Books Like Percy Jackson: 10 Fantasy Adventures for Kids
By R.J. Roark, author of Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow (middle grade fantasy, ages 9–12). Updated September 2026.
The best books like Percy Jackson are Aru Shah and the End of Time, The Kane Chronicles, Keeper of the Lost Cities, and The Storm Runner — mythology woven into the modern world, a funny underdog hero, and friendships forged under pressure. What makes Percy Jackson work isn't any one of those ingredients; it's the feeling of a normal kid discovering they were never normal at all, and every book below delivers it. Each entry is spoiler-free and carries the publisher's stated age band.
Why Amelia Moon Belongs on a Books-Like-Percy-Jackson List
Full disclosure: this one is mine, so judge the pitch accordingly. If Percy hooked your reader with an ordinary kid who finds out the old stories are real — and about her — Amelia runs on the same discovery: a necklace, a photograph, and a Wyoming town whose history was never as quiet as it looked. The differences are the point of a readalike list: no gods and no summer camp — the mystery works through a small town's history and one family's silences, and the setting is the American West. Kirkus Reviews called it a "diverting, otherworldly tale" with "sensational young heroes."
Also available on Kindle
1. Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow — R.J. Roark · Ages 9–12 · Book 1 of the Adventures of Amelia Moon
Full disclosure: this one is mine. Here is exactly who it's for.
If Percy hooked your reader with an ordinary kid who finds out the old stories are real — and about her — Amelia runs on the same discovery: a necklace, a photograph, and a Wyoming town whose history was never as quiet as it looked.
The necklace arrived on Amelia Moon's thirteenth birthday. So did the nightmares. All she has left of her mother is a letter, a family heirloom pendant, and questions no one in Sundance, Wyoming will answer. Then a photograph surfaces at the Historical Society, taken decades before Amelia was born — and around the neck of a woman she has never seen hangs her own necklace. With her best friend Veyla, obsessed with the world's loneliest whale and determined to leave no mystery unsolved, Amelia sets out to learn who her family really was.
Kirkus Reviews: "Sensational young heroes fuel a diverting, otherworldly tale." The Children's Book Review: "Perfect for young readers hungry for a hidden-world adventure with real-world roots."
Best for: readers 9–12 who like a mystery with a real place behind it, a best-friend team, and a small town keeping a secret.
Also available on Kindle
2. Aru Shah and the End of Time — Roshani Chokshi · Ages 8–12
The closest thing to Percy Jackson in a different mythology, published under Rick Riordan's own imprint for exactly that reason. Twelve-year-old Aru lights a cursed lamp on a dare, freezes her mother in time, and learns she's the reincarnation of a Pandava brother from Hindu myth — with nine days to fix everything. Aru is sarcastic and impulsive the way Percy is, and Chokshi's humor lands the way Riordan's does: sharp, self-aware, never talking down. Five books, complete.
Best for: readers 8–12 ready for Percy's formula in a mythology they haven't met.
3. The Kane Chronicles — Rick Riordan · Ages 9–12
The safest bet on this list: Riordan himself, doing Egyptian mythology. Carter and Sadie Kane discover they descend from pharaohs and must stop the chaos god Set — same humor, same escalation, same found-family engine as Percy Jackson, told in two alternating sibling voices that keep it fresh. Three books, complete.
Best for: readers 8–12 who just want more Riordan, full stop.
4. Keeper of the Lost Cities — Shannon Messenger · Ages 8–12
The recommendation for Percy Jackson fans who want something longer to live inside. Sophie Foster hears thoughts, doesn't belong in the human world, and gets taken to a hidden elvin civilization where the secrets of her past make her a target — Camp Half-Blood's discovery arc stretched across nine-plus books of politics, mystery, and found family. Later books add light romance.
Best for: readers 8–12 who finish series too fast and want months of runway.
5. The Storm Runner — J.C. Cervantes · Ages 9–12
Maya mythology through the Rick Riordan Presents imprint: Zane Obispo lives beside a dormant New Mexico volcano that turns out to be a god's prison — and he's the center of the prophecy about it. Zane narrates with the same self-deprecating humor Percy does, including about the leg that gives him his limp, and the Maya pantheon feels genuinely fresh next to the market's Greek saturation. Three books, complete.
Best for: readers 9–12 who've exhausted Riordan and want the closest match in tone.
6. Amari and the Night Brothers — B.B. Alston · Ages 8–12
Amari Peters takes her missing brother's spot as a Junior Agent in the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs — Percy Jackson's hidden-world discovery crossed with Men in Black. The propulsion is the same (a determined kid, a quest with personal stakes), and the world has sharper things to say about who gets believed and who gets feared. Series ongoing.
Best for: readers 8–12 who want the hidden world to look like their world.
7. Fablehaven — Brandon Mull · Ages 9–12
Kendra and Seth discover their grandparents' estate is a secret preserve for magical creatures, and the boundaries are failing. This scratches a different Percy Jackson itch — exploration and wonder over combat — with the most detailed creature ecosystem in middle grade, and Seth's recklessness will feel familiar to anyone who loves Percy's impulsiveness. Five books, complete, plus a sequel series.
Best for: readers 9–12 who loved the monsters more than the quests.
9. The Marvellers — Dhonielle Clayton · Ages 9–12
Ella Durand is the first Conjuror admitted to a magic school in the sky where every magical tradition in the world trains together — and when a criminal escapes, she's the one blamed. For Percy Jackson fans who also loved Hogwarts, this is the school story rebuilt on global traditions instead of European ones, with a mystery that actually surprises. Series ongoing.
Best for: readers 9–12 who want the magic-school feeling with a wider world.
10. Witchlings — Claribel A. Ortega · Ages 8–12
Seven Salazar fails her magical placement ceremony and is labeled a Spare — useless — unless she and two other Spares complete an impossible task. It's Percy's "misfit destined for more" premise compressed into something faster and lighter, which makes it the ideal entry point for younger or reluctant readers who want the vibe without a nine-book commitment. Five books.
Best for: readers 8–11 starting their first fantasy series.
| Book / Series | Ages · Length |
|---|---|
| Amelia Moon Family-secret mystery, small-town hidden history | 9–12 Book 1; series in progress |
| Aru Shah Hindu mythology, sarcastic heroine | 8–12 5 books, complete |
| The Kane Chronicles Egyptian mythology, same author | 9–12 3 books, complete |
| Keeper of the Lost Cities Hidden world, origin mystery | 8–12 9+ books, ongoing |
| The Storm Runner Maya mythology, underdog hero | 9–12 3 books, complete |
| Amari and the Night Brothers Secret agency, determined protagonist | 8–12 Series ongoing |
| Fablehaven Magical creatures, sibling team | 9–12 5 books + sequel series |
| Wings of Fire Dragon protagonists, prophecy, found family | 8–12 15+ books, ongoing |
| The Marvellers Global magic school, mystery | 9–12 Series ongoing |
| Witchlings Misfit hero, fast and funny | 8–12 5 books |
Frequently Asked Questions
What books are most similar to Percy Jackson?
The books most similar to Percy Jackson are Aru Shah and the End of Time (Hindu mythology with the same humor), The Kane Chronicles (Rick Riordan's own Egyptian series), and The Storm Runner (Maya mythology from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint). For something newer, Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow by R.J. Roark is a middle grade fantasy for ages 9–12 built on the same discovery — an ordinary kid uncovering a hidden family history — set in small-town Wyoming.
What should a 12-year-old read after Percy Jackson?
The strongest picks for 12-year-olds after Percy Jackson are Keeper of the Lost Cities (a long, immersive hidden-world series), Fablehaven (magical creatures with escalating stakes), and Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow (a mystery-driven middle grade fantasy with a thirteen-year-old protagonist).
Are there books like Percy Jackson with different mythology?
Yes — Aru Shah and the End of Time draws on Hindu mythology, The Kane Chronicles on Egyptian, and The Storm Runner on Maya. All three follow Percy Jackson's pattern of a modern kid pulled into an ancient mythological world, each through a tradition Greek-saturated readers haven't seen.
What is the best book series like Percy Jackson for kids?
For most kids ages 9–12, Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger is the top series recommendation — the same hidden-world discovery, mystery-driven plotting, and found-family dynamics, with enough books to keep a reader busy for months. Wings of Fire is the pick for the younger end of that range or for reluctant readers.
Is Amelia Moon like Percy Jackson?
Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow shares Percy Jackson's core appeal: an ordinary kid discovers a hidden history, leans on a loyal best friend, and faces a danger adults won't explain. The differences are deliberate — a female protagonist, a Wyoming small-town setting, and a mystery built on family history rather than gods and quests. It is a middle grade fantasy for readers ages 9–12.
About the book
Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow is a middle grade fantasy novel by R.J. Roark for readers ages 9 to 12. It is set in Sundance, Wyoming, and is the first book in the Adventures of Amelia Moon series, published by Inner Citadel on February 3, 2026. The story follows thirteen-year-old Amelia Moon, who receives a family heirloom pendant and a letter from her late mother, and, with her best friend Veyla, begins to uncover what the town has been keeping about her family. It was positively reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, Foreword Reviews, and The Children's Book Review. It is available as a Kindle ebook and directly from ameliamoon.com.
