The Trials of Apollo, Book 1: The Hidden Oracle

In this book, the first in Riordan’s Trials of Apollo series (a spin-off of his bestselling Percy Jackson series), the god Apollo is punished by Zeus and sent to Earth in the form of a gawky teenage boy. He is forced to serve a 12-year-old demigod girl who just recently discovered her powers, faces danger from an ongoing series of mythological creatures trying to kill him, and attempts to solve the mystery of why the Oracle of Delphi has gone silent. Narrator Daymond’s narration is delightful: lively and comical, he perfectly captures the lovably conceited and pompous Apollo, who is constantly being brought down a peg in his humiliating human state, and creates memorable voices for a myriad of creatures, including gurgly, raspy plague ghouls, an authoritative centaur, and a grain spirit in the form of a wailing baby. Percy Jackson fans will eagerly take to this new series, and Daymond’s entertaining narration only adds to the fun. Ages 10–14. A Disney-Hyperion hardcover. (May)