Genre: Fantasy
Author: Rick Riordan
Awards: Mark Twain Award (Missouri Association of Librarians) 2008.
Age Group: 9 to 12-year-olds
Teacher Evaluation: As a teacher, I would use this book in my classroom to go over multiple themes, analyzing character relationships, and the plot. The book has many important character types that students will see across various works of literature. The story also would provide students with practice in going over the parts of a plot and understanding themes. I believe this book would best fit in 4th to 6th-grade classrooms. I think this book would best fit in 4th through 6th-grade classrooms because there are some complex concepts for lower grade levels. In a fifth grade classroom, the students could each be given a sticky note, on the stick notes the students would each be given chapters (there are 22 chapters, adjustments could be made to split longer chapters) to summarize. After the students have summarized their chapter or section of the chapter, they would as a class describe what part of the plot their chapter belongs to.
Summary: The Lightning Thief is the first book in a five-part series. The books follow the life and adventures of a young boy, Percy Jackson. At the beginning of this book, the reader learns alongside the main character Percy Jackson, that he is a half-blood. Percy comes to know this life-changing news as his typically troubled life becomes more troubled during a field trip to a museum. Percy always thought he was just a 12-year-old, dyslexia, below average student with bad luck until his math teacher turned into a hideous creature and attacked him. After this incident at the museum, things continued to get more weird for Percy. His mother, best friend Grover and favorite teacher Mr. Brunner have all been lying to him about who he is. Percy experiences a tragic event with a minotaur taking his mother. Percy is taken to Camp Half-Blood where he is surrounded by other half-bloods and mythical creatures. At this camp, Percy learns that Grover, his best friend is also his satyr protector and Mr. Brunner is not a wheelchaired-bound teacher but a centaur. The book continues as Percy meets more characters such as Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Luke, son of Hermes. Percy undergoes camp traditions of sword fights learning more about the houses at camp home to different children of different Gods. During this time Percy learns that his father whom he never knew before is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Grover and Mr. Brunner, known as Chiron at camp detail Percy in why he was hidden throughout his life and why it has recently gotten more troublesome than usual. Percy is a child of the Big Three (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) which means he is already a rule broken, but Zeus and Poseidon have been in a fight over Zeus' stolen lightning bolt. Zeus believes that Poseidon's son Percy has taken his lightning bolt, which is why Percy has been attacked recently. After learning more about his family situation, Percy goes on a quest to find the stolen lightning bolt. Annabeth and Grover accompany Percy on his quest and the team of three overcome many obstacles along the way. The book reaches its climax as the trio enters the Underworld to talk with Hades, who is certain Percy has the lightning bolt. Percy tries to show Hades he does not have the bolt only to realize that he does indeed have it. Hades ends up stealing from Percy and revealing that his mother is still alive. Percy and his friends leave only for Percy to get into a fight with Ares. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are able to return Zeus' lightning bolt completing their quest. Poseidon discusses with Percy that when he returns home he will find his mother safe and sound as well as a decision for him to make. When Percy returns home he has to make the decision to stay at camp forever or stay home. Percy returns to camp to finish the summer only to realize it has been Luke the whole time. Luke stole the lightning bolt and framed Percy. Luke tries to kill Percy before leaving camp to serve Kronos who wants to destroy the Gods. Percy gets bitten by a scorpion and Chiron makes medicine to bring him back to life. The book ends with Percy following his friend Annabeth's decisions to return home, but promising to return back to camp. Percy still feels he has unfinished business with Luke, who Chiron went to tell the Gods of his actions against them before Percy leaves camp.
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