The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is one of my favorites! I’ve read all of the books through several times and keep returning to the familiar storylines.
If you also enjoy the Percy Jackson series (the books or the Disney+ miniseries), you’ll enjoy these seven middle-grade novels. The authors tie modern life to ancient mythologies and diverse cultures. The book’s main characters are relatable middle school students who bring humor and adventure together in these wonderful stories.
The Serpent’s Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #1) by Sayantani DasGupta
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in New Jersey, until her parents mysteriously vanish and a drooling rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. It turns out that there might be some truth to her parents’ fantastical stories — for example, that Kiranmala is a real Indian princess who comes from a secret place not of this world.
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
A sci-fi romp with Cuban influence that poses this question: What would you do if you had the power to reach through time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother, who is no longer living (in this universe, anyway)?
In order to heal after his mother’s death, Sal learned how to meditate. But no one expected him to be able to take it further and “relax” things into existence. Turns out he can reach into time and space to retrieve things from other universes–even his mom! He has promised his dad and stepmom that he won’t bring back his mother anymore (it causes a lot of marital tension), but sometimes he can’t help himself. Why can’t they all just get along?
The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim
Focusing on Korean mythology, the book follows Riley Oh, an adopted twelve year old who wants healing power like the rest of her witch family. With the help of her sister, Riley tries to summon Mago Halmi, the mother of all goddesses. However her sister is banished to the spirit realm and Riley is given an ultimatum: if she wants to have magic and save her sister’s life, Riley must find the godrealm’s last fallen star.
Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo
Charlie Hernández & the League of ShadowsCharlie Hernández is proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist.
When Charlie’s parents go missing, his house burns down, and he starts growing horns and sprouting feathers, Charlie begins to discover that these tales may not have been fiction after all, and may be more entwined with his destiny than he could have ever imagined.
Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations, she’ll be spending her school break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. One day, three classmates show up on her doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the museum’s Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.
But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. It frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and mother are frozen in time, and it’s up to Aru to save them. The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda
Based on the mythology of ancient Mesopotamia, thirteen-year-old Sik wants a simple life, but all that is blown to smithereens when the god of plagues comes looking for him. Sik’s not in this alone. He’s got the former hero Gilgamesh, who has taken up gardening in Central Park, on his side. Now all they have to do is retrieve the Flower of Immortality to save Manhattan from being wiped out by disease. To succeed, they’ll have to conquer demons, treacherous gods and their own darkest nightmares.
Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging. He’d much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him names because only has one good leg. What Zane doesn’t know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy.
A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he’s destined to release an evil god from the ancient Maya relic he is imprisoned in—unless she can find and remove it first. Together they return to the volcano, where all kinds of wild things happen. Brooks turns into a hawk, a demon attacks them and Rosie gives her all while trying to protect Zane. When Zane decides to save his dog no matter the cost, he is thrust into an adventure full of surprising discoveries and an all-out war between the gods, one of whom happens to be his father. To survive, Zane will have to become the Storm Runner. But how can he run when he can’t even walk well without a cane?
Olivia is a middle school student in the Oklahoma City metro. She enjoys reading (her TBR list puts most adults’ to shame), playing cello, competing in Science Olympiad and knitting. Olivia loves spending time with her parents and her younger brother, especially Friday Movie Nights when she gets to choose the movie!
