tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245036.post-50829600115771176392008-05-01T08:25:00.005-05:002008-05-01T13:30:44.523-05:002008-05-01T13:30:44.523-05:00It has been entling no. 3's and my tradition to buy our copy of the latest Percy Jackson book each year, at <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp">Blue Willow Bookshop</a>. Four books ago, we were there with a small group of listeners while Rick Riordan talked about his new book, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Lightning Thief</span>. We bought a copy and the entling disappeared for a few hours to read when we got home. When <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> finished the book the next day, I told Treebeard, "this man is a rock star" and the rest is history.<br /><br />Since then, it has been a tradition for us to visit the bookstore and acquire signed copies for us and for the ent-nephew. Last year we dodged lightning bolts and crammed our way into the store which was wall-to-wall fans.<br /><br />The times they are a-changing.<br /><br />The next few weeks will mark several family milestones which will keep us hopping, one of which will take me out of town when Rockstar Rick Riordan is at Blue Willow.<br /><br />Also (<span style="font-style: italic;">sob</span><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span> the ent-nephew and his family are leaving the continent. He has a long airplane flight ahead of him so I want him to have the new book for the trip <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>I want him to have a signed copy to go with his others so I will buy his copy on May 6, the release day and the good people at the bookstore are going to ask RRR to sign a bookplate for him when he <a href="http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp?s=storeevents&amp;eventId=371279">appears</a> there on May 17.<br /><br />My priorities may be a little wacky, forget the college graduation, how am I going to get my signed copies of <strong>Battle of the Labyrinth</strong>?<br /><br />Percy and friends have made such an impact on the reading lives of the kids I know and work with. They have a real loyalty and love for this series, like an earlier generation did as it grew up with Harry Potter. This bit of news from <a href="http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/2008/04/year-on-list.html">RRR's blog</a> made me smile:<br /><br /><blockquote>My publicist emailed today to let me know that <strong>Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians</strong> will be #5 on the New York Times children's series bestseller list for next week (before <strong>Battle of the Labyrinth</strong> is published). Why is this significant? Because it marks fifty-two consecutive weeks that Percy Jackson has been on the bestseller list -- one full year.</blockquote><br />This series has been a blessing for all of us.<br /><br />Also, via <span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth &amp; Mystery</span>, I loved the time this young reader put into this video.<br /><br /><embed src="http://xml.truveo.com/eb/i/878544179/a/58ef677afb89fc040e3dec6de7dd6c26/p/1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" wid=""></embed>Camillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10422449200792287901noreply@blogger.com4