Percy Jackson and the Olympians 3 Book Paperback Boxed Set with new covers

My wife and I have been struggling to find something for my son to read that he could actually get interested in...since blowing through his Magic Tree House series. He is almost eight and English is really not his mother language (just as he was getting started speaking, we moved to China for several years and has been playing catch-up since we moved back for him to start 1st grade.) He loves TV and movies and so we've made him a deal, if there is a book for the movie, if he reads the book first, we'll take him to see the movie. With the movie for the first book in this series just coming out, we figured this would be a great chance for us to try out this new deal we made with him. This has been the greatest thing we have done in the last year to help give him more confidence in reading and find a greater love for reading. He burned through the first book in 2 hours (yes, a bit too fast, but surprisingly he still got about 70% of it--his Mom is making him write a book report, so he had to re-read it so he can write a decent book report--then his mom will let him see the movie.) He's also already burned through the second book and is working on the third one now.Its funny that he complained about reading through other books, saying the names were hard to read or remember, but he's had no problem with this one. It shouldn't surprise me though, he's memorized almost every dinosaur name there is and recognizes each one, so if children REALLY want to, they can read anything they want--it comes down to an interest factor. I hope that these books have given him the passion to continue reading and open up a whole new world of books for him.Personally, I have read the first two books too so that I can talk about them with him and make sure he is really understanding them. In general, they are a pretty fast read, don't get dull very much. I have heard others say that the characters haven't been developed well, but honestly, for the age group these were written for, I think its perfect. Kids at this age can still have attention issues and I think this book does great at keeping the readers interested in reading on.As a parent, I highly recommend this book to any parent with children in the 8-12 age group that are looking for some good summer reading for their kids. We have the first three book, we'll be looking for the other two as well as other series by this author.

I'm 18 years old and I must say this is a great book. I, like most other older people who read this book, are big Harry Potter fans, hoping to fill that void. This book will do the trick. (Also, on another note, this review will be comparing the two books, as Harry Potter is the main reason I bought this book).It's an easy read. I'd say about 7th grade reading level at the most. And it doesn't take that long to finish. I just read books 1-3 today and I jut got it about 8 hours ago. I'm not waiting on the 4th and 5th in the mail (what a long 2 days it will be!!!).The book is definitely a more modern Harry Potter, even though Harry Potter was set around the same times. I think the modern twist gives it a true spark. It's fun because you can relate more the the characters.The characters are also well developed. Perhaps not as much as Harry was by the 3rd book, but I think it's because we're only with Percy for short periods of times. It's cool though because you're not missing too much in between those times, and Percy doesn't drastically change in between books.The other characters are kind of lacking as far as character development. I'd say, for as much as we see Grover in the 1st book and you get attached, he's barely their in the 2nd. The same for Tyson in the 2nd who was only mentioned in the 3rd book.Besides those flaws, this is a great adventure book for those who liked Harry Potter. However, unlike Harry Potter which was developed for adults initially, this book is clearly for kids. However, I think if you're a younger adult (16-29) you should enjoy this book! I'm literally jittery for the next 2 books.

I picked this set up mainly because it was a great deal for the first three books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I figured it would be an economic way to check out a series that's gotten a lot of popularity.This set is, simply, an amazing buy, and can't be beat at $11. The books in the set are:-Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1: The Lightning Thief-Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2: The Sea of Monsters-Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3: The Titan's CurseEach book in the series is a contained adventure, but also part of a larger plot line that continues through the five books. I've reviewed each book separately; the reviews can be found on my profile/website if you're curious.The basic idea is that Percy Jackson is a young demigod, half human and half Greek god. He is the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. He grows up over the course of the books, starting at age 12 and finishing at 16. Percy's life is full of adventures and dangers, as he often heads off on quests to save his friends or Camp Half-Blood, sanctuary of the demigods. In "The Lightning Thief," Percy and his friends must find Zeus's stolen lightning bolt. In "The Sea of Monsters," they hunt for the Golden Fleece. And in "The Titan's Curse," the young demigods search for a missing friend as well as the Greek god Artemis.Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an outstanding series, one that I will be rereading often. Riordan's writing is witty, humorous, educational, fun, etc.; these are great books for kids and parents to read together.5/5.

These books have been on my to-read list for years and now at last, I've finally finished the first series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians books 1-5 (although this box set only includes books 1-3). I had heard and read such wonderful things about these books while managing to avoid watching any of the movies (didn't want to ruin my opinion of the books before I'd read them), and now I know what all of the Percy Jackson mania is about. My opinion? These books are great!The first book, The Lightning Thief, was my favorite and I thought the most cleverly written. Each book after the first seemed somewhat repetitive and I'll admit that I grew weary by the 3rd book, but I'm an adult reader, so that may have played a big factor there. However, I was entertained enough to finish out the series - I had to know how everything played out by the final book, and I was quite pleased with the ending itself in book 5. I most likely will go on to read the Heroes of Olympus series in the near future because there were some characters that I would love to find out if they make reappearances (Calypso, for one - really loved and felt sorry for that character) and I would be excited to meet more interesting half-bloods, as well as follow Percy and Annabeth on more wild adventures.I have to commend the author, Rick Riordan, for creating a brilliant and highly entertaining way to interest children and adults alike in Greek mythology. I was already very familiar with mythological creatures and monsters because I read a lot of fantasy books, but there was quite a bit about the Greek gods that I didn't know, so I was delighted to learn more about them through these books. In the end, I'm very glad that I have finally jumped onto the Percy Jackson bandwagon and I can't recommend these books enough.

I read this series on the recommendation that it was Harry Potter-like and it almost ruined it for me. It is a GREAT series for kids who are into reading fantasy! but some adults (like myself at age 34) who are looking for the intricacy, descriptive scenes, drawn out battles and fleshed out characters of Rowling might be disappointed. Unlike most of the HP books, I would give this book to a 9 year old and be confident that he/she would be able to grasp the concepts easily. Book 1 started out as an HP knock-off and I ALMOST stopped reading. It is also a little slow and tough to get through but 2, 3 & 4 are excellent. You need to read book 1 because it sets the stage for the series and gives you lots of important information you need in later books. There are clearly some HP influences that I found a bit annoying but had I not been referred as a Potter fan then I think it would have gone unnoticed.So aside from the unfair comparisons that should never be...its a great series! If you go in with no expectations other than reading a great fantasy series then that's what you'll get! There is humor, youthful romance, danger, mild violence that is not inappropriate for young readers (which I appreciate as a parent). Percy and his friends go on wild adventures that make for fast reading and a real page turner. The series gets progressively better and each book more detailed. Overall, it is a well written series and I can't wait to get book 5.

My daughter received a kindle reader for xmas and this was her first book to read and she is very excited about it. She isn't a big reader normally and this book series has kept her reading. She started to watch the series on Disney and wanted to read the books as well.

I've always love the creativeness of Rick Riordan. His ability to weave ADHD aid dyslexia into stories about mythology captured and engaged my children (as well as myself) twenty years ago. It gave my son a sense that it was ok and might even be kind of cool to struggle with the issues be struggled with(focus). I still enjoy re-reading these books, especially while watching the new Disney series.

It is almost impossible anymore not to "compare" such newer book series to Harry Potter, and there are certain similarities, none of which interfere with the enjoyment of this far more amusing adventure series.While anyone with a good knowledge of Greek mythology will instantly recognize in advance the situation/s into which hero Percy Jackson is heading, oft-times that could be just as fun as being unaware of what dangers he and his friends face.As of this entry, I have acquired the first four books of the five-book series, as the fifth book, as of this entry, has not been released in paperback as has the first four titles, though in bookstores I am reading it when I can (and even once read I will purchase it when it is released in the same-style paperback).I came across the series after seeing the teaser for the first movie, "The Lightning Thief," set for February 2010 release (a good friend of mine playing the disguised Mrs. Dodds [the Fury] was also a factor); I bought the boxed set and book four right away and sped quickly through them.Written in the first person, the story and characters are engaging, the first-person editorial comments and observations invariably amusing, and the adventure/s exciting.The series never really gets *as* dark (or convoluted) as the Harry Potter books, but Percy does have to make some very strong decisions to accomplish his goal of defending the Olympian gods and Olympus, the latter of which now rests hidden above New York city.

Best series. Beautiful 10th anniversary editions

This book is SO AMAZING !!!!! This book is super duper adventurous and imaginative. It is the best book I ever read!!! That's why I am giving this book 5 stars.

condizioni del libri non ottimali, il mio voto è per il contenuto, dove Rick Riordan è riuscito ad appassionare i lettori con le sue storie intriganti, non per niente sta lavorando alla saga successiva (gli Eroi dell'Olimpo).

Ich kannte bis jetzt nur die zwei Filme zu den Büchern und dann habe ich mir einfach die Bücher bestellt, weil ich von der Mythologie einfach fasziniert bin! Jetzt finde ich die Filme eher enttäuschend, weil sie so vieles guten raus genommen haben!Seit der ersten Seite wusste ich, dass ich alle 5 Bücher LIEBEN werde! Einfach super geschrieben (Erste Person Erzähler) und sehr interessant. Charaktere sind gut aufgebaut und sind nicht flach, es gibt also Charakter Entwicklung.Nach Harry Potter gibt es keine guten Bücher in dieser Richtung, aber Riordan's Serie ist genau so gut! Sehr empfehlenswert.

Percy Jackson is my 9 year old favorite series, it has helped with his school reading a lot!!We have now the entire series!