The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins reviewed by Bartholomew Perez

Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games is an amazing book that everyone will enjoy. The book is loaded with action, romance, and well-placed cliff hangers that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The story is well plotted and easy to follow. The Hunger Games is a story based around a young girl named Kattniss, resident of District 12 which is the main coal supplier for the Capitol. The Capitol is the evil dictating government run by the even more sinister and most likely insane President Snow, a dying sick old man who gained power by killing off his enemies and some of his allies.  

The title is based off the books Hunger Games which is a tournament that involves the twelve districts giving up two tributes--one male and one female. The pair will then have to fight the other two tributes from each districts totaling in 24 tributes; of the 24, only one may survive to return home with the prize of honor and extra rations for his or her District. The tournament is a way of reminding the districts that never again should they ever fight the power of the Capitol.                       

The two tributes from District 12 are Kattniss and Peta. Kattniss, one of the two protagonists, is the narratorr. She lives with her mother and younger sister. Unfortunately, Kattniss lost her father in a mine collapse. She is a brave and beautiful young lady who is also a trained hunter. Her morals are what make her a good person.  One example is when her younger sister Prim is called to be the official tribute for District 12, Kattniss steps forward to take her place without hesitation. Throughout the book, she faces many challenges such as trust issues and moral strife. I find this book is worthwhile and exhilarating and I would recommend it to any person capable of reading. This book is in simple terms completely and totally worth being put on the big screen.    

Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero reviewed by Jesselyn Sangon

I have recently finished reading Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero. The book itself is engaging from the start. Rick Riordan is well known for his Percy Jackson series. The Lost Hero is book one of the second series The Heroes of Olympus, was published on October 12, 2010.

            The Lost Hero is a fantasy book. It's based on mythological gods and goddess and their children who are called demigods who have a mortal parent and the other parent is either a god or a goddess. The book contains so many worthwhile adventures that will make you feel as if you're in that situation or a part of the book. It seems to be like the continuation of the Percy Jackson series but with new characters.

            The three main characters are Jason, who is son  Zeus, Piper,who is daughter of  Aphrodite, and Leo, son of Hephaestus. All three of them are chosen to go on a quest they didn't want but they had no other choice. All three of them have to go together to save one of the highest goddess before all else ends and the world becomes a dark place overruled by a much stronger god/dess. The three demigods who have nothing in common but a goddess, and they go off on a timed adventure to help save Olympus and the world. One of them has a strange history, another has a hidden secret, and another has no memory.

            The fascinating parts in the book are found at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. I like how the beginning starts off in media res. It starts with Jason waking up in the bus and not knowing who he is or where he is at. Then, he meets Piper and Leo who seems to know him as if they were friends for a long time, but he hasn't has the slightest clue as to who they are and who he was. The second most fascinating part was the middle when the three Demigods are on their adventure heading towards the Bay Area Oakland to save Piper's dad and Festus, the mechanical dragon, ends up spiraling down and crashing into another god's house. That is how they get to King Midas's house. The fascinating part is the fight between Jason and king Midas. So whatever King Midas touched turned to gold. The only way to break the gold touch was to wash it off with fresh water. King Midas wanted to build his collection of gold statues and Jason, Leo, and Piper were the unlucky ones who happened to stumble upon his house. Midas turned Leo and Piper to gold, but with Jason's knowledge about lightening and gold he was able to shock Midas opening up the ceiling and letting in the rain to pour on Midas gold collection. Towards the end of the book comes a funny part. In this part Hera has released her rage and made Jason unconscious. The scene where Thalia is arguing  with Hera is hilarious. It was funny because Hera could have killed Thalia for talking the way she did to her, but she didn't. Second reason was because Thalia and most of the other demigods dislike Hera because she dislikes demigods especially if they were Zeus's kids.

            I would recommend you read this book if you like stories about Greek or Roman mythology, series, or fantasy books. I would recommend you to also read all of his other series that he has written because it has amazing adventures in them just like this one.

 Riordan’s The Lost Hero is an amazing book with a nonstop action filled adventure that will keep you wanting more.

Heaven Is For Real by Ted Burpo reviewed by Tamalin Salisbury

Heaven Is For Real by Ted Burpo is a riveting story about a little boy’s journey on a family trip to Greeley, Colorado. The Burpos are a small family in the little town of Imperial, Nebraska. Ted Burpo and his wife, Sonja, are living every day trying to make the best of what life gives them. Ted is a pastor at the local church while Sonja is a school teacher. They also run a garage door business which brings in most of their income. Cassie is their oldest daughter at the age of six. Colton is not even four years-old yet when he and his family travel to the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte.

            It all started off with a stomachache. Ted had already had some intense medical history before when he broke his leg and his doctors found stones in his kidney. Having to send his toddler to the hospital because of a little stomachache did not seem like such a big problem in the beginning. The stomachache proved to be something even bigger, and while Colton is on the operating table, Ted questions his faith to God and Sonja nearly goes insane with worry and stress.

            Throughout the book, I found that my favorite parts all involve Colton talking to his dad. It is very amusing when a four year-old says something out loud with that childlike innocence only toddlers can have that completely baffles adults and leaves them speechless. It is also very cute when they have that look in their eyes that lets you know that they are “dead serious.”

            I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories that seem fictional and fantastical, but are actually very true. If you like stories where the role of adult and child are reversed, then you will love this book. Heaven is For Real has definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things. Colton has touched my heart with his story, and I am sure that this toddler will touch yours as well.