The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a 2008 Rebecca Caudill nominee. This book is actually the first in the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series.

Percy (short for Perseus) Jackson is a dyslexic and hot-tempered student that has been kicked out school more than once. Weird things begin happening to him, and he soon ends up at a place called Camp Half-Blood. Camp Half-Blood is a refuge and training center for children of the Greek mythological gods. Percy learns that his dyslexia is caused by his brain being set "Greek mode", and his temper is because he is to be a hero.

Percy then finds out that his father is Poseidon, and he is right in the middle of a potential World War III. Accompanied by a daughter of Athena and a young Satyr, Percy has to find Zeus' lightning bolt and take it back from Hades.

20th Century Fox plans to turn this book into a movie, and potentially the the entire series. This story was a great way to mix in pop culture with ancient Greek mythology. This would be a great way to teach Greek Mythology with literature in the classroom.