Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Lecture Review

These flashcards cover the book’s title, author background, publication facts, main characters, settings, major plot points, mythology elements, themes, and Rick Riordan’s stylistic choices.

What is the full title of the first book in Rick Riordan’s Greek-mythology series?

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Who wrote Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief?

Rick Riordan

Which real-life person inspired Riordan to invent Percy Jackson?

His son, Haley Riordan, who has ADHD and dyslexia

Before becoming a full-time author, what was Rick Riordan’s profession?

Middle-school English and social-studies teacher for 15 years

In what year was Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief first published?

2005

Approximately how many pages does the novel contain (standard U.S. edition)?

About 377 pages

What is the central mystery that drives the plot of The Lightning Thief?

Finding Zeus’s stolen master bolt and discovering who took it

What condition(s) shared by Percy and Haley are re-framed as demigod traits?

ADHD and dyslexia

Name the safe training ground for demigods located on Long Island.

Camp Half-Blood

At which New York boarding school does the story open?

Yancy Academy

Which famous St. Louis landmark becomes a battle site for Percy?

The Gateway Arch

What modern Las Vegas location traps visitors in a time-dilating trance?

The Lotus Hotel and Casino

Who is the 12-year-old demigod protagonist and narrator of the novel?

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon

What power does Percy discover he has that proves his divine parentage?

He can breathe underwater and control water

Which demigod daughter of Athena serves as Percy’s strategist and close friend?

Annabeth Chase

Who is Percy’s satyr protector and best friend?

Grover Underwood

Which seemingly friendly counselor is revealed as the true bolt thief?

Luke Castellan, son of Hermes

For whom is Luke secretly working when he steals the master bolt?

Kronos, the Titan Lord

Which Olympian god is wrongly suspected of stealing Zeus’s bolt?

Hades, god of the Underworld

What other sacred object goes missing, intensifying the gods’ distrust?

Hades’s helmet of darkness

Which mythological monster disguised as a math teacher attacks Percy on the museum field trip?

A Fury (Alecto/Ginang Dodds)

What deadline must Percy meet to return the bolt and prevent war?

Before the summer solstice

After defeating Luke, where does Percy deliver the master bolt?

Mount Olympus (atop the Empire State Building)

State one key moral lesson emphasized in The Lightning Thief.

True strength comes from friendship, loyalty, and self-acceptance, not just supernatural powers

How does Riordan’s writing style help modern readers connect with ancient myths?

Fast pacing, witty dialogue, and relatable contemporary settings