The+Lightning+Thief

__The Lightning Thief__ by Rick Riordan



Plot:

Percy Jackson hasn't had much luck at school, always being expelled for one reason or another. Percy is devastated when he learns he's once again been expelled from his school, and is sad at the thought of leaving Grover, his friend. On his way home, Percy is attacked by supernatural beings and Grover admits that he has been sent to protect Percy. Confused, Percy returns home to his mother and step-father, smelly Gabe. Percy ends up being attacked again by a giant bull, barely making it to a safe haven with Grover before his mother disappears before his eyes. Percy finds out he is a half-blood, being the son of Poseidon, the sea god. Percy is given a quest and quickly thrown in the middle of a near-war between the gods while also trying to find his mother and save her. Along the way Percy meets other gods, learns a few things about himself and his friends, and barely survives to return the stolen master bolt to Zeus, discover who really stole it, and save the western world as we know it.

Personal Thoughts:

As an English teacher (and maybe just as a regular person, too), I absolutely loved this book. I think it would be great to pair Rick Riordan's book up with students reading __The Illiad__ and __The Odyssey__. Riordan does a masterful job of bringing to life ancient Greek mythology and make it relate to today's young adult. Not only do tweens and teens get a taste of mythology, they also get fantasy, adventure, and lovable Percy Jackson. This book is the first of a series of five, and I can definitely see why it was made a movie and why so many tweens, teens, and adults alike enjoy the Olympic-sized adventures created by Riordan.

Genre:

Fantasy

Reading Level:

Ages 9 & up

Series Information:

//The Lightning Thief // is book one in a series of 5 (//Percy Jackson $ The Olympians//): //Sea of Monsters// //The Titan's Curse//

Awards:

2005 School Library Journal Best Book 2005 New York Times Notable Book 2005 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book List 2005 VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List 2005 ALA Notable Book 2005 YALSA Best Book for Young Adults 2006 Red House Children's Book Award Winner (UK) 2006 Notable Children's Book, National Council for Teachers of English 2006 Askews Torchlight Award (UK) 2006 CCBC Choice Award; Cooperative Children's Book Center

Character List:

Percy: Half-God, half-mortal, young Percy Jackson is the twelve year old son of the sea God, Poseidon. Percy shouldn't have been born, as Poseidon was not supposed to sire any more children, and now he must live up to the Gods' standards. In the first novel the twelve-year old Percy must go on a quest to find and return Zeus' master bolt, a large quest for such a young boy. Not to mention, Percy is also trying to save his mother and avoid monsters along the way.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Grover: Grover is a satyr that protects Percy, accompanies him on his journey, and hoped to someday become a 'seeker' such that he can find the God Pan.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Annabeth: Annabeth is Athena's (Greek Goddess of war) daughter. She has family issues with her mortal father and has lived at camp 'half-blood' most of her life. She accompanies Percy on his quest, having always wanted to prove herself in the field. She is strong, cunning, and the reader can't help but hope that she ends up kissing Percy at some point.

<span style="color: #4200ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Citation:

Riordan, R. (2005). //The Lightning Thief//. New York : Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children.