The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

So my book this week was House of Hades, which is basically a later continuation of this universe, and I realized I haven't done a review on this original book yet, so voila. May I acquaint you with one of the most wonderful books ever? That was a rhetorical question: you're gonna read it whether you like it or not. I first read this book in middle school, and became completely infatuated with it. The Greek mythology is so awesome and interesting that you can't help but get pulled in. And, one of the wonderful things about this whole series: it has a lot of heart, but doesn't take itself too seriously. The chapter titles are basically gems on their own ("We Take a Zebra to Vegas," "I Ruin A Perfectly Good Bus," "Clarisse Blows Up Everything," etc...), and the rest of the story is equally as quirky. You fall in love with these characters in .2 seconds flat. No lie. They're unique and unapologetic and awesome role models. There's a companion series too, which is equally as amazing and a little more grown-up. It's best to start with this one, though; you won't regret it. If I was allowed to bribe you to read these books, I would, but I have to settle for a stern order: I won't love you anymore if you don't or haven't at least tried reading these. (I'm kidding. Mostly).  Anyway, there's copies at Kettleson, Mt. Edgecumbe, Blatchley, and Keet. Go, I tell you.