The Lightening Thief

Title The Lightening Thief.

Author- Rick Riodan

ISBN- 0786856297

Publication Information- Hyperion Books, New York, 2005

 

Plot Summary- Percy Jackson has struggled with school for as long as he can remember, but when he is attacked by his teacher, things become increasingly odd. He quickly discovers that the realm of ancient god and goddesses is real and that he is the child of one of them. Percy is eventually forced to seek shelter at a school designed to shelter and train these children. Poseidon claims Percy as his son and Percy soon has to go on a quest to find Zeus's lightning bolt. On his cross-country adventure, Percy and his friends come across all manner of mythological creatures that are sent to either destroy or help him.

Critical Evaluation- This is the beginning of a series and I hope the remainder of the books are as clever as this one. The story functions on two levels. For those unfamiliar with Greek mythology, the story is a nice introduction to it and a fun tale of a young man's adventures as he discovers all of it too. For those more familiar with myth, it is a fun to discover how Riodan manipulates these stories for a contemporary setting. The protagonist and his friends have a good mix of imperfection and fantasy to make the story believable to a younger audience. The lead character is a little young to truly be called teen literature, but like the Harry Potter series, as the story continues, the protagonist is likely to age and series become a little more timely for teens. In any event, my students, many senior college prep students, have found the series fun and entertaining.

Reader's Annotation- Percy wants to have a nice life with his mother and best friend, but when he is attacked by his teacher, the world as he knew it crashes around him.

Author Information- Riodan writes both adult and young adult novels. He is an expert in mythology. His newest series will be based on the Egyptian pantheon.

Curricular Ties- English, mythology

Genre- Contemporary fantasy

Book talking ideas- Is Riodan's use of mythology inventive? What would be most interesting about being the child of a god?

Challenge issues- religious issues that are common to fantasy literature or the study of Greek mythology.

1. Re-read the text to familiarize myself with the story
   
2. Ask parents for their specific objections (they are required to file that with our school district)
   
3. Review approved books list from California Department of Education for similar materials
   
4. Review approaches from ALA
   

Interest Age- 13-16

Why I selected this piece- I wanted to see the movie, but couldn't. I noticed as it was being advertised that more and more of my students were reading the novels.