To all my librarian friends, champions of books, true magicians in the House of Life. Without you, this writer would be lost in the Dust.

But Annabeth just smiled and put us in jail. As she was heading back to the front line, she turned and winked. "See you at the fireworks?" She didn't even wait for my answer before darting off into the woods. I looked at Beckendorf. "Did she just...ask me out?" He shrugged, completely disgusted. "Who knows with girls? Give me a haywire dragon, any day." So we sat together and waited while the girls won the game.

Now i'd like to tell u i did something heroic like stand up against a raging team of fire-breathing horses with only my sword the truth is i ran.

Sometimes she teased me that she’d eventually catch up to me in age and be my older sibling. Looking at her now, with that determined glint in her eyes and the confidence in her voice, I could almost believe her

That was so completely unfair that I told Tantalus to go chase a donut, which didn't help his mood.

his hair was permed and gelled like a New Jersey girl's on homecoming night. Percy Jackson

Aphrodite,” [Annabeth] said. “Venus?” Hazel asked in amazement. “Mom,” Piper said with no enthusiasm. “Girls!” The goddess spread her arms like she wanted a group hug. The three demigods did not oblige. Hazel backed into a palmetto tree.