Myths and Legends Book List

Every culture has its own way of explaining the unexplainable: why the sun rises, how the stars found their place in the sky, why the seasons turn, and how we got here in the first place! These stories, passed down through generations by firelight and oral tradition long before they were ever written down, are some of humanity’s oldest and most enduring gifts, and this is the foundation of our Myths and Legends unit study. I wanted to offer a companion list of books that bring these ancient stories to life in ways that spark curiosity, empathy, and connection. 

Coyote in Love with a Star 
by Marty Kreipe de Montano

In this Potawatomi trickster tale, Coyote leaves his reservation to find work in New York City, taking a job as a rodent control officer on top of a skyscraper. Lonely for home, he escapes each night to the observation deck to watch the sky. He falls in love with a star so beautiful he begs her to dance with him. When he asks to return to Earth, she lets go, and Coyote’s long fall becomes the reason his descendants still howl at the night sky. 

This origin story is a beautiful fit for Myths and Legends as it offers a wonderful example of how cultures use myth to explain natural phenomena. The traditional Coyote characteristics in a contemporary setting also work nicely with lesson 21’s study on urban legends and modern myths.

The Rainbow Serpent by Dick Roughsey

This story, written and illustrated by Aboriginal Australian artist Dick Roughsey, tells of the great Rainbow Serpent who awakens from her slumber beneath the earth and begins to move across the land. Her body carves out rivers, mountains, and gorges as she moves across the earth. Animals emerge from the ground beneath her as they take their places in the newly formed world. 

This Aboriginal creation story works amazingly with Lesson 2, which is our lesson on creation myths. It shows how a culture’s understanding of the natural world can be woven into a sacred story. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce Indigenous storytelling traditions, and the deep connection between land and legend.

How Maui Slowed the Sun by Peter Gossage

In this Māori legend, the demigod Maui notices that the sun races too quickly across the sky, leaving his people too little daylight to fish, farm, cook, and finish their work each day. Determined to fix this, Maui and his brothers weave strong ropes, journey to the sun’s pit at the edge of the world, and lasso the sun as it rises, forcing it to slow down so that days grow longer. 

This Polynesian trickster-hero tale explains a natural phenomenon through bold action, rather than pure or scientific origins-of-the-world storytelling. It is also a great introduction to the archetype of “hero who outwits a force of nature” which is a theme that appears across many mythologies throughout our unit. 

Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong

In this Chinese folktale, an elderly farmer digs up a magical brass pot in his garden, and discovers that anything placed inside comes out doubled. He and his wife begin duplicating their coins and possessions, growing wealthier by the day, until an accidental tumble into the pot leads to a hilarious and chaotic twist. 

This Chinese folktale about cleverness and consequences pairs well with Week 5’s lesson on Chinese mythology. It also works as an example of folklore and storytelling structures. 

Anansi and the Golden Pot by Taiye Selasi

In this reimagining, a young boy named Kweku travels to Ghana to visit his grandmother. There, he encounters the legendary trickster spider Anansi, and discovers a magical golden pot that produces his favourite food: red-red stew. But when Kweku refuses to share the pot’s magic with his siblings, he learns a lesson about greed and generosity. 

This is a wonderful retelling of the West African folklore story of Anansi the spider, introducing young readers to the trickster archetype and the idea of oral storytelling traveling across cultures. Since Anansi stories are still actively told and retold, this is also a good pairing with lesson 23. 

Myth Atlas by Thiago de Moraes

This richly illustrated nonfiction book invites readers to step inside twelve mythological worlds, each built around a beautifully imagined map that shows how a particular culture pictured the universe, whether that was a giant tree, an upside down mountain, or the back of a giant turtle. Along the way, readers meet the gods, heroes, tricksters, and monsters of cultures including the Greeks, Egyptians, Norse, Hindus, Polynesians, Aztecs, and more, with retellings, pronunciation guides, and lots of humour woven throughout. 

Because it spans so many mythological traditions, this book works well as a companion for the entire Myths and Legends unit. It’s a great overview to read at the start, and just as fun to revisit as students move through each lesson, since each of the cultures featured in Myths and Legends has its own dedicated section in Myth Atlas. It’s a fantastic browsing book to keep on hand throughout the whole unit, letting kids explore ahead or circle back to material they’ve already studied.

The Ancient Egypt Sleepover by Stephen Davies

Mo won a once-in-a-lifetime prize: a night’s sleepover in a museum’s Ancient Egypt exhibit. But what should be a dream come true quickly turns into a race against time, as Mo and his friends stumble into a real mystery where they crack hieroglyphic codes and work to protect priceless treasure from disappearing before morning. The story is full of adventure and humor, and is woven with real details about the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the history of hieroglyphic writing.

The Girl Who Married the Moon: Tales from Native North America by Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross

This collection of tales gathers together traditional stories from a wide ranch of Native American nations, all centred on the experiences and inner lives of girls and women. From tales of courage and transformation to stories exploring the bonds between sisters, mothers, and and daughters, this collection offers a rich, varied window into Native storytelling traditions, compiled and retold by two Native authors and storytellers. 

This anthology is a wonderful addition to any point in the unit where you want to widen the lens beyond the major mythological systems covered in this unit. It offers a chance to explore Indigenous North American traditions in their own right rather than as a single side-note. Since many of the tales in The Girl Who Married the Moon carry lessons about respect, resilience, and relationships alongside their explanations of the natural world, it pairs well with Lesson 4’s focus on moral stories in folklore. It’s also a beautiful way to highlight the diversity and depth within a single storytelling tradition.

Norse Myths by Matt Ralphs

This collection of Norse Myths, beautifully illustrated by Katie Ponder, retells more than twenty Norse Myths for young readers, bringing gods, giants, and legendary heroes like Thor, Odin, Loki, and Freya to life through vivid, dynamic storytelling. Alongside the tales themselves, the book includes profile pages for major gods and goddesses, a map of the Norse lands, a pronunciation guide, and background on Norse cosmology, giving readers helpful context as they journey from the creation of the world all the way through to Ragnarok. 

This is a natural fit for Week 4’s studies of Norse mythology, touching on every lesson in the week. Because the collection moves chronologically through the Norse mythological arc, it works especially well as a read-aloud companion to pair chapter by chapter for each lesson within the week. Some of these tales touch on themes of violence and loss, as many myths do, so it may be worth previewing the stories before sharing with younger or more sensitive learners. 

The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes

Thirteen year-old Zane loves exploring the dormant volcano behind his home in New Mexico with his three-legged dog, Rosie. Everything changes when a mysterious new girl named Brooks reveals that the volcano is actually an ancient prison holding the Maya god of death, and that Zane’s own destiny is tangled up in an age-old prophecy. Pulled into a world of tricky gods, murderous demons, and shape-shifting heroes, Zane must find the courage to face his fears, and his own hidden power, before the prophecy destroys everything he loves. 

This adventure story is a fantastic addition to the Myths and Legends unit, added anywhere you’d like to expand beyond Greek, Egyptian, Norse, and Chinese Mythology to include Maya tradition. Since it shows how ancient mythology can be reimagined in a present-day setting, it pairs well with Week 6’s studies on modern myths. It also offers wonderful and valuable representation with a disabled Latino protagonist, and is a great choice for learners who love Percy Jackson and are ready to explore mythology from a different part of the world.

Athena the Brain (Goddess Girls #1) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Twelve year old Athena has spent her whole life on Earth with her adoptive parents, never quite fitting in. That is, until her birth father, Zeus whisks her away to Mount Olympus Academy, where she discovers she’s actually a goddess. Suddenly she’s thrown into a school full of mythological pre-teens where she makes friends with Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis. Athena has to navigate homework, friendship, and middle school awkwardness all while getting used to her godly powers. 

This is a fun and accessible series that pairs well with Week 2 in Myths and Legends, touching on figures studied in each week as it introduces major Greek gods and goddesses. Athena the Brain makes these characters relatable as flawed characters navigating everyday problems. It’s a wonderful read, especially for those learners who might find traditional Greek myths a little intimidating, as it offers a gentle entry into Olympian mythology.

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Seventh grader Nizhoni Begay has always sensed something isn’t quite right about her father’s new boss, and she’s right to worry, because he’s actually a monster wearing human skin! He is hunting for Nizhoni’s newly awakened power to see monsters as they truly are. When her father is taken, Nizhoni, her younger brother, and her best friend set off on a quest across the American Southwest and into the Navajo (Diné) spirit world, guided by figures straight out of traditional Navajo legend. 

This book is a great read to bring Indigenous North American mythology into the Myths and Legends unit. It draws directly on Navajo hero stories and monster-slayer legends passed down through oral tradition, and also fits nicely into week 6’s lessons. It shows how ancient Diné stories remain vivid, living, and relevant in contemporary adventure settings. It is written by a Native (Ohkay Owingeh) author working closely within her own cultural tradition and is a great example of mythology told from the inside rather than retold from the outside. 

Circe by Madeline Miller

*Note: Circe is adult literary fiction. It contains sexual content that goes beyond what is YA appropriate, but is loved by many older teen readers*

Born the strange, overlooked daughter of the sun god Helios, Circe discovers she possesses the ability to transform plants, animals, and even men through spell and will. Banished to the remote island of Aeaea for her power, she spends centuries in exile, encountering figures from across Greek mythology, including Daedalus, the Minotaur, Jason and Medea, and eventually Odysseus himself, as she slowly comes into her own strength, independence, and identity outside the shadow of the gods who scorned her. 

This is a gorgeous, richly researched reimagining of Greek mythology from a woman’s perspective that would pair well with Week 2: Ancient Greek Mythology. It is a beautiful adult companion read for parents or older teens who want a deeper, character-driven exploration of figures like Helios, Daedalus, and Odysseus. 

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Maya has grown up shadowed by a fearsome prediction of a marriage marked by death and destruction, making her an outcast even within her own father’s kingdom. When a political marriage draws her away to the realm of Akaran, she finds herself drawn to her new husband Amar. But as the truth of his hidden kingdom unravels, Maya must decide whether to trust the fate she’s always feared, or forge a new one of her own. This rich novel draws heavily on Hindu mythology and folklore, weaving in imagery and themes reminiscent of stories like the abduction of Persephone, reimagined through a South Asian lens.

This is a lovely mythology-inspired YA novel that brings Hindu mythology into the unit. Though we don’t cover South Asian traditions in Myths and Legends, The Star-Touched Queen is a fantastic addition to broaden the unit’s global scope. This is a great read for learners who enjoy lush, romantic stories. 

The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles #1) by Rick Riordan

Siblings Carter and Sadie Kane have grown up separated and worlds apart. Carter has been traveling with their Egyptologist father, while Sadie has been living a more ordinary life with their grandparents in London. When a disastrous magical accident awakens their father’s connection to the ancient Egyptian gods blows their family apart and changes everything. Forced to go on the run, Carter and Sadie discover they’re descended from a line of powerful magicians and must race against time to stop the chaos god Set before he can bring about global destruction. 

This is a perfect companion to week 3’s studies on Ancient Egyptian Mythology, weaving in figures and concepts from across the whole week. Rick Riordan’s signature blend of humor, action, and accessible mythology brings life to Egyptian gods the way he did for Greek mythology in Percy Jackson.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Isadora is the mortal daughter of the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris, but centuries of being overlooked and undervalued by her immortal family have left her exhausted and ready for a normal life. When she moves to San Diego to live with her brother, she starts building the ordinary teen life she always dreamed of: school, friends, and a slow-burn romance. But dangerous dreams and old family complications make it clear she can’t fully escape her heritage. 

This is a modern, romance-forward take that touches on figures like Isis and Osiris in a contemporary setting. Each chapter opens with a short explanation of a piece of Egyptian mythology which makes this a great pairing with week 3’s lessons on Ancient Egyptian mythology. This is fairly romance centred, so is more mythology-adjacent rather than a deep dive into Egyptian lore, but is a fun read as a companion to the unit’s lessons.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Every seven years, the Agon begins. Nine Greek gods are stripped of their immortality and hunted through the streets of New York City by descendants of ancient bloodlines, who can claim godhood by killing a god and taking their power. Lore Perseous once walked away from this brutal tradition after it destroyed her family, and she wants nothing to do with the Agon ever again. That is, until a childhood friend and a wounded goddess show up on her doorstep in the middle of a new cycle, dragging her back into a world of ancient rules, blood debts, and violent ambition she thought she’d escaped for good. 

This novel is a great read for older YA readers, offering a much darker take on Greek mythology. It reimagines the pantheon and its power struggles in a modern, high-stakes setting, and works well for teens interested in Greek mythology who are looking for something grittier and more mature. *Note: this book includes significant violence, so is best suited for older teens rather than a younger YA audience*