The Percy Jackson series has been tremendously successful since its release almost 20 years ago, captivating readers with its blend of Greek mythology, exciting quests, and relatable characters. As your young reader approaches the end of their journey with Percy, you might be wondering what books to suggest next. But don't worry, we've got you covered. We have put together a curated list of amazing books that will provide the perfect continuation of their reading adventure.
In this list, you'll find a variety of stories that will spark your child's imagination and take them to new, fantastical realms. From thrilling quests to hidden powers waiting to be discovered, each book on this list offers a fresh dose of magic, friendship, and unforgettable characters.
Are you ready to join your young hero or heroine on their next great adventure? Grab your map, pack your essentials, and let's dive into the world of middle-grade books that will inspire them to be their best and bravest selves. The journey starts here!
Full of action, adventure, and friendship, a team of five girls must stop a powerful villain by finding their mythical familiars. It’s Pairing Day in Terrafamiliar! Marina has been waiting for this moment—anxiously—for as long as she can remember. Because today’s the day she gets to bond with her animal familiar for life, like every other ten-year-old in the land. Except after the ceremony ends, Marina doesn’t have one. And she’s not alone . . . four other girls also didn’t get their animal companions.
Karen is just an average thirteen-year-old from New Jersey who loves to play video games with her friends and watch movies with her mom. But when she moves to Greece to live with her eccentric, mysterious father, Zed, suddenly everything she thought about herself—about life—is up in the air. Starting a new school can be difficult, but starting school at Mt. Olympus Junior High, where students are gods and goddesses, just might take the cake.
When Lalani Sarita’s mother falls gravely ill, twelve-year-old Lalani faces an impossible task—she must leave Sanlagita and find the riches of the legendary Mount Isa, which towers on an island to the north. But generations of men and boys have died on the same quest—how can an ordinary girl survive the epic tests of the archipelago? And how will she manage without Veyda, her best friend?
An ancient myth looms over a powerful new friendship in this debut middle grade fantasy packed with Hugo Cabret charm. The City is the only home that Ellie has ever known. She’s always been told that there is nothing to see beyond the shores of her small, salty island. That is, until a mysterious boy washes in with the tide, trapped inside the belly of a whale. The citizens of the City believe he’s ruled by the Enemy—the legendary god who drowned the whole world—come again to cause untold chaos.
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real. Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.”
Callie Martinez-Silva didn’t mean to turn her best friend into a pop star. But when a simple pep talk leads to miraculous results, Callie learns she’s the newest muse of epic poetry, one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology tasked with protecting humanity’s fate in secret. Whisked away to Muse Headquarters, she joins three recruits her age, who call themselves the Muse Squad. Together, the junior muses are tasked with using their magic to inspire and empower—not an easy feat when you’re eleven and still figuring out the goddess within.
In this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations . . . or be trapped in an amulet forever. Freddie Ruiz is cursed. While other people may have bad days, Freddie and his family have had bad generations: from bird poop splatting on him during picture day to the many tumbles and trips that earned him the nickname Faceplant Freddie.
It’s not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool—like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much—like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbor. All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. But before she has a chance to convince him to teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and terrifying events launch Nic and two friends on a hunt for a powerful magic tool she’s never heard of...to save her father from imprisonment for a crime she refuses to believe he committed.
A fierce, feminist, and fun middle grade fantasy graphic novel about a twelve-year-old Indian American girl named Shakti who must learn the power of her ancestral magic if she wants to save her family and town from a dangerous curse. Written by Stonewall Honor Book recipient and Lambda Literary Fellow SJ Sindu and illustrated by Nabi H. Ali. Shakti is used to being the new girl at school. She and her two moms have moved more times than she can count. With her unborn baby brother on the way, Shakti hopes her family has found their forever home in Amherst, Massachusetts, and that she can finally make friends.
One night, while lost in the nearby desert, Nathan finds someone extraordinary: a Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story—a Water Monster—in need of help. Now Nathan must summon all his courage to save his new friend. With the help of other Navajo Holy Beings, Nathan is determined to save the Water Monster, and to support Uncle Jet in healing from his own pain.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Percy Jackson in Odd Gods, the critically acclaimed and hilarious illustrated series about the middle school gods you never hear about in myths. In book two, Oddonis must embark on the strangest odyssey ever to save Zeus from the world’s cutest curse. Sometimes it feels like Oddonis can’t do anything right. Especially compared to his literally perfect twin brother, Adonis. But this time, Oddonis has really messed up by accidentally turning his father, the all-powerful king of the gods, Zeus, into a giant baby. Now it’s up to Oddonis to assemble a team of his odd friends—Mathena, Gaseous, and Puneous—and journey to the underworld to get the curse reversed.
Wings of Fire meets The Hunger Games in this debut contemporary middle grade fantasy stand-alone about thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake, who enters the dangerous Great Texas Dragon Race to save her family’s dragon sanctuary. Thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake wants nothing more than to race with her best dragon, Ranga, in the annual Great Texas Dragon Race.
Packed with superheroes, supervillains, and epic showdowns between good and evil, The Unforgettable Logan Foster from debut author Shawn Peters shows that sometimes being a hero is just about being yourself. Logan Foster has pretty much given up on the idea of ever being adopted. It could have something to with his awkward manner, his photographic memory, or his affection for reciting curious facts, but whatever the cause, Logan and his “PP’s” (prospective parents) have never clicked. Then everything changes when Gil and Margie arrive. Although they aren’t exactly perfect themselves—Gil has the punniest sense of humor and Margie’s cooking would have anyone running for the hills—they genuinely seem to care.
Soar into adventure with Pippa, an orphaned girl in Ancient Greece, and her beloved winged horse, Zephyr, who head out on a daring adventure to save Mt. Olympus in the second book in the Wings of Olympus series by beloved, award-winning author Kallie George. Ever since Pippa lost the winged horse race of the ancient gods and was banned from the slopes of Mount Olympus, she and her beloved horse, Zephyr, have tried to adjust to living a normal life on the ground. But when Pippa rescues a lost winged colt, she knows she must return him to the land of the gods and goddesses—even though she was warned never to return.
Life is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her aunt and uncle believe she’s an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child that brings misfortune wherever they go, and Adia can’t disagree—especially when she suddenly manifests mysterious powers that she can’t control, causing an earthquake in her village.
So when Adia is offered a kitchen apprenticeship at the faraway Academy of Shamans, she flees with nothing but a pouch of change, her cat Bubbles, and the hope that someone there can figure out what's wrong with her—and fix it. But just as she's settling in, Adia stumbles upon a shocking secret: Unlike her, the kingdom's emperor really is possessed—by a demon more wicked than any other. And he’s on his way to the Academy for a visit.
This novel from Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine about two princesses battling against their fates in the middle of the Trojan War is a must-read for anyone who loves Greek mythology or the Percy Jackson books! Cassandra, a princess of Troy and follower of Apollo, is delighted when the god himself appears to her. Apollo asks to love her in exchange for giving her future sight, and she agrees—but recoils when he kisses her. Enraged, the god transforms his gift into a curse: Cassandra’s visions will never be believed. After horrifying images of coming war and death pour into her mind, and with no one to heed her warnings, Cassandra risks her safety again and again to avert the disaster awaiting Troy. But it will take years—and the friendship of an Amazon warrior princess named Rin—for Cassandra to find hope of success in reversing the course of the war. With heroines to cheer for and nail-biting adventures, Newbery Honor–winning author Gail Carson Levine once again transports her readers, this time to ancient Troy, where princesses (even cursed ones) will stop at nothing to shape their fate.
