It’s always a thrill when I find books I KNOW kids will love! I’m talking about books that you can’t put down; books that grip you from the first page and don’t let go until the end and even then you don’t want to stop. (Actually, aren’t we all looking for these types of books.) So, here is a book that will sweep you away. “The Lightning Thief”, by Rick Riordan, is a thrilling adventure into Greek Mythology. That by itself may not catch your attention. But what the author does is place the subject into a modern day setting, making this story unique and exciting.

Twelve-year-old Percy is trying hard to stay in his 6th school in 6 years. Every school kicks him out because he’s unruly and disruptive. Furthermore, his last school had some very bizarre experiences that he couldn’t explain. His year-end field trip has taken him to a museum where he has an incident with another student. Nancy Bobofit picks on his one good friend, Grover, during the entire school year. The final straw is when she throws the remnants of her lunch in his lap. Percy loses his temper and somehow she ends up in the fountain they are sitting near. A math teacher, Mrs. Dodds, who is nearby witnesses the episode and directs Percy to follow her into the museum. He expects her to lecture him on the bad behaviour that just took place, but instead she seems to transform into something completely different. “Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings.” What was happening? He was about to be attacked by something that didn’t seem human. Luckily, his Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner, appeared out of nowhere and threw him a pen that magically turned into a sword. As he swings it in the math teacher’s direction, she vaporizes into thin air. He turns to ask Mr. Brunner what was going on here and he’s nowhere in sight. Once Percy is outside again, he begins to tell Grover about the frightening experience he just had with Mrs. Dobbs. But Grover responds, “ Percy, their is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?” This surprising response causes Percy to begin to think it was all a dream.

All of this takes place just in the first chapter. From there, he goes home for the summer and his mother and he decide to go to the beach for a little vacation. His father, whom he never knew, “set sail across the Atlantic” - never to return. What he is about to learn will have you on the edge of your seat as you read about Percy’s incredible journey to Camp Half-Blood. You see, Percy is about to learn something very interesting about himself. His father, whom he thought was dead, is really a Greek God and all of the kids that he meets at this camp are also related to one of the Greek Gods. What he doesn’t know yet is which God is he related to and why are there so many evil monsters that are on the verge of attacking him? The camp, and surrounding countryside, is filled with intriguing information regarding Greek mythology as you meet the offspring of the Gods. The author has brought these old and almost forgotten myths back to life by incorporating a modern storyline and a captivating protagonist that kids will surely relate to. Percy is about to go on a quest that’s difficult and amazing and you’ll feel apart of the adventure from beginning to end. The story is well suited for ages 9 and up. And here’s the best part, there’s more books to come. In fact, The Sea Of Monsters was recently published and is every bit as terrific as the first book.

And while we’re on the subject of Greek mythology, here’s a series of small sized books that retell the ancient stories of Mount Olympus in a simplified version. Tales From The Odyssey, by Mary Pope Osborne, are an appealing and fascinating series that retell 6 great myths. Book 1, The One-Eyed Giant, deals with Odysseus as he travels across the seas and meets Polyphemus, the giant Cyclops. Book 2, The Land of the Dead, continues to try to return to his homeland but encounter terrible cannibals and a crafty witch. Book 3, Sirens and Sea Monsters, have the voyagers meeting beautiful women who lure ships to their deaths, Scylla who is a 6 headed monster and the whirlpool monster-Charybdis. Book 4, The Gray-Eyed Goddess, Oddysseus is having difficulty getting off the island of the sea goddess, Calypso. Meanwhile his wife and son are about to give up hope of him ever returning home to Ithica and she’s about to marry another. Book 5, Return To Ithica, has Odysseus discovering all that his family has struggled with since his absence. And finally, book 6, The Final Battle, the author concludes the adventures of Odysseus by wrapping all of these quests in an exciting finale. All of the artwork for these six books are illustrated by Troy Howell and the informative prologue is repeated at the beginning of all books. There’s even a pronunciation key as well as a description of all Gods and Goddess located in the back of each book. The larger text, double spacing, and pared down storyline of each book make this series perfect for ages 8 through 12. So, if you know anything about Greek mythology, you’ll know that the stories are as interesting as any modern day tale!