The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
CHAPTER 17
“WE SHOP FOR WATERBEDS“
Vocabulary
 retrieved- brought back
 hurtling- to rush forward with great speed
 critical- very important
 nuzzling- cuddling or snuggling
 realm- kingdom
 fugitive- running from the law
 resisted- fought against
 excess- more than necessary
 inconsiderate- rude
Journal Topic
 People are always looking for new ways to sell things. What’s the worst
or most annoying commercial you’ve ever seen? What is the best or
funniest?
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Quick Write. This is a one-minute timed writing. The idea is to get as many words as
possible onto the paper. Don’t worry about spelling or punctuation. You will get more words
if you write in complete thoughts rather than making a list. The teacher will give you the
subject. Once you hear it, you will have exactly one minute. You CANNOT STOP writing for
any reason. If you can’t think of anything, write “I have nothing to say” until you think of
something, but you can’t write “I have nothing to say” the entire time. The purpose of this is
to become a more fluent writer.
 Teachers: Make your first subject something simple, like “the color blue.”
Then try something related to the chapter, such as “Los Angeles” or
“California.” Students write whatever they can think of about that subject.
At the end, have them count their words and put the number at the top.
Compare with a show of hands. Who got the most words? Do one or two of
these a day and you will be amazed how much faster the kids get at writing
by the end of the year.
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Myths in this Chapter
 Theseus’ Journey to Athens (Procrustes the
Stretcher)
Correct This Sentence
 Did annabeth actualy say “lets visit santa monica
peer while in los angeles?”
 Did Annabeth actually say, “Let’s visit Santa Monica
Pier while in Los Angeles”?
Setting
 Places
 In taxi from Las Vegas to Los Angeles
 Santa Monica Peer
 The Pacific Ocean
 Hollywood
 “Crusty’s Water Bed Palace
 Time
 June 20
 Atmosphere
 Confusing; unsure
Characters
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Taxi driver
Annabeth
Grover Percy
Mako shark
Sea Nereid
Sea horse
Street kids
Crusty
Barbara Walters
Smelly Gabe
Sugar
Method of Narration
 Chronological order
Conflicts
 Percy vs taxi driver
 Percy vs street kids
 All three vs Crusty
Point of View
 First person
Symbols
 Crusty’s water beds
 Credit cards
 ”The Silent One,” “The Rich One,”
 Percy’s dream
 Pacific Ocean
 Mako shark
 Nereid
Important quotes
 “She held out her hand. Three white pearls flashed in
her palm” (p. 272).
 “At the river you said not to trust the gifts. What
gifts” (p. 273)?
Study Questions
 How does Annabeth pay for the trip to Los Angeles?
 Annabeth seems worried when they discuss the voice from the
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pit. Percy thinks she has an idea what it might be. Do you have
any guesses?
Who is the spirit in the sea? What does she give to Percy?
Why is Annabeth uneasy about the gifts Percy received?
According to Percy, how is L.A. different from New York?
Why doesn’t Riptide work on the kids who jump Percy in the
alley?
What does Crusty do to his customers?
Why can’t Percy simply fight Crusty?
How does Percy trick the giant?
How does Percy find the address for the Underworld?
Write a Summary
Activities
 • Quiz #4 (Ch. 14-17, pgs. 213-282)
 • Create an ad for Crusty’s Waterbed Palace
Make an Advertisement for Crusty’s Waterbed
Palace. Crusty has hired you to advertise his fabulous
waterbeds. Make a magazine ad for him. How would you
attract customers? What special deals would you
promise? If you prefer, you can write a television
commercial for the Waterbed Palace and either perform
it live or videotape it.
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Discussion Question
 The Lotus Casino in Las Vegas is a modern-day
version of the Land of the Lotus Eaters, which
Odysseus visited on his way back from Troy. Read
the original version from The Odyssey. How do the
two accounts differ? Is the danger Odysseus faced
similar to the danger faced by Percy and his friends?
Is society today more dominated by “Lotus Eaters”?
Quiz # 4
The Lightning Thief
Ch. 14-17 (pages 213-282)
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____1. When Percy lands in the Mississippi River, what
does he NOT witness?
A. Garbage was all over the place.
B. Paper could burn underwater.
C. He wasn’t wet.
D. He could understand the fish.
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____2. What message does the woman in the water give
Percy?
A. Use the gifts you have been given.
B. Do not trust the gifts you’ve been given.
C. Go to Denver, Colorado.
D. Do not trust one of your friends.
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____3. Which sentence does NOT use quotations correctly?
A. “That’s old gossip, Percy.” Annabeth told him.
B. Annabeth replied, “I’m not talking about phones.”
C. “Give Percy the nozzle and come on ” Annabeth ordered.
D. “That’s true,” Luke said, looking troubled.
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_____4. Which event best fits into the sequence below?
A. Ares asks for a favor.
B. The group spends 5 days at the Lotus Casino.
C. Grover and Annabeth get stretched in water beds.
D. Percy finds the address for the Underworld.
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____5. Why doesn’t
Grover smell any monsters at the Thrill Ride
O’ Love?
A. There are no dangers there.
B. The monsters are not alive.
C. They are underground.
D. His nose is clogged up due to allergies.
____6. What item is NOT in the backpack Ares gives the kids?
A. Double Stuff Oreos
B. Twenty dollars
C. a cell phone
D. fresh clothes
____7. What news does Ares give Percy?
A. That the newspapers are writing stories about him.
B. That his mother isn’t dead.
C. That the solstice has been moved up one day.
D. That his quest is bound to fail.
____8. Why doesn’t Riptide work on the kids who jump Percy
in the alley?
A. They are monsters.
B. They are too fast.
C. They are humans.
D. They are not really there.
9. Why do you think Annabeth wants to leave as soon as Luke
appears in the mist?
10. Explain how Percy tricks Crusty, the giant.
Bonus: What is the exact name of Crusty’s place?
Bibliography Card
 Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. New York:
Miramar Books, 2005.