Children's Book List: Rick Riordan Read-Alike

During these Interesting Times, the Children's Department has been hard at work updating our book lists. Whether you're looking for a book on a particular topic (like feeling different) or want to read something similar to that series that you just finished up (and now have that empty, lost feeling), we've probably got a book list for that. You can find the full list of our children's book lists on our website. We've also put all of these awesome lists on Beanstack. If you haven't had a chance to check out Beanstack, you really should. It makes signing up for and monitoring summer reading a breeze! We'll be highlighting some of our book lists in these blog posts throughout the summer. Happy reading!

If  you're enjoying all five of Rick Riordan's awesome series of gods and demigods, we've definitely got some recommendations for you!

Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer
New York: Viking Press, 2001

Artemis Fowl is a brilliant criminal mastermind. His family (and their fortune) have been on the wrong side of the law for generations. His latest plan is to ransom a fairy for its gold and find his missing father. Completely realistic plans for a twelve year old.








Mythology: The Gods, Heroes, and Monsters of Ancient Greece

by Lady Hestia Evans
Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press, 2007

One of the popular Ologies series, this large book is filled with history and stories, along with gem inserts on the cover and lots of pop-ups, secret messages, surprise notes, and other discoveries.   







The Rick Riordan Presents imprint features books chosen by Rick that he thinks you'll like. They feature underrepresented voices and cultures in a similar style to the books you already love. In addition to Tristan Strong, I really enjoyed the first Aru Shah book.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
by Kwame Mbalia
New York: Disney Hyperion, 2019 

'Power, boy! It's all about power. You control the story, you control the narrative, you control power.'

Seventh grader Tristan has just lost his best friend Eddie in a tragic accident. He's also just lost his first boxing match, disappointing his father and grandfather, both former champions. He leaves Chicago with his grandparents to spend some time on the family farm in Alabama, in hopes that he can work through his grief. He brings Eddie's journal with him. No one else seems to notice that it's glowing. That night he finds Gum Baby, from his Nana's stories, stealing his journal. Giving chase, he ends up in the woods and falls into a world inhabited by African American folk heroes and West African gods. When he tore a hole in the sky, Tristan brought a great evil with him. Can he save the world and make his way back home?