Aru Shah series - Roshani Chokshi

Think Percy Jackson, but with characters and places pulled from the treasure trove of Hindu mythology, plus a powerful Indian-American female protagonist to boot. What’s not to love?!

Ashwin tore through the first book (“Aru Shah and the End of Time”) the summer before fourth grade. It was music to my ears when he’d gleefully shout out references to Hindu mythology that he was familiar with (think: “Mom! It’s Hanuman!!”). How thrilling for a bicultural kid to see his own cultures represented together on paper in a compelling way! Last week, his very thoughtful English teacher left the second book (“Aru Shah and the Song of Death”) on his desk with a note that she thought he might enjoy it. It’s in his bag for snatching pockets of reading time whenever he can; like in the car on the way to school. 📚 

P.S. Don’t let a lack of familiarity with Hindu mythology deter you from grabbing copies of this series - Chokshi deftly incorporates all the necessary details, and even provides an excellent glossary of terms.