The Four Hundred: Rick Riordan is Publishing Stories by Authors From All Over The World
Rick Riordan, the author of the bestselling Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief books, has created a series that highlights cultures and mythologies from around the world. With the goal to showcase myths and legends from other countries, he is now publishing stories from middle-grade authors that come from underrepresented cultures.
With the popularity and success of his novels based on Greek mythologies, Riordan has created a publishing branch with the Disney-Hyperion Publishing Family. Every year, four or more books will be published by new authors. Like his own novels, all the books published will be aimed towards a middle school audience and tell tales of adventure.
“Over the years, I’ve gotten many questions from my fans about whether I might write about various world mythologies, but in most cases I knew I wasn’t the best person to write those books. Much better, I thought, to use my experience and my platform at Disney to put the spotlight on other great writers who are actually from those cultures and know the mythologies better than I do. Let them tell their own stories, and I would do whatever I could to help those books find a wide audience,” says Riordan on his official website. “I want to use my platform to help other writers get a wider audience. I also want to help kids have a wider variety of great books to choose from, especially those that deal with world mythology, and for all kinds of young readers to see themselves reflected in the books that they read.”
So far, 13 books from different authors have been published. Aru Shah and the End of Time written by Roshani Chokshi is based on Hindu Mythology and was the first book published. Since then, more books with diverse legends and stories have been released. Dragon Pearl by Noon Ha Lee is a mixture of Korean mythology and science fiction, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia is focused on African American folklore and West African mythology, and Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia is based on Mexican mythology. Every book released so far takes place in a different country, with a different cultural myth as its central plot.
Representation of other cultures in literature and different forms of media is vital. It’s exceedingly important for all people, especially young children, to see and read about protagonists like them. Riordan’s new publishing branch is a breath of fresh air in literature. Readers who come from diverse backgrounds can now see themselves and recognize popular myths and folklores from their cultures. The ages that Riordan’s series is aimed towards is a very pivotal time in a young person’s life. It’s crucial that while they’re at this developmental stage, they see and read about characters that come from a similar background as them. Most books, especially those catering to younger audiences, rarely highlight other cultures in their characters or storyline. Riordan is taking a step in the right direction by showcasing diverse authors and stories.
