“Harry Potter” or “Percy Jackson”? Which series reigns supreme?
“Harry Potter” and “Percy Jackson” are two of the most popular fantasy series of all time. More than 780 million copies of “Harry Potter” and “Percy Jackson” have been sold, combined. The question is, which is better? You’ll get facts and opinions to make your choice between wizards and muggles, or gods and half-bloods.
These series are both extraordinary in so many ways. They both have a movie series and a play based off them. “Percy Jackson” has a TV series that just came out on Disney+, and “Harry Potter” has a TV series coming soon to Max. Each series has created amazing new worlds we never thought possible and have given readers of all ages new places to imagine. “Harry Potter” has sold more than 600 million copies while “Percy Jackson” has sold more than 180 million copies. This ongoing debate needs to be settled! People all over the internet have their opinions, but what about you?
Both of these series have movies based off the books, but the first movies in the respective series have one striking difference: their ratings. According to Google, the first “Harry Potter” movie, The Sorcerer’s Stone, which came out in 2001, has an average rating of 4.8 stars. The first movie in the “Percy Jackson” series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which was released in 2010, can’t say the same. Its rating is 2.6 stars. Viewers complained that the actors for Percy, Grover, and Annabeth looked too old. Now, this isn’t saying anything about the books, but it is good to know if you’re planning to decide between them.
Why is “Harry Potter” better?
Let’s start with Team Harry. “Harry Potter” is an amazing series for so many reasons. It’s hard to create a whole world out of nothing, and the Wizarding World is a world like nothing we’ve ever seen before. J. K. Rowling uses imagery that makes it easy to picture the world that she created.
According to sixth grader Aditya T., “There are slight hints in the story that foreshadow the ending of the story or what the problem was, that you can only appreciate after reading the whole book.” That’s why many fans reread the series, to discover things they didn’t see before.
If you liked the movies, “Harry Potter” has a TV series coming soon. There’s not much revealed about it yet, but you can read more on the official website.
Amanda G., another sixth grader, says that “Percy Jackson” has multiple moments where it seems like “the author lost creativity.” Things can get boring, unnecessary, or even random. You can see one god in a certain scene and then a few pages later, a whole different one. J.K. Rowling stays on topic and on point. She even goes the extra mile to foreshadow the ending.
From this side, “Harry Potter” definitely seems like the better series. But is it really?
Why is “Percy Jackson” better?
Let’s go Team Percy! “Percy Jackson” is an outstanding series. Readers like how Rick Riordan chose Greek mythology as a base, because it takes lots of stories of different gods, and melds them together. This makes the series more complex and more interesting to read.
Rick Riordan is a great writer in other ways, too. His language and writing style are similar to J.K. Rowling’s, but his language is a little more modern. “Percy Jackson” does take place in a more modern setting, so that makes sense.
If you need more solid evidence on which is better, here’s something to note. According to children’s librarian (at the Harry Belafonte branch), EJ, “Percy Jackson” is currently checked out more.
“Percy Jackson” also has a TV series based off of it:
Finally, J.K. Rowling focuses on one main villain, Voldemort. Although there is a main villain, Kronos, in “Percy Jackson”, the books also focus on other conflicts. Harry Potter’s main conflict, and the topic of all the books (besides “The Prisoner of Azkaban”), is Voldemort. This can sometimes be a little repetitive, or boring, for people who want to hear about other problems, like basic conflicts in Harry’s life.
Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for. Where you get to decide: “Harry Potter” or “Percy Jackson”.
Whether you are heading off to Hogwarts, Camp Half-Blood, or someplace else, both of these series are amazing, and you should absolutely read them.
Other Series
But what if you didn’t like either of these series?
Here are some more ideas of great reads:
- “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket
- The main character is also an orphan.
- This series is great if you want a more realistic fiction series. (There’s less magic in it.)
- “Lasagna Means I Love You” by Kate O’Shaughnessy
- Mo, a girl in the foster care system, wants to learn more about her biological family and their recipes. She sets up a website where she documents other families’ favorite meals, and teaches herself to cook along the way.
- This is a very modern and relatable book, which makes it a great read.
- “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead
- Miranda starts getting weird notes that ask things like, “Where do you keep your spare key?” Who could be sending them? And suddenly, the homeless man that walks around her block seems to be acting even more erratic.
- If you like fantasy and realistic fiction mixed, this is the book for you!
- “Enola Holmes Series” by Nancy Springer
- The famous Sherlock Holmes now has a sister, Enola. Based in the 1800s, this book series is a page turner, full of suspense and action.
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