Rick Riordan
The writer who reshaped middle-grade fantasy around mythology — and gave a generation of kids the gift of seeing themselves on the page.
Rick Riordan launched Percy Jackson and the Olympians in 2005 and has been expanding the mythological middle-grade space ever since. The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles (Egyptian), The Trials of Apollo, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Norse) build interconnected mythological multiverses. The Riordan Presents imprint elevates own-voices fantasy from other mythological traditions. The prose is snappy and contemporary, the humor is constant, and the protagonists are deliberately written to include kids who don't usually see themselves at the center of fantasy.
For middle-grade readers, with strong YA and adult crossover. Content stays age-appropriate: action present but not graphic, romance gentle, language clean. The reading experience is propulsive, funny, and full of the kind of recognition kids remember for years — ADHD and dyslexia treated as superpowers, diverse representation embedded in the worldbuilding. Pick this shelf for the middle-grade reader who's ready for mythology rendered with energy, wit, and respect for who they are.
- Mythology rendered as living material
- Humor on every page
- Diverse representation embedded throughout
- Recognition kids remember
