The Lightning Thief

Written by Rick Riordan

Summary:

Percy Jackson is a 12 year old boy, diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, who has been expelled from numerous (six) schools, the latest being Yancy Academy. During a school field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan New York City, his pre-algebra teacher, Mrs. Dodds, attacks Percy, revealing that she is one of the three Furies. Percy's stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, a man whose smell is very repulsive, mistreats both Percy and Percy's mother, Sally. To get away from Gabe, Sally takes Percy on a trip to Montauk in Long Island for a three-day vacation.
In the middle of the first night Percy's closest friend and former classmate at Yancy Academy, Grover Underwood, who is revealed to be a satyr, comes and warns the two of them that Percy is in danger. Sally drives them both to Camp Half-Blood, a camp for demigods, where he can train and be protected. On the way there, they are attacked by the Minotaur, which grabs Percy's mother by her throat. She then dissolves into a golden shower of light. Percy, angered by the Minotaur for killing his mom and then going after his best friend, goes after the Minotaur and defeats him using the Minotaur's own horn. Percy then stumbles into the camp carrying a semi-conscious Grover.
Upon waking up, Percy meets another camper, Annabeth, who is the daughter of Athena. Percy is moved into the Hermes cabin, under the care of Luke Castellan, the cabin's counselor. During a game of capture the flag, the Ares cabin attacks and injures Percy. He steps into the adjoining river and is healed by the waters. After the game is won, Percy gets attacked by a hellhound, which gets shot by arrows and dies. To heal himself, he steps into the water, while Poseidon's trident appears above his head, reassuring him that he is the son of Poseidon. Poseidon has broke refrain from having any more children with mortal women, as their children can become too powerful and become a threat. It is revealed that Zeus's Master bolt has been stolen. Because Percy has been claimed, Zeus believes that Percy was the one to have stolen it. To clear his and his father's name, Percy is granted a quest to find Zeus's first lightning which Chiron believes Hades has stolen.
Percy has to find the bolt before the summer solstice, ten days from then. Luke gives magic flying shoes to Percy before leaving on the quest with Annabeth and Grover. Percy has to travel west to reach the entrance to the Underworld in Hollywood. They encounter Greek monsters, including the Furies, Medusa, Echidna, the Chimera, and Ares, the god of war, who tells Percy that his mother is alive.
As they approach Hades' palace, Luke’s shoes try to drag Grover over the edge of Tartarus, but he manages to slip free. Percy confronts Hades, who believes Percy stole his Helm of Darkness, an object that allows him to become a shadow. Percy discovers that the bolt had appeared in the backpack Ares gave them and flees from the Underworld, forced to leave his mother behind.
Percy fights and defeats Ares, obtaining the helm, which he asks the Furies, who witnessed everything, to return to Hades. Percy flies to New York, risking his life by entering the sky, the realm of Zeus. He arrives in New York City to give the first lightning to Zeus at level 600 of the Empire State Building, where Olympus is now located. Zeus accepts his first lightning bolt, and Percy returns to camp. Percy spends the remainder of the summer participating in almost everything. In the last day of camp, Luke reveals that he stole the bolt for Kronos and summons a poisonous pit scorpion which stings and nearly kills Percy. Chiron saves Percy. Annabeth decides to try things again with her dad. Percy reflects on his father and decides to live with his mother that school year. At the end of the book Grover has a dream to search for Pan. It is a privilege that very few satyrs are granted.