After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tysonโa six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any โnormalโ friends.
But things donโt stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millenniaโonly today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new nameโฆthe Bermuda Triangle.
Now Percy and his friendsโGrover, Annabeth, and Tysonโmust retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his familyโone that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidonโs son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9 In this second installment in the series, Percy, Poseidon's 13-year-old demigod son, is desperate to rescue his friend Grover, captive of the bloodthirsty Cyclops Polyphemus, and to retrieve the healing Golden Fleece. The sheepskin is needed to restore the protection around Camp Half-Blood, the only safe haven for the children of gods and humans, heroes-in-training in our modern world. However, the camp has already been compromised and the quest for the Golden Fleece has been awarded to the bully Clarisse. Encouraged by Hermes, Percy sets off for the Bermuda Triangle anyway with his friend Annabeth and classmate Tyson, who turns out to be a half-brother and a Cyclops as well. Adventure follows chaotic adventure at a rapid pace, and readers with even a passing acquaintance with the Odyssey will enjoy this fresh use of familiar stories. Percy is an appealing kid, and the subject of a chilling prophecy may resonate with readers. Those who start the series with this title will be drawn in by the clever humor and have the opportunity to go back to The Lightning Thief (Hyperion, 2005) before the inevitable sequel appears.Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD
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From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. In this second adventure in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Percy is anticipating the end of seventh grade and a summer at Camp Half-Blood with kids who are the offspring of Greek gods and mortals. He dreams that his pal Grover, a satyr, is in danger. After monsters attack in his school gym class, Percy and Tyson, a homeless kid, are picked up by Annabeth, a half-blood friend, and rushed to the camp, which is under attack. The tree that guards the camp is dying, and Chiron, the activity director, has been dismissed. Another dream reveals that Grover, whose peril is increasing, is on the same island as the legendary Golden Fleece, which may be the cure for the troubled camp. With the help of Hermes, Percy and his pals set off to the Sea of Monsters, where they encounter legendary dangers. Riordan's clever mix of classical mythology, contemporary teen characters, and an action-packed adventure will bring new readers to the series. Diana Herald
Copyright ยฉ American Library Association. All rights reserved