Riordan Readalikes
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, 1:06 p.m.Staff PicksChevy Chase Library
Riordan Readalikes
What to Read After Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase, and Everything Else Rick Riordan Has Written
There’s no denying that Rick Riordan’s books are popular. But the man can only write so fast, so sooner or later you’re going to have to look somewhere else to get your fill of kids interacting with ancient gods and saving the world from destruction. Luckily, the library’s shelves are full of entertaining and action-packed stories that will absolutely meet your needs.
The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
This is the first book from Riordan’s publishing imprint, which publishes funny, action packed middle grade novels by authors writing about the myths and folklore of their own culture/background. In this book, a boy named Zane discovers that the nearby dormant volcano he’s been exploring is actually a gateway to another world. While attempting to save his beloved dog, Zane accidentally releases a Mayan god from an ancient relic, and sets in motion a prophecy that puts him in the middle of a war between the gods. This book sticks pretty closely to the formula of the Percy Jackson series, and the full trilogy has been published, meaning readers won’t have to wait to see how Zane’s story plays out.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
This is another book from Rick Riordan Presents, and a personal favorite. When Tristan Strong is sent to his grandparents’ farm in Alabama for a month, he knows it’s because his parents hope it will help him heal after the accident that killed his best friend, Eddie. But when a strange doll-creature sneaks into his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal, Tristan chases it into the spooky Bottle Tree woods. In the struggle over the journal, Tristan tears a hole between our world and MidPass, the magical realm of both the African gods and heroes of American legend. Tristan just wants to go home and forget that any of this is happening, but first he’ll need to coax the storytelling trickster Anansi out of hiding to patch the hole in the sky.
Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
I promise that this is the last Rick Riordan Presents book on this list, but I just love the way Lee veers from the traditional fantasy format by setting this story in outer space. Min lives on Jinju, an impoverished and neglected planet, where she dreams of following her older brother Jun into the Space Force. Despite coming from a long line of Kumiho, Min’s mother insists that they all hide their identities as such and never use any of their fox-magic. But when word arrives that Jun has been accused of leaving his post to search for the mythical Dragon Pearl, Min decides to run away and attempt to clear his name. Her journey will lead her to distant planets, unite her with family she never knew of, and surprise her beyond her wildest dreams.
The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
Kiranmala was just a normal girl, living with her parents in New Jersey, until the day of her 12th birthday. Now her parents have disappeared, she’s being chased by rakkhosh demons, and two magical princes are insisting that they’re here to save her. Maybe there is some truth to those stories her parents used to tell her about being a princess from a far-away land. When Kiran is swept into a magical world with flying horses and talking birds, it’s up to her to rescue not only her parents, but the entire world.
The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda
Ash Mistry, a 14-year-old London boy, does not like India. Which is a problem, as his parents have sent him and his sister to spend the summer with family in Varanasi. When his uncle is offered a job translating ancient scrolls for the very rich and very mysterious Lord Savage, Ash knows something is wrong. And that’s before he sees Savage’s bodyguards transform into massive fanged crocodiles…
The Cassandra Curse by Chantel Acevedo
Callie is still mourning the death of her beloved aunt, when she discovers she’s inherited her role as one of the mythical Muses, tasked with encouraging the inspiration and empowerment of important humans. When Callie accidentally uses her powers to turn her best friend into a pop star, she thinks that’s the worst of her problems. Unfortunately, the evil Sirens are out to destroy the future of humanity by unleashing a curse on Maya Rivero, one of Callie’s classmates. Maya and her fellow junior Muses work together to try and protect Maya, but how can they save the world when they still haven’t figured out how to completely use their powers?
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
When Lily and her family move back in with her sick grandmother, the last things she expects is to start seeing a magical, talking tiger. But it turns out that Halmoni’s fantastical bedtime stories weren’t just fiction, they might have even been a part of her grandmother’s history. Halmoni stole something from the tigers, and one of them is willing to make a deal with Lily: if she releases the stories that Halmoni stole, the tiger will heal her grandmother. So Lily sets out to find the stories, and learns some harrowing truths about her family in the process. I warn you in advance, you might want to have some tissues on hand towards the end of this book.
Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron
Twelve-year-old Maya is seeing strange things: werehyenas on the streets at night and a man made of shadows haunting her dreams. But when her father goes missing, Maya learns the truth, he was the guardian of the veil between our world and the Dark, and something from the Dark wants to get out. With the veil falling, it’s up to Maya to embrace her heritage as an orisha godling and stop the Lord of Shadows and his army from destroying the human world.
The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
This is the first book from Riordan’s publishing imprint, which publishes funny, action packed middle grade novels by authors writing about the myths and folklore of their own culture/background. In this book, a boy named Zane discovers that the nearby dormant volcano he’s been exploring is actually a gateway to another world. While attempting to save his beloved dog, Zane accidentally releases a Mayan god from an ancient relic, and sets in motion a prophecy that puts him in the middle of a war between the gods. This book sticks pretty closely to the formula of the Percy Jackson series, and the full trilogy has been published, meaning readers won’t have to wait to see how Zane’s story plays out.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
This is another book from Rick Riordan Presents, and a personal favorite. When Tristan Strong is sent to his grandparents’ farm in Alabama for a month, he knows it’s because his parents hope it will help him heal after the accident that killed his best friend, Eddie. But when a strange doll-creature sneaks into his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal, Tristan chases it into the spooky Bottle Tree woods. In the struggle over the journal, Tristan tears a hole between our world and MidPass, the magical realm of both the African gods and heroes of American legend. Tristan just wants to go home and forget that any of this is happening, but first he’ll need to coax the storytelling trickster Anansi out of hiding to patch the hole in the sky.
Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
I promise that this is the last Rick Riordan Presents book on this list, but I just love the way Lee veers from the traditional fantasy format by setting this story in outer space. Min lives on Jinju, an impoverished and neglected planet, where she dreams of following her older brother Jun into the Space Force. Despite coming from a long line of Kumiho, Min’s mother insists that they all hide their identities as such and never use any of their fox-magic. But when word arrives that Jun has been accused of leaving his post to search for the mythical Dragon Pearl, Min decides to run away and attempt to clear his name. Her journey will lead her to distant planets, unite her with family she never knew of, and surprise her beyond her wildest dreams.
The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
Kiranmala was just a normal girl, living with her parents in New Jersey, until the day of her 12th birthday. Now her parents have disappeared, she’s being chased by rakkhosh demons, and two magical princes are insisting that they’re here to save her. Maybe there is some truth to those stories her parents used to tell her about being a princess from a far-away land. When Kiran is swept into a magical world with flying horses and talking birds, it’s up to her to rescue not only her parents, but the entire world.
The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda
Ash Mistry, a 14-year-old London boy, does not like India. Which is a problem, as his parents have sent him and his sister to spend the summer with family in Varanasi. When his uncle is offered a job translating ancient scrolls for the very rich and very mysterious Lord Savage, Ash knows something is wrong. And that’s before he sees Savage’s bodyguards transform into massive fanged crocodiles…
The Cassandra Curse by Chantel Acevedo
Callie is still mourning the death of her beloved aunt, when she discovers she’s inherited her role as one of the mythical Muses, tasked with encouraging the inspiration and empowerment of important humans. When Callie accidentally uses her powers to turn her best friend into a pop star, she thinks that’s the worst of her problems. Unfortunately, the evil Sirens are out to destroy the future of humanity by unleashing a curse on Maya Rivero, one of Callie’s classmates. Maya and her fellow junior Muses work together to try and protect Maya, but how can they save the world when they still haven’t figured out how to completely use their powers?
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
When Lily and her family move back in with her sick grandmother, the last things she expects is to start seeing a magical, talking tiger. But it turns out that Halmoni’s fantastical bedtime stories weren’t just fiction, they might have even been a part of her grandmother’s history. Halmoni stole something from the tigers, and one of them is willing to make a deal with Lily: if she releases the stories that Halmoni stole, the tiger will heal her grandmother. So Lily sets out to find the stories, and learns some harrowing truths about her family in the process. I warn you in advance, you might want to have some tissues on hand towards the end of this book.
Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron
Twelve-year-old Maya is seeing strange things: werehyenas on the streets at night and a man made of shadows haunting her dreams. But when her father goes missing, Maya learns the truth, he was the guardian of the veil between our world and the Dark, and something from the Dark wants to get out. With the veil falling, it’s up to Maya to embrace her heritage as an orisha godling and stop the Lord of Shadows and his army from destroying the human world.
