The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is my favorite 7th grade hero right now.  What I love about Percy is that he has ADHD, Dyslexia and is a demi-god.  My son and the author's son also have ADHD and Dyslexia and I think I have my son convinced he is a demi-god. My son faces challenges that other kids don't have to and so when a great character comes along in a book that faces similar challenges with courage, the book earns a big thumbs up.

Percy has just begun 7th grade at a new school and the year starts out great since no one has tried to kill him yet.  During gym class, he ends up playing a death match game of Dodge Ball and is forced to escape to Camp Half Blood for fear of being eaten by Cannibals.  (I loved this chapter).  Camp Half Blood is changed as Thalia's tree is poisoned and dying, Chiron is being blamed and forced to quit, Grover is dressed in a wedding gown ready to be married and eaten by his betrothed Cyclops and Percy must set off with Annabeth to the Sea of Monsters to save Grover and the camp.  It is a rollicking wild adventure and so much fun to read.  I only wish I could go to camp half blood. 

I read this book aloud to my two children this summer and just finished.  So it took me about 4 months to read 279 pages, complete with my unique voices.  I love Greek Mythology and I love that this series includes the myths with modern twist.   My kids are learning a lot and I have paired these books with George O'Connor's graphic novels on Zeus and Athena. 

If Percy Jackson and Harry Potter were to duel, I would be standing behind Percy rooting him on.  I cannot wait to read more of Percy's adventures.