7 Fun Facts About Author Rick Riordan

Plus more about his latest book, Wrath of the Triple Goddess

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of the Triple Goddess, coming out September 24, is the seventh installment in Rick Riordan's popular middle-grade fantasy series.

Now a high school senior, Percy Jackson continues his efforts to collect three letters of recommendation from the Greek gods to get into New Rome University. In The Chalice of the Gods, which came out last year, he earned one by retrieving Ganymede's chalice. Now Hecate has offered him the "opportunity" to pet-sit her polecat, Gale, and mastiff, Hecuba, over Halloween week. No problem, right?

The book is available for pre-order, but in the meantime, take a moment to get to know Rick Riordan a bit better. Here are seven fun facts about the author.

1. Riordan's first published novels were a series of mysteries for adults set in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

I think kids want the same thing from a book that adults want—a fast-paced story, characters worth caring about, humor, surprises, and mystery.

Although Riordan had written stories when he was young, he hadn't thought about making it his career. But he always read a lot and enjoyed mysteries. In an interview posted on his website, he says that after he and his wife moved from San Antonio to San Francisco, he started missing his hometown. So even though he was working full time as a middle-school teacher, he decided to start writing a hard-boiled novel about a Texas private eye named Jackson "Tres" Navarre. Ten months later, he finished Big Red Tequila, which came out to enthusiastic reviews. The Tres Navarre series went on to win several literary awards, including the Shamus, Anthony, and Edgar Awards.

2. Percy Jackson started out as bedtime stories for his son.

When I ran out of myths, he was disappointed and asked me if I could make up something new with the same characters.

As a successful author of his Tres Navarre series already, Riordan hadn't really considered shifting gears to write books for children. But when his son Haley asked for bedtime stories about ancient Greek heroes, Riordan, a mythology enthusiast, was glad to oblige. After working through the standard folklore, Riordan got creative and created the character of Percy Jackson, bringing these ancient tales into a 21st-century context. After several nights of these stories, Haley said Riordan should make it a book.

3. Riordan's middle school students got a preview of his first Percy Jackson novel.

I'm very glad I showed the novel to kids first. After all, that's who it's for.

Once The Lightning Thief, the first book in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, was completed and given the stamp of approval from Haley, Riordan wanted to test it with older kids. So he hand-picked a few of his sixth, seventh, and eighth graders and asked them to "test-drive" the novel. His students liked the book and offered him suggestions for improvement, helping him choose a title and fine-tune his characters.

4. Riordan has created several spinoff series based on different mythologies.

I think the more you understand myths, the more you understand the roots of our culture.

Following the success of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Riordan created The Kane Chronicles, which features a modern-day Egyptian pantheon and sibling protagonists, Sadie and Carter Kane. Riordan also created a sequel series to Percy Jackson, The Heroes of Olympus. Another spinoff, The Trials of Apollo, features a collection of new heroes, as well as some crossover with the other series. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is based on Norse mythology. Check out this Riordan reading guide to sort out his many mythology-based series.

5. He's a musician!

Making music was its own sort of divinity.

Riordan was raised in a creative household. His parents were both teachers by trade. Additionally, his mom was a musician and an artist and his dad was a ceramicist. In college, Riordan initially majored in music, hoping to become a professional guitarist. During this time, he was even the lead singer in a folk rock band! (He's a big fan of Taylor Swift.) Eventually his interests shifted and he ended up with a degree in English and history, but fans of his fiction may have noticed the frequent references to music in his stories.

6. Riordan has created his own publishing imprint.

[T]here's every kind of kid in the world, and they need to feel seen, and they need to feel like they can be part of whatever adventure or wonderful fantasy they're reading.

Because his own son had ADHD and dyslexia, Riordan created the character of Percy as having these same challenges. This commitment to representation was at the center of Riordan's decision to establish his own publishing imprint called Rick Riordan Presents. The venture, part of the Disney-Hyperion Publishing family, aims to "publish great middle grade authors from underrepresented cultures, to let them tell their own stories inspired by the mythology of folklore of their own heritage." Here are some of the diverse titles coming from Rick Riordan Presents:

• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi—After twelve-year-old Aru accidentally frees an ancient demon from a lamp, she must embark on an epic journey inspired by Hindu folklore to save her mother.
• The Storm Runner by C. Cervantes—A lonely boy in New Mexico learns that his physical disability is only the first clue to a family history connecting him to the Mayan gods.
• Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee—Min is a teenage fox spirit, who runs away to solve the mystery of what happened to her older brother and ends up on an adventure that may save her entire planet.
• Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez—A Pura Belpré Award-winning sci-fi romp with Cuban influences that explores metaphysical questions about time and space.
• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia—After accidentally creating a hole between worlds, a seventh grade boy must work with the gods of African-American legend to repair the rip.
• Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse—New Mexico seventh grader Nizhoni Begay and her brother, aided by Navajo gods, must stay one step ahead of a shape-shifting monster to save their family.
• Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia—Part ghost story, part family story, and part hero quest, this exciting and imaginative tale, is based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona.
• City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda—Inspired by Mesopotamian mythology, this story follows Sikander Aziz, a Muslim boy born and raised in New York City, as he tries to save Manhattan from a plague.
• The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim—Desperate to have healing powers like the rest of her Korean witch family, Twelve-year-old Riley and her sister stir up trouble when they summon Mago Halmi, the mother of all goddesses.

7. He promotes literacy and education.

Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

Despite his meteoric success as an author, Riordan often mentions that he identifies as an educator first and foremost. He says his ultimate goal with the Percy Jackson series was "to get kids interested in learning more about mythology." On his website, he provides an abundant array of resources, including teaching guides, activities, project ideas, quizzes, and more, that parents and teachers can use alongside his books.

Riordan also teamed up with Scholastic and other popular authors to create The 39 Clues, a series of adventures designed to engage and educate young readers as they gather clues and solve globetrotting mysteries. The series provides readers the chance to learn about geography and history while also enjoying a good story. It's just one of many examples of Riordan's commitment to making literacy and learning fun and we salute him for it!

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon