The first book in the series, The lightning Thief has been very popular with the Middle School boys I work with. I've been recommending the book to children with ADHD, Dyslexia, or both, because according to this series, that is a sign you are a demigod (one mortal parent, one Greek God parent). The Dyslexia is because your brain is hardwired for ancient Greek and the ADHD will keep you alive in a battle situation.
One of the things that the middle school boys particularly like, is the fact that the story doesn't take place in ancient Greece. Percy is a modern American boy, who has been raised by a single mother in New York City. At the beginning of the story, Percy has no idea he is anything special, in fact, he has pretty low self esteem, because he struggles with reading and paying attention. He has also been kicked out of several schools.
J.R. coloring a picture of Zeus for the marque of The Lightning Thief he had to hold up during his oral book report at the end of the school year:
If you or your children really enjoy Greek Mythology and would like to color some pictures to go with your reading, here are two links to coloring pages.
Greek Gods, More Cartoon-like
Greek God Coloring Pages, More Detailed
I get a kick out of the fact that there are now book trailers, so here's the one for the latest Percy Jackson book:
If you are already a fan of Percy Jackson, there is a great website with trivia games, word puzzles, computer wall paper, and many other fun things:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
I just finished reading the last book in this series, The Last Olympian, which was just released in hard cover last month, but I don't think this is the last we will hear of Percy Jackson.
8 comments:
Thank you for the book recommendation and the link to the coloring pages. My daughter will be studying Greece this year, so I've bookmarked these links.
I was just thinking, I should have added to this post that the books are not just for boys. I just mostly teach boys.
There are some great strong female demigods, as well, such as Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, God of War.
There is also a movie in development.
"Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is adapted from the first in a fantasy series by Rick Riordan. The Greek mythical character Perseus, who is Poseidon’s son, is recast as a 12-year-old American boy named Percy. He is a on a quest to rescue his kidnapped mother, find Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt, and prevent a civil war brewing between the Greek Gods. Percy must also deal with the conventions of comteporary cultures to fulfill his quest. Chris Columbus directs from Joe Stillman's adapted script. To be released 02/12/2010."
http://homeschoolingjasmine.blogspot.com/
book trailer?
that's new for me!!!
:)
My son loves Rick Riordan!
I will be giving Alex these books after he is done with the Dragon Jousters series. They sound perfect for him. Thanks so much!
Val
Oh good, I just checked my library website and the books are at my library! I think Katie will like them, especially the one about Clarisse.
Book trailers? I haven't heard of those before, lol! Is there a particular website you like the most?
I read this book as an adult and really enjoyed it and will continue to read the series. I also just found out that a movie is being made and that Sean Bean will be Zeus!
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