Books like 'Islandborn'
Readers who enjoyed Islandborn by Junot Díaz also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure monsters/creatures family realistic children poc-mc latinx-mc friendship outdoors
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The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 99 ratingsPERCY IS CONFUSED. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way... -
![Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy]()
Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe eighth instalment in the biggest, funniest, most thrilling comedy-horror-adventure series in the universe - and the follow-up to 2012’s number-one bestseller, Kingdom of the Wicked…War has finally come.But it's not a war between good and evil, or light and dark – it's a war between Sanctuaries... -
![The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan]()
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsNico had warned them. Going through the House of Hades would stir the demigods' worst memories. Their ghosts would become restless. Nico may actually become a ghost if he has to shadow-travel with Reyna and Coach Hedge one more time. But that might be better than the alternative: allowing someone else to die, as Hades foretold.Jason's ghost is his mother, who abandoned him when he was little... -
![A Killing Curse by Shannon Mayer]()
A Killing Curse by Shannon Mayer
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOne last time, the Phoenix will rise, and her flames will savage all who stand between her and those she loves…The game is afoot, and I never saw it coming. A game of demons, angels and new breed of abnormal that is beyond anything else I’ve faced. A monstrosity that is bent on destroying every other abnormal on the planet. Only one thing can stop those who would wipe us out. A cursed weapon... -
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![The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson]()
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA mouse is taking a stroll through the deep, dark wood when along comes a hungry fox, then an owl, and then a snake. The mouse is good enough to eat but smart enough to know this, so he invents . . -
![The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan]()
The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsIn his penultimate adventure, a devastated but determined Apollo travels to Camp Jupiter, where he must learn what it is to be a hero, or die trying.It's not easy being Apollo, especially when you've been turned into a human and banished from Olympus... -
![The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy]()
The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe third bone-breaking, belly-busting adventure in the series that puts the “funny” back in, um, funny series... -
![The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson]()
The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe sickness destroyed everyone over the age of fourteen. All across London diseased adults are waiting, hungry predators with rotten flesh and ravaged minds.Small Sam and his unlikely ally, The Kid, have survived. They’re safe with Ed and his friends at the Tower of London, but Sam is desperate to find his sister.Their search for Ella means Sam and The Kid must cross the forbidden zone...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship action-adventure apocalyptic book children-books contemporary -
![The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik]()
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsA budding dark sorceress determined not to use her formidable powers uncovers yet more secrets about the workings of her world in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education, the start of Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking crossover series...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship humor poc-mc action-adventure audiobook boarding-school book -
![The Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull]()
The Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsMagic and danger abound in the second book in a series of “fanciful, action-packed adventure” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series.Cole Randolph never meant to come to The Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try and save them...Categorized as:
children friendship action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary epic -
![Tales From the Hood by Michael Buckley]()
Tales From the Hood by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe Fairy-Tale Trial Of The CenturyIn Ferryport Landing, everyone gets a day in court- even the Big Bad Wolf. Mr.Canis is put on trial for past crimes, and Mayor Heart's kangaroo court is determined to find him guilty. It's up to the Grimms to uncover evidence to save their friend, though Sabrina starts to wonder whether they would all be safer with the Wolf in jail... -
![The Problem Child by Michael Buckley]()
The Problem Child by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsA GRIMM FAMILY REUNIONFor Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, the latest in a long line of fairy-tale detectives, there is one mystery they want to solve more than all the others: Who kidnapped their parents more than a year ago? Sabrina enters the hideout of the Scarlet Hand, the sinister group of Everafters who are keeping her parents prisoner... -
![When Villains Rise by Rebecca Schaeffer]()
When Villains Rise by Rebecca Schaeffer
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDexter meets Victoria Schwab in this dark and compelling fantasy about a girl who is determined to take down the black market once and for all in the conclusion to the trilogy that started with the critically acclaimed Not Even Bones.Nita finally has Fabricio, the boy who betrayed her to the black market, within her grasp...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship poc-mc action-adventure anti-hero audiobook book contemporary -
![Fire & Ash by Jonathan Maberry]()
Fire & Ash by Jonathan Maberry
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIn the gripping conclusion to the action-packed standard bearer (Booklist) of zombie series, the threat of death is given new life.Benny Imura and his friends have found the jet and Sanctuary, but neither is what they expected. Instead of a refuge, Sanctuary is a hospice, and the soldiers who flew the plane seem to be little more than bureaucrats who have given up hope for humanity's future... -
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![Dead City by James Ponti]()
Dead City by James Ponti
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMost kids have enough to deal with between school, homework, extracurricular activities, and friends, but Molly Bigelow isn’t your typical tween. By day, Molly attends MIST—the Metropolitan Institute of Science and Technology—but it’s what she’s learning outside of school that sets her apart from her classmates. Molly is a zombie hunter, just like her mother. This, however, is news to Molly... -
![Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith]()
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAfter their parents are lost in an accident, thirteen-year old twins Grace and Marty are whisked away to live with their Uncle Wolfe-an uncle that they didn't even know they had! The intimidating Uncle Wolfe is an anthropologist who has dedicated his life to finding cryptids, mysterious creatures believed to be long extinct...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family realistic action-adventure animals book children-books -
![Nevrik by Regine Abel]()
Nevrik by Regine Abel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe is all he’s ever wanted.With the threat of the rebels’ looming war, romance is the last thing on Tyonna’s mind. But as she prepares to set off on a mission, the new member to join her crew leaves her breathless. Nevrik is the most imposing and intimidating Scelk she has ever seen... -
![I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll]()
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA unique monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this picture book relies on the power of humor over fear, appeals to a child’s love for creatures both alarming and absurd, and glorifies the scope of a child’s imagination. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: "Gone fishing. Back in a week... -
![Dark Days by James Ponti]()
Dark Days by James Ponti
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMolly’s up against the undead—and the fate of Manhattan is in her hands—in the third and final book of the Dead City trilogy, which Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins says “breathes new life into the zombie genre.”Molly and the Omegas fight to contain the storm unleashed by Operation Blue Moon...Categorized as:
children family friendship action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![Magic for Nothing by Seanan McGuire]()
Magic for Nothing by Seanan McGuire
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsImprobable, adjective:1. Not very likely to happen; not probable.2. Probably not a very good idea anyway.3. See also “bad plan.”As the youngest of the three Price children, Antimony is used to people not expecting much from her... -
![Dear Mothman by Robin Gow]()
Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPoet and author Robin Gow’s moving middle-grade novel in verse Dear Mothman is about a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid.Halfway through sixth grade, Noah’s best friend and the only other trans boy in his school, Lewis, passed away in a car accident. Adventurous and curious, Lewis was always bringing a new paranormal story to share with Noah... -
![Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull]()
Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsOn Halloween below a haunted house, Cole Randolph wanted to have fun (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But he dives after friends whisked away to The Outskirts.The five kingdoms lie in between - wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from other worlds...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor journey action-adventure alternate-universe audiobook -
![Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire]()
Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsPenance, noun:1. Punishment for past actions.2. An attempt to pay for what can’t be bought.3. See also “exile.”Antimony Price is on the run. With the Covenant on her tail and her family still in danger, she needs to get far, far away from anyone who might recognize her—including her own mice. For the first time in a long time, a Price is flying without a safety net... -
![City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda]()
City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsBest-selling author Rick Riordan presents CITY OF THE PLAGUE GOD, an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology written by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series. Characters from the Epic of Gilgamesh populate this high-stakes contemporary adventure in which all of Manhattan is threatened by the ancient god of plagues...Categorized as:
children family friendship poc-mc action-adventure ancient-civilization animals audiobook -
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![Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Daniel Salmieri]()
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Daniel Salmieri
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis scrumptious New York Times bestseller has a whole lot of kick!Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . -
![The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black, Cassandra Clare]()
The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black, Cassandra Clare
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsCallum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall. It’s not easy for Call . . -
![The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan]()
The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsGo west. Capture Apollo before he can find the next oracle.If you cannot bring him to me alive, kill him. Those were the orders my old enemy Nero had given to Meg McCaffrey. But why would an ancient Roman emperor zero in on Indianapolis? And now that I have made it here (still in the embarrassing form of Lester Papadopoulos), where is Meg?Meg, my demigod master, is a cantankerous street urchin... -
![Slade by Kristen Middleton]()
Slade by Kristen Middleton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChelsey is on the run from Faye and her Night Roamers... -
![Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire]()
Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe ninth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position... -
![The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst]()
The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSophie loves the hidden shop below her parents' bookstore, where dreams are secretly bought and sold. When the dream shop is robbed and her parents go missing, Sophie must unravel the truth to save them. Together with her best friend—a wisecracking and fanatically loyal monster named Monster—she must decide whom to trust with her family’s carefully guarded secrets... -
![Her Dragon Daddy by Roxie Ray]()
Her Dragon Daddy by Roxie Ray
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMav disappeared before I could ever tell him -- about the child I carried. I’ve had years to get over him, and I’ve tried. But the second I see him again my heart lurches -- and it’s like all that time evaporates. I still burn for him, even though I know it’s a bad idea.I try to remind myself about the bad things:his possessiveness, his quick temper, but -- he’s different now. More mature... -
![Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire]()
Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe tenth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.Just when Sarah Zellaby, adopted Price cousin and telepathic ambush predator, thought that things couldn’t get worse, she’s had to go and prove herself wrong... -
![The Bronze Key by Holly Black, Cassandra Clare]()
The Bronze Key by Holly Black, Cassandra Clare
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsMagic can save you.Magic can kill you.Students at the Magisterium are supposed to be safe. Under the watchful eyes of the mages, they are taught to use magic to bring order to a chaotic world.But now the chaos is fighting back. Call, Tamara, and Aaron should be worrying about things like pop quizzes and magic contests...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor action-adventure animals audiobook boarding-school -
![The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi]()
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi's first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy.When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization...Categorized as:
humor realistic 21st-century action-adventure adult aliens alternate-history audiobook -
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![No Bones About It by Allie Brahms]()
No Bones About It by Allie Brahms
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSo far, my first demon hunting mission with Zhen has gone 1) We came in for one job. It was not one job. And all of our nice, conventional weapons aren’t working. (Zhen is right, EFTs suck)2) A crash course in Monocan legends and medicine. (Probably the best part of this trip.)3) The bond plays a painful game of yo-yo with us. (Which means I’m getting dragged into fights I’d rather skip... -
![There's A Bat In My Room! by Michele Notaro]()
There's A Bat In My Room! by Michele Notaro
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHave a flying bat problem? Tennis Assassin to the rescue!I’ve never been so scared in my life, but armed with a ski mask, a leather jacket, and a tennis racket, I’m ready to take on the flying demon… er, bat.When one swing connects, and the bat hits the wall and turns into a man, my life changes forever... -
![imPerfect Magic by C.N. Rowan]()
imPerfect Magic by C.N. Rowan
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter hundreds of years of dying, you'd think I would've perfected it by now... One moment I'm a heretical priest in the twelfth century, hunted, hated...The next, I'm waking up in the nearest corpse. Stuck in a cycle of instant reincarnation, popping back up like a tarnished penny.Fast forward eight hundred years, and you might think I’ve learned a thing or two. Nope...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor fantasy urban-fantasy magic contemporary paranormal audiobook -
![Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston]()
Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsZorgamazoo is the story of an adventurous girl; a mysterious creature; a bizarre lottery; a secret map; an alien world; some outrageous kidnappings; and a sport that brings together the finer points of cricket, swimming and chess. It also has lobotomies. In short, it's about saving the universe from boredom. And it rhymes—all 280 pages worth... -
![Earth Fathers Are Weird by Lyn Gala]()
Earth Fathers Are Weird by Lyn Gala
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCaptain Maxwell Davis and his entire unit scrambled to engage alien ships over Iowa. The aliens snatched him out of his destroyed jet before they continued on their interplanetary hot pursuit. Then they informed Max that Earth was too far outside regular shipping lanes to return him to his planet.So Max ends up in an alien spaceport looking for work... -
![Malamander by Thomas Taylor]()
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNobody visits Eerie-on-Sea in the winter...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook -
![The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan, Haley Riordan]()
The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan, Haley Riordan
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsWhat dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads (who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion.Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor action-adventure ancient-civilization anthologies audiobook -
![The Hound of Rowan by Henry H. Neff]()
The Hound of Rowan by Henry H. Neff
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsMax McDaniels lives a quiet life in the suburbs of Chicago, until the day he stumbles upon a mysterious Celtic tapestry. Many strange people are interested in Max and his tapestry. His discovery leads him to Rowan Academy, a secret school where great things await him.But dark things are waiting, too...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family action-adventure animals audiobook boarding-school book -
![Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse]()
Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsLately, seventh grader Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like that man in the fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out he's Mr. Charles, her dad's new boss at the oil and gas company, and he's alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins... -
![Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep]()
Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThere Be Monsters Here. . .It's not as great as you'd think, living in a tourist town that's known as "the most magical place in America." Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power. I try to keep out of it. I've got my mom's bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library... -
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![The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham]()
The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe Luck Uglies is the first in a tween fantasy-adventure trilogy brimming with legends come to life, a charming wit, and a fantastic cast of characters-and is imbued throughout with the magic of storytelling.Strange things are happening in Village Drowning, and a terrifying encounter has Rye O'Chanter convinced that the monstrous, supposedly extinct Bog Noblins have returned... -
![All These Monsters by Amy Tintera]()
All These Monsters by Amy Tintera
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom New York Times best-selling author Amy Tintera, a high-stakes sci-fi adventure about a teen girl who will do anything to escape her troubled home—even if that means joining a dangerous monster-fighting squad. Perfect for fans of Warcross and Renegades. Seventeen-year-old Clara is ready to fight back... -
![Hattie and Hudson by Chris Van Dusen]()
Hattie and Hudson by Chris Van Dusen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"This eloquent, evocative book about compassion is perfect for sparking discussions on prejudice. A sensational choice." --School Library JournalHattie McFadden is a born explorer. Every morning she paddles out in her canoe to discover something new on the lake, singing a little song along the way...Categorized as:
children friendship action-adventure animals book children-books contemporary female-mc -
![Killer Pizza: The Slice by Greg Taylor]()
Killer Pizza: The Slice by Greg Taylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFour months after they discover that their new place of employment, Killer Pizza, was a front for an underground Monster Hunting Organization, Toby and his fellow rookie Monster Combat Officers, Annabel and Strobe, have been invited to New York City to tour KP Headquarters... -
![Clowns Vs. Spiders by Jeff Strand]()
Clowns Vs. Spiders by Jeff Strand
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJaunty the Clown just wants to entertain families with lighthearted slapstick antics, but people think of clowns as terrifying, nightmarish creatures who hide in closets or under beds. When Jaunty, along with his fellow performers Guffaw, Wagon, Reginald The Pleasant Clown, and Bluehead are fired from the circus, they're told that the world just doesn't like clowns anymore... -
![Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia]()
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSpace-obsessed 12-year-old Paola Santiago and her two best friends, Emma and Dante, know the rule: Stay away from the river. It's all they've heard since a schoolmate of theirs drowned a year ago...
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