Literature Circle - The Lightning Thief

1. Describe what kind of student Percy Jackson is. What troubles does he have in school?
   
2. What is Percy’s relationship with his mother? Why does he think she has bad luck?
   
3. What does Percy discover about the Greek gods at Camp Half Blood? What do they have to do with the camp?
   
4. Why is Percy more excited about his upcoming quest to the Underworld than scared? What other feelings does he have about his assignment?
   
5. What clues do Percy and his friends have that all is not right with “Auntie Em?” Why do you think they overlook them?
   
6. What does Percy’s fight with Echidna reveal about his character? What new things does he discover about himself?
   
7. The god, Ares, says he loves America. He calls it “the best place since Sparta.” What does he mean? Do you agree with his assessment of America? Why? Why not?
   
8. At the Lotus Casino, Percy realizes that unless he gets out quickly, he will “...stay here, happy forever, playing games forever, and soon I’d forget my mom, and my quest, and maybe my own name. I’d be playing virtual rifleman with groovy Disco Darrin forever.” What critique is the author offering of modern life? Do you agree with it?
   
9. When describing the effects of Mist, Chiron says, “Remarkable, really, the lengths humans will go to fit things into their version of reality.” How is this true in the novel? In Greek mythology?
   
10. When Percy finally meets his father, Poseidon seems distant and hard to read. Percy says that he is actually glad about this. “If he’d tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled—that would have felt fake. Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around.” Do you agree with Percy?
    
11. How does the last line of the prophecy—you shall fail to save what matters most in the end—come true? What do you think of this ending? Did Percy make the right choice?
    
12. Throughout the story, Percy is troubled by frightening dreams. In what ways do those dreams increase the tension in the story? Is their menace completely resolved by the end of the story?
    
13. After her return from the quest, Annabeth resolves to try again to live with her father and her stepfamily. Do you think they will all get along better now? Why? Why not? What do you predict will happen?
    
14. In the end of the book, do you sympathize at all with Luke’s feelings of betrayal? Is there anything you can relate to about his point of view?
    
15. Percy’s learning difficulties become strengths in a different context. What seem to be attention problems allow him to be aware of all sides of attack during a battle. While he struggles to read English, he masters ancient Greek almost effortlessly. What skills are valued most in today’s society? How might students who struggle today have been successful in a different moment in history?