Product Description

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1592 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-01
• Released on: 2006-03-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 392 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9–At the outset of this fast-paced tale by Rick Riordan (Hyperion/Miramax, 2005), it would seem that Percy Jackson is just another New York kid diagnosed with ADHD, who has good intentions, a nasty stepfather, and a long line of schools that have rejected him. The revelation of his status as half-blood offspring of one of the Greek gods is nicely packaged, and it's easy to believe that Mount Olympus, in modern times, has migrated to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building (the center of Western civilization) while the door to Hades can be found at DOA Recording Studio, somewhere in LA. With his new friends, a disguised satyr, and the half-blood daughter of Athena, Percy sets out across the country to rectify a feud between Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. Along the way they must cope with the Furies, Medusa, motorcycle thug Aires, and various other immortals. Although some of Jesse Bernstein's accents fail (the monster from Georgia, for instance, has no Southern trace in her voice), he does a fine job of keeping the main characters' tones and accents distinguishable. He convincingly portrays Percy, voicing just the right amount of prepubescent confusion, ironic wit, and the ebbing and waning of concern for himself and those around him. Mythology fans will love this take and kids who haven't been inculcated with the Classical canon will learn aspects of it here while having no trouble following a rollicking good–and modern–adventure.–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. The escapades of the Greek gods and heroes get a fresh spin in the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a contemporary 12-year-old New Yorker who learns he's a demigod. Perseus, aka Percy Jackson, thinks he has big problems. His father left before he was born, he's been kicked out of six schools in six years, he's dyslexic, and he has ADHD. What a surprise when he finds out that that's only the tip of the iceberg: he vaporizes his pre-algebra teacher, learns his best friend is a satyr, and is almost killed by a minotaur before his mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood--where he discovers that Poseidon is his father. But that's a problem, too. Poseidon has been accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and unless Percy can return the bolt, humankind is doomed. Riordan's fast-paced adventure is fresh, dangerous, and funny. Percy is an appealing, but reluctant hero, the modernized gods are hilarious, and the parallels to Harry Potter are frequent and obvious. Because Riordan is faithful to the original myths, librarians should be prepared for a rush of readers wanting the classic stories. Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Packed with humorous allusions to Greek mythology . . . along with rip-snorting action sequences, this book really shines." -- Horn Book Magazine

"[A] riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Customer Reviews

GREAT!
This book is great! I would recommend this whole series, it's awesome. My cousin read some to me and I never knew I would like this kind of book.

WOW
Very, excellent book. kept me the edge and when it finished i couldn't wait fr the next installment

Super series about a son of a Greek god
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson (p 38) "A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years," has been being shipped off to boarding school for years. Seems like he is always getting into trouble for something. And he has oddly awful experiences every time he goes on a class field trip. His stepfather is a smelly, obnoxious man who doesn't seem like a good fit for his sweet mother. In spite of which, he wishes he could just stay home. Finally, he ends up at a camp for half-blood kids like himself, learns about his paternal pedigree, and sets off on a quest to retrieve a stolen artifact. To say much more might spoil the story. The Lightning Thief is phenomenally filled with facts about Greek gods and containing: appropriate humor, wonderful writing, a fabulous plot, and uniquely funny chapter titles. Those who like this series may also enjoy: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket; Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins; and, of course, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.