Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is going on a field trip with his friend Grover. They are at a museum on a tour with Mr. Brunner. Percy pushed (or used water to pull) a girl into a fountain. Percy's math teacher, Mrs. Dodds, asks Percy to follow her. They go into a Greek and Roman section of the museum that is deserted, and Mrs. Dodds transforms into a shriveled monster with bat wings and leaps at Percy. Mr. Brunner then throws a pen at percy, which he grabs, and it turns into a sword. Percy slices Mrs. Dodd's arm off and she turns to dust. Percy was then alone in the room, left to wonder if what he had seen was real. I believe that this book is odd, over-exaggerated, and easy to read. It is also the perfect book for me to read for the last few weeks of school.

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

Jack believes that religion and science do not conflict as much as many would think. Science, he says, can be proven wrong, whereas spiritualism cannot be proven wrong. On a different note, Horner goes on to say that embryos of all four-legged creatures, also called quadrupeds, are very similar. All have a spine, which can grow into a tail. they all have eyes that can develop differently. Therefore, Jack Horner believes it is possible to achieve reverse evolution. Overall, this book has been very fascinating and has brought up many valid and thought-provoking points. I have enjoyed this book, but hope to read a more exciting and fantastical book for the remainder of the school year.

Pages 200-220(END)

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

The structure of a tail is actually much more complex than the structure of a limb or even that of a wing. This is due to the tail having 2 more major components than the tail, the central nervous system and the notochord. The notochord and central nevous system allow the tail to be used to balance a creature and to allow it more movement. Tails contain vertebrae just like a spine, and vertebrae are derived from somites. To me, the tail allowing creatures to balance is interesting, because without it, a T. Rex would just be a clumsy giant, unable to run as fast and often tripping.

Pages 180-200