Celebration & Giveaway: Percy Jackson's Birthday and Newest Book

Did you know that August is a special month for Percy Jackson, a modern-day demi-god and hero? Just this week, August 18 to be exact, Percy turned twenty-two years old. Yikes! How'd he get to be a young man already? August 18 is also the publication date of Percy's newest book, which is all about the Greek heroes.

Do you remember your Greek mythology? If you're like most of us, you remember the basics (Charon ferried people over the River Styx; Medusa turned people into stone) but are fuzzier on the details. Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan is the perfect way to brush up on your knowledge of the heroes, such as Jason, Psyche, and Hercules.

There are so many things I really love about this book, starting with the fun, light conversational style. The stories are told from Percy Jackson's point of view, and so the language is modern, funny, and immediately accessible. I love Percy's sense of humor and it really shines in this book.

I also like the way the stories of the heroes are tied into the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books. The references to Percy's adventures help us understand the myths from a modern-day perspective. Finally, I am pleased to see that Percy (and Riordan) has included women heroes too. We learn about the Amazons and Cyrene along with Theseus and Phaethon.

Whether you're thirteen or thirty, Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes is a delightful way to get to know Greek mythology. And fans (like me!) of the original Percy Jackson books will love getting to spend a little more time with our favorite demi-god.

Wait there's more! The Disney-Hyperion group has put together a fun activity kit for Greek Heroes (click the link for the PDF). The full-color printable kit includes puzzles, quizzes, games, and party ideas all tied into the latest Percy Jackson book. One of quizzes helps you discover which of the heroes you're most similar to. I got Atalanta! Which hero do you relate to?

Ten Things I Love About The Titan's Curse

As you know, I've been celebrating ten years of Percy Jackson adventures by rereading the original Olympian series. This month, I give you ten things I love about Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse:

1. The opening sentence: "The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took me to a new boarding school."
2. Getting to better understand Thalia (daughter of Zeus).
3. Blackjack! I wish I could ride him one day.
4. Realizing that Apollo is kind of a cool dude!
5. Percy is growing up: do we sense a little hint of a romance to come?
6. Bessie, the Ophiotaraus: mooooooo!
7. Cute little saber-tooth kitties.
8. The intrigue of Nico and what his parentage may do to the balance of power
9. Atlas as a bad guy.
10. Percy finally starting to know his father better and the promise of a closer relationship with him.

Don't forget to scroll down and enter the very cool giveaway. And stay tuned for more Percy news and my thoughts on The Battle of the Labyrinth, coming up in September.

To get more Percy Jackson anniversary news, follow hashtag #ReadRiordan across your social media sites and to keep up with author Rick Riordan follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Giveaway: As part of this year's tenth-anniversary celebrations, I have a great giveaway for you. Thanks to Disney-Hyperion, I'm able to offer one of my readers (with a U.S. mailing address) a special Percy Jackson backpack and a copy of Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes.

This is one giveaway you don't want to miss. The backpack is nicely made, with several compartments, a water-bottle pocket, and comfortable straps. It's big enough to be used as book bag and is also perfect for stowing lunch, a book or two, and a towel when you hit the beach or for a snack and jacket when you go for a walk. Plus you get a copy of the beautifully illustrated and fun to read Greek Heroes book!

All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is to have a U.S. mailing address and to fill out the form. I'll pick the winner on August 28 using a random number generator. Once the winner has been confirmed and his or her address has been passed along to Disney-Hyperion, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good luck!