Vocab
Prophecy
A message or prediction about what may happen in the future.
Quest
A journey taken to reach an important goal or complete a difficult task.
Describe Percy Jackson's character traits and struggles at the start of the book.
Percy is a 12-year-old student at Yancy Academy. He struggles with ADHD and dyslexia, has a track record of getting expelled from schools, and constantly attracts bizarre, dangerous accidents on field trips
Who is "Smelly Gabe" and how does Percy view him?
Gabe Ugliano is Percy’s lazy, verbally abusive step-father. Percy despises him but tolerates him because his mother, Sally Jackson, works hard to keep the peace.
Who is Mr. D and what is his true identity?
Mr. D is the grumpy, sarcastic director of Camp Half-Blood. His true identity is Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, who has been punished by Zeus to run the camp and abstain from alcohol
Oracle
A person or source believed to give messages about the future
Suspicious
Making you feel that something may be wrong or not what it seems
What happens when Mrs. Dodds takes Percy into a private room at the museum?
She transforms into a Fury (a monstrous hag with bat wings, claws, and fangs) and attacks him.
What does Percy notice about Grover's body when he runs into their cabin at Montauk?
Grover isn't wearing pants, revealing that he is actually a Satyr (half-man, half-goat) from the waist down
What is Mr. Brunner's real name and what kind of creature is he?
His real name is Chiron, and he is a wise, immortal Centaur (half-man, half-horse) who trains heroes.
Confront
To face a person, problem, or situation directly.
Fate
What seems certain or destined to happen.
How does Percy defeat Mrs. Dodds, and what happens right after?
Mr. Brunner throws Percy a pen that transforms into a bronze sword. Percy slices the monster, causing her to vaporize into dust. Immediately afterward, everyone gasps, acts like Mrs. Dodds never existed, and claims a teacher named "Mrs. Kerr" has been there all along.
What mythological creature attacks Percy, his mom, and Grover in the car?
The Minotaur (referred to as the "bull-man")
Why are unassigned or unclaimed demigods placed into Cabin 11?
Cabin 11 belongs to Hermes, the god of travelers and messengers. Because he welcomes everyone, his cabin serves as the temporary housing unit for all children whose godly parents haven't claimed them yet
Accuse
To say that someone has done something wrong
Defend
To protect someone or explain why someone may not be at fault
What does Percy overhear Grover and Mr. Brunner discussing?
He overhears them talking about Percy being in extreme danger and mentioning a critical upcoming deadline on the "summer solstice
What happens to Percy's mother during the fight?
The Minotaur grabs her by the neck and she dissolves into a blinding flash of golden light, seemingly vaporized right before Percy's eyes.
Why does Percy have to throw a portion of his dinner into the fire at Camp Half-Blood?
It is a camp tradition to offer the best, most delicious parts of their meals to the gods as a burnt sacrifice, accompanied by a silent prayer or wish
Loyalty
Being faithful and standing by someone or something
Betray
To break someone's trust or act against them
What strange sight do Percy and Grover see on the side of the highway when the bus breaks down?
They see three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs knitting giant electric-blue socks. One of the ladies snips a piece of yarn with gold scissors, which Grover explains is an omen that means someone is about to die. [1, 2, 3, 4]
How does Percy manage to defeat the Minotaur?
Percy climbs onto the beast's neck, uses his weight to snap off one of its sharp horns, and then drives the broken horn directly into the monster's side to destroy it
Why did the "Big Three" (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) swear an oath to never have any more children?
Following World War II, a prophecy predicted that a child of the Big Three would either save or destroy the world. They agreed their offspring were simply too powerful and dangerous to exist