PercyJacksonBooks.com

If you haven't been to the Disney-Hyperion site for Percy Jackson yet, GO! Click here. You'll find a great video of Rick Riordan talking about the next book, The Last Olympian, and some extras you won't find anywhere else.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey

(2005, Bloomsbury)

Sometimes, being 15 is not the easiest thing in the world. Say you're much bigger than most boys your age, but you aren't very good at football. And you don't have many friends. And your mother has died of cancer, you never knew your father, and you're living with your loser uncle who somehow talks you into helping him steal something from the building where he's the nightwatchman... well, things are bound to go from rotten to worse. Unless you're Alfred Kropp. The things are going to get completely out of control.

I'm not sure why I haven't read this YA action/thriller before, especially given that the thing Alfred and his uncle are supposed to steal is none other than the legendary sword Excalibur (and if you know me, you know that I'm somewhat of an Arthur nut).

A very rich man has told Alfred's uncle that the item in question was actually stolen from him originally. So really, they're just stealing it back. So Alfred agrees to help. After all, they could use the money. But once Alfred figures out how to crack the code to open the secret vault that holds Excalibur, and then is easily able to fight off the mysterious monks who descend upon them, we can tell this is no ordinary kid.

As Alfred is thrust into the role of protector of King Arthur's sword, he discovers who is after it and why he needs to be the one to keep the sword out of the wrong hands. With the help of the remnants of a secret society made up of the descendants from the Round Table knights themselves, Alfred learns things about himself he never would have dreamed were true, including that you don't have to play football to be a hero.

This is an action-packed story, filled with violence and not for younger kids -- despite School Library Journal's recommendation of grades 6 to 8. Booklist puts it at grades 9 -12 and I personally think this is much more appropriate.

There are a handful of sequels to this book as well, and I have no doubt they would all greatly appeal to the high school reader. Despite how Yancy plays off the Arthurian legends, I found myself not as engaged in the story as I would have liked. Maybe it was the way the audio book was read, but I had trouble connecting with Alfred. The story is great, the plot clips along and it's a fun read, but can't say it is a favorite, giving it 3 bookmarks.

Fablehaven 4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary out tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the big day....

Fablehaven 4, The Secrets of theDragon Sanctuary is out and ready to be devoured by hungry Fablehaven fans everywhere! If you're lucky enough to be at the big release party in Salt Lake, I'M JEALOUS!! Please share your experiences in the comments section.

If you live in the Dallas area, a reminder that Mr. Mull himself will be at a book signing extravaganza put on by Radio Disney at the Plano Barnes & Noble. I'll be there, with all books ready for a signature from the master...

Who, by the way, was nice enough to take some time from his busy schedule and answer a few questions for Cool Kids Read.

Cool Kids Read: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Brandon Mull: For as long as I can remember, when I got bored, I made up stories in my head. And I got bored a lot. As I got older, the stories got cooler, and I eventually realized that if I wanted to share them, I needed to get good at writing them down.

CKR: What inspired the Fablehaven story?

MULL: The Chronicles of Narnia created in me not only a love of reading, but a deep and abiding interest in magical creatures and fantasy adventure stories. I used to live in Connecticut, and sometimes I would daydream about creatures inhabiting the woods around my house. As I tried to come up with excuses for magical creatures to exist in our world, I came up with the idea of secret wildlife parks for endangered mythical beings. The idea of secret wildlife refuges for magical creatures became a playground in my mind, and the Fablehaven series grew out of that concept.

CKR: We are all eagerly awaiting the release of the fourth Fablehaven Book: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. Which book of the series has been your favorite to write so far?

MULL: I think book 4 is my favorite so far. It might be because I’m a big fan of dragons. To me, they are the coolest, most iconic magical creature. We’ve only seen one dragon in the Fablehaven series so far, briefly, in book 3. Book 4 has lots of dragons, some fun twists and turns, and a bunch of great action. I think readers who are having fun with the series will only be more into it after Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary.

CKR: When is Book 5 due out?

MULL: Book 5 should hit stores in the spring of 2010. I’m already working on it.

CKR: If you could visit the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe (from The Candy Shop War), and you could chose only one sweet, which would you chose?

MULL: Probably ironhides. Since those jawbreakers would make my skin invulnerable and my bones unbreakable, I could then discover what it would feel like to do crazy things like drive cars off cliffs.

CKR: What were your favorite books to read while you were growing up? What about now?

MULL: I mentioned that the Narnia books ignited my love of reading. Some other favorites include Ender’s Game, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Holes, and Dune.

CKR: What’s a book that you’ve read recently and did you like it?

MULL: I recently read the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix (Sabriel is the first) and found them fun.

CKR: If there was a movie of Fablehaven, who would you cast as Kendra and Seth? What about any other characters?

MULL: Avi Arad, the guy who produced Ironman, X-Men, and Spiderman, optioned the movie rights to Fablehaven, and the project is in the early phases of development. I’m horrible at casting, so I’m not sure who I would see as Kendra and Seth. I sort of have the characters in my head, and rarely can spot who match up perfectly.

CKR: IMDB lists CSW as in development. Any news there?

MULL: Candy Shop War was optioned by a company called New Regency, who has produced movies like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The project remains in the early stages of development.

CKR: What's next after you complete the Fablehaven series? A sequel to CSW perhaps?

MULL: My first picture book comes out in August. It is called Pingo, and deals with a kid whose imaginary friend becomes his imaginary enemy when he tries to stop believing in him. That might sound a little psychotic, but it is actually a sweet story about friendship and imagination. It will be illustrated by Brandon Dorman, who has illustrated all of my books so far. After Fablehaven 5, I plan to write a three-book series about a kid who crosses over to another world, as well as a sequel to The Candy Shop War.

CKR: Anything else you'd like to share?

My goal with my books is to produce family-friendly fantasy. When I say that, I mean I’m trying to write books that kids, teens, and parents can all read and enjoy. I get a lot of entire families who have all read my books, and that makes me happy. I try to write books I would love as a reader, while keeping them accessible for kids.

Awaiting the next Gallagher Girl's installment?

The cover for the third Gallagher Girls book, Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover, was posted on Ally Carter's literary agent's site. LOVE IT! Can't wait for this one, if you haven't read Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy or I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You, and you have or are a girl over 10, do so right away!!! These stories are so clever and fun -- about a special school that trains girls to be spies.

Book is out June 9th!

Reminder: Brandon Mull book signing in Plano, Tx

It's in the comments section below, but wanted to repost about the Brandon Mull book signing and Radio Disney event on Friday, April 3rd in Plano. It's at the Barnes and Nobles at 2201 Preston Road and it starts at 6:30 pm.

Be sure to look for an interview with Brandon Mull about his books, including the latest Fablehaven installment, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, right here on Cool Kids Read.

Where the Wild Things Are... the movie

Looks like it may finally be hitting the screens after all.... if the newly released poster is any indication!

And if you haven't visited Wii Help Dogs yet, click here!

Want to help dogs in need?

My two sons have put together a fantastic website designed to help dogs in need while sharing some hints about their favorite Wii games. They call it "Wii Help Dogs" (I know, clever isn't it?!) and they've decided that for every 100 visitors to the site, they will donate a dollar of THEIR OWN MONEY to animal shelters and the AKC to help dogs find good homes.

They've got hints for Wii games such as Super Smash Bros, Wii Music, Mario Strikers Charged, Mario Super Sluggers... and they are adding more all the time. So go visit, and pass the word!

Click here

Percy Jackson 5: The Last Olympian out May 5

The fifth and final Percy Jackson book, The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan comes out May 5th, and I saw on Twitter today that he's posted some tour dates here including some stops in Texas (although none in Dallas at the moment and that gets a big :( from Cool Kids Read).

Here are the current Texas dates:
Release party at Book People in Austin Texas (4 pm, May 5th)

Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston (May 6th)

Barnes & Noble La Cantera in San Antonio (May 20th)

There is also a cool B&N interview with Riordan here.

In this last book we're going to find out exactly what this prophecy about Percy and his 16th birthday entails and how the whole story will wrap up. Can't wait.

A Video for Allie Finkle Fans

The Third book, Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #3 "Best Friends and Drama Queens" by Meg Cabot is out as of last Monday, and if you are a fan, check out this interview with Meg Cabot. Allie Finkle books are written for the younger readers (as opposed to the Princess Diary books or other teen books Cabot is famous for) so elementary girls will think Allie's just great!

More about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Publisher's Weekly has more info about The Hunger Games and the upcoming sequel Catching Fire. Hunger Games is absolutely one of my top favs for this year. Read my review here.

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

If you've been a reader of this blog for any time you already know I'm a huge fan of Wendy Mass. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life is on my top 10 favs of all time list (and that was a hard list to create... how do you pick just 10???) So, when I saw that her new book 11 Birthdays was out, I couldn't wait to pick it up.

I read this with my 7-year-old son (which meant we only got through a couple of chapters a night) and this was torture because I could have read this straight through in one sitting. It's the story of two kids, Amanda and Leo, who were born on the same day, in the same hospital, and who have celebrated their birthdays together every year... up until their 11th. That's because something happened on their 10th birthday that caused a rift in their friendship, and they haven't spoken since.

It's been a rough year on Amanda, and it's all she can do to get through this 11th birthday -- her whole day is a flop, including her party. She can't wait to have the whole day behind her. Unfortunately, when she wakes up the next morning, it's still her birthday. And the day keeps repeating over and over, day after day.

Grownups will remember the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day" which had a similar premise of a repeating day, but with 11 Birthdays, this story isn't just about getting the day right, but the background story of why it started happening in the first place.

Amanda and Leo are both likable characters, wonderfully drawn in Mass' engaging voice. As with all her books, the story tugs on the heartstrings and demonstrates the true importance (and magic) of a truly special friendship.

My sons laughed out loud more than a few times, and we looked forward to the time spent together within the page of this story.

Mass says there's a companion book to this somewhere in the future and I look forward to seeing where the story goes. 4 1/2 bookmarks -- put this one on your shelf.

New Trailer for HP6 movie!

Warner Brothers released a new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince -- check it out! It looks like it is going to be worth the wait... what do you think??

Info on the Brandon Mull book release party

Just in case you didn't read the comments in the Brandon Mull posting below, Brandon's publicist was nice enough to pass this info along....

Brandon Mull Book Signing and Release Party

Barnes & Noble

2201 Preston Road

Plano, Texas

Friday, April 3

6:30 Signing

This. Is Percy Jackson....

Rick Riordan just announced on his blog the first two casting picks for The Lightning Thief film, including Logan Lerman who played Christian Bale's son in 3:10 to Yuma as Percy himself. So, readers, what do you think?

My first reaction is a rather big YES!! Perfect! Your thoughts?

Brandon Mull Book Tour

Okay, Fablehaven fans. I've just learned that Brandon Mull will be in Plano on April 3rd with Radio Disney, promoting the fourth book in the Fablehaven series (Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary). Mark your calendars, should be fun. Not sure of the time or which Plano location of B&N, but when I found out, you'll find it here.

Also, Brandon has promised an interview to Cool Kids Read, so check back in the next few weeks for that! And be sure to visit Fablehaven.com which is the absolutely coolest kids' book site EVER!

Susan Patron interview

Not with me, unfortunately, but with Publisher's Weekly. Great interview about her and Lucky Breaks the sequel to the Newbery-winning Higher Power of Lucky.