Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a bit of a loser. Getting kicked out of a different school year after year, because of fights, and having trouble with his studies, because of his ADHD and dyslexia, is a normal thing for him. Having a real jerk for a stepfather seems to be the icing on the miserable cake of his life. The only good things are his best (and only) friend Grover and his mom. She loves him and wants to protect him, but exactly what is she protecting him from? Percy finds out soon enough as a disaster forces him to spend the summer at Camp Half Blood; a camp for the children of the Greek gods and mortals! Percy learns a lot about his life in a short amount of time including the theft he supposedly made from the god Zeus! As Percy goes on his first incredibly dangerous, and possibly last mission, he is accompanied by Grover and Annabeth, friends, who are by his side, even though the prophet Oracle claims of betrayal and danger.

I just finished this book after staying up until 3am the night before. It was so good I did not want to put it down. This book has everything for all readers: action, questions, suspense, family issues, monsters, and powers. Don't be surprised if after reading this kids gain a healthy interest in learning about Greek mythology. With characters like the Furies, Medusa, satyr's, and wood nymphs curiosities should run rampant. This is the first of Percy's adventures, and book four has just come out. Make sure you have access to all in the series, because once you start you will not want to stop!
Gr. 5-9

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