McCracken Middle School All School Read selection for 2010. Copies of the book are available for purchase in the office for $7.00 per copy.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser (readers meet him at a boarding school for troubled youth), but he's really the son of the Greek god Poseidon and a mortal woman. As he discovers his heritage, he also falls into mortal danger. The gods are about to go to war over a lost thunderbolt, so Percy and sidekicks Grover and Annabeth set out to retrieve it. Percy is an honest, wise-cracking, first-person narrator and this is an adventure-quest with a hip edge. Although the novel ends with a satisfying conclusion (and at least one surprise), it is clear that the story isn't over.   

Social networking sites and your child

Does your child use online social networking sites? If so, please read these important recommendations.

For parents:

• Keep the computer in an open family space, NOT in a child's bedroom.
• Limit online time.
• Be aware of how your child is spending her online time.
• Educate your teens about internet realities. These areas are not private, and it is possible to trace users if they reveal even limited personal information.

For students:

• Never talk in open chatrooms.
• Never share your password or ask for the password from a friend.
• Never pose as someone you are not.
• When talking online, only say things that you would say if you were face-to face.

Parent resources:

isafe.org is an organization that provides information and training for parents and educators around internet safety.

NetSmartz.org is another informational resource for parents that offers worthwhile informational videos you can view online as well as other resources.

These recommendations are an excerpt from "MySpace, Facebook, Weblogs for Teenagers: What Do Parents Need to Know?" by Sue Blaney.