The Titan's Curse

by Rick Riordan

Grades 6-9; Genre - Fantasy; GRL W; AR pts: 10.0

When Percy Jackson receives an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he'll need his powerful demigod allies, Annabeth and Thalia, at his side; his trusty bronze sword, Riptide; and ... a ride from his mom. The demigods race to the rescue, to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that's not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up his most devious trap yet, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.
Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series that started with The Lightning Thief finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge so far: the chilling prophecy of the Titan's curse.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. What is the setting in the first chapter? A school named Westover Hall in Bar Harbor, Maine just before Christmas break p.1
2. Why did the friends go to the school? To help Grover save and recruit two half-bloods p.7
3. Describe Thalia. She’s a daughter of Zeus and a leader; is made about her mom p.14

Chapter 2

1. Why did Percy consider jumping into the ocean with the children? he could protect them due to his strength in the water p.19
2. How did Annabeth help Percy and the children? She wore her invisible cap and knocked them to the ground p.21
3. Why was Percy distraught at the end of the chapter? Annabeth had fallen over the cliff with the manticore and he couldn’t go after her p.27

Chapter 3

1. Why is Annabeth’s disappearance Percy’s fault? He shouldn’t have gone after Dr. Thorn by himself p.33
2. What opportunity did Artemis give Bianca? To join the Hunters p.40
3. What oath must Bianca keep now that she swore her allegiance to Artemis? That she will never fall in love, never grow up, and be a maiden eternally p.41

Chapter 4

1. Describe Apollo.  He’s Artemis’ brother, the Sun God, he can transport people traveling west, he’s a teenager that sees all and knows all p.48
2. Why won’t Artemis let Zoe and the other Hunters go with her? It’s too dangerous p.39
3. How did Thalia feel about driving the sun chariot? She was uncomfortable and didn’t want to p.52

Chapter 5

1. Why was Thalia upset in this chapter? Annabeth was missing p.65
2. Why did Poseidon put a water feature in Percy’s cabin? Percy could now contact his family p.66
3. What gift does Percy have that gives him knowledge about his friends when they’re in trouble? Dreams/nightmares about them p.71

Chapter 6

1. What was Percy’s dream connected to at the beginning of this chapter? Zoe’s dream p.77
2. Why was Percy upset when he learned that the Hunters were trying to recruit Annabeth? Because he liked her and didn’t want her to become a Hunter p.78
3. Why didn’t the Oracle communicate with Percy when he visited it, but yet turned to Zoe in the forest? The Oracle didn’t want to speak to him p.89

Chapter 7

1. Why did Grover have hope that Pan had been awakened? If the manticore was correct, ancient powers will be waking up p.91
2. Why didn’t Zoe choose Percy to go on the quest? He was a boy p.100
3. Explain the dream Percy had at the end of the chapter? The General and Luke had Artemis and Annabeth as prisoners.  Annabeth had been holding up a large dark mass, and Artemis went and took her place.  Kronos wanted Luke to kill Annabeth, but Luke made an excuse to keep her alive p.106

Chapter 8

1. Describe what Percy saved in this chapter. A baby sea cow; a cow half on the front and serpent bottom half; black fur, big brown eyes, white muzzle p.113
2. Why isn’t Phoebe able to go on the mission? The Stoll brothers put Centaur’s blood on the inside of her t-shirt and now she’s bedridden with hives p.117
3. What persuaded Percy to follow the quest? They lost Phoebe and needed 5 people p.119

Chapter 9

1. Where did Zoe and the others drive to? Washington D.C. p.111
2. Who did Percy follow in D.C.? Dr. Thorn p.130
3. Why was Percy worried that the zombies tore off some of his t-shirt? He knew they would hunt him p.137

Chapter 10

1. Why were the quest members in the Air and Space Museum? They were following Grover’s trail p.139
2. Why did the freeze-dried space food kill the monster? It choked it p.144
3. Why did Zoe let Percy be a part of the quest?  Percy proved himself p.147

Chapter 11

1. How did Percy know that Apollo was the homeless guy who helped them? He said a haiku p.155
2. Who do you think Percy was in his dream? Listen to your child’s answers p.156

Chapter 12

1. Why did Bianca join the Hunters? She’s been taking care of Nico her entire life and wanted her own life and friends p.165
2. Who helped the kids defeat the zombies? A large pig p.170
3. Who did the kids feel in the air? The Lord of the Wild, Pan p.174

Chapter 13

1. What did Bianca take from the junkyard and why? A mini statue that Nico didn’t have in his collection p.194
2. How did Bianca defeat the monster? She went inside of it and made it attack itself and fall apart from the inside out p.197
3. Why didn’t the companions search for Bianca more than they did? She fulfilled the prophecy by dying p.198

Chapter 14

1. What was unique about Rachel Elizabeth Dare? She’s human but can see Percy’s sword, the lion coat and the skeletons chasing Percy p.213
2. Who did Percy see in the elevator? Athena, Annabeth’s mom p.218
3. How did the angels wake up to save the kids? They prayed to Zeus and Athena p.218

Chapter 15

1. How did Percy find the Man of the Sea? Went to the docks and could smell the ocean when he passed him p.226
2. Why is the Ophiotaurus running from the bad people? So he doesn’t get sacrificed p.230
3. What did Percy learn about Mr. D in this chapter? That he secretly liked Percy because he helped Percy and called him by the right name p.239

Chapter 16

1. How did the friends get to the Mountain of despair? Annabeth’s dad let them borrow his car p.245
2. How diff Zoe get them past her sisters? She woke up the dragon p.256
3. Who is the General? Atlas p.260

Chapter 17

1. Who can defeat Atlas? Artemis p.268
2. How did Artemis defeat Atlas? She flung him back to the sky and knocked Percy out of the way p.271
3. What happened to Luke? He fell over the cliff and died p.272

Chapter 18

1. Describe what happened to Zoe in this chapter? She died and became a constellation p.278
2. Where are the friends traveling to? Mt. Olympus p.279
3. What’s Annabeth’s conclusion of what happened to Luke? He’s not dead, he’s under Kronos’s spell p.282

Chapter 19

1. Why didn’t the council destroy Percy and Annabeth? They had done well in their quest and their parents stood up for them p.294
2. What is Percy’s weakness? Personal loyalty to his friends p.298

Chapter 20

1. How did Nico respond when Percy told him about his sister Bianca? He was angry at Percy and said he hated him p.306
2. Who is Nico’s and Bianca’s father? Hades p.309
3. Why didn’t Percy want to tell Chiron that Hades was Nico’s dad? Chiron would need to tell the other gods on Mt. Olympus, and they would kill him p.310