Quotes by Rick Riordan

He looked like those paintings of baby angels - what do you call them, hubbubs? No cherubs. Thats it. He looked like a cherub whod turned middle-aged in a trailer park.

Miranda raised her eyebrows. Apparently she hadnt figured me for a country music fan. I liked her for that.

Huh, said Percy. Never seen Jason fly before. He looks like a blond superman.

The less you knew, the fewer monsters you’d attract,

Nico wasnt sure whether to kick himself or Will Solace. If he hadn’t been so distracted bickering with the son of Apollo, he would never have allowed the enemy to get so close.

My point, Jason said, is that blaming each other isnt going to solve anything. Thats how the Romans and the Greeks got divided in the first place.

Every childs taste is different. Dont worry if theyre not reading War and Peace at age 12. First, build a good foundation and a positive attitude about reading by letting them pick the stories they enjoy. Make friends with a bookseller or librarian. They are a wealth of information on finding books that kids enjoy.

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. A good book always keeps you asking questions, and makes you keep turning pages so you can find out the answers.

When I was young, my favorite picture book was Fletcher and Zenobia, written by Edward Gorey and illustrated by Victoria Chess. Its long out of print now, but its mix of macabre humor and 1960s psychedelia made it a perfect childrens book for the times.

I dont think about being famous, really. Being an author, I dont generally get stopped as I walk down the street. Its not like being a movie star.

Im a teacher still, but with a much larger classroom.

I loved the idea of making history interesting for kids! When Scholastic approached me about The 39 Clues, I immediately started going through the greatest hits from my years as a social studies teacher, and picked the historical characters and eras that most appealed to my students.

Ive been reading Greek mythology since I was a kid. I also taught it when I was a sixth grade teacher, so I knew a lot of mythological monsters already. Sometimes I still use books and Web sites to research, though. Every time I research Greek mythology, I learn something new!

As a teacher, Ive never seen anything like Harry Potter. Thats why I smart when people talk about the next Harry Potter. There is no next Harry Potter.

I tend to think of a myth and then explore how it would play out if it were happening in the modern-day world. I modify all the myths I use, but I stick very closely to their structure - it is the hidden teacher in me.

My goal in the classroom was always to make sure they were having so much fun that they didnt realize they were learning.

I always love it when I hear back from kids who say they discovered Percy Jackson and now wear their learning difference as a badge of honour.

Its not easy. I got lots of rejections when I first started out. If you want to write, you have to believe in yourself and not give up. You have to do your best to practice and get better.

I love Norse mythology - Thor and Odin and Loki - amazing characters.

I think children love reading, and they will make time for it if we put the right books into their hands. And I hope I get the chance to keep being one of the people that writes them.