Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom

By Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams, Craig Phillips (Illustrator)

Book #1 in the Heroes in Training series

A young boy discovers he is the trueborn king of the Olympians and embarks on a quest to rescue his siblings and defeat the evil King Cronus.

4.3/7 Bookroo expert·3.8/5 Goodreads · 1,410 ratings

112 pages· 10,888 words· Est. 2 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

Ten-year-old Zeus, tired of his mundane life and frequent lightning strikes, is thrust into an epic adventure when kidnapped by Titans. Armed with a magical thunderbolt, he must decipher its secrets to rescue fellow Olympians and challenge the tyrannical Cronus. Can Zeus embrace his destiny and become the King of the Gods?

From the publisher

After pulling a magical thunderbolt from a stone, ten-year-old Zeus goes on the adventure of a lifetime in this thrilling start to a brand-new series! The terrible Titans–merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans–have dominated the earth and put the world into chaos. But their rule is about to be put to the test as a group of young Olympians discover their powers and prepare to righteously rule the universe…. Ten-year-old Zeus is mystified (and super-annoyed) by the fact that he keeps getting hit by lightening. Every. Single. Year. He also longs for adventure, as he has never been far from the cave where he grew up. Zeus gets his wish–and a lot more than he bargained for–when he is kidnapped by dangerous, giant Titans! In self-defense, Zeus grabs the first thing he sees–an actual thunderbolt he pulls from a stone that is covered in mysterious markings. Zeus is the only one who can decipher the markings, and sets off on a quest to rescue his fellow Olympians from the evil Cronus. Armed with his trusty thunderbolt (named Bolt, of course), Zeus is on an adventure of a lifetime–and a journey to fulfill his destiny as King of the Gods.

At a glance

Format: Paperback
Pages: 112
Words: 10,888
Reading age: 6–9
Audience: Juvenile Reader
Lexile: 570L

Themes & topics

Books about Greek and Roman mythology Books about giants Books about Greek mythology Books about coming-of-age stories Books about quest stories

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Potty Humor

This book includes several instance of potty/"gross" humor, including "vomit slide", "like cave scum or bat poop", "Just then Cronus burped big", and a reference to Underwear.

What readers & critics say

Reviews

4.3

out of 7

4.3

“This was a fine book, and I like the introduction to mythology. There is more potty/gross humor than I typically like, and not very thick on plot (you'll want to read the next one immediately to feel like you're getting enough story).”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one