Rick Riordan’s work includes members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of these characters include Apollo (Lester Papadopoulos), Alex Fierro, Magnus Chase, Nico di Angelo, Will Solace, and Piper McLean. Riordan’s readers say they feel understood and that they have found characters they can actually understand and relate to.

“When I read Rick Riordan’s books I feel like everyone is represented and that these books give such a welcoming vibe,” said senior Ellie Calkin. “Anyone could read these books and find some character they identify with.”

Riordan’s books give students an opportunity to learn about themselves and people who they don’t yet understand. The books also allow readers to explore new identity terms that they might not have been aware of.

“In his Magnus Chase series he has a genderfluid character and just having a character like that was so welcoming for me who was dealing with a private school at the time,” said junior Howl Bates.

Riordan’s books are not only welcoming and inclusive for readers, but they are realistic. They show these diverse characters in a light that students can actually relate to rather than an adult trying to relate to preteens and teenagers. 

“I think Rick Riordan did a very good job at portraying pre teens and teens in a realistic way. It didn’t feel like a forty year old having his ‘hello fellow kids’ moment. The characters have ADHD and Dyslexia- both things lots of kids deal with everyday, so even though it was like ‘oh yeah they’re fighting monsters and stuff’ at least it was also like ‘but they’re like me,’” said Bates.

Riordan also includes characters from all sorts of different cultures and religions. These diverse cultures really come to the forefront in Riordan’s second series The Heroes of Olympus and continue throughout his Magnus Chase and Trials of Apollo series.

“Magnus Chase is an amazing trilogy, they’re awesome books because we’re introduced to a new mythology, Norse, opposed to Greek/Roman mythology, and Riordan explores new things he hasn’t before in his character: a character who’s Muslim and a character who’s gender fluid. It was cool to learn about people with different beliefs/identities than me,” said Calkin.

Riordan’s books not only include these different cultures and religions, but teach readers about them. These books allow readers to realize that even though everyone is different, we are also quite similar.

“Rick Riordan’s books have helped me to learn more about different people and different cultures. They helped me to learn how people can be so different yet so similar. It also was comforting to see the community found within each book, as well as the community of readers who love and enjoy his books,” said Calkin.

Ultimately, Riordan’s books bring joy to readers and allow them a place where they are welcomed and accepted amongst others like them. Not only do his books allow for this environment, but they give readers access to a source of comfort that they can revisit anytime they want.

“The Magnus Chase book The Ship of the Dead I read it in 7th or 8th grade as soon as it came out. It just made me feel really happy every time I opened it. Sometimes when I’m sad I’ll go back and read some of it,” said Bates.

These books give readers a chance to find themselves and learn about others.