In honor of the release of the new movie, The Lightning Thief, here’s a few books that are similar to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series premise–that the Greek gods and goddesses exist in the modern world.
Collins, Ross. Medusa Jones
So she has snakes for hair and her best friend is half horse. Is that any reason for the popular kids to be SO mean? Medusa Jones is sure the school camping trip is going to be a nightmare. But a rock fall puts the popular kids in peril, and Medusa’s the only one who can help. Will she be a hero — or is her monster side finally going to come out? Easy Fiction.
Deming, Sarah. Iris, Messenger
Dreamer Iris Greenwold doesn’t care much for the real world. It’s generally pretty disappointing. But then Iris mysteriously receives a copy of Bulfinch’s Mythology and discovers that the entire pantheon of gods are living in the greater Philadelphia area. Poseidon’s running a clam shack, Aphrodite’s doing makeovers, Apollo’s playing tenor sax. Suddenly the day-to-day life Iris found so humdrum is rich with new meaning and excitement, and all her dreams are not quite what they seemed. Middle Grade.
Druitt, Tobias. Corydon and the Island of Monsters
Corydon, a young boy with one goat leg, meets the Gorgon Medusa when he is captured by men running a traveling freak show. He quickly realizes that the Medusa and the other “monsters” he meets aren’t evil, and together they escape to an island where they live happily…until Perseus, the cowardly son of Zeus, convinces an army of heroes that all monsters should be killed. It isn’t long before Corydon finds himself leading the monsters against the gods. Who will win? Middle Grade.
Friesner, Esther. Temping Fate
Ilana is relieved to get a summer job, but she wonders if she’s made the right choice when she meets the unusual sisters who will be her supervisors. Tabby, Dimity, and Georgette refer casually to work that they’ve been doing for the past several centuries, brandish extremely sharp scissors, and seem to know every detail of Ilana’s life. Soon Ilana discovers that everyone employed by the Divine Temp agency works for either the Greek gods or the heroes. Learning that she isn’t the only one with a bizarre job gives her the impetus she needs to persevere through a summer filled with unusual experiences. Teen.
Jones, Diana Wynne. The Game
Sent from her grandparents’ London home in disgrace, Hayley arrives in Ireland to stay with her aunts and cousins in their rambling castle home. The girl immediately joins the thrilling game her cousins play, in which they venture into the mythosphere—a mysterious realm where they perform various tasks drawn from the worlds of fairytale, myth and legend. When Hayley discovers the truth about her own unearthly nature, will she also gets the chance to rescue her long-lost parents from their dreadful fates? Middle Grade.
Turner, Megan Whelan. The Thief
Because of his great skill at thievery (and too much bragging about it) Gen lands in the King’s prison in shackles. But when the King’s Magus needs the best thief in the land to help him steal an ancient treasure, he gets Gen. To the Magus, Gen is simply a tool. But Gen is a survivor and a trickster–and he has ideas of his own. A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel, that even more fun a second time around. Middle Grade/Teen
Ursu, Anne. The Shadow Thieves (The Chronus Chronicles)
Philonecron, born in the Underworld, is determined to overthrow Hades and is building an army from children’s stolen shadows. On Earth, Charlotte and her cousin Zee seem to be making people sick. The cousins come to understand they are at the center of a nefarious underworldly plot, and they must protect themselves, foil Philonecron, and reunite the children with their shadows. A fun and funny tale of youthful heroism. Middle Grade
Yep, Laurence. City of Fire
Scirye sets out to avenge her sister’s death and recover a precious treasure. Scirye and her companions pursue the thieves to Houlani, a new Hawaiian island being created by magic. There, they befriend Pele, the volatile and mercurial goddess of volcanoes. But even with Pele on their side, they may not be able to stop Mr. Roland from gaining what he seeks: the Five Lost Treasures of Emperor Yu. Middle Grade
If you like these selections, we have a six-page list (with 30 more titles) of similar books available at the Library!
::Kelly::
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