Rick Riordan was„ born on June 5th, 1964 in San Antonio, Texas to his vey artistic parents. He was the editor of the newspaper at Alamo Heights High School where he attended high school. Later he graduated with a double major in English and History form University of Texas, Austin. Riordan was very influenced by The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and also Greek and Norse mythology. These influences helped inspire him to write his books, in particularly his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. In this series, Camp Half-Blood, the summer camp where all the demigods go to learn and refine their skills, is a major component. He was inspired to write about Camp Half-Blood after being a music director at a summer camp. As a career, Riordan started off teaching, but later quit to become a fulltime writer. Currently, Rick is married to his wife, Becky Riordan; they have two sons, Haley and Patrick, and also a dog and two cats.
Rick Riordan has received many awards for his writing throughout the years. Some of his most famous works include: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, The 39 Clues Series, The Heroes of Olympus Series, and The Kane Chronicles. These books have captured the hearts of many children and in return they have won a number of awards. These awards include:
1998 Shamus Award and Anthony Award (for Big Red Tequila)
1999 Edgar Award: Best Paperback Original (for The Widower's Two-Step)
2008 Mark Twain Award (for The Lightning Thief)
2009 Mark Twain Award (for The Sea of Monsters)
2009 Rebecca Caudill Award (for The Lightning Thief)
2010 School Library Journal's Best Book (for The Red Pyramid)
2011 Children's Choice Book Awards: Author of the Year
2011 Children's Choice Book Awards: Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year (for The Red Pyramid)
2011 Wyoming Soaring Eagle Book Award (for The Last Olympian)
2011 Milner Award (for Percy Jackson and the Olympians series)
As a writer, Riordan has many strengths. Most of Riordan’s writing is done in series format, so if a student is likes one of his novels, they can continue reading the rest. He also mixes ancient myths along with a modern timeline to create stories that keep people reading. Riordan teaches readers about mythology in a fun and witty way, which in turn keeps them interested for longer periods of time. The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is similar to the Harry Potter series. So readers who enjoyed Rowling's writing might also enjoy Riordan’s.
Riordan also has some weaknesses to his books. Some of his books get off to a slow start, like in The Lightning Thief, which is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Some critics have said that the Percy Jackson series is too similar to Harry Potter; however, this could be viewed as both a positive and a negative. Readers could really appreciate the similarities, but other readers might get bored with the plotlines being too alike. Lastly, Riordan’s writing could be viewed as “too casual” to be taught in the classroom.
Overall, Rick Riordan is a loved and well-respected author in the young adult genre and in the literature world as a whole. His books are enjoyed by readers all over the world and he has been greatly rewarded for his writing.
Rick Riordan has received many awards for his writing throughout the years. Some of his most famous works include: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, The 39 Clues Series, The Heroes of Olympus Series, and The Kane Chronicles. These books have captured the hearts of many children and in return they have won a number of awards. These awards include:
1998 Shamus Award and Anthony Award (for Big Red Tequila)
1999 Edgar Award: Best Paperback Original (for The Widower's Two-Step)
2008 Mark Twain Award (for The Lightning Thief)
2009 Mark Twain Award (for The Sea of Monsters)
2009 Rebecca Caudill Award (for The Lightning Thief)
2010 School Library Journal's Best Book (for The Red Pyramid)
2011 Children's Choice Book Awards: Author of the Year
2011 Children's Choice Book Awards: Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year (for The Red Pyramid)
2011 Wyoming Soaring Eagle Book Award (for The Last Olympian)
2011 Milner Award (for Percy Jackson and the Olympians series)
As a writer, Riordan has many strengths. Most of Riordan’s writing is done in series format, so if a student is likes one of his novels, they can continue reading the rest. He also mixes ancient myths along with a modern timeline to create stories that keep people reading. Riordan teaches readers about mythology in a fun and witty way, which in turn keeps them interested for longer periods of time. The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is similar to the Harry Potter series. So readers who enjoyed Rowling's writing might also enjoy Riordan’s.
Riordan also has some weaknesses to his books. Some of his books get off to a slow start, like in The Lightning Thief, which is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Some critics have said that the Percy Jackson series is too similar to Harry Potter; however, this could be viewed as both a positive and a negative. Readers could really appreciate the similarities, but other readers might get bored with the plotlines being too alike. Lastly, Riordan’s writing could be viewed as “too casual” to be taught in the classroom.
Overall, Rick Riordan is a loved and well-respected author in the young adult genre and in the literature world as a whole. His books are enjoyed by readers all over the world and he has been greatly rewarded for his writing.