Percy Jackson & The Olympians

Written by Rick Riordan and published by Hyperion Books, the five-volume series of Percy Jackson & the Olympians follows the titular character as he discovers that the father who has been absent all of his life is actually the Greek god, Poseidon! Having a father who is the god of the sea certainly explains why Percy feels so at home in the water.

If that weren't enough, Percy is forced from his peaceful, comfortable life by outside forces who want to destroy him. The old Greek myths are alive and kicking as they search out new heroes to hunt and destroy, putting Percy on a path that will forever change who he is.

Percy is helped in his quest by his friends Annabeth (daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom) and Grover, a satyr (half man, half goat) who work together to help the world of man survive the ever-present threat presented by the world of myth.

Book 1, The Lightning Thief, description from the author:

"Humans and half-bloods alike agree—Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series fit for heroes! Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he’ll be safe—Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends—a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods."


What makes Percy Jackson such a great story is that it teaches core aspects of Greek mythology to students. The characters, tales, and stories that come alive for Percy are the same stories that have come alive for thousands and years and many different cultures.

Some of these beings include:

Medusa
Ares
Athena
Hades
Aphrodite
Zeus
Hephaestus
Hermes
The Labyrinth
Sirens
Titans, including Atlas, Kronos, and Calypso
Daedalus
Icarus
The Minotaur
Dionysus

While the characters are pure classical myth, the author, Rick Riordan, has moved them to the new 'power center' of the world, New York city, with Olympus itself being accessible through the Empire State Building's '600th floor' that only gods and half-bloods can reach.

The Lightning Thief was recently made into a motion picture. The trailer for the film can be seen below.

Trailer:



While the book diverges in a few key places from the film, it is still an excellent adaptation of an amazing story. Watch now as librarian, Brian Wilkinson, gives his thoughts and impressions of the book and showcases other volumes available in the series and universe of Percy Jackson.

Book review: