Rick Riordan Books

Former teacher Rick Riordan was already an award-winning author of mysteries for adults when inspiration for The Percy Jackson Series hit. His son Haley had just been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, and the mythology of ancient Greece was one of the few subjects that held his attention. When Haley requested bedtime stories of the Greek myths, Rick was glad to comply. When he ran out of existing stories to tell he invented new ones - and the character of Percy Jackson was born. Just like Haley, Percy has ADHD and dyslexia. As Rick himself says: “It’s not a bad thing to be different. Sometimes, it’s the mark of being very, very talented. That’s what Percy discovers about himself in The Lightning Thief.”

Other series have followed, including The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo, both set in the Percy Jackson universe. All are ideal for young readers aged 9 or 10+.