Hobey Ho, Evans Panthers!

Welcome to the reading club blog. This is the place to hear (o.k. read!) about books I love and recommend all the time. Why Hobey Ho? Well, if you've read the Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale you probably already know! If not, read on and I'll tell you......

Merchant of Death
Bobby Pendragon is a pretty normal guy. He's the point guard for his Jr. High basketball team and he's finally getting to kiss (whoo hoo!) the girl he's liked since second grade. Suddenly, his world is turned upside down by his mysterious uncle Press. Soon, Bobby and Press are roaring to NY City on a motorcycle, climbing through an abandoned subway station, and being attacked by killer dogs called Quigs. An evil dude named Saint Dane complicates things and Bobby finds himself alone, jumping through a doorway which turns out to be a "flume" (tunnel) to another dimension. It turns out that Uncle Press is a Traveler, a person who can ride the flumes through time and space .

He needs Bobby to help him save the world.

The Worlds.....

All of them!

Did you know that we live on "Second Earth? In this series the Territories of Halla (the universe) include First Earth (like our own but set in the past), Denduron, Cloral, Veelox, and more. Each book in the series introduces you to another territory. Bobby learns how to be a traveler while he battles Saint Dane. The books is full of exciting adventures and memorable characters.

My favorite character is Spader from the second book, The Lost City of Faar. Spader's this kind of surfer-dude which comes in handy on his mostly-water planet. Spader's cool....he rides a jet-ski thingie and is quick with a joke. His temper and his love of action get him into trouble a lot, but he is Bobby's loyal friend. Spader's favorite expression is "Hobey Ho!" which can mean hello, goodbye, or "oh my gosh, we're about to be eaten!". Spader rocks.

Did I mention that Bobby's best friend Mark and his girlfriend Courtney are also important characters? No?

Most people who meet Mark would probably call him a nerd. He's super-popular Bobby's main connection to home, though. Bobby sends Mark his journals by means of a powerful ring. Mark shares them with Courtney and that's how we readers get to hear Bobby's story. Courtney is an amazing girl...beautiful, fearless, and a powerful athlete.

I like all these characters a whole lot and that's one reason I recommend the books. As a reader, I can't stand a book if the main character is boring or annoying. These books also give your mind something to work on. The author makes Bobby (and you, the reader) think about larger issues. You know, important stuff like....

What happens when mankind tries to improve things but messes with nature too much?

Or what happens when a primitive, oppressed society gets weapons of mass destruction?

Bet you've heard some of these topics right on today's news. Like I said, it's more than just consuming mind-candy to read these books. They are exciting, but they have a bit of depth to them as well.

Here is a list of the titles in order:

*Merchant of Death
*The Lost City of Faar
*The Never War
*The Reality Bug
*Black Water
*Rivers of Zadaa

Send me your thoughts on the books and I'll add your post.

Hobey Ho!

Mrs. Niche

p.s.- Click here to visit the official Pendragon series website.