I read these in the sun.

The 39 Clues: One False Note, by Gordon Korman. I was going to comment on how this book seemed different from the first, having forgotten that they have different authors. Why do they do that? Anyway, still a very good book. I'm sure kids won't notice the differences. I realize that much of this is fantasy, but some parts that are supposed to actually be based on history aren't historically accurate. That "Let them eat cake" stuff was totally untrue, and all the French knew it. After reading the first book, I thought this might be a good series to help get kids interested in history, but if even some of the basic premises are poorly researched, I take it back. I don't really have time to take in whole series the way I used to, but I had been curious to see where it goes. I still want to know, so, despite the fact that I have both good and bad feelings about the series thus far, they are quick enough reads that I'll have a go at the 3rd. It's red, and I think it's currently trying to hide from me under my night table. Our wonderful Head of Circ just hand-delivered the next Percy Jackson book (The Battle of the Labyrinth) to my office. I have a few books that I need to read before that, but I should be able to get to it in about a week. Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease, by Dr. Sharon Moalem, with Jonathan Price. This would make a great audiobook! This author totally nailed talking about science in a friendly, personable way, using medical terms and great explanations to make the work informative, approachable, and not patronizing. Way to go! I was worried that the author was being a little too familiar, too laid back, with his language, but it really worked. Or, at least, he uses the same kind of slang as I do, so I was comfortable with his writing. Others may feel slightly differently. My only criticism is that they author tended to use italics a bit more often than seemed necessary, and that breaks up the flow of my reading. This book was also great to read for its information content. I learned new and exciting things; I was familiar with some fo the ideas from other medical books I've read, but there was plenty of new stuff to keep my brain busy. Unlike some other science books, this was more true to its focus-- disease and only disease, instead of disease and parasites, or what have you-- which I appreciate.