Jasmine Richards: 5 middle grade fantasy books with Black characters

To celebrate the release of The Myth Keeper, the fast-paced middle-grade fantasy sequel to The Unmorrow Curse, author Jasmine Richards shares her top fantasy books with Black characters.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

I loved following Tristan Strong’s quest into the mythical land of Alke, where he encounters legendary African-American heroes and confronts his own grief.

Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka by Davina Tijani

This book is a gallop of a story, I loved it! Yomi and her brother Kayode’s Gambian trip with Uncle Olu turns into a snooze-fest due to his work. But things get wild when Yomi spots the Dragon King Ninki Nanka getting nabbed…

With fun illustrations to boot – this is a great lower-middle-grade book to get your teeth into.

Fablehouse by EL Norry

Heather, a new resident at a mysterious children’s home, uncovers a fae realm plot to overtake humanity. Guided by a knight of the Round Table, Palamedes, she and friends embark on a quest to save the first place that has felt like home in years.

The Myth Keeper by Jasmine Richards

So I am going to have to give it up for my own middle grade fantasy novel The Myth Keeper. If you love adventure and learning about forgotten gods from different mythologies, you’ll love this.

Elemental Detectives by Patrice Lawrence

The world-building in this book is sublime and you will never look at London in the same way again.

The Myth Keeper was published by UCLan Publishing on 5 October 2023