The Lightning Thief

The classic first book about Percy Jackson, the troubled boy who discovers he is the son of Poseidon, and his adventures with demigods, monsters, and Greek gods.

• This classic by #1 New York Times best selling author Rick Riordan has sold millions of copies throughout the world
• It has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 10 years
• Read in classrooms across the US
• Adapted into a movie, a Broadway musical, and soon, a TV series on Disney+
• Brings Greek mythology to life for modern readers
• Features beloved characters such as Annabeth Chase and Grover the satyr
• Funny and fast-paced

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.

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: 06/01/2005
Pages: 377
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.90w x 1.50d
ISBN: 9780786856299
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.7
Point Value: 13
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 89885 / Lightning Thief


Award: Bluebonnet Awards - Nominee
Award: Rhode Island Teen Book Award - Nominee
Award: Beehive Awards - Winner
Award: Young Reader's Choice Award - Winner
Award: Grand Canyon Reader Award - Winner
Award: Colorado Blue Spruce Award - Nominee
Award: Nutmeg Book Award - Winner
Award: Sunshine State Young Reader's Award - Winner
Award: North Carolina Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Massachusetts Children's Book Award - Winner
Award: Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award - Winner
Award: Colorado Children's Book Award - Runner-Up
Award: Isinglass Teen Read Award - Nominee
Award: Nene Award - Recommended
Award: Nene Award - Winner
Award: Sequoyah Book Awards - Winner
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Winner
Award: Virginia Readers Choice Award - Winner
Award: Georgia Children's Book Award - Winner
Award: Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award - Winner
Award: Golden Archer Award - Nominee
Award: Iowa Teen Award - Winner
Award: Golden Sower Award - Winner
Award: Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award - Winner
Award: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award - Winner
Award: West Virginia Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Volunteer State Book Awards - Winner
Award: Maine Student Book Award - Winner
Award: Mark Twain Readers Award - Winner


Review Citation(s):
Ingram Children's Advance 07/01/2005 pg. 56
Kirkus Review - Children 06/15/2005 pg. 690
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2005 pg. 479
Publishers Weekly 07/18/2005 pg. 207
Voice of Youth Advocates 08/01/2005 pg. 237 - Recommended - Readable
School Library Journal 08/01/2005 pg. 134
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2006 pg. 74 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw
Booklist 09/15/2005 pg. 59
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2005 pg. 113 - Recommended
SLJ's Best Books 12/01/2005 pg. 48
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2006 pg. 231
ALA Best Books Young Adults 03/01/2006 pg. 8
ALA Notable Children's Books 03/01/2006 pg. 30

About the Author
Rick Riordan, dubbed "storyteller of the gods" by Publishers Weekly, is the author of five #1 New York Times best-selling middle grade series with millions of copies sold throughout the world: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, and the Trials of Apollo, based on Greek and Roman mythology; the Kane Chronicles, based on Ancient Egyptian mythology; and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, based on Norse mythology. Rick collaborated with illustrator John Rocco on two #1 New York Times best-selling collections of Greek myths for the whole family: Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes. Rick is also the publisher of an imprint at Disney-Hyperion, Rick Riordan Presents, dedicated to finding other authors of highly entertaining fiction based on world cultures and mythologies. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @RickRiordan.