Children's Book Suggestions | Mythology & Folklore

Thanks to The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, young readers are obsessed with mythology. This list features some of our favorite fiction books for young readers that incorporate mythological themes. You can view more mythology and folklore-themed fiction in the library catalog.

Our definition of mythology for this list is fairly broad. In addition to ancient polytheistic religions that are no longer widely practiced, we included other ancient religions still being practiced today (like Hinduism and Indigenous religions) as well as folklore and traditional tales passed down through oral storytelling traditions. Fairy tales, including written European folklore popularized by the Grimm brothers and Middle Eastern tales from the 1001 Nights, are covered in our Fairy Tale book lists.

For nonfiction books on mythology and world religions past & present, check out the 290s.

Updated June 6, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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Marikit and the ocean of stars
Cruz, Caris Avendaño
Paper Book
A magical middle grade debut, inspired by Filipino folklore, about a ten-year-old girl who embarks on a quest in the world of gods and spirits to save her and her family from a sinister shadow god. Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon and When You Trap a Tiger.<...

A fantasy adventure inspired by Filippino folklore. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

City of the plague god
Chadda, Sarwat
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series. "An epic worthy of Gilgamesh. Chadda brings attention to the less well-recognized mythology of ancient Mesopotamia with engaging...

A modern teen from LA finds himself enmeshed in a tale inspired by the Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The cobra's song
Kelkar, Supriya
Paper Book
From the author of American as Paneer Pie comes an "absorbing" (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade adventure steeped in Indian folklore following a girl who learns how to find her voice and face her fears, perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Amina's Song. Ten-year-old...

A young Hindustani folk singer is haunted by a sinister figure from Indian folklore. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Kiki Kallira breaks a kingdom
Mandanna, Sangu
Paper Book
For fans of the Aru Shah and Serpent's Secret series, this action-packed fantasy-adventure sees a girl's drawings of Indian mythology spring to vivid life--including the evil god who seeks to enter the real world and destroy it. Kiki Kallira has always been a worrier. Did she...

A fast-paced fantasy adventure inspired by southern Indian folklore. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

A comb of wishes
Stringfellow, Lisa
Paper Book
Set against the backdrop of Caribbean folklore, Lisa Stringfellow's spellbinding middle grade debut tells of a grieving girl and a vengeful mermaid and will enchant readers who loved Kacen Callender's Hurricane Child or Christian McKay Heidicker's Scary Stories for Young Foxes. Ever since...

A just-scary-enough story for young readers featuring menacing mermaids from Caribbean folklore. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Eagle drums
Hopson, Nasug̊raq Rainey
Paper Book
**A NEWBERY HONOR BOOK** A magical middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Arctic tradition. With beautifully hand-drawn full color art throughout! As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must...

An Inupiaq author retells a traditional story about a young hunter's quest up the mountain to collect obsidian in this great readalike for fans of Hatchet and other survival stories. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)

Anzu and the realm of darkness
Nguyen, Mai K.
Paper Book
5 Worlds meets Spirited Away in this tale of a girl fighting her way back home after getting trapped in the spirit world. Anzu has just moved to a new town during Obon, a time for families to remember and celebrate their ancestors. Ever since her obaachan died,...

A graphic novel inspired by the traditional Japanese celebration of Obon and other figures from Japanese folklore. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

The Cassandra Curse
Acevedo, Chantel
Paper Book
The first in an action-packed debut middle grade fantasy duology about a Cuban American girl who discovers that she's one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology. Perfect for fans of The Serpent's Secret, the Aru Shah series, and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Callie Martinez...

A Cuban American middle schooler discovers she's one of the Muses from Greek mythology, perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and the other Rick Riordan presents books. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Loki's wolves
Armstrong, Kelley.
Audiobook

A modern descendant of the Norse gods encounters them in the present day in this suspenseful fantasy adventure saga from award-winning authors. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The selkie's daughter
Brennan, Linda Crotta
Paper Book
A cozy, richly imagined fantasy where a young selkie girl must save her family from a vengeful king. Brigit knows all the old fisherman songs and legends by heart- sea goddess, warriors, and people who are not quite human. But Brigit also knows the truth. It's evident in the...

For fans of Anne of Green Gables and The Little Mermaid, a historical selkie story set in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Serwa Boateng's guide to vampire hunting
Brown, Roseanne A.
Paper Book
For most kids, catching fireflies is a fun summer activity. For twelve-year-old Serwa Boateng, it's a matter of life and death. That's because Serwa knows that some fireflies are really adze, shapeshifting vampires from the forests of Southeastern Ghana. Adze prey on the blood of innocents,...

Vampires from Ghanaian folklore takes center stage in this Rick Riordan Presents series opener. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

How to heal a gryphon
Cannistra, Meg
Paper Book
"A funny, fantastical mystery. . . Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan." --Laura Ruby, Two-Time National Book Award Finalist and author of the YORK Trilogy "I could live with these characters and in this world for a good long while. Bring on the sequel!" --New York Times...

An Italian teen must decide whether to pursue her calling to become a healer of magical animals from folklore. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The storm runner
Cervantes, Jennifer
Paper Book
Zane would much rather explore the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico than go to school with kids who bully him for his limp. But what Zane doesn't know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world, a world he's thrust into with his dog, Rosie, and the new girl at school, Brooks -...

A middle school boy discovers his disability is linked to his heritage as the son of a Mayan god. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The spirit glass
Chokshi, Roshani
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents a standalone quest adventure based on Filipino mythology by Roshani Chokshi, author of the best-selling Aru Shah series. Corazon yearns to finally start training as a babaylan (a mystical healer and spirit guide) under her powerful...

The author of the popular Aru Shah series taps into her Filippino heritage in her second Rick Riordan Presents series. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The Firebird song
Flores, Arnée
Paper Book
Debut author Arnée Flores spins an exciting and original tale about hope in even the darkest of places, perfect for fans of Shannon Hale. The Kingdom of Lyrica was once warm and thriving, kept safe by the Firebird, whose feather and song was a blessing of peace and...

A fantasy adventure story inspired by the Firebird of Slavic folklore. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Pahua and the soul stealer
Lee, Lori M.
Paper Book
Pahua is a lonely 11-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits. She spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with a cat spirit no one else can see. One day she accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighbourhood. When her...

A young girl discovers she's a shaman warrior in this Rick Riordan Presents story inspired by Hmong mythology. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Loki : a bad god's guide to being good
Stowell, Louie
Paper Book
Packed with doodles and cartoons, here is the diary of Loki as he's trapped on earth as a petulant eleven-year-old--and even worse, annoying thunder god Thor is there, too. After one prank too many, trickster god Loki has been banished to live as a kid on Earth. If he can show...

Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets the MCU in this hybrid graphic novel chronicling the many indignities the Norse god Loki experiences after being sent to Earth in the body of a young teen boy as punishment for his bad behavior in Asgard. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Lei and the fire goddess
Maunakea, Malia
Paper Book
"Lei and the Fire Goddess blends preteen angst and beloved Hawaiian moʻolelo in a way that hasn't been done before." -Auliʻi Cravalho, actress and voice of Disney's Princess Moana Curses aren't real. At least, that's what twelve-year-old, part...

A Hawaiian girl discovers that her grandmother's stories about the ancient Hawaiian gods are true when she accidentally angers the volcano goddess, Pele. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Like a charm
McNicoll, Elle
Paper Book
After the death of her grandfather, nuerodivergent tween Ramya uncovers a world of mystery and magic--and she's the only one who can see it! From the award-winning author of A Kind of Spark. "Ramya, you have something this city needs. And it's something that's...

A neurodivergent young teen develops the ability to see creatures from folklore and mythology after the death of her beloved grandfather. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Titans
O'Hearn, Kate
Paper Book
A group of kids must stop invaders before they take over Titus--and the rest of the universe--in this first book in a brand-new series from bestselling Pegasus author Kate O'Hearn, who masterfully blends mystery and mythology together. Fifteen years ago, Olympus was destroyed and...

Two Titans team up with a pair of human children to save their worlds in this fantasy adventure inspired by Greek mythology. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Ring of Solomon
Polydoros, Aden
Paper Book
"Will keep you on the edge of your seat and grinning until the last page!" --Greg Howard, author of The Whispers and The Visitors This exciting and adventurous start to a middle-grade trilogy follows a queer boy and his family as they try to halt the chaotic...

An LGBTQ middle schooler finds himself drawn into a suspenseful adventure featuring figures from Jewish folklore. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The lightning thief
Riordan, Rick
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times Bestseller | Now a series on Disney+ 12-year-old Percy Jackson discovers he is the son of Poseidon in the opener to the hilarious, fast-paced adventure fantasy series for young readers ages 10 and up The paperback edition of the...

The OG mythology-inspired fantasy adventure series! Percy Jackson discovers he's actually the son of a Greek god and is sent to a camp for other half-human demigods. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The labors of Hercules Beal
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill a seemingly impossible school assignment--and learns about friendship, community, and himself along the way....

An insightful teacher tasks a modern day kid with completing the labors of Hercules in this contemporary fiction story with strong ties to Greek mythology. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
Zhao, Xiran Jay
Paper Book
Percy Jackson meets Tristan Strong in this hilarious middle grade "edge-of-your-seat adventure" (James Ponti, New York Times bestselling author of City Spies) that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm. ...

A Chinese American middle schooler must cross the underworld to save the mortal realm in this story featuring figures from Chinese folklore. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The rise of the halfling king
Bowles, David
Paper Book

A graphic novel fantasy adventure inspired by Mayan mythology from Mexico. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

The night marchers, and other Oceanian stories
Ashwin, Kate
Paper Book
"An enthralling, spooky, diverse collection." -- KIRKUS "An intriguing portal to folklore." -- SHELF AWARENESS "Readers will want to revisit this collection." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "Do you hear them? Never go outside when...

The Cautionary Fables & Fairy Tales graphic novels are not to be missed! In addition to this collection of comics featuring Polynesian folklore, there are books focusing on traditional stories from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Oh my gods!
Cooke, Stephanie
Paper Book
Oh My Gods!, the first in a new middle grade graphic novel series, reads as if Raina Telgemeier and Rick Riordan teamed up to write a comic, and offers a fresh and funny spin on Greek mythology. When an average girl moves to Mt. Olympus, she discovers her new classmates...

Percy Jackson meets Smile in this graphic novel about a modern middle school girl who move to Mount Olympus and discovers that she and her classmates are the children of Greek gods. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Ghost book
Lai, Remy
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Spirited Away, Coco, and Ghosts comes a spooky fantasy graphic novel about the friendship between a girl who can see ghosts and a boy who is stuck between the worlds of the living and the dead. An Indie Bestseller! An Amazon,...

A living girl and a spirit boy go on adventure inspired by Chinese folklore during Hungry Ghost Month, when the veil between the worlds is thin. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Zeus : king of the gods
O'Connor, George.
Paper Book
George O'Connor's vibrant, kinetic art brings ancient tales to life in the New York Times Bestselling series The Olympians. This fusion of super-hero aesthetics and ancient Greek mythology is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson! Here's where it all starts: the beginning...

The Greek gods get the superhero graphic novel treatment in this series featuring the twelve Olympians. Be sure to check out George O'Connor's new Asgardians series as well! (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

The Mythics. 1, Heroes reborn
Ogaki, Philippe
Paper Book
In the ancient times of Gods and heroes, evil attempted to seize the world disguising themselves as six different gods. While they were spreading all their power of destruction, six heroes, each with extraordinary powers and brandishing sacred weapons, rose against these incarnations of evil. The...

Six teenagers from across the world become the modern incarnations of ancient heroes who must protect the world from the rise of their evil counterparts. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Mabuhay!
Sterling, Zack
Paper Book
*Nominated for the 2024 Eisner Awards for Best Publication for Kids* From rising star Zachary Sterling comes a humorous and heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel that celebrates food, family, and folklore. Can two kids save the world and work their family food...

Two normal kids who don't want to work at their family's Filippino food cart slowly notice they're being haunted by creatures from Filippino folklore. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)


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