Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Chapter 7: My Dinner Goes Up in Smoke
Written by Chris
Edited by Krystal
After the bathroom incident, Annabeth continued to show Percy the camp, taking him to the metal shop, arts & crafts room, and the climbing wall. All of these places are considered the ‘classrooms’, each one teaching a different skill. Percy is already beginning to understand the ‘concept’ of Camp Half-Blood, and right off feared the climbing wall, with its dropping boulders and lava.
As they finish the tour Percy apologizes to Annabeth for the bathroom incident; realizing he’s actually responsible for making the water shoot out of the fixtures. Annabeth just brushes his apology off, still being embarrassed and upset about it and informs him that he needs to go see the Oracle. He looks out at the water wishing for answer and found the Naiads staring back.
Annabeth explains what Percy is, a Half-Bloods or Demi-god and she is the daughter of Athena. Everything begins to make sense, the unusual things that have been happening around him, that these gifted kids are children of the famous gods and goddesses he’d been learning about for years. Percy’s father is still undetermined and in order to know who your Olympian parent is, the god/goddess must ‘claim’ you as their offspring. Sadly, some children are never claimed and are left in cabin eleven. If you are lucky enough to be a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, the monsters will leave you alone, allowing you to lead a normal life. For others, like Annabeth and Luke, they are stuck here.
Read the rest of the summary HERE.
Memorable Quotes:
Percy: She looked at me skeptically, and I realized it was my fault. I’d made water shoot out of the bathroom fixtures. I didn’t understand how. But the toilets had responded to me. I had become one with the pluming. (Page 93)
Annabeth: “Don’t encourage them,” Annabeth warned. “Naiads are terrible flirts.” (Page 94)
Annabeth: “What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?” (Page 95)
Percy: “Why would anybody want to summon a monster?”
Annabeth: “Practice fight. Practical jokes.”
Percy: “Practical jokes?” (Page 97)
Percy: “The wing-footed messenger guy.”
Luke: “That’s him. Messengers. Medicine. Travelers, merchants, thieves. Anybody who uses the roads. That’s why you’re here, enjoying cabin eleven’s hospitality. Hermes isn’t picky about who he sponsors.” (Page 101)
Mr. D: “Personally,” Mr. D continued, “I couldn’t care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson.”
Percy: Chiron murmured something.
Mr. D: “Er, Percy Jackson,” Mr. D corrected. “That’s right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on.” (Page 105)
Questions for discussion:
What is your reaction to finding Annabeth’s mother is Athena? Are you starting to understand her attitude?
What is your reaction to finding out that gods/goddesses have been mating with humans, creating illegitimate children, and then never claiming them?
At this point, what do you think could have been stolen from the Gods, and who was the thief?
Read and discuss more HERE.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Chapter 8: We Capture a Flag
Written by Chris
Edited by Krystal
After a few days Percy had settled into a routine. In the mornings he’d take Ancient Greek with Annabeth and the rest of the day he spent trying his hand at different skilled activities, like foot racing, archery, wrestling and canoeing. Naturally, everything he tried, he was terrible at, except for canoeing which wasn’t very heroic. Luke suggested that he may be a kid of Hermes, but Percy got the idea that he was just trying to make him feel better. Despite everything, he liked camp.
Three days after he’d arrived at Camp Half-Blood, Percy had his first sword-fighting lesson. He thought he did okay, but he just couldn’t find a blade that felt right. The class paired off for dueling and Percy is paired with Luke, the best swordsman in the last three hundred years. With every swipe Percy got more battered and bruised until Luke called a break. After a quick dunk of water, Percy was used as an example for a difficult disarming maneuver.
The first time Luke demonstrates in slow motion and Percy looses hold on his sword. When Luke takes it to real time speed though, Percy reacts instinctively and counters Luke’s jabs and steps disarming Luke. Percy apologizes to a stunned Luke, who wants to go at it again. This time Percy’s energy has left him and he loses his swords.
Read the rest of the summary HERE.
Memorable Quotes:
Percy: The next few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal, if you don’t count the fact that I was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs, and a centaur. (Page 107)
Percy: Despite all that, I liked camp. I got used to the morning fog over the beach, the smell of hot strawberry fields in the afternoon, even the weird noises of monsters in the woods at night. (Page 108)
Camper: “Good luck,” one of the campers told me. “Luke’s the best swordsman in the last three hundred tears.”
Percy: “Maybe he’ll go easy on me,” I said. (Page 109)
Percy: For a moment, Luke was too stunned to speak.
Luke: “Sorry?” His scarred face broke into a grin. “By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!” (Page 111)
Chiron: “It is determined,” Chiron announced. (Page 126)
Chiron: “Poseidon,” said Chiron. “Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God.” (Page 126)
Questions for discussion:
From what Grover told Percy about the Big Three, what do you make of it?
How do you feel about the way their offspring are treated, like Thalia?
Did you figure out that Percy was son of the Sea God before the chapter’s end?
What do you think will happen now, knowing the fate of the last child of ‘The Big Three’?
Read and discuss more HERE.
