The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #3) by Rick Riordan

From Barnes & Noble

This terrific YA series by mystery writer Rick Riordan revamps Greek mythology in a fun, fresh way kids find absolutely enthralling. Percy Jackson is a trouble-prone teenager with attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. He's also the half-blood son of Poseidon (yes, that Poseidon!), one of 12 Olympian gods making mischief right here in 21st-century America. Riordan ratchets up the action in this third rip-roaring installment, as Percy and his demigod pals set out to find the vanished goddess Artemis -- and to foil a treacherous plot cooked up by the titan lord Kronos. Fast-paced, funny, and filled with super-cool fantasy elements perfectly suited to 'tween sensibilities, this new adventure is an irresistible treat for the 9-12 set.

From the Publisher

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped.And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

Children's Literature

AGERANGE: Ages 9 to 14.

The action begins right away as the demigods Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia arrive at Westover Hall in Maine to rescue two half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. Percy is fourteen-years-old and identifies himself as an impulsive ADHD kid. He is the son of Poseidon and a mortal mother. The half-blood kids attend Camp Half Blood, which is run by Chiron the centaur. They look human but have these special powers because of their parentage. The half-bloods are out to save the world from destruction by the monsters. In their quest, they fight a manticore and are assisted by Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, and her eternal maidens. The fight against the monsters takes them across New England to Washington, DC, and across the country to Arizona and California. This fast-paced story is full of adventure and humor. Readers will relate to good natured Percy, the protagonist. He is trying to fit in with his peers, please his parents, and save the world. The book brings Greek mythology to life in a kid-friendly way. This third book in the author's series, "Percy Jackson & The Olympians," follows bestsellers The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters. Reviewer: Jeanne K. Pettenati, J.D.

VOYA

Percy Jackson is loyal, humble, and defends his friends. What's not to like? It seems, however, that the evil Dr. Thorn wants Percy, the son of Poseidon, dead. Percy, Thalia (daughter of Zeus), and Annabeth are summoned by Grover to creepy Westover Hall where the satyr has located two new half-bloods. It is a setup. Dr. Thorn mocks the heroes and then boldly kidnaps Annabeth. The despicable act launches Percy and company on a cross-country rescue mission, allowing the author to work in classic myths, gods, and creatures. Action comes fast and furious here and only lets up when the characters pause to plan their next move. Several persons are repeated from the previous books, such as the wine-soaked Dionysus and Chiron, Camp Half-Blood's activity director. Key new arrivals are Artemis and her unit of hardened archers. These tough girls do not play around and conduct themselves as a deadly special-forces platoon-and it is a good thing, too. Artemis's warriors protect Percy's crew from a death squad of deranged skeletal soldiers as they zoom across the American West to save Annabeth. The screenplay-like story line and almost over-the-top action might alienate literary purists, but this reviewer is betting that teens will be thrilled by the wicked pace. Especially gripping is a brawl through the gods' junkyard with seventy-foot-tall Talos, a scene hinting of a manga title's mecha battle. Mixing humor with fantasy and rousing swordplay, this installment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is a hero's epic quest reminiscent of cyberpunk science fiction or addictive videogames. Librarians should lock and load for requests.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9 -In this third installment (Miramax, 2007) to the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series, Rick Riordan continues the saga of the Greek gods and their half-human offspring. The story takes place in modern-day America where Percy, son of Poseidon, faces off with mythical monsters and other enemies of the gods. Accompanying him are his friends, Grover the satyr, Thalia, daughter of Zeus, and two Hunters. They set off to find the missing Artemis, goddess of the hunt, who has been kidnapped by Titan Kronos's cronies, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, who has disappeared over the edge of a cliff. To make matters worse, the Oracle predicts that one of them will not survive the quest. Actor Jesse Bernstein does a first-rate job of narrating the story, seamlessly shifting between the voices of the various characters and rendering each of them a unique persona. A great addition to most junior high/middle school and public library audio collections.-Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High, Baldwin City, KS

Kirkus Reviews

The stirring of monsters has begun. Monsters not seen for thousands of years threaten to unleash death and destruction on an unprecedented scale and destroy Olympus, and it's up to Percy Jackson and his friends Grover, Annabeth and Thalia to stop them, though Percy is embarrassed to have to depend on his mother to drive him to his battles. Percy, Annabeth and Thalia are demigods, Grover is a satyr and their quest is to find the missing Artemis and the monster she was hunting. This third in the Olympians series makes the Greek myths come alive in a way no dreary classroom unit can. Apollo driving his Maserati Spyder sun chariot, attacks by skeletal zombie soldiers, dragons and a 20-foot-tall metal warrior and the contests between the gods will have readers wondering how literature can be this fun. This can stand alone, though newcomers to the series will race back to the first two volumes and eagerly await a fourth installment. (Fiction. 10+)

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