The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 1

THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends s

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Rick Riordan; mythological “god”
Rick Riordan, a young adult author, is quickly becoming a god figuratively speaking. After the release of his novel The Lightning Thief in June of 2005, Riordan is quickly becoming well known because of his young adult series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This series is quickly becoming one of the newest young adult fads because of the interesting way the novels include facts about Greek mythology without being dull or unoriginal.

One of the attention grabbers Riordan uses is his characters who allow the reader to quickly become absorbed in the book. The first character introduced is Percy Jackson, a twelve year old boy diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia who seems to have extreme difficulty staying out of trouble and in a school district. Riordan helps the reader to understand Jackson better by introducing his mom to the reader, as Jackson’s father is mysteriously out of the picture. Jackson’s life is quickly turned upside down after a trip to the coast with his mother. Some of the other characters readers quickly gain affection for are Annabeth, the lonely girl who lives at summer camp; Grover, Jackson’s best friend who seems unnaturally nervous; Chiron, Jackson’s teacher who has unnaturally high expectations for him; and Luke, the friendly camp counselor with a mysterious scar on his face.

This series appeals to many readers, not just young adults. The appeal for these novels is that it introduces Greek mythology in a way that is interesting and fun, putting their experiences in the present time while still being correct. Also, the books allow for the reader to understand what the characters are going through by using dream sequences to show how they feel about situations. The most important appeal that Riordan uses is the fact that the characters in his books are still going through the adolescent changes that every person went through in life. The characters deal with everything from understanding their parents and teachers to trying to figure out what that girl over there is thinking.

While the writing style of these novels may not be up to Dante’s standards, it is simple enough for children to be comfortable reading while still allowing adults to be entertained as well. One of the best parts of the novels is the fact that the series leads seamlessly from one book to the next. All of the books have flawless transitions, allowing the reader to quickly move through the series without confusion.

The most important part of this series is the fact that they are education without the reader knowing it. The Greek facts are included in a way that does not allow the reader to realize they are learning something, while reading questions are found in the back of the book to provoke thought. Also the novels help to promote morals for children and adults alike, teaching them to stand up for themselves and what is right and wrong. Riordan has stumbled upon a creative way to teach children about the history intertwined in our present while enthralling adults as well.

5 Stars for reluctant readers
I teach 5th grade,and every year I have a few students (usually boys) who say they don’t like to read. I ask them to let me select a book for them with the promise they’ll not want to put down the book. I then hand over The Lightning Thief. The first reaction is typically, “This book is too thick!” I once again ask them to have a little faith in me and give the book a try. Once they agree, their fate is sealed! The action, humor, and Greek mythology ensnare my reluctant readers. They can relate to Percy’s ADHD and struggles with school/friends/girls/himself. I have NEVER had a student not finish the book and ask for the rest of the series. My students who never liked to read suddenly ask to come in at recess to read or are caught with a book on their lap during math time! What a horrible problem for a teacher to have!!! I absolutely love these books and have read them several times, so I recommend them to adults as well. If you think the size of the book may be too much for someone, then I recommend finding the Myth-O-Mania series by Kate McMullan. They are shorter, humorous stories of Greek mythology told from Hades’s point of view. There is something about the Greek myths that captivates students who thought reading was useless. Once they start reading books like the Percy Jackson and Myth-O-Mania series, they just take off and expand into other genres. Buy these books!

5 Stars percy jackson and the olympians is radical dued you now what i am saying women
the lightning thief is so awsom. I like how Rick.r is cereated his work in this book. if anyone knows Rick tell him his book is awsom and I want to know who illustrated the cover of the book. BY: ANDREW.j.c

4 Stars Awesome Idea, Good Execution
Perhaps I’m a bit biased about this book, considering I’m a sucker for Greek mythology. The modernization of the Greek gods was masterful, and I found myself enjoying the humorous allusions tremendously. The plot was also excellent, with an unexpected twist in the end that leaves us on the edge of our seat for the sequel. Percy himself comes off as quite funny; he’s a normal, likable character that everyone can relate to. You can feel the sparks fly between him and Annabeth, and I look forward to seeing how that relationship pans out. All in all, this is a novel definitely worth your time.

5 Stars A very interesting but good book
This is an awesome book! I love to read about greek mythology. So do my friends Cade, Ruby, and Paul. I like this book because every thing in the

greek myths come to life like it could really happen. Once you start this book you never want to stop reading. Because it is so interesting. You

never know what will happen next. The reason I bought this book is because Ruby told me how good this book was. So I bought it.It was about a boy

named Percy Jackson who not only finds out he is half god, but he finds out he is a son of the big three. He goes on a big quest with his friends

Annabeth ang Grover to find Zeues’s master bolt that had been stolen. I recommend this book to any young reader.

– Sofia Martinez

age 9

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