Books like A Tale of Two Cities

Looking for books like A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Historical Fiction · 1170L · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of revolution, sacrifice, and resurrection. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to A Tale of Two Cities

Why each is a match

Great Expectations1150L
Shares themes of class and a close reading level (1150L vs 1170L).
The Scarlet Letter1420L
Same genre (Historical Fiction), a close reading level (1420L vs 1170L), and the same era (1850s).
My Ántonia1010L
Same genre (Historical Fiction) and a close reading level (1010L vs 1170L).
Jane Eyre890L
Shares themes of class and overlapping grades (10–12).
The Hunger Games810L
Shares themes of sacrifice and overlapping grades (6–9).
Refugee800L
Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (5–9).
Chains780L
Shares themes of revolution and overlapping grades (5–9).
The Book Thief730L
Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (8–11).
Salt to the Sea560L
Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (8–12).
A Streetcar Named Desiregrades 11–12
Shares themes of class and overlapping grades (11–12).

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