Rick Riordan’s Journey with Percy Jackson, his Legendary Series

Kid Reporter Leyla Saldanha attends a Percy Jackson celebration at Disney's New York City headquarters.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, author Rick Riordan joined fans and readers from across the country earlier this fall in Disney’s New York City headquarters for a moderated conversation and to celebrate the series and reflect on its impact. 

Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, the first book in the series, was released on June 28, 2005. Riordan shared that the inspiration for this story came from his son, Haley, who was nine years old at the time and struggling at school with dyslexia and ADHD. Hoping to make him feel better, Riordan, who was an English and Social Studies teacher, said: “Let me tell you a Greek myth. Did you know that if you have dyslexia and ADHD, those might be signs that you are a demigod like Hercules and Jason? You might be half god, half mortal.” When he finished telling him the bedtime story, Haley said, “Dad, that was great. You need to write that down.” 

The Lightning Thief is a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a Disney+ TV series in 2023. Riordan, who is the co-creator, an executive producer, and the writer of the series, told Disney moderator, Lisa Cabello, at the event: “It was a lot of work …We started the process back in 2019 when we went out to Hollywood. We think this could be a great live-action TV show. Then, in 2022, we finally got the green light and began filming.” 

The second season of the Disney+ TV series follows the plot of the second book Sea of Monsters, and is set to release on December 10, 2025. Rick Riordan said the “hardest book to write was probably the Sea of Monsters because writing a second book is tough. I got one done and I am feeling good about it. And then I think to myself, oh boy, can I do it again? I wasn’t sure. So that was tricky.” 

Leyla with author Rick Riordan.

Even though the first book in the series was released two decades ago, Riordan continues to build on the story and characters he created. His most recent book, The Court of the Dead, which Riordan wrote with Mark Oshiro, was released this September and follows demigod Nico’s adventure at Camp Jupiter. 

Riordan shared advice for young writers saying, “It really comes down to reading a lot. Because if you don’t read, it’s really hard to write. And then write a lot. It’s like a sport, you have to practice it. So just keep writing. The final thing is don’t give up! Just keep at it.” 

Riordan, whose favorite childhood stories included Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, is inspiring the next generation with his own books and adaptations by helping kids expand their imaginations. From Percy Jackson and the Olympians to other mythology series like Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Riordan continues to bring joy, laughter and tears to his readers from around the world.