MODERN MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION
Greek/Roman Mythology
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) by Rick Riordan (2005)
"Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction — Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend." (http://rickriordan.com/book/the-lightning-thief/)
View the rest of the series (x), and more of Rick Riordan's spin-off series centered around Greek and Roman myths, The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo, buy on Amazon, or check your local library.
Have a Hot Time Hades! (Myth-o-Mania) by Kate McMullan (2011)
"Think you know the real story behind the Greek myths? Think again. Zeus has messed with the myths -- big time! He’s a total Myth-o-maniac liar! Luckily, Hades, King of the Underworld, is here to set the record straight!" (https://www.katemcmullan.com/myth-o-mania)
View the rest of the series here, buy on Amazon, or check your local library.
Check out this Goodreads list for more middle grade titles centered around Greek and Roman mythology! Goodreads is a great place to get book recommendations and for lists of books compiled by users that center around the same genre, theme, or subject.
Egyptian Mythology
The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles) by Rick Riordan (2011)
"Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a “research experiment” at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them–Set–has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe–a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs."(http://rickriordan.com/book/the-red-pyramid/)
View the rest of the series here, buy on Amazon, or check your local library.
Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead by Vicky Alvear Shecter (2013)
"Who better than Anubis, the jackal-headed god of mummification, to serve as a guide through the dreaded Land of the Dead? In this fresh and imaginative approach to nonfiction, the first title in the Secrets of the Ancient Gods series, Anubis steers the reader through the Egyptian dark lands. Along the way, they meet fearsome gods and gruesome monsters. And they witness the battle of the gods against Apophis, the giant demon-snake trying to devour the world. With ghoulish humor and lots of attitude (he is a god, after all), Anubis introduces readers to ancient Egyptian beliefs and rituals—including the secrets of mummification—with panache and, if he does say so himself, drop-dead humor. Includes glossary, bibliography, and index." (https://www.vickyalvearshecter.com/middle-grade-books/anubis-speaks/)
View more from this author about other mythologies, buy on Amazon, or check your local library.
Check out these Goodreads lists (x x) for more middle grade titles centered around Egyptian mythology! Goodreads is a great place to get book recommendations and for lists of books compiled by users that center around the same genre, theme, or subject.
Norse Mythology
The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) by Rick Riordan (2015)
"Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and truant officers. One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus’s birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands years. The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus’s memory. But he doesn’t have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents... Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die." (http://rickriordan.com/book/the-sword-of-summer/)
View the rest of the series here, buy on Amazon, or check your local library.
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (2009)
"The thrilling, wintry Nordic tale by Neil Gaiman, who weaves a magical story of legend and adventure that will enchant readers from beginning to end.
Odd, a young Viking boy, is left fatherless following a raid. In his icy, ancient world there is no mercy for an unlucky soul with a crushed foot and no one to protect him. Fleeing to the woods, Odd stumbles upon and releases a trapped bear…and then Odd's destiny begins to change.
The eagle, bear, and fox Odd encounters are Norse gods, trapped in animal form by the evil frost giant who has conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Now our hero must reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the frost giants and release the gods…" (https://www.harpercollins.com/9780061671739/odd-and-the-frost-giants/)
View other books by Neil Gaiman, such as Norse Mythology, buy Odd on Amazon, or check your local library.
Check out this Goodreads list for more middle grade titles centered around Norse mythology! Goodreads is a great place to get book recommendations and for lists of books compiled by users that center around the same genre, theme, or subject.
Hindu Mythology
The Serpent's Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond) by Sayantani DasGupta (2018)
"MEET KIRANMALA: INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMONSLAYER (But she doesn’t know it yet.) On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey… until her parents mysteriously vanish later that day and a rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents’ fantastical stories—like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess—and a wealth of secrets about her origin they’ve kept hidden. To complicate matters, two crushworthy Indian princes ring her doorbell, insisting they’re here to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and slay demons all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld (who may or may not want to kill her) and the rakkhoshi queen (who definitely does) in order to find her parents and basically save New Jersey, her entire world, and everything beyond it."
(http://www.sayantanidasgupta.com/writer/books/the-serpents-secret/)
View the upcoming sequel here, buy on Amazon, or check your local library.
Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava) by Roshani Chokshi (2018)
"Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. 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?" (https://books.disney.com/book/aru-shah-end-time/)
View the rest of the series and all of the books in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint here, buy on Amazon, or check your local library.
Other
As stated on the About page, these mythologies are the most commonly referenced in popular culture. As a result, not much, if any, modern children's literature has been written revolving around other world mythologies. A great place to start for more would be the Hyperion imprint Rick Riordan Presents. Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and many others (including some listed above) decided to use his success to help unknown authors share their own culture's stories through middle grade fantasy and science fiction. This imprint has published books involving Hindu mythology (Aru Shah above), Mayan mythology, and many more to come.