Books like Airborn

If you liked Airborn, read Peter and the Starcatchers, The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm, or Eragon — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Airborn by Kenneth Oppel (Fantasy · grades 6–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of animals, pirates, and science fiction. 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 Airborn

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Why each is a match

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Peter and the Starcatchersgrades 3–8
Shares themes of pirates, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Ear, The Eye, and the Armgrades 6–8
Shares themes of science fiction, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Eragongrades 6–9
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Powerlessgrades 4–7
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
The Indian in the Cupboardgrades 3–6
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Sea of Trollsgrades 6–8
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Aliens Ate My Homeworkgrades 3–8
Shares themes of science fiction and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!grades 3–6
Shares themes of animals and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Ella Enchantedgrades 4–7
Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabangrades 4–8
Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Airborn for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle · grades K–2 — Shares themes of animals and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
  • The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi · grades K–2 — Shares themes of animals.
  • Enchanted Wood by Ruth Sanderson · grades K–3 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (1990s).

Books like Airborn for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson · grades 3–5 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Fantasy), and the same era (1990s).
  • The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • Enchanted Wood by Ruth Sanderson · grades K–3 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (1990s).
  • Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (1990s).

Books like Airborn for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (1990s).
  • Nova's Ark by Kirk, David · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of science fiction and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix · grades 3–8 — Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (1990s).
  • Shape-Changer by Bill Brittain · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of science fiction and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (1990s).

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

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

  • Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • Everless by Sara Holland · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Fantasy).
  • Uglies by Scott Westerfeld · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of science fiction and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
  • The Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of science fiction and overlapping grades (6–9).

Common questions

What books are similar to Airborn?
The 10 closest matches to Airborn by Kenneth Oppel on ReadingList include Peter and the Starcatchers, The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm, Eragon, Powerless, and The Indian in the Cupboard. Each is scored on shared themes (animals, pirates, and science fiction), 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 Airborn 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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