Book Series · 3 Books

Tristan Strong Books

In order from Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky to Tristan Strong Keeps Punching.

A grieving Black boy enters a fantasy shaped by African American folklore and West African mythology.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated August 11, 2026

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Reading order

How to Read Tristan Strong

Read the three prose novels in order. The graphic novel retells the first book and does not continue the trilogy.

Sources: Disney's Tristan Strong inventory, Disney's graphic adaptation.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

The story begins after Tristan's best friend dies in a bus crash. Grief and survivor guilt accompany monsters, war, enslavement, injuries, transformations, and character deaths, with humor and family support providing balance.

Where to start

Where Should My Child Start?

Wants the trilogy

Begin with Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.

Prefers graphic storytelling

Choose the graphic adaptation of the first novel.

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

Sale price

$1697

Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2019

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

By Kwame Mbalia

A boy's quest to reclaim a stolen journal opens a portal to a world of gods and heroes. Can he save it before losing everything?

482 pages· 99,429 words· Est. 14 hour read

$17.99Save 6%

Hardcover

Summary: Tristan Strong, haunted by his best friend's death, is sent to his grandparents' farm to heal. But when a mysterious creature steals his friend's journal, Tristan's pursuit leads him to the MidPass, a realm of African American folk heroes and West African gods. With the world in chaos, Tristan must join forces with legends like John Henry and Brer Rabbit to close a dangerous rift. But dealing with the trickster god Anansi could cost him dearly. Can Tristan mend this fractured world and find his way home?

In reading order

Tristan Strong Series

3 books · Published 2019–2021

#1 in Series

Sale price

$1697

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2019

A boy's quest to reclaim a stolen journal opens a portal to a world of gods and heroes. Can he save it before losing everything?

#2 in Series

Sale price

$1697

Tristan Strong Destroys the World

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2020

Tristan must rescue his grandmother from a vengeful villain in a world of gods and heroes.

#3 in Series

Sale price

$1697

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching

Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2021

Tristan Strong must confront King Cotton in a final showdown along the Mississippi.

The first adventure in graphic form

Tristan Strong Graphic Novel Series

1 book · Published 2022

A visual retelling of book #1 rather than another sequel.

#1 in Series

Graphic Nov.

Sale price

$2089

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Graphic Novel)

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2022

A boy's quest to reclaim a stolen journal opens a portal to a world of myth and danger.

Good to know

Common Questions

How many books are in the Tristan Strong series?

There are 3 books in the Tristan Strong series. It began with Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky in 2019, and the newest book, Tristan Strong Keeps Punching, was published in 2021.