Rick Riordan

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Lore & Background

Rick Riordan was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. His family came from Cork, Ireland. He graduated from Alamo Heights High School, first attended the music program at North Texas State University, then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin to study English and History. He received his teaching certification from the University of Texas at San Antonio and taught English and Social Studies for eight years at Presidio Hill School in San Francisco. In 2020, he completed a master's degree in Gaelic literature from University College Cork. He married Rebecca 'Becky' Klahn in 1985; they have two sons, Haley and Patrick, and moved from San Antonio to Boston in June 2013. Riordan's first full-length novel was Big Red Tequila, the first book in the Tres Navarre series, which won the Shamus Award and was nominated for the Anthony and Edgar Awards. His breakthrough was The Lightning Thief (2005), the first novel in the five-volume Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which he conceived as bedtime stories about ancient Greek heroes for his son Haley. Haley had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, inspiring Riordan to make the titular protagonist hyperactive and dyslexic. Riordan has since written The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles (Egyptian mythology), and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Norse mythology). He also helped Scholastic Press develop The 39 Clues series and penned its first book, The Maze of Bones, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list on September 28, 2008.

Reader's Guide

Rick Riordan's significance lies in his creation of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, a series of interconnected book series that have sold over 30 million copies in the United States and been translated into 42 languages. His works adapt Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology for modern young readers, often featuring protagonists with learning differences such as ADHD and dyslexia, inspired by his son. The Percy Jackson series was adapted into two films by 20th Century Fox, in which Riordan was not involved, and later into a television series on Disney+ (2023) for which he served as co-creator and executive producer, winning two Emmy Awards. Riordan also launched the 'Rick Riordan Presents' imprint in March 2018, which publishes diverse, mythology-based fiction by new, emerging, and under-represented authors, with Riordan acting as curator rather than writer. His consistent success in the Goodreads Choice Award in Middle Grade and Children's category from 2011 to 2021 (11 awards) underscores his lasting impact on children's literature.

Did You Know?

• Riordan completed a master's degree in Gaelic literature from University College Cork in 2020.
• He married Rebecca 'Becky' Klahn in 1985; their birthdays are on different dates.
• His son Haley's diagnoses of ADHD and dyslexia inspired the protagonist Percy Jackson to have the same conditions.
• The first book in The 39 Clues series, The Maze of Bones, topped The New York Times Best Seller list on September 28, 2008.