The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief

By Rick Riordan

Hyperion Books for Children, 2005. 377 pages. Fantasy.

ISBN: 9780786856299

Reading/Interest Level: Ages 10+

Curriculum ties: Greek mythology

Booktalk Ideas: Twists on myths: Start by introducing Poseidon, and then explain that there are a lot of demi-gods with certain abilities. Introduce Percy.

Challenge Issues: N/A

Challenge Response: First Defense File

Reader’s Annotation:

All his life Percy Jackson has had a hard time at school, but as a demi-god he tends to have more to worry about than just his grades. Will he be able to stop a war on Mount Olympus?

Plot Summary:

Percy Jackson is twelve years old and only half human. He’s a demi-god, or someone who is half god, half human. Percy isn’t a normal boy, and struggles with learning disabilities like ADHD and dyslexia, but that’s all just because his father is a god. Who? Percy doesn’t know.

When Percy is and his mother are attacked by a Minotaur, Percy fights and defeats the monster, but passes out from exhaustion. He then wakes up at Camp Half-Blood in New York, which is for kids just like him. Camp Half-Blood helps keep young demi-gods safe from the monsters that like to attack them.

While at camp, Percy learns that his father is Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, which brings with it a whole host of other problems. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen and Zeus is blaming Poseidon. As Poseidon’s son, Percy must track down the real thief and get the master bolt back before a war between the gods breaks out. Yet there are other forces pulling strings behind the scenes.

Critical Evaluation:

Though perhaps a little juvenile, this is very much a fun and action packed read. The characters are likable and the take on the Greek gods is a breath of fresh air. They’ve clearly been updated into modern world, for example, Ares with his motorcycle and baseball hat.

The conflict between the gods could have easily become cliché, but having the gods be parents of so many children and shifting the focus to them really saved the story. Many times we think of the gods as being all powerful, but compared to the children they actually seemed somewhat powerless.

If I have any qualms about the book it’s that it feels a bit like Harry Potter except with Greek gods instead of a wizarding community. Percy goes away to a magical place for people just like him, he discovers that as the son of Poseidon he is quite unique and the only one able to stop a massive war. He has two other friends in the super intelligent Annabeth and the friendly and funny Grover, and he finds what he’s looking for (the master bolt) when it magically appears with him. Even with all the similarities though, this book really is quite unique and I didn’t feel like the similarities were distracting. Indeed, I love Harry Potter, so why shouldn’t I love Percy Jackson?

About the Author:

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning Tres Navarre mystery series for adults.

For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. In 2002, Saint Mary's Hall honored him with the school's first Master Teacher Award.

While teaching full time, Riordan began writing mystery novels for grownups. His Tres Navarre series went on to win the top three national awards in the mystery genre - the Edgar, the Anthony and the Shamus. Riordan turned to children's fiction when he started The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story for his oldest son.

Today over 35 million copies of his Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus books are in print in the United States, and rights have been sold into more than 35 countries. Rick is also the author of The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, another #1 New York Times bestseller.

Rick Riordan now writes full-time. He lives in Boston with his wife and two sons.

-from Amazon.com author page-

Justification of Selection:

This book may appeal to reluctant readers, and the fact that the kids at Camp Half-Blood often have disabilities like dyslexia and ADHD will be appealing to kids in similar situations. It has also been highly regarded by professional review journals.