The Lightning Thief

The next book that I would like to offer up as a great choice for a read aloud comes as an excellent choice also for teachers who teach Greek myths. The Lightning Thief, written by Rick Riordan, tells the story of a young man who is your typical ADHD teenager. He can't focus in school. He doesn't have many friends, and something is up with his teacher. Percy does not live at home with his mother and stepfather. He has been sent away, primarily so that the stepfather won't hurt Percy. When Percy goes home for the summer, he and his stepfather butt heads miserably. Mom decides that she will take Percy to a special camp. On the way to the camp, his mom reveals that Percy's real father is a Greek god. She takes him to Camp Half-Blood, a camp for students with one parent that is a god.

The camp cabins are separated by the gods. It is undetermined at first who Percy's father is, so he is placed with many other kids who are the offspring of Hermes. As time marches on, Percy's discovers that his father is Poseidon, the god of the sea. Problems arise when it is revealed that someone has stolen Zeus' thunderbolt. Everyone believes that Percy is the thief so he must set out to clear his name.

Along his adventure, Percy meets up with quite a few Greek characters, such as the Fates and a minotaur. There are some nice twists and turns that occur throughout the story likening it to Harry Potter.

I love Greek mythology, and it incorporates them very well into the story. In third grade, we have to study ancient Greece, so this is one of those fun extras that I get to share with my students. If you like the book, there are 3 more currently available in the series.