The Lightning Thief (Series: Percy Jackson & the Olympians)

By Rick Riordan

Reviewed by Ms. S. Goyak, BCCHS history teacher

What would you do if you discovered that everything you knew about yourself was wrong? That all of the flaws you thought you had were actually strengths? That's what happens to Percy Jackson one day when he goes on a field trip for school.  His entire world is turned upside down when he discovers that he is the son of a Greek god.  From there, he is plunged into a brand new world - one of gods and monsters, heroes and quests.

The first in a series of novels about Percy's s adventures as a Demi-god at Camp Half Blood, The Lightning Thief is an exciting read that puts a new twist on the old myths of Medusa, Poseidon, and Zeus, while introducing a new batch of gods for a new generation.  From the most causal reader to the most avid book enthusiast, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is an excellent choice for any student.

Million Word Challenge at BCCHS

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Generation Dead

By Dan Waters
Reviewed by Anthony L., BCCHS student

Many teens at Oakvale High have died, but strangely enough, they are not staying dead. They come back to life, but they do not come back the same. Some say they are “Living impaired” and “differently biotic.” They are doing their best to try to blend back into their society again.

Phoebe Kendall was never cut out to be popular. Nobody can believe how she falls for Tommy Williams, a “living impaired” guy. Not even her best friend, Margi, can believe her. Even her neighbor, Adam, doesn’t believe her.

Adam, the star football player, is really good friends with Phoebe. He believes his feelings for her run very deep. He would do anything just to make her happy. What’s life like at a high school like this? Read to find out.

The Schwa Was Here

By Neal Shusterman

Reviewed by Saroha N., BCCHS student

This book has many aspects to it. It is about a boy who is virtually invisible to everyone but meets one friend. He tries to figure the Schwa out by talking to him. They later meet a blind girl and to the Schwa this was the only girl who saw him without literally seeing him. The mystery behind the Schwa is illustrious and leaves you to your vivid imagination. This book also teaches a lesson about how the most invisible person could be visible with the right tools. Neal Schusterman has so many vivid and sensory details that will put you in the Schwa’s situation which will make the book enjoyable.

I Don’t Want to be Crazy

By Samantha Schutz

Reviewed by Rebecca R., BCCHS student

*** This book is available at your local public library or bookstore.

It’s a terrific autobiography of her life after she comes face to face with her problems. At age eighteen she gets diagnosed with anxiety disorder and as a freshman in college this is like a death sentence. Samantha talks about her daily ordeals and sleepless nights dealing with anxiety. Reading this book makes you feel like you are living her life and facing her problems. It is all so surreal. I Don’t Want to be Crazy is a really fantastic nonfiction book that discusses topics you never knew existed.

Hunger Games

By Susanne Collin

Reviewed by Andy O.

The Hunger Games written by Susanne Collins is one of the best books I’ve read since Harry Potter. It is a book that is written so well and does it great job of showing and not telling. It is a book filled with suspense, romance, and action. It is a blend of all books and there will be something in there for everybody.

The book is about a girl named Katniss Everdeen who struggles in the district where she lives, along the way she encounters hardships that force her to make some difficult decisions, but through these decisions she learns that not all of them were made correctly.

I truly recommend this book for everyone and it is a great read for a English project or just for your personal taste.