Percy Jackson

I noticed my son and daughter were checking out books from the library about the Greek gods and ancients myths. This new found fascination with the ancient heroic tales of the gods and their offspring was a direct result of the book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

The book series is about a twelve year old boy diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, who is constantly getting into trouble and has been expelled from several schools. I started reading the series and was instantly hooked by author Rick Riordan’s wonderful characters, clever titles, and good humor. Here’s how the book starts.

chapter 1: I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.

If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.

Being a half-blood is dangerous. It’s scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.

If you’re a normal kid, reading this because you think it’s fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.

But if you recognize yourself in these pages-if you feel something stirring inside-stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it’s only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they’ll come for you.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

My name is Percy Jackson.

I have often thought about using the Hero’s Journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell to create my own stories, but I’d never thought about bringing the gods into a modern setting. I really enjoyed all of the books and was excited to hear that a movie was being made.

by