Tongue in cheek superhero stories

Let's choose a name for a new storybook superhero. Old-fashioned, solid English names are en vogue, so let's go with the flow. We can't use 'Harry' - there is already one hero around with that name. What about 'Percy'? That has the solid, no-nonsense ring to it we want.

Next, we need a surname that sounds a bit ordinary for a superhero. 'Potter' would have been great, but somebody else got there first. 'Jackson' has an everyday ring to it and it goes well with 'Percy'. Our search is over.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Percy Jackson, a new superhero with a very ordinary sounding name that hides all the magic powers and mystery we would expect from a hero whose job it is to save the world.

Twelve-year-old Percy is an ordinary boy who wouldn't knowingly harm anybody. He suffers from an attention deficit problem, has dyslexia and is tormented constantly by his odious stepfather. He attends a special school in New York for difficult children, but even the experienced teachers can't stop Percy from getting into trouble. He attracts disasters like a light attracts moths.

On a recent school trip to a museum, Percy got angry with his maths teacher. Before he knew what was happening, his temper flared up and the helpless teacher vanished into thin air! However did he manage to do that?

When Percy's mum hears about what happened at the museum, she decides it is time for her confused son to learn the truth about himself. Percy is a half-blood, the son of one of the gods of Ancient Greece, who are alive and well today, and living in America.