What books are similar to A Boy Called Bat?

The 10 closest matches to A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold on ReadingList include Mick Harte Was Here, Shiloh, Out of My Mind, So B. It, and Crenshaw. Each is scored on shared themes (neurodiversity, animals, and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like A Boy Called Bat reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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.

Books like A Boy Called Bat

If you liked A Boy Called Bat, read Mick Harte Was Here, Shiloh, or Out of My Mind — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of neurodiversity, animals, and family. 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 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Mick Harte Was Heregrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Shiloh890L: Shares themes of family, both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Out of My Mind700L: Shares themes of family, both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
So B. Itgrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Crenshawgrades 3–6: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Front Desk640L: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon →
Ghost Boys360L: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrisegrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
The Thing About Leftoversgrades 4–7: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Streetgrades 3–6: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →

Books like A Boy Called Bat for younger readers (K–2)

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

Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo · 450L — Shares themes of animals and family and overlapping grades (K–3).
Picture Purrfect (Bodega Cats #1) by Hilda Eunice Burgos · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of animals and family and overlapping grades (2–5).
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of animals and family and overlapping grades (2–5).
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).

Books like A Boy Called Bat for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

All About Sam by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Attaboy, Sam! by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Ban This Book by Alan Gratz · grades 3–6 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like A Boy Called Bat for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like A Boy Called Bat for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Book data last updated 2026-07-07. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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