Author: Rick RiordanPlot Summary: A boy discovers that the father he has never met, is really the God, Poseidon and that makes Percy Jackson a Half-Blood. He ends up a school for kids in the same situation. They start on a series of exciting and dangerous adventures and don't stop until the end of the fifth book.
Comments: This is a great series for both boys and girls. There is much substance, as well as a great story line. Little Shop of Stories, the children's bookstore in Decatur, has a Camp Half Blood in the summer where they do lots of activities from the book. It is held in other cities as well as was designed in conjunction with the author. Grown-ups will enjoy it as well. See section at the bottom for the movie release date.
Extensions:
You don't have to look very far to find extension ideas for this book. The publisher produced a teacher's guide that is 91 pages long and filled with good ideas - maps, questions, role playing, etc. This website includes a list of additional resources and ideas.
Themes/keywords: Gods, camps, voyages and travels, fantasy, mythology
Age/Reading Level: 3 - 6; ATOS - 4.7; Follett - 4.9; Lexile - 4.7
This is a good choice for sophisticated second or third graders.
Standards:
(Similar standards for 5th through 8th grades)
ELA4LSV2 The student listens to and views various forms of text and media in
order to gather and share information, persuade others, and express and understand ideas.
ELA4LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student,
and group verbal interactions.
ELA4C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of
the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application
of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
22
ELA4R2 The student consistently reads at least twenty-five books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) each year. The materials should include traditional and contemporary literature (both fiction and non-fiction) as well as magazines, newspapers, textbooks, and electronic material. Such reading should represent a diverse collection of material from at least three different literary forms and from at least five different writers.
ELA4R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a
warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational
texts.
Publisher's Info: Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, New York; 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0-7868-5629-9
ISBN-10: 0-7868-5629-7
Awards/Review Sources:
Wilson's Junior High School 08/21/06 | School Library Journal starred 08/01/05 |
| Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/06 | Book Links (A.L.A.) 07/01/08 |
| Horn Book starred 04/01/06 | Kirkus Review starred 06/15/05 |
| Booklist 09/15/05 | New York Times 11/13/05 |
Genre/Dewey: Fiction
Websites:
Author's website(not updated): http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm
Percy Jackson website from Hyperion books. This is a fancy one. It includes information on the characters, down loadable games, a trivia game, and videos. The videos include a trailer of the full feature film due in theaters on President's Day, Feb., 12th, 2010 and an interview with the author.
Notes for Booktalk:
Additional books in the series include:
2. Sea of Monsters
3. The Titan's Curse
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth
5. The Last Olympian
Vocabulary: I love how he integrates modern conveniences with the ancient theme of the book.
Comments