Reading Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief prior to our Mediterranean trip to Italy, Greece and Turkey made sightseeing much more interesting for my 8 year old daughter.
When preparing for a trip, I always try to find books that are related to our destination in order to familiarize my daughters with the things that they are going to see and to get them excited about their upcoming travels. Last summer, we were planning to spend a few days in Rome prior to a Mediterranean cruise with ports of call in Greece, Turkey and Italy and, primarily, I needed books to pique the interest of my younger daughter, Emma, who turned 8 just a couple of weeks prior to the trip.
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One of the books that I kept picking up every time that we visited a bookstore was Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan – but I hesitated to purchase it as a number of people had told me that they didn’t think Emma was old enough to find it interesting.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the books or the movie, young Percy discovers early on in the first book that many of the mysterious things that have happened to him are due to the fact that he is a demi-god. He is being raised by his mother, a mortal, in New York City, however, he learns that his father is one of the Greek gods and is sent to Camp Half Blood for training with other kids who have a god for a parent.
Eventually I decided that we would give this book a try and Emma was immediately hooked (as was I)! It is a very exciting story filled with gods, monsters and mythical creatures and suddenly Emma couldn’t get enough of Greek mythology.
I figured that Emma’s familiarity with some of the gods and goddesses would increase her interest in some of the historical sites that we intended to visit but I underestimated just how keen she would become.
Rome
It had never occurred to me that we might see much that related to Greek (or Roman) mythology in Rome, however, our guide very cleverly played on Emma’s interest while we were on our Vatican Tour. Daniela, from Context Travel, chatted with the girls about the things that they were interested in at the start of our tour and as soon as she learned that Emma was passionate about Greek mythology she started pointing out any sculptures or artwork that had connections.
Emma and Daniela discussed at length the Roman and Greek names for each of the gods, what each was god of and the symbolism used in artwork to represent certain gods or goddesses. Emma was so excited about learning more about mythology while we were at the Vatican that she didn’t once give any indication of being bored during our three hour tour.
Some of Apollo’s Muses
“Antinous, as Bacchus” (Dionysus is the Greek god)
Athens
I knew that Athens would be popular because Emma had decided early on that her favourite god and goddess were Poseidon and Athena. (I can’t tell you why without giving away the plot of the book though.)
We knew that according to Greek mythology, Athena became the patroness of Athens after a competition with Poseidon. Athena offered the gift of an olive tree to the city’s residents, whereas Poseidon offered the gift of salt water. The residents chose Athena’s gift and named the city in her honour. Emma was very keen to see the Parthenon which is the ancient temple located on the Acropolis that was built to honour Athena.
At the Parthenon
When our driver picked us up after our visit to the Acropolis, he suggested a brief stop at the Theatre of Dionysus which pleased Emma as Dionysus is another key character in the book series. It takes only a few minutes to see the ruins but sitting in this theatre was one of Emma’s highlights of the day.
Emma at the Theatre of Dionysus
Another stop at the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Emma was thrilled with the way that her day was going. There are only a few columns left of this temple but it is easy to see that it must have been huge at one time. Emma thought that the size was appropriate since Zeus was, in her words, “the top god”.
Emma at Temple of Olympian Zeus
All of the temple viewing wasn’t sufficient though, Emma had in mind purchasing figurines of Athena and Poseidon to display in her bedroom so our driver, Spyros, had to find a store where Emma could shop for souvenirs to remind her of Athens. After making her purchase, she announced that each time she visited Greece she was going to purchase another god figurine to add to her collection!
The other souvenir that Emma purchased in Greece was a deck of cards depicting the Greek gods and goddesses as well as many mythological monsters and creatures complete with interesting facts about each which she could commit to memory.
Kusadasi
Our stop in Kusadasi, Turkey was our opportunity to visit the ancient city of Ephesus which is considered to be the best preserved Roman city in Europe.
Our first stop was the Temple of Artemis which was a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis and was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. This temple was once four times the size of the Parthenon in Athens but all that remains of it is one single column and a few fragments of stone. Most people advise to skip this site when visiting the area but it was a highlight for Emma as Artemis is her second favourite goddess.
At the Temple of Artemis
We had a bit of a grumpy day at Ephesus due to the extreme heat, however, Emma was happy to discover some symbols from Greek mythology there as well. We saw a carving of the goddess Nike (which is apparently where the company got the idea for their symbolic swoop).
The goddess Nike at Ephesus
We also saw a carving of the monster Medusa who had serpents for hair and would turn to stone any unfortunate soul who looked directly into her eyes.
Medusa
Finding these mythological references was our saving grace on the tour of Ephesus.
Pompeii
Our final port of call was in Salerno, Italy where we had arranged a private tour of the ruins of Pompeii. We found statues here that were built to honour some of the gods, particularly Athena and Apollo.
Statue of Athena at Pompeii
Statue of Apollo in Pompeii
We also saw the ruins of the temple which had been built to honour the Roman goddess Venus (Aphrodite in Greek mythology).
Altar to Venus (Aphrodite) at Pompeii
Visiting these ancient sites and seeing many of the temples and statues that were built to honour the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology fueled Emma’s interest in the topic. Several months on she is still keen to read and learn more about the ancient gods and myths. Just recently she chose Greek mythology as the subject for her grade 3 speech.
Reading Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief prior to our Mediterranean trip ignited a passion for the subject and made sightseeing that much more interesting for Emma. I am grateful to Rick Riordan for having introduced the ancient stories to my daughter and other kids her age in such a captivating way.
Has anyone had a similar experience where reading a book prior to the trip made the sights much more relevant to a child or teenager?
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lisa wood
Wow that is incredible. I studied Ancient History in Highschool – its fascinating to find out how the Gods used to live – to see it would be incredible!
Love looking at old ruins. When I was younger I went to England for two months. The hi-light of my trip was visiting old castles. And walking over country land to discover old home sites.
Love how much Emma is learning while tourning.
Michele @ Malaysian Meanders
I’ve been hoping my kids would get into Percy Jackson because I hear it is a good series. It’s wonderful how much interest it ignited in your daughter. Our Spring Break trip to Tokyo and Kyoto was inspired by reading Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure.
Lesley Peterson
Love the pics, Lisa! A cruise sounds an excellent way to cover a lot of area and explore a specific theme with kids. Really enjoyed this post…
Lisa Goodmurphy
We studied Greek mythology in 9th grade and I think Emma already knows more about the subject than I do! She is a sponge and loves to learn so vacations like these are a lot of fun for her.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Michele, The Percy Jackson book series is wonderful – the movie was a bit disappointing! You don’t even want to get Emma started on how much they changed from the books!
The Thea Stilton books are another great series for kids – Thea goes to so many exciting places!!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Lesley – it was a wonderful experience! The only thing that would have made it better would have been doing it some time other than August when the temperature in the Mediterranean was something like a bazillion degrees! 🙂
sabrina
How awesome! I like to read books about places I travel too or would like to travel to as well 🙂 my mom got me hooked on reading early on. I usually get a guidebook and a novel or funny memoir if I can find one. seems like you hit the jackpot with that series 🙂
Nancie
Great shots, and it looks like Emma had a fantastic time. There’s nothing like gods and goddesses to get the imagination working overtime.
Aleah | SolitaryWanderer.com
Well, I’m no longer Emma’s age (LOL) and I still loved Percy Jackson and the Hero series. I do miss Greece and Rome. My backpacking trip there last quarter was all too soon over! Your pictures just reminded me again I need to go back!
InsideJourneys
This is a great idea — one reinforces the other.
Lisa
I loved exploring Rome and I really loved Ephesus, I never saw that Goddess Nike statue though. You got some great photos and your daughter is cute.
Andi at The Particular Traveler
What a fun and creative idea for getting Emma interested in history before your trip! I remember reading Anne of Green Gables as a teen and dreaming of all the sights on Prince Edward Island 🙂
Adorable photos, as always!
Jessica
That is such a great idea! My kids love Percy Jackson!
Paris Franz
That sounds like a great trip! I understand your daughter’s fascination – the myths of the ancient world are endlessly intriguing.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Reading novels is one of my favourite ways to prepare for a trip as well (or to dream about places that I want to go).
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Nancie – Emma loved the ancient sites!
Lisa Goodmurphy
I’m much, much older than you, Aleah, and I loved Percy Jackson too! 🙂 Backpacking through Greece and Italy must have been an incredible experience! I wish that I would have done something like that when I was younger.
Lisa Goodmurphy
I didn’t realize how well it was going to turn out until we were actually in Europe and Emma was so excited about everything she was seeing and relating it back to the Percy Jackson story.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Lisa! We had a guide with us at Ephesus pointing things out – if not for him, I wouldn’t have had a clue who the carving was.
Lisa Goodmurphy
We love Anne of Green Gables!! Heading back to Anne’s Land in Prince Edward Island for a week this summer. It’s a great place for a family vacation!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Percy Jackson is great – such adventurous stories that the kids don’t even realize that they are learning ancient history! We have to read the series that Riordan wrote about the pyramids too.
Lisa Goodmurphy
So true – most of the stories written today can’t really compare!
Becca@RWTYM?
I know exactly what you mean about reading book BEFORE traveling to an area. In 2007, I read The Agony & Ecstasy about Michaelangelo’s life and then traveled it Italy – we saw The David and I about burst into tears thinking of all he went through to cave it. I was mesmerized when we saw The Sistine Chapel – all I could do was picture him painting it – It enriched my travels so much more to read about it before traveling.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Good point, Becca – reading ahead of time helps adults get more from their travel experiences as well!
Sonja
My kids both loved this series (my son just got the new one, The Throne of Fire). They’re exceptionally interesting for kids and like you say, very educational too.
femmefrugality
Those books would be such a perfect fit…it’s something I’ve never even thought about doing before. Will use in the future for sure! You got some great tips…sounds like the little ones got a really great, personalized tour. 🙂
Jenna
What a smart idea, and I love that your guide at the Vatican played on her interest.
Colleen Lanin
We love to get our kids interested in the places we’ll be visiting before leaving home by reading related books too. So great how your daughter is so interested in learning about Greek gods!
Lisa Goodmurphy
He’s a fabulous writer! Emma and I haven’t finished the first series yet but she’s already looking forward to the next.
Lisa Goodmurphy
We use books all the time – it’s great to get the kids interested in where we are going!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Our Context Travel guide was amazing – she picked up on Emma’s interest so quickly and just went with it!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Books are a wonderful way of preparing kids for a trip! Emma’s become quite the Greek mythology expert – most people are quite astonished when she starts rhyming off trivia about gods and creatures!
Red Eye Family
You and I are very much alike. I also read books to the kids before traveling. But, for my kids, since they are so young, I continue to do it afterwards as well. That way, it reinforces what they saw and hopefully, it will help them remember some of the places they’ve been.
Jess @UsedYorkCity
I love reading travel guides and watching documentaries/movies about my future destinations before going, and this is the perfect way to get kids truly interested in historic tours that may otherwise be deemed as “boring”. Fabulous idea!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Continuing to read to them afterward to reinforce where they have visited is a great idea! You’ll be amazed as they grow older at the funny little things that they have remembered from the places that you have traveled to. Katie and Emma sometimes remember quirky little things from years ago that I would have completely forgotten but for their memory. It’s funny sometimes what makes an impression on kids when they are traveling. Having photos to look back on helps too! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Jess! I find that reading and looking at photos ahead of time is the best way to get kids interested in historic sites or sometimes museums for that matter. Having heard the dreaded “I’m bored” before, I now know that it’s always better to be prepared!