As a newly converted Latin nerd making my first odyssey into the perilous (root word: periculum) land of Roman jargon, I’m deeply appreciative of my 3rd grade obsession with Percy Jackson. Not only am I able to seem even nerdier among my peers, I’m also glad for how Percy Jackson has widely popularized Greek and Roman mythology.

Now, re-reading one of the most information-dense books (Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes), I’m surprised at how much information is cleverly packaged in Percy Jackson’s sarcasm and humor. It doesn’t feel like reading a textbook, but I’m still gaining an immense amount of information. And that’s the true power of Rick Riordan’s bestselling books: the ability to take something that’s always been more niche and turn it into something fun.

I like the stories themselves too: Rick Riordan tells the classic myths of Heracles, Medusa, and the Minotaur, but also the stories of Otrera, queen of the Amazons, or Atalanta, the great huntress. It’s a snarky, modern take on classical myth that retains their initial meaning.

Take the story of Arachne: an incredibly talented mortal seamstress with skills that rival those of Athena. Her pride got the better of her after she challenged Athena to a weaving competition, and the end is not pretty. But Riordan also points out the other, less-mentioned moral of the story: that the villagers who once worshipped Arachne were just as willing to betray her. Ultimately, the ugliest characters in the story are not the prideful gods in Arachne’s tapestry, or the spider she becomes, but the hypocrisy of Arachne’s own community.

All in all, I still love Percy Jackson, for all of its minor historical inaccuracies. It brought classical mythology into a modern spotlight, and it’s just a truly fun and enjoyable read. You might even pick up a few facts and morals in the process. Just don’t forget to sacrifice a goat after your read.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.