Lalani of the Distant Sea
#6893.92 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2019 Reading commitment Low Erin Entrada Kelly Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Lalani of the Distant Sea is a standalone middle-grade fantasy by Erin Entrada Kelly, published by Greenwillow in 2019. It is inspired by Filipino folklore. Lalani Sarita, twelve, lives on the drought-stricken island of Sanlagita with her mother and a cruel uncle and cousin. When her mother falls ill, Lalani crosses a dangerous sea in search of a cure. Passages in the second person describe the creatures of the mountain. No sequel or companion novel appears in the sources checked.
Mythic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Lalani of the Distant Sea Erin Entrada Kelly
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lalani of the Distant Sea | 2019 | 1 | core | 3.92 (3,963 ratings) |
A girl crosses a dangerous sea to find a cure for her sick mother.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Lalani of the Distant Sea? Lalani of the Distant Sea's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Lalani of the Distant Sea finished? Complete (2019).
- How much reading does Lalani of the Distant Sea take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Lalani of the Distant Sea ranked? #689 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,963 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #689?
Ranked #689 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.92 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (3,963 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #688, Haroun and the Sea of Stories (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 1 book · Complete · 4k ratings · Ranks #689 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Children's Literature), 2020: finalist: Lalani of the Distant Sea
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.92 across 3,963 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 27 universes from the candidate register; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Publishers Weekly Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Erin Entrada Kelly Tier 2
- Mythopoeic Society 2020 Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = Lalani of the Distant Sea (2019).