'Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief'

'Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief' by Rick Riordan This book is engaging from the get go, as it drops the reader right smack bang in the middle of Percy Jackson's new and exciting life as a half-blood (half god, half mortal). The issues are quite serious, with Percy needing to save the world from warring Greek gods, but Riordan writes it in such a way that includes humour to lighten the mood. The use of humour really appeals to the adolescent reader, with chapter titles like, 'I Accidentally Vaporize My Teacher' and 'I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom'. Similar to the novel 'Henry Hoey Hobson', this novel has an underlying focus on the problems that adolescents face in terms of finding their identity and becoming responsible adults. The inclusion of historical names and places allows the book to be used as an engaging introduction into the Ancient Greek world and, therefore, is a great resource for the upper-primary, lower secondary classroom.