Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

Distributed by Fox

Publisher: Beverly Hills, CA : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, c2010.

Plot Description:

            Percy Jackson didn’t know he was a demi-god, the son of the god Poseidon. But after a school trip where his teacher attacks him and he is chased by the minator to Camp Half Blood he has no choice but to believe.  Unfortunately not he is being accused of stealing Zeus’s master bolt, and must set out on a quest to prove his innocence.  But will he be able to do it in time?

Review:

            The movie has some stark differences from the book.  It is still well acted and fun for tweens, but those who are dedicated to the book might be annoyed by the changes between the two.  I thought that the movie was a fun experience, with lots of action and adventure.  It is a great epic about the Greek gods which will entertain tweens young and old.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Viewing level: 4^th-all grades

Similar Movies: Inkheart, Harry Potter

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Good but the differences from the book were unnecessary

Subjects/themes- Gods, Friendship, Greek Mythology, Adventure, Quest

Character names/descriptions-

            Percy Jackson- 12 year old son of Poseidon, thought to be the one who will bring

down the gods

            Annabelle- daughter of Athena, helps Percy on his quest

            Grover- Percy’s protector

            Chiron- Teacher at Camp Half Blood

            Luke- son of Hades who pretends to be Percy’s friend

Annotation: Sometimes being a demi-god can be a curse.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: New York : Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, c2005.

Plot Description:

             Percy Jackson has always felt different from others his age.  Maybe its because he’s always in trouble, or the fact that he’s never stayed at one school longer than a year.  Or maybe it’s because he’s a demi-god and his father is Poseidon, God of the Seas.  Or so he finds out the year he turns 12, where after a series of events he ends up at Camp Half Blood.  Here he can be with other demigods, and learn how to survive.  But when he is given a quest to find whoever stole Zeus’s master bolt he must use all his wits ot survive.

Review:

            A very engrossing book about a boy, the Greek gods, and an adventure.  One of the most interesting things about the book is how it weaves so much Greek mythology into it, keeping kids both interested in the story as well as a culture that they had to learn about in school.  Percy is a likeable character and a heroic one.  The book’s ending definitely encourages one to read the entire series.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Reading level: 5^th-6^th Grade

Similar Books: Harry Potter

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Very fun book

Subjects/themes- Gods, Friendship, Greek Mythology, Adventure, Quest

Series information- Book 1 of 5

Character names/descriptions-

            Percy Jackson- 12 year old son of Poseidon, thought to be the one who will bring

down the gods

            Annabelle- daughter of Athena, helps Percy on his quest

            Grover- Percy’s protector

            Chiron- Teacher at Camp Half Blood

            Luke- son of Hades who pretends to be Percy’s friend

Annotation: Being the son of a god isn’t all fun and games