4 Percy Jackson read-alikes for aspiring Olympians
Nearly 20 years after the debut of The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians saga remains one of the best-selling children’s book series in the world.
Now, with a highly anticipated new television adaptation dropping on Disney+ at the end of December, a new generation of kids will have the chance to experience the trials and triumphs of Riordan’s teen demigods.
But what about your students who’ve already devoured the series (and its sequels) and are looking for more?
You guessed it: There’s a book for that! (Actually, there are several.)
Our librarians have put together a list of titles both new and old that will spellbind your students, send them soaring and introduce them (we hope!) to their new favorite fantasy heroes. You can check out a few key highlights below, then visit OverDrive Marketplace to find more.
4 fantastic Percy Jackson read-alikes for students
1. Spellbinders
How far would you go to play the hero? One lonely seventh grader gets way more than he bargained for when he is swept into the fantasy quest of his gaming dreams in this magical series full of laughs, adventure, and twists.
Ben doesn’t feel chosen by anybody—not by his friends, who haven’t kept in touch since he moved after his parents’ divorce, or by his mom, who’s so busy he barely sees her. He spends all his time living in fantasy worlds and writing extensively planned adventure campaigns in his role-playing-game notebook. So when Niara, a character who could be right out of one of his favorite games, shows up and tells him he’s destined to save her realm (like, foretold-by-a-prophecy destined), Ben has two possible moves: tell her the truth or play along. He’s tired of feeling left behind, so his choice is clear—game on.
One interdimensional portal later, Ben is in full hero mode. At first, adventuring in Lux seems like a dream come true, but pretending to be the Chosen One—and lying to his new friends—isn’t quite what he imagined it to be. And the more he learns about Lux and his quest, the more he realizes this is way beyond a game—and the rules seem to be changing as he goes. In fact, it might be time for him to write some new ones.
Check out the Spellbinders series
2. Skyriders
Wings of Fire meets Skandar and the Unicorn Thief in this epic fantasy adventure set in a world where human and skysteed share a deep bond of friendship and love.
When monsters emerge to attack the empire, it’s up to Kiesandra and her beloved winged horse N’Rah to prove to herself and the imperial army that she has what it takes to lead them to victory . . . and survival.
Thirteen-year-old Kiesandra’s best friend isn’t human, but that doesn’t stop her from sharing jokes and secrets with her winged horse, N’Rah. She, like every other person with a skysteed, can communicate with N’Rah through her mind. Their bond is critical when one day, monsters from long ago reemerge to ravage a nearby village. No one knows how to fight the fearsome chimerae except Kie’s uncle . . . and now Kie.
Injured in the battle, Uncle Dug makes her promise to bring his attack plan and weapons to the capital. Kie reluctantly agrees. At the palace, she and N’Rah attempt to gain the trust of the royals and train the army in Dug’s lessons. But how can a young girl and her skysteed convince anyone that only they know how to defeat the deadly monsters?
3. Pandava
Book 1: Aru Shah and the End of Time
While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she’ll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?
One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru’s doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the museum’s Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.
But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it’s up to Aru to save them.
The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
Discover more in the the Pandava series
4. Heroes of Havensong
“A powerful cast of characters in an epic tale of dragons and magic.” —Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of “The Unwanteds” and “Map of Flames”
This timeless fantasy debut follows four unlikely heroes—a boy-turned-dragon, his reluctant dragon rider, a runaway witch, and a young soldier—bound by the Fates to save their world, and magic itself, from being destroyed.
Blue, River, Wren, and Shenli grew up on different sides of a war they didn’t start. Their land has been torn apart over centuries of conflict, with humans taught to fear all things magical, dragons driven to near extinction, and magic under attack. But an ancient prophecy has put the four them on a collision course with destiny—and with each other—in a mission to heal the fractured realm once known as Haven.
All of them must follow the threads of Fate, leaving behind the lives and homes they know to discover the truth about the seemingly endless war—and the truth about themselves. As the barriers between them begin to crumble, can they unravel the lies they’ve been taught to believe in order to restore the balance between humans, dragons, and magic before it’s too late?
Find more read-alikes
Looking for more? No problem – there are plenty more curated recommendations ready and waiting for you in Marketplace. Your students might never become Olympians themselves, but you can make sure there’s always fuel for the fantasy!
