As the giant clear doors of the  beautiful library opened, it felt as if they were welcoming me home. I clenched the giant book in my hands. The Lost Hero was about Roman and Greek mythology. I was hoping that the library had a book like it. It was so fun and interesting that I could read it for days. My class walked into the library, running towards the legos. Nobody ever really checked out books.A few kids did, but never a lot.  I slowly walked towards the book check- out desk where Ms.Savoca, the librarian, was sitting. 

“Hi Ms.Savoca!” I greeted. “Do you have any books like this?”

I showed her The Lost Hero and she searched up the book on her computer and got up from her chair. She motioned me to follow.

“Let's check where you got it,”she said as she walked to the corner of the library where I found my book. “Maybe we can find the rest of that series.” 

We looked in that small corner high and low. Nothing, absolutely nothing. So then, Ms.Savoca went to the shelf right next to the geography books. She looked down the books, tracing her finger until she landed on a book. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

“Do you want to try this?” Ms.Savoca said as she held up the book. “It's Greek mythology and by the same author.”

I wasn’t too sure at first. I was a little disappointed too. But I grabbed the book and thanked Ms.Savoca. She was always a huge help, whether it was finding a book or setting up a camera. She checked out my book and I went to sit down in a chair. The book looked ordinary on the outside  but when I opened it, a whole world came out. 

Look, I didn’t want to be a halfblood. 

The book instantly glued my hands to it. Yep, this was my favorite book so far.

After library time finished, we went to Science Class. I was being constantly told to close my book while my 4th grade teacher, Ms.Monette, was talking. I’m pretty sure I was really close to getting in big trouble that day. 

You drool when you sleep.

There it was again. The book pulled me in. Every single word felt like it was creating something from the dust. When we finally were allowed home, I had to go to afterschool. But, my parents picked me up a little earlier than usual. I ran inside my bedroom once we got home and opened my book. 

Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God.

I read and read and read. I will finish this book. I will finish the series. Nobody can tell me otherwise. Well, except for my mom.

“Leyla!” she called once it was time for dinner. “Come down stairs! Food is ready!”

I groaned and took a final glance at my paper. Then I slowly walked downstairs. I wanted to go back to my book. Back to Camp Half-Blood where Percy had finally gotten claimed, Clarisse was hating Percy to her full content, and the plot grew. 

“Can I bring my book down?” I asked my mom, knowing the answer would probably be no.

My brother, Evren, came over and asked the same thing. So then my mom sighed and agreed to our request. I ran to grab my book and get back in the story.

A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?

I just had to finish this. With only 142 pages to go, I had a lot more to discover. But this book brought something out in me. It has changed me to see and imagine the world in a completely different perspective. The perspective of an ADHD and dyslexic 12 year old boy who is constantly about to die. Yeah, thats different all right.

“Will you play with me?” Evren asked. “I’m bored.”

I shooed him out of my room. Right now, me, Annabeth, and Percy were all riding on the Tunnel of Love, right about to jump off so we don’t die. I couldn’t miss a second of this. 

“Mom!” Evren whined. “Leyla won’t play with me!”

I closed my door, practically begging for privacy. I had places to be and a universe to save. I couldn’t be distracted with this kind of stuff.

Reading page after page, I craved more. But then, Grover, Percy's satyr friend, moved toward a deep hole. Running to follow them from the pages, I wanted to reach in and save Grover. Relief caught me once he took off the shoes and didn’t fall into the hole. But the dark and deep abyss, Tartarus, was something else. Even from a different universe, it felt so real. It felt like something evil and powerful, but old, was lingering in there. I didn’t like it. I wanted to run far, far away. 

They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom. 

Pulling me in deeper, I scanned each word carefully. Finally comforting Hades, Percy’s friends were willing to do anything for him; even die. 

Is it because he is a child of the Big 3? I thought curiously. Or is it because they are his friends?

I wanted to know as questions floated around in my head like fish in a sea.(Get it?) The farther I went into the book, the more those questions grew and multiplied. Percy had done so much to save his mother and to save the planet. He deserved better than this. 

“You got this,” I whispered to Percy during Chapter 20. He was about to fight Ares, the god who stole the bolt. 

I was about to head to the next chapter when I looked at the time, 8:30 pm. For me, that was pretty late. But I had to finish this book. I had gotten so far, I couldn’t stop now. 

I got the feeling Poseidon really didn’t know what to think of me. He didn’t know whether he was happy to have me as a son or not.

Now I definitely couldn’t put the book down. With only one more chapter, I was ready to finish it.

“Leyla!” My mom yelled as she saw I was still reading. “It's 8:45! Why aren’t you getting ready for bed?”

I quickly pointed at my book and told her the truth, “My book! There's only one chapter left!”

Luckily, my mom allowed me to finish. Returning the bolt was a struggle and making it back to camp was only slightly easier. In the end, Percy didn’t die and prevented the end of life on Earth. He also got his mom back once the helm of darkness was returned. But something else happened. Something I didn’t expect and wasn’t at all prepared for. I was filled with different emotions as I finished reading. Then all of the sudden, Mom came in, signaling that it was time to close my book.

Mom walked over and sat on my bedside. “Good book?” She asked.

“You have no idea.”