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If You Like...Mythology and Magic

Have you reread Percy Jackson a hundred times? Do you love stories of mythical creatures and teens with secret powers? I definitely do! I love when authors combine history, culture, and myths all into one adventure filled book. If you’re anything like me, you are going to LOVE these books bursting with mythology and magic!

Here are a few chapter books that enter into new worlds of mythology.

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom
By Sangu Mandanna
New York : Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2021. Fiction. 334 pages.

This book features a female hero set in the world of Indian mythology. Kiki is an 11-year-old girl who constantly has anxious and worrisome thoughts, but she finds comfort in drawing characters and scenes from Indian myths and legends. One day, her drawings come to life, including the evil deity who wants to destroy the world. Read this book to discover if Kiki can overcome her anxiety and fear as she seeks to save the world.

Paola Santiago and the River of Tears
By Tehlor Kay Mejia
Los Angeles : Disney-Hyperion, 2020. Fiction. 350 pages.

Paola is a Mexican American who loves space and science. She doesn’t believe her mom’s ghost stories about La Llorona, an evil ghost woman who supposedly lives in the river and steals children. When Paola goes stargazing near the river Gila, she learns that her mother’s stories may be more than scary bedtime tales. Forced to enter into a world of nightmares and monsters, Paola must go beyond what she knows and believes in order to save her friend.

Tristan Strong Punches the Sky
By Kwame Mbalia
Los Angeles ; New York : Disney/Hyperion, 2019. Fiction. 482 pages.

After his best friend, Eddie, dies in an accident, Tristan keeps Eddie’s journal on him at all times. In an effort to cope with his grief, Tristan goes to his grandparents’ farm in Alabama. When a strange creature steals Eddie’s journal, Tristan chases after it and accidentally opens a portal to a dangerous world full of monsters. African American heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit have been fighting the monsters for years, and they need Tristan’s help. This book will leave you on the edge of your seat, rooting for a hero who is struggling to deal with grief and loss.

Lia Park and the Missing Jewel
By Jenna Yoon
New York : Aladdin, 2022. Fiction. 346 pages.

Lia Park is a twelve-year-old Korean American with overprotective parents. After she sneaks out to attend a party, an evil diviner kidnaps her parents and ransoms them for a jewel Lia’s family has guarded for years. In order to save her parents, Lia travels to Korea where she journeys to the undersea kingdom, home to the Dragon King. Read this book to discover if Lia can gain the courage to find the jewel and save her parents.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
By Xiran Jay Zhao
New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2022. Fiction. 340 pages.

Zack Ying is a Chinese American middle schooler who loves augmented reality gaming. When the First Emperor of China possesses Zack’s gaming headset, Zack travels to China to steal magical items and fight evil creatures. As he struggles to learn how to use his water dragon powers, Zack must also work to seal the portal to the Chinese underworld. He has to complete the Emperor’s mission or risk the fate of the world, and losing his mom, forever.

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