Books like Amos Fortune, Free Man

If you liked Amos Fortune, Free Man, read Bud, Not Buddy, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, or Holes — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (African Americans · grades 3–7)? 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 3–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Amos Fortune, Free Man

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Why each is a match

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Bud, Not Buddy950L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler700L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Holes660L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Island of the Blue Dolphins1000L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Maniac Magee820L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH790L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Shiloh890L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Giver760L
Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
A Long Hard Journeygrades 4–8
Same genre (African Americans) and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
And Now Miguelgrades 3–7
Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Amos Fortune, Free Man for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s).
  • Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s).
  • Knock Knock by Daniel Beaty · grades K–3 — Same genre (African Americans) and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s).
  • Old Yeller by Fred Gipson · grades 5–8 — Both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (1950s).

Books like Amos Fortune, Free Man for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s).
  • Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s).
  • Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s).
  • Old Yeller by Fred Gipson · grades 5–8 — Both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (1950s).
  • Onion John by Joseph Krumgold · grades 3–7 — Both on the Newbery Medal list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1950s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Amos Fortune, Free Man?
The 10 closest matches to Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates on ReadingList include Bud, Not Buddy, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Holes, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Maniac Magee. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Amos Fortune, Free Man reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–7), 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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