Sunday, April 4, 2010

The Lightning Thief: Entry #1O

A preview of the next book in the series: The Sea of Monsters

In this book, Percy starts off back at a boarding school in New York City. He is still being bullied and only has one friend, Tyson. One day in gym class, a bunch of monsters break into his school and try to attack Percy. He is at a lost; there is no way he can fight off so many monsters single-handedly, but he still needs to protect his classmates. Then Tyson joins in and helps Percy defeat the monsters. Somehow, Tyson is immune to fire. Before Percy has time to ask questions, Annabeth shows up, and the three of them fight off the monsters and flee Percy's school. They head to Camp Half-Blood and Tyson gets through the magical barrier surrounding the camp. That's when Percy learns that Tyson is actually a cyclops. Furthermore, Poseidon claims him as his son, which makes Percy and Tyson brothers...
This book is an amazing sequel and I would definitely recommend it.

The Lightning Thief: Entry #9

If you were in Percy Jackson's shoes, is there anything you would have done differently?

If I were in Percy Jackson's shoes, there would be a few things I would have done differently. One thing is that I wouldn't have gone into Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium. Even if I didn't know that was where Medusa lived, I don't think I would have gone into a place like that. It was the only place around for miles, which I would find pretty creepy. Even if I had gone into the Gnome Emporium, I definitely would have left once I was offered food by a suspicious lady. Unlike Percy, I wouldn't have eaten the meal because it could have been poisoned or contaminated. Another thing Percy does in the book that I wouldn't dare to do is fight Ares. He's the god of war and has been fighting for millenia. Percy had only known he was a half-blood for a couple of months. I would have been too scared to fight him because I wouldn't want to get killed. However, Percy wins the fight against Ares and proves himself a talented fighter again.

The Lightning Thief: Entry #8

Would you enjoy reading other books by the author?

Yes, I would enjoy reading other book by the author, Rick Riordan. One reason is because I think his ideas are original. I have never read a book that brings ancient Greek mythology into the modern day world. I think that his ideas are very interesting. I would also read another one of his books because I think that he is accurate on the information he gives in his books. By reading The Lightning Thief I learned a lot about the Greek gods. Another reason I would read another one of his books is because I enjoy his style of writing. When I read The Lightning Thief, I really felt as though Percy Jackson had been telling me the story himself. I also think that the the characters are realistic... even though some of them may be Greek gods. I had a lot of fun reading this book and I am excited to continue reading the rest of the series.

The Lightning Thief: Entry #7

How does The Lightning Thief book compare to the movie?

The Lightning Thief book and the movie are very different. First of all, in the book Percy is 12. However, in the movie Percy is 15. Also, the plot in the movie is very different from the book. In fact, some scenes in the movie were never written in the book. For instance, in the movie there is a scene where Percy fights the hydra; a multi-headed serpent that grows back two heads for every head lost. This creature does not show up until the second book in the series. On the contrary, some scenes in the book were not included in the movie. For example, the scene where Percy defeats the minotaur is not shown in the movie. Sometimes, things that appear in the book do appear in the movie, but differently. In one case, Percy and his friends need three pearls so they can leave the underworld once they get there. In the book, they receive the pearls all at once on a beach in Los Angeles. However, most of the movie is spent showing them searching all over the country for the pearls. Because the movie and the book are very different, I enjoyed comparing them.

The Lightning Thief: Entry #6

What do you think is the most important event in the book?

I think the most important event in the book is when Percy kills the minotaur. This is important because this is when Percy learns that he is a half-blood. If he hadn't discovered his immortality, the gods probably would have caused World War III over deciding who stole Zeus' lightning bolt. Also, this proves that Percy has natural battle skills. Most of the half-bloods couldn't fight a minotaur with months of training. On the other hand, Percy defeated one without learning how to fight at all. Percy also got one of the minotaur's horns as a souvenir. This showed his fellow campers at Camp Half-Blood that he actually fought the creature himself.

The Lightning Thief: Entry #5

If you were a half-blood, which Greek god do you wish was your father/mother?

If I were a half-blood, I wish my mother would be Athena. Because she is the goddess of wisdom, I could give advice to other half-bloods. I could also create battle plans that would be sure to help us win. Because Athena is also the goddess of battle, she would give me the power to trick my enemies so I could defeat them. It would help me win battles. Athena is also the goddess of craftsmanship. This would give me the ability to build weapons that were sturdy and could be used in battle. I could also built chariots for races at Camp Half-Blood. Athena is a strong and powerful female fighter. She doesn't let things get in her way and never gives up. If she were my mother, I'm sure I would have many of her traits.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Lightning Thief: Entry #4

How do you think Percy feels about his father?

In the beginning of the book, when Poseidon claims Percy as his son, Percy is in shock. Once he connects everything, however, it starts to make sense. Percy is then excited that his father is a Greek god. He's ecstatic to meet him and hopes they can eventually live together. However, after a few weeks, Poseidon still hasn't come to Earth to visit Percy. He realizes that having a Greek god for a father isn't all that it has cracked up to be, and he's disappointed. Percy continues to stay angry at his father until the end of the book, when he realizes that throughout the whole quest, his father actually was there for him. For example, when Percy was wounded, Poseidon gave him the power to have water heal his injuries. In the end of the book, Percy does get to speak with his father, and finds that his father actually does care about him.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Lightning Thief: Entry #3

Do you wish you were a half-blood like Percy?

I do wish I was a half-blood like Percy, although it wouldn't be easy. You would feel as though you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. You need to always make the right decisions, because if you don't you can get yourself killed. Also, I'm sure it's hard to live without either your mother or father there by your side all the time.
However, there would be many benefits of being a half-blood as well. For example, you would get to travel to amazing places, such as Mount Olympus, which most people believe are just myths. Also, when you completed a mission, everyone would be in awe of your work. Some people may even look up to you and hope to follow in your footsteps. So even though being a daughter or son of a god might be difficult, I believe that the feeling of accomplishment would be worth it.

Monday, March 29, 2010

The Lightning Thief: Entry #2

Which magical item used in the book do you wish you had?
A magical item used in the book that I wish I had would be Annabeth's cap. To humans, it appears as a normal Yankee's baseball cap. However, once a half-blood puts it on, they can become invisible to humans, half-bloods, and even gods. Annabeth uses this cap to confuse people or to distract them. For example, when Percy, Grover, and Annabeth stopped at Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium (Medusa's hideout), they wanted to distract Medusa so she wouldn't turn them into statues by looking at them. Just as she was about to fossilize Percy, Annabeth put on her Cap of Invisibility and distracted Medusa. Although it wouldn't be used in the same way, the cap could still be worn to spy on people and listen to their conversations. It could also be used by the F.B.I. if they wanted to spy on a suspect. Either way, I think the Cap of Invisibility would be a fun magical item to posses.

The Lightning Thief: Entry #1

by Rick Riordan


This book is about Percy Jackson, a twelve year old boy, who currently attends Yancy Academy. Out of no where, Percy's mother picks Percy up from school, pushes him in the car, and drives him to Camp Half-Blood. Percy doesn't know where they'r going, furthermore, why he's traveling there. Once they arrive, a minotaur (a Greek monster with the body of a man and head of a bull) greets them in front of the entry-way to the camp. Percy and his mother try to make a dash for the entrance, but unfortunately, his mother gets killed by the creature. With all his rage, Percy takes down the monster without any weapons. It is then that Percy realizes he is a half-blood (half human, half god), and his father is the mighty Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. Percy then does on a wild adventure with his two friends Annabeth and Grover from Camp-Half Blood to get his mother back from the underworld.