The Lightning Thief -Chapter Questions - B
Directions
 Have a special section in your notebook for your Lightning Thief questions and answers.
 On your own paper, answer each question. Make sure to include all necessary
information and data from the story.
 When you are “making an argument” make sure to use clear, specific examples from the
story to explain your point.
 Vocabulary
o Find the specified sentence and write the complete sentence in your notebook.
o Look up in the dictionary and write down the definition of the word.
o Paraphrase (write in your own words) what the sentence means, making sure to
use your own words (from the definition) and not the Vocabulary word again.
Chapter 1 – I Accidentally Vaporize my Pre-Algebra Teacher
1. What is the genre of this book?
2. What is the setting of this chapter?
3. Who is the main protagonist so far?
4. Who is the main antagonist in this chapter? How are we pretty sure that this character
will NOT be the main antagonist for the entire story?
5. Answer the following questions using complete sentences –
a. Personal thought - What’s the best (or worst) experience you’ve ever had on a school
field trip?
b. Draw Mrs. Dodds (or what she turned into) based on the description in the story.
6. List in chronological order three of the strange things that happen to Percy in this chapter.
7. Personal thought – if this had been you… what would you have done after going back
outside and Mr. Brunner asks for his pen?
8. Vocabulary
a. Pelting - Page 8 “Some of the guys were pelting pigeons…”
b. Philosophical - Page 8 “…I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical
comment…”
Chapter 2 – Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death
1. Why does Percy decide to study for the Latin exam even though he’s given up on his
other subjects?
2. What responsibility does Grover claim to have, and why does this strike Percy as strange
and unlikely?
3. Vocabulary
a. Wrenched - Page 26 “…the driver wrenched a big chunk…”
Chapter 3 – Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants
1. What is the setting of this chapter?
2.
3.
4.
5.
What (and why) does blue food symbolize for Percy and his mother?
What is all of the information on Percy’s real father?
What was Percy’s dream?
Page 42 - What does it mean that Percy’s mother was “not scared of Grover, but of why
he’d come.”
6. Vocabulary
a. Artillery - Page 41 “… and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.”
Chapter 4 – My Mother Teaches Me Bullfighting
1. What is Grover?
2. How does Percy defeat the Minotaur?
3. Page 53 – Is Percy’s mom dead (give one reason to think that she is and one reason to
think that she is NOT)?
4. Vocabulary
a. Pummeling - Page 53 “…kicking and pummeling the air.”
b. Haul - Page 55 “I managed to haul him up…”
Chapter 5 – I Play Pinochle with a Horse
1. After waking up, what proves to Percy that it wasn’t all a dream?
2. What is the setting of this chapter?
3. Why is Mr. D in charge of the camp when he clearly doesn’t like anyone much?
4. Who is Chiron in mythology [look him up in a book or on the internet mythology and
provide a bibliography entry for the main source that you used)]?
a. Give a brief description and explain why it makes sense that he would be working
at Camp Half Blood.
b. Mrs. Herbert’s signature confirming that you have used correct bibliography style.
_____________________________________________
5. Why is Olympus now in New York City according to the story (explain how it moves and
why it moves)?
6. Vocabulary
a. Pseudonym - Page 64 – “I’m afraid that was a pseudonym.”
b. Feat - Page 66 - “No small feat, either, lad.”
c. Feign - Page 69 – “Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise.”
Chapter 6 – I Become the Supreme Lord of the Bathroom
1. How does Annabeth know that Percy is “one of us”?
2. Make an argument – Did Percy make the right choice when he wouldn’t let Annabeth
help him in the bathroom fight (based on social behavior of teenagers)?
3. Vocabulary
a. Hewn - Page 81 – “…as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the
ocean floor…”
b. Eons - Page 82 – “You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish.”
Lighting Thief Questions - B – page 2
Chapter 7 – My dinner Goes up in Smoke
1. What does “undetermined” mean for the campers?
2. Why does Percy ask for blue Coke at dinner?
3. In what way does Percy feel different once he gets to the bonfire?
4. When is the summer solstice in 2016, and what is it [look it up!]?
5. Vocabulary
a. Forging - Page 93 “…where kids were forging their own swords…”
b. Seniority - Page 102 “We lined up in order of seniority…”
Chapter 8 – We Capture a Flag
1. Why does Percy start to understand Luke’s bitterness?
2. What was different about Percy the one time that he beat Luke with a sword?
3. How (what information) does Annabeth figure out who Percy’s father is before anyone
else?
4. How does Poseidon “claim” Percy?
5. Vocabulary
a. Flanked - Page 122 “He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his
retreat…”
b. Materialized - Page 123 “… and she materialized…”
Chapter 9 – I Am Offered a Quest
1. Why does Percy feel miserable after Poseidon claims him?
2. Look up the Oracle of Delphi and find out at least 3 main facts explaining who/what
they were (research and provide a bibliography entry for the main source that you
used).
a. Mrs. Herbert’s signature confirming that you have used correct bibliography style.
____________________________________________
3. Chiron’s point about prophecies on page 142 “…The Oracle’s words often have double
meanings… the truth is not always clear until events come to pass” – what does this
mean?
4. Personal thoughts –
a. How would knowing the future (with some chance of changing it based on current
choices – remembering that you can’t control OTHER people’s choices and actions)
be a good thing?
b. How would it NOT be a good thing?
5. Start your map!!
6. Vocabulary
a. Venomous- Page 128 “… though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to
kill me…”
b. Usurp - Page 136 “… a god cannot usurp another god’s symbol of power directly…”
c. Destiny - Page 141 “What is my destiny?”
Chapter 10 – I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus
1. How has “Smelly Gabe” actually been really useful to Percy all these years?
2. Personal reflection – Have you ever discovered that someone/something you never
liked had actually been helping (or helpful) to you?
3. List in chronological order 5 main events that happens from when they get on the bus
to when they have to leave the bus completely.
4. Vocabulary
a. Lethal - Page 149 “… but it was lethal to mortals.”
b. Stow - Page 160 “We stowed our backpacks.”
c. Torment - Page 165 “And you will not suffer eternal torment.”
Chapter 11 – We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium
1. What is the setting of this chapter?
2. What do we learn about what Annabeth really wants from her lines (page 169) “This
may be my only chance to see the real world,” and (page 170) “That’s where you learn
whether you’re any good or not.”
3. Why does Percy do what he does with Medusa’s head? Was a good idea or a bad one
– give at least one reason for both side (make an argument)?
4. Vocabulary
a. Insufferable - Page 185 “You’re insufferable!”
b. Impertinent - Page 186 “They’ll think you’re impertinent.”
Chapter 12 – We Get Advice from a Poodle
1. What was the author’s point (probably) about humans and the environment (based on
Grover’s discussion of Pan on page 189)?
2. In Percy’s dream, what is the voice from the pit implying that he/it would barter (what
would Percy get and what would he give?)?
3. Continue the map – using different colors for each “leg” of the journey.
4. Vocabulary
a. Barter - Page 193 “Barter with me. I will give you what you want.”
b. Chasm - Page 194 “I could still feel the grip of the chasm monster around my
chest.”
Chapter 13 – I Plunge to My Death
1. Research the Saint Louis Arch – find out when it was built, how big it is and what is the
reason that it is a BIG arch (research and provide a bibliography entry for the main
source that you used)?
2. Who is Echidna is Greek mythology (research and provide a bibliography entry for the
main source that you used)?
3. Why does Echidna say Percy should feel honored to be killed by her?
4. Draw a picture of what you think the Chimera would look like. Label the parts in your
picture.
Lighting Thief Questions - B – page 3
5. Why does Echidna accuse Percy of having no faith?
6. Vocabulary
a. Deceitful - Page 199 “He’s deceitful, heartless, and greedy.”
b. Resentfully - Page 201 “… they would both look at me resentfully.”
Chapter 14 – I Become a Known Fugitive
1. How does Percy’s concern about the humans (more concerned about them than
himself) in the Arch tell us that he is a real hero?
2. What becomes clear from the conversations and news casts about a new problem that
Percy and friends have?
3. Vocabulary
a. Revelation - Page 212 “I’d love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way
down…”
b. Impact - Page 212 “but my impact with the water hadn’t hurt.”
Chapter 15 – A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers
1. Look up the Trojan War and find out the basic facts about it (at least 3).
2. After you learn about the Trojan War - What did Luke mean on page 222 that “It’s
shaping up like the Trojan War all over again”?
3. What is Ares theory about why Hades stole the lightning bolt (or why he claims Hades
stole it)?
4. Why did Annabeth have the reaction that she had to the spiders (think mythology)?
5. Vocabulary
a. Framing - Page 228 “Framing somebody to start a war.”
b. Momentum- Page 240 “…but Annabeth and I had all the momentum.”
Chapter 16 – We Take a Zebra To Vegas
1. What is the setting of this chapter?
2. What is the irony of the name “Kindness International” for the animal delivery
company?
3. What is different during the conversation in the truck that shows that Annabeth is
getting along better with Percy?
4. How does the Lotus Hotel and Casino fit with the saying, “If something seems too good
to be true, it probably is.”?
5. What details about the boy playing video games are Percy’s clues that something is
wrong with the hotel?
6. Don’t forget the map!!
7. Vocabulary
a. Metamorphosis- Page 244 “That’s metamorphosis. Not death.”
b. Smug - Page 244 “You’re pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid
statues.”
Chapter 17 – We Shop For Waterbeds
1. What is the setting of this chapter?
2. Why is Nereid (instead of Poseidon) helping Percy, and how does she help him?
3. Vocabulary
a. Tentatively - Page 270 “Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin.”
b. Chaotic - Page 275 “It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around.”
Chapter 18 – Annabeth Does Obedience School
1. What is the setting of this chapter?
2. Percy bribes Charon with more than money – what else does he bribe him with?
3. Explain – what does the author mean that the river Styx is polluted with hopes, dreams
and wishes that never come true?
4. What is the difference between the people who get to go to Asphodel or Elysium?
5. Vocabulary
a. Bore - Page 286 “The cold stare behind his glasses seemed to bore a hole
through my chest.”
b. Reassurance - Page 290 “She wanted reassurance that somebody else was alive
on this boat.”
c. Warily - Page 296 “Grover and I inched forward warily.”
Chapter 19 – We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of
1. What helps Percy realize who really stole the master bolt?
2. How does Percy choose who NOT to save from Hades?
3. How do they get out of the Underworld?
4. Vocabulary
a. Mesmerizing AND charisma - Page 309 “… the same kind of mesmerizing, even
charisma.”
Chapter 20 - I Battle my Jerk Relative
1. What is the setting of this chapter?
2. How is it clear that Percy is right and it wasn’t Ares’s idea to steal the Master Bolt?
3. Describe in chronological order the fight with Ares and the results.
4. Make an argument – Is strategy more important than strength (give at least 1 reason
why both sides could be the answer)?
5. Remember to finish the map!!
6. Vocabulary
a. Reconciliation - Page 326 “Reconciliation… Athena and Poseidon together.”
b. Ego - Page 326 “A smaller ego, I thought…”
Chapter 21 – I Settle my Tab
1. Why does Percy’s mom say that she has to decide on her own, that Percy can’t fix it all
for her? Do you agree with her definition of how to live life? Explain.
Lighting Thief Questions - B – page 4
2. Make the argument that Percy’s mom was also a hero… even though she spent most of
the book unconscious and a hostage.
3. Vocabulary
a. Unclench - Page 335 “I didn’t unclench my hands from the armrests…”
b. Wistfully - Page 346 “’Your mother is a queen among women’ Poseidon said
wistfully…”
c. Imperceptibly - Page 351 “…then nodded almost imperceptibly.”
Chapter 22 – The prophecy comes true
1. What is the joke about the statue that Percy’s mother sells, and what does this show
about her?
2. The name of Luke’s new sword is “Backbiter” – what does this sound like and what
does it tell you about Luke?
3. Make an argument – Luke had justification for his choices (think his feelings,
everything that had happened to him, etc) – but does having CAUSE necessarily mean
that you should get your revenge (or that it would be right if you did)??
4. How did the whole prophecy come true in the end?
5. Personal thought - What would have been your choice if you were Percy – stay at camp
or go out to school? Discuss.
6. Vocabulary
a. Awed - Page 362 “…I still couldn’t help being awed by Luke’s skill.”
b. Vengeance - Page 371 “But you must not rush out for vengeance.”
c. Restrained - Page 375 “The sea does not like to be restrained.”
After finishing the book
1. What is the main theme of this entire book? Explain and defend your answer.
2. Make an argument that Percy did this quest for the right reasons while most people
(including Annabeth) would have been doing the quest for the wrong reasons.
After we watch the movie
1. Movies and books are different mediums for telling a story so there will always be
some changes necessary when going back and forth.
2. List at least 2 UNNECESSARY changes that the movie make – ones that ruined
something that was important to the plot (NOT an example like, “Grover said that, not
Annabeth” or Annabeth’s hair was the wrong color).
3. Explain - How did the movie completely get the Greek Underworld wrong?
4. IF you have read the rest of the series – what was the single biggest error that was
made in this movie… preventing the rest of the books from working.