Module #5 Fantasy/Science Fiction

Title: The Lightning Thief

Citation:

Riordan, R. (2005). The lightning thief. New York, NY: Disney · Hyperion Books.

Summary:
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of yet another boarding school for behavior problems that seem beyond his control. Then, while on a school field trip, he discovers he is not like other kids when he is attacked by a mythological creature that no one can see except him. It turns out that the father he never knew is none other than the Greek God Poseidon. Poseidon and the other gods are on the brink of war when Zeus’s lightening bolt and helm go missing.  Suddenly his life is one adventure after another as Percy and two friends set out on a quest to discover who stole the items and return them before it’s too late.

Review:

Gr 5-9-An adventure-quest with a hip edge. At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser (readers meet him at a boarding school for troubled youth), but he's really the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. As he discovers his heritage, he also loses that mother and falls into mortal danger. The gods (still very active in the 21st-century world) are about to go to war over a lost thunderbolt, so Percy and sidekicks Grover (a young satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) set out to retrieve it. Many close calls and monster-attacks later, they enter Hades's realm (via L.A.). A virtuoso description of the Underworld is matched by a later account of Olympus (hovering 600 floors above Manhattan). There's lots of zippy review of Greek myth and legend, and characters like Medusa, Procrustes, Charon, and the Eumenides get updates. Some of the Labors of Heracles or Odysseus's adventures are recycled, but nothing seems stale, and the breakneck pace keeps the action from being too predictable. Percy is an ADHD, wise-cracking, first-person narrator. Naturally, his real quest is for his own identity. Along the way, such topics as family, trust, war, the environment, dreams, and perceptions are raised. There is subtle social critique for sophisticated readers who can see it. Although the novel ends with a satisfying conclusion (and at least one surprise), it is clear that the story isn't over. The 12-year-old has matured and is ready for another quest, and the villain is at large. Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. 

Review Source:

Lothrop, P.D.(Aug 2005). The lightning thief (Book Review).  School Library Journal,  51(8), 134-134.

Impressions:

I was sucked into this book from the very first page. Having worked with middles school and high school kids for years I can hear them in the voice of Percy Jackson.  I loved how Riordan wove Greek mythology into the story making it so approachable and fun to learn about. There are many similarities between the book thief and Harry Potter and yet they are different too. It’s a funny, heartfelt story. This is a very enjoyable, easy-to-read book!

Suggested Use(s):

Use the book as a literature tie-in while studying the gods and goddesses of Greek Mythology, arts & architecture of Greece and geography.

Additional  Information:

Awards:

A New York Times Bestseller
Selected for Al Roker’s Book Club For Kids, the Today Show
A Best Book of 2005, School Library Journal
A New York Times Notable Book of 2005
A Best Book of 2005, Child Magazine
Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2006, Texas Library Association
Askews Torchlight Award (UK) Winner, 2006
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book List, 2005
VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List for 2005
ALA Notable Book for 2005
YALSA Best Book for Young Adults 2005
Red House Children’s Book Award Winner (UK), 2006
CCBC choice award 2006, Cooperative Children’s Book Center
A 2006 Notable Children’s Book, National Council for Teachers of English
A Publishers Weekly National Children’s Bestseller
Warwickshire Book Award Winner (UK), 2007

Plus nearly twenty State Library Association Readers’ Choice Awards    

Interest Level: 5-8

Reading Level:  4.9

Lexile Measure: 740