The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1 (by Rick Riordan)

Percy Jackson, dyslexic and hotheaded, has been kicked out of yet another school. But stranger things are happening around him, and soon he finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, a refuge and training ground for children of the Greek gods, who are still around and causing trouble for humans. He discovers that his dyslexia is caused by his brain being hardwired for Greek, and his hotheadedness is because, well, he's a hero.

All too soon he discovers which god is his father, and that he is a pawn in a titanic battle between the gods that may ignite World War III. Accompanied by a daughter of Athena and a young Satyr, Percy is sent to retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt from Hades, who supposedly stole it. But things are even more complicated than he and the gods imagined, and there are dangerous plots afoot.

Written from Percy's point of view in choppy, attitude-filled prose, there are two levels of fun in THE LIGHTING THIEF. One is the fast-paced quest of a young hero and his friends to save the world. The characters aren't emotionally involving, but nonetheless this part is exciting, suspenseful, and very satisfying. Children who don't know much mythology can still enjoy the breakneck adventure on its own.

For those who do know Greek myths, or those inspired to learn about them, there's another level of fun here -- laughing at the wicked ways the author has updated the gods and monsters for the 21st century. Ares is a cross between a Hell's Angel and a professional wrestler, a math teacher is a harpy in disguise, and demigods can communicate by IMing -- Iris messaging (you'll have to read it to get the details on that one). A fun read for anyone, and a great read-aloud for a class studying mythology.