Happy Halloween everyone! This month for our Percy Pack post, my kids worked on a Rick Riordan-inspired pumpkin together. We got the Magnus Chase stencil as a member of the Percy Pack, but you can download it here.
My kids are super lucky, because they have a beloved Uncle Dave who LOVES Halloween, so he got them all pumpkins and let them get to work. The stencil thing can be tricky if you’ve never done it, but they had a great time and then get to talk about the book with everyone who sees the pumpkins on our front porch (the Magnus Chase pumpkin is on the lower right).
For more about MAGNUS CHASE check out the book trailer:
You can order the book, which came out on Oct. 6 at any of these fine online booksellers:
Wondering what people think about the book? Our mother-daughter review is coming next month, but for now, here’s what Kirkus had to say:
First there were the Greek gods, then the Egyptian gods, then the Roman gods—now Riordan takes on the Norse gods.
On his 16th birthday, homeless Boston orphan Magnus Chase (daughter-of-Athena Annabeth’s cousin) magically summon an ancient Norse sword, uses it against a fireball-throwing monster, drops the sword, and dies—but a girl in hijab on a flying horse grabs him and deposits him at the Hotel Valhalla for a new afterlife of perpetual preparation for Ragnarok. Turns out Ragnarok will come pretty soon unless he can retrieve the sword and somehow use it to rebind Fenris Wolf, who is about to slip the magical rope that’s kept him bound for millennia. This will take some doing. Per established formula, narrator Magnus explores his fabulous new home, makes quirky new friends, acquires a bristly female companion, engages in a chain of adventures, and meets the Norse pantheon. Riordan consciously crafts a diverse cast, including a dark-skinned dwarf and a deaf elf. Muslim Valkyrie Samirah is a particularly interesting character. Though she does not come across as devout—she doesn’t seem to take time out to pray, for example—Riordan’s choice to make her happy with her future arranged marriage both honors her culture and allows her friendship with Magnus to develop blessedly free of romantic tension.
A fast-paced, eventful, and largely successful pivot
♦ RICK RIORDAN ONLINE: Visit the official website and follow Rick Riordan on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter #ReadRiordan
Disclosure: As a member of the #PercyPack, Disney Hyperion is providing Teen Lit Rocks with#ReadRiordan/Percy Jackson books, merchandise and prizing.
What Do You Think?