The Lightning Thief
Name __________________________
By Rick Riordan
Book Number ___________________
Dear Student,
Welcome to 7th grade! This year your language arts teachers have chosen a novel by the
author Rick Riordan entitled The Lightning Thief from the Percy Jackson & The
Olympians series which is the New York Times #1 bestselling series. The Lightning Thief
will tie into our first unit that blends the ideas of choice and Greek mythology. Also what
you learn about Greek gods in this unit will help you better grasp ideas in your social
studies class when you study the ancient Greek civilization later in the year.
We want you to read, enjoy the book, become familiar with Greek myths and revisit
some of the previously learned literary concepts. Some of you may have already read The
Lightning Thief. That is OK. Read it again with 7th grade eyes. Whenever you read a
book for the second time, you always see and understand something new, especially now
that you are a more mature reader. There is a movie of this novel (because the book is so
amazing), but do not be tempted to only watch the movie as it is different on many levels
and may sway you to incorrect responses on the summer reading guide, class discussions
and activities.
By reading the book and completing the comprehension and response guide, you will be
prepared to start your 7th grade language arts class. This guide is to be completed during
summer and is due on the first day of school. Also, there will be activities that revolve
around the book and a quiz over the reading during the first week of school in which you
are expected to participate. The Lightning Thief is a book we hope you will enjoy, and
we will discuss this novel not only in the beginning of the year but also throughout the
year as we look at the various elements of literature.
Enjoy your summer; enjoy the book. Come prepared for success!
We will see you in August!
Mrs. Bradley, Mrs. Coffman, Mrs. Trimbach and Mr. Alessandro
Before you start reading………
Think about the following questions and write down your responses.
1. What is the craziest thing you ever learned about your family (that you are willing to share)?
This could be a story that you have heard about a relative or something you have learned
through your own experience. Please detail who, what, where, when, why and how.
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2. If you were granted one magical item of your choice, what would it be? What power would it
have? Explain your choice.
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Power_________________________________________________________________________
Why?_________________________________________________________________________
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3. In ancient times, the Greeks had gods for many important forces in their lives – the sea,
thunderstorms, farming, music, medicine, poetry, archery, etc. Why do you think they
imagined many different gods instead of just one? Would this make life more confusing or less
confusing? How so? Be sure to answer all three questions for full credit.
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Adapted: Teacher’s Guide to Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
As you read…
In order to understand and appreciate the story, you will need a little background in mythology. We’ve provided
some web pages that will introduce you to the author and some of the characters and creatures in the book.
You can use this site as a reference when you are reading the book. Use a computer with Internet access to visit
the following site for the novel. Go to www.rickriordan.com
OPTIONAL (requires speakers or headphones)- Listen to author read an excerpt
from Chapter 1 (pages 11-15 which lasts 4 minutes and 46 seconds):
 Scroll to bottom of www.rickriordan.com and click on picture of novel
The Lightning Thief.
 Click on yellow words just under image of book, “The Lightning Thief,
Chapter One. Hear the first part of the first Percy Jackson book, as read
by the author.”
Only this listening part is optional. All other parts are required.
1. Use this to learn about the author:
 On homepage www.rickriordan.com look beneath the photo and information about Rick
Riordan.
 Click on yellow words “Need more information? Check AdLit’s video interview with Rick.”
 Click on words next to video player that list various sections of interview.
 You can listen to them all, but we specifically want you to listen to three sections “What I was
like as a kid,” “Mythology for the middle school” and “The origins of Percy.”
What did you learn about the author that surprised you?
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2. Use this as a reference as you read the novel so you can become familiar with the Greek gods:
 On homepage (www.rickriordan.com) scroll to the bottom grey box.
 Under “The Fun!” click on “Meet the Greek Gods.”
 Click on each name, and see a picture and information about that Greek god.
Which god did you find to be the most interesting and why?
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3. Use this as a reference as you read the novel so you can become familiar with the mythological figures:
 On homepage (www.rickriordan.com) scroll to the bottom grey box.
 Click on “Greek Mythology guide” (also listed elsewhere as “Chiron’s Guide to Greek
Mythology.”)
 Click on name to see picture and information about mythological figures.
Which mythological figure would be the last one you would want to meet in a dark alley (most scary) and why?
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The 12 Olympian Gods + 2
Fill in the information in the empty blocks to represent what you know and learn as you
read about each god/goddess. See Demeter, Apollo or Hestia for a completed example.
god/goddess
sphere of Control
eagle, lightning bolt
Zeus
motherhood, marriage
cow, lion, peacock
horse, trident
Poseidon
Demeter
animal/symbol
agriculture, hearth
red poppy, barley
anvil, quail(hops funny like him)
Hephaestus
wisdom, battle, useful arts
owl
Aphrodite
dove, magic belt (that makes men fall for her)
Ares
wild boar, bloody spear
Apollo
music, medicine, poetry,
archery, bachelors
mouse, lyre
(Apollo’s twin sister) maiden
girls, hunting
she-bear
travelers, merchants, thieves,
messengers
caduceus, winged helm and sandals
tiger, grapes
Dionysus
Hestia
home and earth
crane (gave up her council seat for Dionysus)
underworld
helm of terror
Adapted: Teacher’s Guide to Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
5 Literary Elements
1. The setting- where and when the story takes place.
The Lightning Thief begins in New York City and on Long Island, New York. Percy travels across the
country throughout the story. In the space below, create a timeline or map showing where Percy
travels on his journey.
2. Point of View
When a character in the story tells the story, it is written in the first person point of view. When a
narrator outside the story tells the story, it is written in the third person point of view. From what
point of view is this novel written? __________________.
Consider the benefits of this choice and list two reasons why you think the author chose this point of
view?
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3. Plot
The plot is the storyline or sequence of events. For each chapter below write a two sentence
summary of what happened in that chapter. The first chapter has been done for you.
Chapter 1: On a field trip, Percy saw a teacher turn into a monster, and he made her disappear with a
magical pen. Afterwards, he doesn’t understand why his friends don’t know anything about the
teacher’s existence.
Chapter 2: __________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 5: ___________________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 9: __________________________________________________________________________
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Now choose 4 more chapters (after chapter 9) to summarize in two sentences each.
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4. Characterization the author’s way of developing what we see, think and know
about a character and their personality in a story.
Choose one of the characters from the novel. Write his or her name on the box below the picture. As
you read, write in the picture frames words, phrases, or sentences that help you get to know the
character. Indicate the page number on which you find the descriptive words/phrases/quotes.
Words
Physical Appearance
diret
2 examples from novel that show
your character’s appearance
Actions
2 examples of your character’s
actions -What did he or she do?
2 direct quotes from character which
reveal something about him or her
character
Thoughts
2 thoughts from character that reveal
something about the character
What Others Say
2 direct quotes of what others say
about your character
After you read…
When you have finished the book, using the example given, complete a summary statement about
The Lightning Thief:
Story of Cinderella as an example
Now you complete one using The Lightning Thief
Somebody Cinderella
Somebody _____________________________________________
Wanted to go to the ball,
wanted ________________________________________________ ,
But her step mother would not allow her to go.
but ___________________________________________________ .
So her fairy godmother helped her .
So ____________________________________________________.
Then she went to the ball and fell
Then ___________________________________________________.
in love with the prince.
5. Theme
A theme is a broad idea, message, or moral of a story and may be about life, society, or human nature.
Themes can explore timeless and universal ideas or truths and are usually not stated directly but are
more implied.
Consider the theme or author’s message in this novel. What do you think he wanted to say about life,
society or human nature?
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Personal Response
After you have read the story, complete the following open-ended sentences:
I was surprised that
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I never thought that
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Consider the characters in The Lightning Thief. Think about which character you understood or were
similar to in some way, then complete the following sentence.
I could relate to the character of____________________ because______________________________
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I wish that the author __________________________________________________________________
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The best part of the story was___________________________________________________________
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I think that the most important idea in the story was_________________________________________
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I would/would not (circle one) recommend this story to other 7th graders because (write at least three
sentences) ___________________________________________________________________________
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