I recently saw I list of 13 books every kid should read before turning 13. THE LIGHTNING THIEF was high on that list. The book tells the story of Perseus (Percy) Jackson, a kid who lives with his single mother and is unsure of his dad's identity. After a creepy math teacher transforms into a monster and tries to eat him, Percy's friend Grover (who's really a satyr) takes him to Camp Half-Blood, where Percy learns that the Greek Gods really do exist, and they still have children with mortals. That is what the camp is for. Percy is one of those children. His father is Posiedon, God of the Seas, and Percy has some control over water. But soon he must go on a quest with Grover and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, to take back Zeus's stolen lightning bolt and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. The book is funny and witty, effortlessly matching old mythology and tradition with modern culture in a way that makes the book engrossing and unpredictable. There is no sex, only talk of gods having affairs with mortals, and quite a bit of married gods having affairs with other gods. Violence is the biggest issue, whether it's slapstick or intense. Sword-fights, explosions, creepy monsters, ect. None of it's graphic and most is presented in a comical fashion. Your kids will love this book and you will too. Highly recommended. (P.S. Don't be worried that CommonSense doesn't have reviews for books 2 and 3. They're no worse than this one).

!st person narrative gives the books an unpleasant tone: kids in a world of their own making, adults virtually absent. Violence replaces real conflict in too many places.

This is a fantastic book that my son and I both loved (of course I only got to read it while he was sleeping). I love that the characters show that young teenagers can have strong personalities and a real spine without rudeness and bad attitudes. It's very hard to find those examples in the media today. Riordan has the perfect blend of characters in this series- both good and bad role models- they all have their place and they all teach important lessons.

I completely agree with "slrohrer," a parent who reviewed this book on this site. This is a fantastic book for kids in middle school. I think a parent would definitely need to read the book with a child much younger than that and be prepared to talk about the affairs that go on between the gods and mortal people. I also thought that kids would enjoy the book better if they had at least a little background knowledge on Roman/Greek gods and their stories.

Our 10 year old daughter absolutely loved this book! She couldn't put it down, and immediately read the 2nd and 3rd books. I read it, too, and was thoroughly entertained. These books are very funny, and the way the author reinterprets the Greek gods and mythical creatures is so clever. The best part is, after reading this book, our daughter went to the library and checked out books about the Greek myths, and is now completely fascinated by Greek and Roman mythology! I highly recommend this book for boys and girls, age 9 and up.

The 10 year old i take care of finished this book within this past year. I saw it on the table and picked it up. Loved it! It's definitely something new and exciting for kids to read but not so young that older readers won't enjoy it as well. It's pretty educational and accurate. It also brings greek history to an interesting light, and helps kids become interested when they would normally die of boredom in the classroom with a text book. The only questionable issue in the book would be the idea of married gods having children with other gods and mortals. This isn't something that I would normally bring up with a younger crowd, but in a way it helps the main moral of the book. Family is family regardless of what happens and, when it comes down to it, family has to work together to ultimately survive. As for the idea of promoting greek religious ideals other than the one taught in the home, kids just don't think that way. They learn about different cultures and historical religions in school. They are also able to understand that fiction is just fiction. Some may ask if the greek gods are real or not, some may wonder how cool it would be if there really were a god of the seas. But it all comes down to the parents. Kids are flexible and understanding even when things are beyond their understanding. It's a great book.

I Have Been Reading The Books Sense School And Wow Have I Learned How Good The Book Was First I Saw The Movie Going ''This Is A Book Based Movie I Bet The Book Will Stink'' So I Read It And Wow Was I Wrong It Is The Best Book Series Ever! Better Than The Movie! Dont Belive Me? Read It And You'll See!

love it

Is a great book for younger kids. I like how this series sort of grows with the characters. Don't want to spoil it, but (parents) make sure you talk with your kids about your religion before reading this, as it obviously promotes the theory of Greek gods being real in order for this to be real.