Books like 12 Again

If you liked 12 Again, read Keeper of the Lost Cities, Peter and the Starcatchers, or Word Eater — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like 12 Again by Sue Corbett (Fantasy · grades 6–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of magic, brothers, and mothers. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 6–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to 12 Again

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Why each is a match

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Keeper of the Lost Citiesgrades 4–8
Shares themes of magic, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Fantasy). Amazon → books like this →
Peter and the Starcatchersgrades 3–8
Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Word Eatergrades 3–8
Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Amari and the Night Brothersgrades 4–7
Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Every Soul a Stargrades 6–8
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Mary Poppinsgrades 4–6
Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
The 13th Floor: A Ghost Storygrades 4–6
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Forbidden Librarygrades 2–8
Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Headless Cupidgrades 4–8
Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Liftersgrades 3–8
Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like 12 Again for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

  • Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky · grades 1–4 — Shares themes of magic and same genre (Fantasy).
  • Eyes of the Dragon by Margaret Leaf · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill Peet · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list and the same era (2000s).
  • Don’t Touch My Room by Patricia Lakin · grades K–3 — Shares themes of brothers.

Books like 12 Again for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

  • The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine by Diane Stanley · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of magic and same genre (Fantasy).
  • Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky · grades 1–4 — Shares themes of magic and same genre (Fantasy).
  • The Christmas of the Reddle Moon by J. Patrick Lewis · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of magic and same genre (Fantasy).
  • The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like 12 Again for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

  • The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of magic, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine · grades 4–7 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–7).
  • Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers · grades 4–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Scared Stiff by Willo Davis Roberts · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of brothers, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like 12 Again for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

  • A Sudden Silence by Eve Bunting · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of brothers and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.
  • All We Have Left by Wendy Mills · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of interpersonal relations and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.
  • Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of brothers and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.
  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • Ironman by Chris Crutcher · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of interpersonal relations and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.

Common questions

What books are similar to 12 Again?
The 10 closest matches to 12 Again by Sue Corbett on ReadingList include Keeper of the Lost Cities, Peter and the Starcatchers, Word Eater, Amari and the Night Brothers, and Every Soul a Star. Each is scored on shared themes (magic, brothers, and mothers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like 12 Again reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?
Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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