Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief is a fun read.  A friend recommended it for J, as the book is full of Greek mythology.  We've raced through it, as well its three sequels, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth.

The story is about a boy, Percy Jackson, who lives in New York with his mom.  He is shuffled from school to school, never able to fit in or stay in one place, which is eventually explained by his being a Half Blood (like Hercules or Perseus.)   Initially, J didn't like it-- it was either too realistic (he doesn't like scary things to happen to real people) or maybe, the school descriptions were too far outside his experience to be interesting to him.  I'm not sure.  But the second time we picked it up, J was hooked and read the first book in a day and a half. 

The story is engaging and humorous.  The author names the chapters: "I accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher", "Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death", a device which I love.  The allusions to Greek mythology are entertaining.  It was a fun read.

But I wouldn't call these living books.  There weren't any passages I just had  to read aloud to my husband because of their beauty.  The writing doesn't sing.  And if you are uncomfortable with mythology trying to cross the line of religion, you might have to debrief your reader on a few passages.   J hasn't gotten to the fourth book, but I didn't enjoy its desciptions of ghosts and trying to "raise the dead."  These ideas are prevalent throughout Greek mythology, but somehow imagining them happening in New York in the 21st century made me uncomfortable.  I think any child who has been brought up knowing God would not be confused in any way by this book's talk of gods, but you should pre-read it and decide for your own children. 

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