Tristan Strong
#1194.21 adjusted 4.19 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2019–2021 Reading commitment Medium Kwame Mbalia Last reviewed 2026-09-04
Overview
Tristan Strong is a complete middle-grade fantasy trilogy by Kwame Mbalia, published under the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. Grieving seventh-grader Tristan Strong accidentally punches a hole into Alke, a realm where West African (Anansi) and African American folk-hero mythology (John Henry, Brer Rabbit) come alive, and must team up with its inhabitants across three books (2019-2021). In the opening novel, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (2019), Tristan is sent to his grandparents' Alabama farm for the summer while mourning his best friend's death, and opens the portal to Alke while chasing a creature called Gum Baby, discovering along the way his own gift as a storyteller capable of anchoring both worlds together. The book debuted at number eight on the New York Times bestseller list, won a Coretta Scott King Award honor and the Children's Africana Book Award for Best Book for Older Readers, and was named one of the New York Times' 25 best children's books of 2019, establishing the trilogy as one of the most decorated Rick Riordan Presents titles.
Mythic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Tristan Strong Kwame Mbalia
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky | 2019 | 1 | core | 4.16 (10,971 ratings) |
 | Tristan Strong Destroys the World | 2020 | 2 | core | 4.32 (2,987 ratings) |
 | Tristan Strong Keeps Punching | 2021 | 3 | core | 4.32 (1,653 ratings) |
Complete trilogy; all Core Canon.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Tristan Strong? Tristan Strong's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Tristan Strong? Publication order, starting with Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Tristan Strong finished? Complete (2019–2021).
- How much reading does Tristan Strong take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Tristan Strong ranked? #119 in this site's official ranking, based on 15,611 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #119?
Ranked #119 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.21 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (15,611 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #118, The Tide Child Trilogy (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 3 books · Complete · 16k ratings · Ranks #119 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (2019)
- Tristan Strong Destroys the World (2020)
- Tristan Strong Keeps Punching (2021)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Coretta Scott King Author Award (Author Award), 2020: won: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
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Suggestions computed from what Tristan Strong and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
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- Impossible Creatures Portal fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.13
- The Book of Wirrun Mythic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.07
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.21 across 15,611 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit Tristan Strong (Kwame Mbalia) accepted 2026-09-04
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_Strong_series
- Rating-platform source ↗
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_Strong_Punches_a_Hole_in_the_Sky
Last reviewed: 2026-09-04
Rule: Core Canon is the complete three-book trilogy.