It’s no secret that Rick Riordan and his series’ have dominated the mythology scene for years. But there is more to the world of mythology than Percy Jackson.
There are so many wonderful world mythologies, folktales and legends out in the world beyond the commonly read Greek, Norse and Roman. If your child has exhausted all of the wonderful Rick Riordan series books and is looking for something new then please read on!
1. Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly
Based in Filipino folklore, when twelve year old Lalani Sarita’s mother becomes deathly ill with an incurable disease she risks everything to travel to far away lands seeking a cure. When no man or boy in Lalani’s village is capable of leaving the island for better places, can Lalani manage what no one else can, all while on her own?
Erin Entrada Kelly is a many-time Newbery Award Nominee, honor winner and Newbery Award Winner. Her work is quality literature and deeply relatable, whether the reader is a child or an adult.
2. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
By blending Korean mythology with science fiction Lee weaves the story of Min, a thirteen year old fox spirit who must appear human at all times or face persecution. But when her brother is in danger Min runs away from home, risking everything, to clear his name. This book deals with issues of racism between the different supernatural entities as well as the different races on the planet, as well as classism and touches on gender identities.
3. Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Series) by Roshani Chokshi
While at the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, twelve year old Aru Shah makes the mistake of showing off to kids from school by rubbing the cursed Lamp of Bharata and releasing an ancient demon. The only way to defeat him is to find the five reincarnations of the Pandava brothers. Drawing on Hindu mythology, folklore and poetry into a wild adventure of daring, impossible feats, friendship and humor.
After falling in love with impetuous Aru, be sure to pick up The Song of Death, Tree of Wishes and City of Gold.
4. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Shiori’anma, Princess of Kiata, has a secret- she possess forbidden magic. When her stepmother Raikama discovers Shiori’s secret she banishes the princess and her six brothers. Shiori is stripped of her voice and identity and her brothers are transformed into cranes.
Alone and without a voice Shiori must find her brothers and devise a plan to take back their kingdom. Lim weaves together elements of Chinese mythology of the moon goddess as well as fairytale elements from The Wild Swans and Cinderella. This is a perfect read for advanced middle grade readers, tweens, teens and adults alike.
5. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Tristan has just lost his best friend in a bus accident; his family sent him to visit his grandparents’ farm in Alabama to rest and recover from the trauma. While there he encounters an unusual creature and that accidentally leads him to discovering the MidPass, the place between our world and the world of myth and legend. Now Tristan must work with African American folk heroes and contend with West African myths and gods to save the world.
This is an action-packed mythology adventure featuring characters less commonly seen in Western literature and is a welcome breath of fresh air. The story is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson who are interested in expanding their knowledge past Greek or Norse mythology.
Be sure to pick up Tristan Strong Destroys the World (Book 2) and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching (Book 3) as well.
6. Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Imagine you are just living your middle school life and one day you see a monster at your basketball game. Seventh grader Nizhoni Begay has just discovered a monster in a human disguise is disturbingly interested in her, her brother and the legend of the Hero Twins.
Suddenly, she is thrown into a rescue mission where she must get the help of the Dine Holy People in order to save her father and defeat the monsters.
Roanhorse is a Black/Indigenous (Ohkay Owingeh) author drawing on the stories of her Navajo husband to weave a tale of adventure, humor, friendship, family and history. This is a #ownvoices novel.
7. Paula Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Majia
Twelve year old Paola Santiago is obsessed with space, hard science and facts, so how does that fit with her mother’s constant warnings to stay away from the river and beware of La Llorona, the wailing ghost woman who steals children from the riverbank?
It does not go well; Paola disregards the warnings until her best friend Emma goes missing and she must embark on a quest into the supernatural and Latinx folklore to find her friend.
Pick up Book 2, Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares to see how the story continues. Both stories read very well as audiobooks.
8. City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda
Sikander Aziz, or Sik, is a thirteen year old Muslim American who just wants to process his grief over losing his older brother and work in his parent’s Manhattan deli. But chaos and tragedy strike when his parents, Iraqi refugees, are struck with a plague sent by the Mesopotamian plague god, Nergal.
On top of all that, Sik discovers he is in fact immortal! This story is full of action, adventure, a sarcastic talking sword, and most importantly Muslim heroes and seldom-featured Mesopotamian mythology. This is a #ownvoices novel.
9. The Twelve by Cindy Lin
The Chinese Zodiac meets Spirit Animals meets Percy Jackson in this action adventure about Usagi, a girl gifted with the power of the year of her zodiac animal.
But it is not safe for Usagi to use her gifts while the Dragonlord hunts those with zodiac gifts, including her little sister. She is determined to journey to Mount Jade with the Twelve warriors, to defeat the Dragonlord and save her sister and protect her family.
Usagi is brave, fiercely loyal, but not perfect, making her a lovable heroine you will want to root for.
10. The Serpent’s Secrets by Sayantane Dasgupta
It turns out, twelve year old Kiranmala is an inter-dimensional demon slayer which she discovers when her parents disappear and a demon tries to eat her. Various princes suddenly arrive on the scene to sweep her away and “save” her by whisking her off to another world full of magic and adventure.
Kiran must now save her parents before it is too late. The story is full of action, adventure and a lot of humor. It draws on Bengali folklore and Southeast Asian mythologies.
Kiran’s first adventure is linked below, but you will also want the next three in the series: Game of Stars, The Chaos Curse and Force of Fire.
11. The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Corinne Le Mar is a brave, funny and smart girl who is fiercely protective of her family. She has heard stories of the jumbies her whole life, but those are just silly stories to scare kids into behaving, they aren’t real…right?
It turns out they might be, and Corinne needs to be brave, get a little help from her friends and also learn some ancient magics to help save her father and her island. The story draws on Caribbean culture and folklore to weave a magical and scary tale, excellent for grades 4-6.