Percy Jackson has always had a hard time with school; his ADHD and Dyslexia make reading difficult and sitting still nearly impossible. During a field trip to the Greek exhibit at the New York City Percy is attacked by one of the Furies, but somehow he escapes. Percy is expelled from his sixth school with the incident.
After the close call Percy and his mother take a vacation from his stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, a man who can be best described as a chauvinistic stink-pot, his repulsive odor overpowers everything. When Percy's friend Grover, a fellow student, appears at the cabin he brings tidings of danger. He is revealed to be a half-man, half-goat satyr and close on his hooves is the Minotaur. Percy's mother drives the pair to Camp Half-Blood, but the Minotaur catches them as they reach the camp boudaries. It captures Mrs. Jackson when she cannot pass through the boundaries because she is completely mortal, she dissolves is a shower of gold dust. Percy attacks and defeats the Minotaur with its own horn, fueled by a boiling rage--it attacked his best friend and killed his mother! Percy stumbles into camp dragging Grover and the horn.
When he wakes, Percy is moved to one of twelve cabins at the camp devoted to each of the major gods of Greece, he is under the care of Luke Castellan in the Hermes cabin. He meets Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, and learns he is the son of one of the gods (but because he has yet to be claimed he is gets shuffled into Hermes' cabin). The camp is a training grounds where the demi-gods can learn to fight and develop their god-given talents, as well as be protected from the mythical creatures wandering the world looking to destroy them.
During a game of Capture the Flag Percy is injured by the Ares cabin. He steps into a river running through camp and is healed. Then, after the game is won, he is attacked by a hell-hound, but saved by arrow-wielding campers. He steps into the river for healing and Poseidon's trident appears over his head to lay claim; Percy is announced the son of Poseidon and moved to his cabin.
One of the camp's directors, a centaur named Chiron, explains that Poseidon has broken a treaty between the three greatest gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Hades) that they would not have more demi-god children as they become too powerful and tend to start world-wide conflicts. He also reveals to Percy that Zeus's Thunderbolt has been stolen and Zeus suspects Percy. He is granted a quest to find the missing bolt and clear both his own and his father's name. Chiron points to Hades as the culprit and Percy begins his quest.
After a visit to the Oracle Percy, Annabeth, and Grover go on their journey. Luke provides them with a pair of flying shoes, and the trio travels west to find the underground entrance to Hades before the Summer Solstice. They run into creatures of mythology including the furies, Medusa, the Chimera; encounter Ares who reveals Percy's mother is still alive; and are lost in the Den of the Lotus-Eaters in Las Vegas for several days. They escape to find there are only five days left until the Summer Solstice and their deadline.
In Hades the trio must first bribe the ferryman to allow them to cross the river Styx, then escape as Luke's shoes try to drag Grover into Tartarus, and convince Hades that Percy did not steal his Helm of Darkness. They find Mrs. Jackson, but must leave her when they find the Lightningbolt in a backpack from Ares. On their way to return the bolt to Zeus, the travelers encounter Ares again and defeat him to retrieve Hades' Helm of Darkness, which they return via the Furies (witnesses to the battle).
Percy risks entering the realm of Zeus by flying back to New York where Olympus has moved to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. Zeus is pacified and Percy returns to camp where he is a normal camper.
On the final day of camp Luke reveals he was the one who stole the bolt, on orders from Kronos who is rising from Tartarus. Luke summons a pit scorpion and Percy is nearly killed. Chiron saves him and Percy decides to live with his mother rather than stay at camp. Annabeth decides to try living with her father again, and Grover is granted the quest to search for Pan, a rare opportunity and dangerous task from which no satyr has returned.
Percy evolves throughout the story from a young boy who has no confidence in his ability and has lived his life criticized and put into a box based on his inability. When he goes to Camp Half-blood Percy realizes he has been judged by a scale that he wasn't compatible with. In the new world of demi-gods Percy becomes a hero; he has superior warrior abilities, he is humble despite his accomplishments, and still he is a likeable person. Like many people, Percy doesn't believe in himself and it isn't until the entire mission depends on him that he realizes he can accomplish his goal.
The Lightning Thief is an intriguing adaptation of ancient Greek mythology in the modern world. The story is suited to readers in grades three through seven, and Percy's adventures continue in The Sea of Monsters.
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