The Lightning Thief -Chapter Questions - A
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. You CANNOT just ignore or wave off details that don’t fit
your argument.
 For the 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.
2.
3.
4.
What is the genre of this book?
What is the setting of this chapter?
Who is the main protagonist so far?
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 five 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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What is the setting of this chapter?
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.”
Vocabulary
a. Artillery - Page 41 “… and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.”
Chapter 4 – My Mother Teaches Me Bullfighting
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is Grover?
What is the surprise about Percy’s part of the fight with the Minotaur?
Page 53 – Make an argument - is Percy’s mom dead? What is the evidence both ways?
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.
2.
3.
4.
After waking up, what proves to Percy that it wasn’t all a dream?
What is the setting of this chapter?
Why is Mr. D in charge of the camp when he clearly doesn’t like anyone much?
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. Metaphysical - Page 67 – “We shan’t deal with the metaphysical.”
d. 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.”
c. Sopping - Page 92 “Her camouflage jacket was sopping…”
Chapter 7 – My dinner Goes up in Smoke
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What does “undetermined” mean for the campers?
Why does Percy ask for blue Coke at dinner?
In what way does Percy feel different once he gets to the bonfire?
When is the summer solstice in 2016, and what is it [look it up!]?
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?
Lighting Thief Questions - A – page 2
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. Shear - Page 122 “…used my sword to shear off the other guy’s horsehair plume.”
b. Flanked - Page 122 “He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat…”
c. Materialized - Page 123 “… and she materialized…”
d. Cascade - Page 124 “…there was a cascade of thwacking sounds…”
Chapter 9 – I Am Offered a Quest
1. Why does Percy feel miserable after Poseidon claims him? How is this like the old saying, “Be
careful what you ask for; you might get it.”?
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).
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. Make an argument – 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 useful or
not?
5. Start your map!!
6. Vocabulary
a. Venomous- Page 128 “… though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me…”
b. Celestial - Page 135 “I’m talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial
bronze…”
c. Usurp - Page 136 “… a god cannot usurp another god’s symbol of power directly…”
d. 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 everything 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 (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… at least 5 facts about it
(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.
5. Why does Echidna accuse Percy of having no faith?
6. Make an argument – “Percy shows how being a true hero is much more than mere courage.”
7. Vocabulary
a. Deceitful - Page 199 “He’s deceitful, heartless, and greedy.”
b. Resentfully - Page 201 “… they would both look at me resentfully.”
c. Plummeted - Page 211 “… I plummeted toward the river.”
Chapter 14 – I Become a Known Fugitive
1. What does Percy’s concern about the humans in the Arch tell us about his character?
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.”
c. Perimeter - Page 216 “I had to go a long way around the police perimeter.”
Chapter 15 – A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers
1. What did Luke mean on page 222 that “It’s shaping up like the Trojan War all over again”?
2. Look up the Trojan War and find out the basic facts about it (at least 3) (research and provide a
bibliography entry for the main source that you used).
3. What motivation does Ares use to convince Percy to do the “favor” for him?
4. What is Ares theory about why Hades stole the lightning bolt (or why he claims Hades stole it)?
5. Why did Annabeth have the reaction that she had to the spiders (think mythology)?
6. Vocabulary
a. Proposition - Page 226 “…I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you.”
b. Framing - Page 228 “Framing somebody to start a war.”
c. 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?
Lighting Thief Questions - A – page 3
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.”
c. Toying - Page 247 “The gods kept toying with me.”
d. Splurge - Page 261 “Our idea of a splurge was eating out…”
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. Explain what happens in the waterbed shop –both good and bad. How is it ironic that it is a
WATERbed shop and not just a regular BED shop?
4. Vocabulary
a. Tentatively - Page 270 “Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin.”
b. Chaotic - Page 275 “It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around.”
c. Stabilizers - Page 281 “Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion”?
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. Make an argument – Is the author correct in his idea behind his comments about humanity - 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. Glimmered - Page 290 “…shore glimmered with greenish light…”
c. Reassurance - Page 290 “She wanted reassurance that somebody else was alive on this
boat.”
d. Warily - Page 296 “Grover and I inched forward warily.”
Chapter 19 – We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of
1.
2.
3.
4.
What helps Percy realize who really stole the master bolt?
How does Percy choose who NOT to save from Hades?
How do they get out of the Underworld?
Vocabulary
a. Nursing - Page 306 “I could tell she was nursing an idea…”
b. Lithe - Page 309 “… looking lithe, graceful and dangerous as a panther.”
c. 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.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What is Percy’s plan (what does he think is his advantage) for fighting Ares?
Describe in chronological order the fight with Ares and the results.
Make an argument – Is strategy more important than strength?
Remember to finish the map!!
Vocabulary
a. Reconciliation - Page 326 “Reconciliation… Athena and Poseidon together.”
b. Ego - Page 326 “A smaller ego, I thought…”
c. Thrust - Page 327 “I stepped inside with a thrust…”
d. Stunned - Page 330 “Annabeth looked stunned.”
e. Cackled - Page 332 “She cackled, savoring the idea.”
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.
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. Decapitated - Page 337 “…rose the decapitated peak of a mountain…”
c. Wistfully - Page 346 “’Your mother is a queen among women’ Poseidon said wistfully…”
d. 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. What would have been your choice if you were Percy – stay at camp or go out to school? Discuss.
6. Personal thought - If you had the option to be immortal, would you take it? Make sure to think of
the Mr. D’s discussions at the beginning (about everyone thinking you were a myth) and the
behavior of the gods throughout the story.
7. 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.”
Lighting Thief Questions - A – page 4
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.