 The Lightning Thief
(Hyperion)
by Rick Riordan
Reading Level: 9-12
The Holy Grail for a children's editor would be finding the "next
Harry Potter." Publishers have been touting such books for years"”books
like The Thief Lord, Charlie Bone, and Children of the Lamp: The
Akhenaten Adventure. Not even the enjoyable Gregor the Overlander succeeds
in capturing the fun and spirit embodied in the Potter books as well
as Rick Riordan's new series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
First, let's get the inevitable comparisons out of the way. Like Harry,
Percy discovers he is child of destiny to whom the hopes of many adults
are pinned; he has been hidden away among normal humans in an effort
to protect him; and he attends a Hogwarts-like "summer camp" where
he is educated in the ways of a magical world. In the first book of
the series, The Lightning Thief, he is teamed with a male and
female companion. But that's where the similarities end.
The Lightning Thief is built on the premise that the world
of the classical Greek gods is real and co-exists with the modern World.
Since Olympus, the floating city of the god, is always located over
the center of Western civilization, it has moved over the ages from
Athens to New York. While on a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum,
Percy Jackson is attacked by a teacher who has changed into a monster.
It is an event that will thrust Percy into the world of mythology and
demigods.
I am a big Harry Potter fan, so don't get me wrong when I say The
Lightning Thief is a much better written book. Riordan is an
award-winning author of adult mysteries, and his talent shines in
his first book for young readers. But what makes Percy Jackson special
is, well, Percy Jackson. The book is a first person narrative in
Percy's voice, and Percy is an engaging, funny, and smart character,
not to mention he's the half-human son of a god and destined to be
hero in the tradition of Hercules and Achilles. Unlike Harry, Percy
takes responsibility for his life and is not afraid to talk to or
take the advice of adults. Like the classic Greek heroes before him,
Percy is a person of action.
In a summer without Harry, this book would have been poised to be a blockbuster. The
Lightning Thief was scheduled for a July release, but the publisher
wisely pushed it up to June. I highly recommend this book as a family
read because it will appeal to both boys and girls from age nine to adult
and younger children would probably enjoy hearing it read to them. Watch
for The Lightning Thief this June and give it to a child as a
warm-up for Harry.
— KB SHAW, Publisher, Spectrum - Member SCBWI
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