Books like A Long Walk to Water

Looking for books like A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (Historical Fiction · 720L · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of survival, perseverance, and war. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to A Long Walk to Water

Why each is a match

Salt to the Sea560L
Shares themes of survival, war, and hope, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (560L vs 720L).
Refugee800L
Shares themes of survival, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (800L vs 720L).
Dragonwings870L
Shares themes of perseverance, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (870L vs 720L).
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy720L
Shares themes of war and a close reading level (720L vs 720L).
One Crazy Summer750L
Same genre (Historical Fiction), a close reading level (750L vs 720L), and the same era (2010s).
Pax760L
Shares themes of war and a close reading level (760L vs 720L).
Bud, Not Buddy950L
Shares themes of perseverance, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (950L vs 720L).
The Book Thief730L
Same genre (Historical Fiction) and a close reading level (730L vs 720L).
The Devil's Arithmetic730L
Same genre (Historical Fiction) and a close reading level (730L vs 720L).
Where the Red Fern Grows700L
Shares themes of perseverance and a close reading level (700L vs 720L).

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