The Lightning Thief

The #1 New York Times Bestseller Now a series on Disney+

12-year-old Percy Jackson discovers he is the son of Poseidon in the opener to the hilarious, fast-paced adventure fantasy series for young readers ages 10 and up

The hardcover edition of the first book in Rick Riordan's thrilling series, filled with magic, mythology, and plenty of monsters

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school again--he can't seem to stay out of trouble. Is he supposed to stand by while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself when his teacher turns into a monster and tries to kill him?

Mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. What's worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Percy and his friends Grover the satyr, and Annabeth, the demigod daughter of Athena, must find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. They travel cross country to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, facing a host of enemies determined to stop them.

With millions of copies and over 10 years spent on the New York Times bestseller list, Percy has also become a movie, a Broadway musical, and now a Disney+ series. He continues to find fans in classrooms and libraries across the world.

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