Percy’s sword stroke causes the monster to disintegrate, but afterwards the incident seems to have been a hallucination. Percy’s Latin teacher comes to the rescue, throwing Percy a ballpoint pen which turns into a bronze sword. During a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his math teacher transforms into a Fury and attacks him. Strange, sometimes dangerous things happen to him.Īs the novel opens, Percy begins to suspect that his life is not what it seems. This is Percy’s “sixth school in six years.” Wherever he goes, he seems to get in trouble unintentionally. Diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and dyslexia, Percy is attending Yancy Academy, a boarding school for problem teens in upstate New York. Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson has been labeled a troubled youth. Spoiler warning! Do not read this if you don’t want to know the ending of the book! The novel offers an excellent chance for students to explore the Classical heritage of Greece as it applies to modern civilization to analyze the elements of the hero’s quest rendered in a modern-day story with a first-person narrator to whom students can easily relate and to discuss such relevant issues as learning disabilities, the nature of family, and themes of loyalty, friendship and faith. He designed The Lightning Thief to be appropriate reading for ages nine through fourteen. Rick Riordan, the author, has fifteen years experience as an English/language arts teacher at the middle school level. The novel can also be taught at any time after the introduction of Greek mythology, to draw on students’ prior experience as per standard three of the Standards for English Language Arts of the National Council of Teachers of English. It works well if taught in conjunction with mythology, which is a core component of most English state curriculum frameworks. The novel provides a high-interest, humorous introduction to the Greek myths. Percy sets out to become a hero by undertaking a quest across the United States to find the entrance to the Underworld and stop a war between the gods. The Lightning Thief is a light-hearted fantasy about a modern 12-year-old boy who learns that his true father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Feel free to modify it to fit your needs.Ī Rationale for Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief

If you choose to use Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, here is a rationale you are welcome to share with parents, principals, curriculum gurus, etc.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to have a rationale prepared for any novel that might cause controversy. There is one universal truth about reading selections for an English class: No matter what book you select, somebody will object.

The lightning thief by rick riordan