Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy
# of pages: 128
Reading Level: 470L, 11-14 years
Summary: Percy Jackson is a misunderstood 12-year-old boy who is diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. Percy is viewed as a hyperactive distraction by most of his teachers, however, as fantasy begins to blend in with reality, Percy suddenly finds himself in the middle of a war between Gods. When Percy is identified as a demi-god and son of Poseidon he sets off on a life-altering quest to restore peace before the world is engulfed. Joined by the daughter of Athena, Annabeth, and his protector, Grover, the brave group of three travels across the country while frequently running into mythology's most well-known characters. With this novel being written through the eyes of a child it allows for moments of light in a harrowing tale. When Percy’s biggest concern should be surviving the underworld instead he wonders,” What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades' underwear?” (Venditti et al., 2023)The Lightning Thief is rooted in Greek mythology and explores life in terms of fantasy while providing pockets of humor and friendship.
Genre: The Lightning Thief is classified as a young adult fantasy novel. While set in an everyday scenario the fantasy of living in a world ruled by Greek Gods is mythical.
Reading the Novel: The Lightning Thief is a great read for students who enjoy fantasy or mythical stories, especially for those with an interest in Greek mythology. I do not think The Lightning Thief would be a class read as there are books a class could get more from, but it is a fun recommendation for students who are starting their reading journeys.
Teaching the Novel: The Lightning Thief is essentially a story of a young boy finding himself and his true identity. Figuring out who you are is a task kids and adults grapple with daily, so reading a story in which students could relate to the character on a quest for self-discovery could be extremely comforting for students. Percy Jackson makes them feel like they do not have to do it alone. It is a quick read at only 128 pages with a Lexile level of 450.
Cross-Curriculum: The Lightning Thief is another good book to incorporate into a social studies lesson. Most middle schools have a Greek mythology unit in their curriculum and this novel is an easily digestible and entertaining way to encourage students to get involved in the unit.
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