'Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon' is the perfect summer short story

What could better encapsulate summer than a story about teens at a summer camp playing capture the flag while looking for a date for the 4th of July fireworks, fending off ants, and finding buried treasure? Granted, it's a summer camp for Greek demigods, the ants are German shepherd sized, and the buried treasure is a bronze dragon, but still.

"Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon" is a short story from Rick Riordan's 2009 book "The Demigod Files," which takes place between books four and five of the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series.

Book cover for "The Demigod Files" by Rick Riordan.

The story details how Percy, Annabeth Chase, and Silena Beauregard end up having to save Charles Beckendorf from a giant anthill after Beckendorf tries to stop the Myrmekes (giant ants) from stealing the head of a bronze dragon that used to guard Camp Half-Blood. The other campers are scattered in the woods for capture the flag, so the trio are forced to find the dragon's body in hopes of using it to help them.

The story is a fun, adventurous tale that helps fill the gap between the fourth and fifth books in the series. It also helps flesh out the characters and their romantic story arcs, and it gives readers a chance to get to know Silena and Beckendorf better.

It's also nice to have a story set entirely within Camp Half-Blood since most of the main books only feature it briefly at the beginning before our protagonists take off for yet another quest.

Likewise, rereading "Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon" after reading "The Heroes of Olympus" series and "The Trials of Apollo" series is sure to be an interesting experience since both the dragon and the anthill are featured in those books.

The bronze dragon, later renamed Festus, is featured on the cover of "The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan.

"Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon" is one of my favorite short stories by Rick Riordan, and anyone who knows me knows the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series holds a special place in my heart since it's the first series I read for fun rather than as a school requirement. And this story definitely brings the fun along with some solid summer nostalgia vibes.