This is actually a reread for me! I first picked up Percy Jackson three years ago, during the first lockdown. I had been home for about a month or so, living in my childhood bedroom, and decided to tap into my childish side. I had never read PJ as a kid, though I was definitely the right demographic. As an adult, I wasn’t super into it. It just…felt like a book meant for children, so I didn’t continue the series.

However, as an English teacher, I had to find a fast paced book that was easy to digest while also being interesting for a group of senior students who quite literally hadn’t read a book since they were children. Enter Percy Jackson. The novel is actually older than my class! So we spent weeks reading the novel and hosting lots of group discussions. While I lead more challenging topics (such as dream analysis as foreshadowing, prophecies and poetry, and dialogue impact), students were encouraged to do research projects about their godly parent, character studies and comparisons (what if Percy was their age), and “spot the difference” for the film.

All in all, it was a success. Many students have asked if we can continue with the second book (we can’t, not enough time), and have ended up getting audio/ebook versions. The head of the department has asked for all of my lesson plans for future use! 

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, while still not for me personally, is held in high regard amongst my students and I can respect the writing skill involved. Rick sure knew what he was doing.