What books are similar to A Lot to Like!?

The 10 closest matches to A Lot to Like! by Derek Anderson on ReadingList include Fox Has a Problem, Frog and Toad Together, The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza, Big Nate: In a Class by Himself, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Each is scored on shared themes (humor and friendship), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like A Lot to Like! reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–5), 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 Lot to Like!

If you liked A Lot to Like!, read Fox Has a Problem, Frog and Toad Together, or The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like A Lot to Like! by Derek Anderson (Early Reader · grades 2–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of humor and friendship. 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 2–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Fox Has a Problemgrades 2–5: Shares themes of humor and friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Early Reader). Amazon →
Frog and Toad Together330L: Shares themes of humor and friendship, same genre (Early Reader), and overlapping grades (1–2). Amazon →
The First Cat in Space Ate Pizzagrades 2–5: Shares themes of humor and friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5). Amazon →
Big Nate: In a Class by Himself500L: Shares themes of humor and friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Diary of a Wimpy Kid950L: Shares themes of humor and friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon →
Dog Man390L: Shares themes of humor and friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5). Amazon →
A Royal Conundrumgrades 3–6: Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Buffalo Fluffalogrades K–2: Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon →
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobodygrades 4–8: Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Dogtowngrades 3–6: Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →

Books like A Lot to Like! for younger readers (K–2)

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

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish · 380L — Shares themes of humor, same genre (Early Reader), and overlapping grades (1–3).
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel · 350L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Early Reader), and overlapping grades (1–2).
Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (2–5).
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows · 580L — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (2–4).
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo · 450L — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like A Lot to Like! for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Hannah Sharpe, Cartoon Detective by Janet Tashjian · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).
J vs. K by Kwame Alexander & Jerry Craft · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–5).
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).
Scare School Diaries: Welcome to Scare School by Jarrett Lerner · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).
The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like A Lot to Like! for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list.
Confessions of a Class Clown by Arianne Costner · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of humor and friendship.
Hannah Sharpe, Cartoon Detective by Janet Tashjian · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).
Scare School Diaries: Welcome to Scare School by Jarrett Lerner · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of humor and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like A Lot to Like! for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Four for the Road by K.J. Reilly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
Under the Surface by Diana Urban · grades 7–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
Drama by Raina Telgemeier · grades 5–9 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (5–9).

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

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