Riordan wants that message to his sons to be embraced by kids everywhere.īy the way, Riordan isn't done yet. So he spun tales about mythological gods whose worlds collided with ordinary kids - kids who had to stare down their fears to do heroic things.

They didn't inherit his obsession with books, but the kids did share their dad's love for the ancient world. Riordan's kids' books began with bedtime stories for his two sons. You know, how much order is good? And when does order become too restrictive? Is a little bit of chaos OK, or is chaos always an evil force? I mean, these are questions that any kid who's ever been in a school cafeteria can relate to.' The whole idea of order and chaos, which is really central to the ancient Egyptian understanding of the world, is still very much with us. 'Even if these stories are 3,000 years old, there's still so much about the characters, about the dilemmas, about their understanding of the universe that still resonates. This means they are the only ones who have the magic that might be able to put the gods back where they belong - before the world spirals out of control.Īuthor Interviews 'Percy Jackson' Author Takes On The Pyramids One Christmas Eve, their father brings them both together for a trip to the British Museum, and a terrible, magical accident happens that unleashes the gods of ancient Egypt into the modern world.Ĭarter and Sadie learn that they are descended from ancient Egyptian magicians. It tells the story of a brother and sister - Carter and Sadie Kane - who have lived apart most of their lives. It's The Red Pyramid from Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles. He hit pay dirt with the Percy Jackson series - it's about an everyday kid who has superhero powers because he's the secret son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.Įgyptian gods reign supreme in our latest book for NPR's Backseat Book Club. Riordan has sold tens of millions of kids' books. If there was a recipe for the best-selling writer Rick Riordan, it would go something like this - start with a love of storytelling, fold in more than a decade of teaching middle school English, combine that with two sons of his own who don't quite share their dad's love of literature, and marinate all of that with a deep passion for mythology. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title The Red Pyramid Author Rick Riordan

The red pyramid by rick riordan