What book is Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) based on?
The Lightning Thief, book 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan.
In the book, Percy, Annabeth and Grover are twelve, and their quest takes a different route across the country.
- 1This is the book behind Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
The Lightning Thief
2005 · Movie (2010) · Disney+ season 1Percy finds out he is the son of Poseidon.
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The Sea of Monsters
2006 · Movie (2013) · Disney+ season 2A quest for the Golden Fleece.
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The Titan's Curse
2007 · Disney+ season 3 (announced)A goddess is kidnapped.
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The Battle of the Labyrinth
2008 · Not on screen yetInto Daedalus's maze.
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The Last Olympian
2009 · Not on screen yetKronos attacks New York.
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All five books in one boxed set
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in paperback.
What the books give you
Only in the books
Percy's funny first-person voice and the whole cast of Camp Half-Blood.
What the screen changes
The 2010 and 2013 movies made the characters older and changed the plot; the Disney+ series follows the books closely. The details are folded below.
Show differences (spoilers)
In the 2010 movie, Annabeth and Grover are older and Percy collects Persephone's pearls across the country; in the book there are no pearls, and the quest ends with a fight against Ares.
Editions
- 1
Percy Jackson box set
All five books.
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The Lightning Thief, illustrated edition
Illustrated by John Rocco.
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Percy Jackson audiobooks
For the car.
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More by Rick Riordan
- 1
The Lost Hero
2010 · book 1 of The Heroes of Olympus
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The Red Pyramid
2010 · book 1 of The Kane Chronicles
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The Sword of Summer
2015 · book 1 of Magnus Chase
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If you liked it
- 1
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K. Rowling · 1997
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The Lost Hero
Rick Riordan · 2010
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Lockwood & Co.
Jonathan Stroud · 2013 · a Netflix series
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Quick answers
Which book is each movie and series based on?
| Movie or series | Book |
|---|---|
| Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) | The Lightning Thief (2005) |
| Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) | The Sea of Monsters (2006) |
| Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+) | The Lightning Thief (2005) · season 1; season 2 adapts The Sea of Monsters and season 3 will adapt The Titan's Curse |
In what order should I read Percy Jackson and the Olympians?
Read the five books in order, from The Lightning Thief (2005) to The Last Olympian (2009). All are by Rick Riordan. The Disney+ series adapts one book per season, starting with The Lightning Thief.
In what order should I read Percy Jackson?
The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian. Then The Heroes of Olympus continues the story.
Is the Disney+ series closer to the books than the movies?
Yes. Rick Riordan worked on the series, which adapts one book per season. The 2010 and 2013 movies changed a lot.
How many Percy Jackson books are there?
Five in the original series, plus later books like The Chalice of the Gods (2023).