writers, with lots of humor and panache, in completing a novel in a month.
Their Young Writers Program aids teachers, homeschooling parents and youth librarians in using NaNoWriMo's free curriculum and lesson plans in their classrooms.
