Rick Riordan

Everything Rick Riordan works on seems to be devoured instantly by eager young people all around the world who are willing to learn and are excited to hear a great story well told. Through his wildly popular series Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Kane Chronicles, 39 Clues, and The Heroes of Olympus, Riordan has sparked young readers’ interest in world mythology and literature, a renewed fascination that is reinforced by film adaptations, toys, games, and other “tie-ins.” As a child, Riordan thought of books as too difficult to read and, in the end, not very interesting or worth the effort—in fact, he grew up as a reluctant reader who didn’t like books. While Riordan did eventually grow to love both reading and writing, it was a long journey for him. He has now found enormous success as a writer and storyteller. When he noticed his own young son struggling with reading, Riordan was able to capture his attention in the same way that he had finally been hooked—through an interest in the otherworldly appeal of mythology. It was from these bedtime stories that he told to his son that the Percy Jackson series was born. The series not only helped to capture his son’s imagination, it started a very successful career for Riordan as a young adult writer. Today, not only do Percy Jackson fans eagerly await another movie installment of the bestselling books, but increasing hype surrounds the film adaptations of the Kane Chronicles and The 39 Clues, too. Behind all of these impressive tokens of fame and success lie very humble beginnings. The stories millions of children love today came from the mind of just one man. This is Riordan’s inspiring story, one that is every bit as intriguing, dramatic, motivational, and full of unexpected twists and turns as any of his beloved and fantastical works of fiction. This volume includes fact sheets on the author and his work, a timeline, and critical reviews.