NBC's 'Today' Picks Disney Book Group's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan for 'Al's Book Club For Kids'

Disney Book Group announced today that "Al's Book Club For Kids" has picked Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan as its second book selection. The announcement was made this morning by Al Roker on NBC's "Today."

Published in June 2005 by Disney Book Group's Hyperion Books for Children/Miramax imprint, the New York Times best-selling novel by Rick Riordan is the first book in the #1 best selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. As part of the Book Club, Rick Riordan is scheduled to appear on "Today" for a live in-studio interview on June 15th.

"Al's Book Club For Kids" is a new series to keep kids engaged in reading all summer long. The Lightning Thief is the second of four books to be featured on "Today" that kids can read and discuss over the summer. For more information on "Al's Book Club for Kids," visit http://www.todayshow.com/ .

Currently #1 on the New York Times children's series best-seller list, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has more than 500,000 copies in print. Chris Columbus (Harry Potter, Rent) will produce and direct a movie adaptation of The Lightning Thief for Fox 2000. In addition to The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters - book two in the series - which released in April 2006 and the newest installment that released this month, The Titan's Curse, are available wherever books are sold.

Suppose the "twilight of the Gods" never happened and Zeus still ruled from Mt. Olympus (now in America) but no one knew except a small group of oddly exceptional kids like Percy Jackson, the hero of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Hyperion Books for Children/Miramax; June 2005; $17.95). Percy Jackson is a 12 year old boy, a good kid, who thinks himself a misfit because he suffers from ADHD, is dyslexic and has problems controlling his temper. He blames himself for his frequent change of schools, but when the algebra teacher he thinks is a monster actually turns into one and attacks him, he finds it hard to ignore the truth--all along odd things have been happening to him that are not his

When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

"Al's Book Club For Kids" will have extensive online components at Todayshow.com. Parents and kids alike from across the country can be part of the club by emailing questions for the authors, who will answer a select few live on "Today." Todayshow.com will continue the discussions with the author online after each book club segment airs.