The Percy Jackson & The Olympians Series
The Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan, is a great fantasy series of five books. The series follows the adventures of Percy Jackson, a young "half-blood", or half man, half god. Percy is the son of the greek god of the sea, Poseidon. His adventures involve him going on various quests for mythological items, such as the golden fleece Jason and his Argonauts sought, and many other mythological objects and locations, in an effort to save his Half Blood summer camp, Mount Olympus, and the world.
The series takes ancient Greek Mythology and places it in modern times. For example, Mt. Olympus, home of the gods, floats in New York city, above the empire state building, while Hades is under Los Angeles. Famous gods, goddesses, heroes and monsters from greek mythology are here as well.
Rick Riordan has done a great job of taking beloved myths that are millenia old, rehashing them, and making them just as appealing to young people today as they were when they were told 2000 years ago. The main character starts out as a 12 year-old and ages with the series. He experiences many of the typical trials and tribulations of a modern teenager; school, bullying, girls, step-parents and many other issues that young readers can relate to. These stories make the imagination run wild while keeping alive the ancient greek mythology that has been intriguing for thousands of years. The books are simple enough to appeal to young readers, yet exciting enough to keep teenagers turning the pages. There are five books in all, and the first has even been made into a movie just recently. This reading would probably be appropriate for kids anywhere from roughly 8-16. To learn more about these books, the characters and their author, click here.
