What books are similar to Ban This Book?

The 10 closest matches to Ban This Book by Alan Gratz on ReadingList include Shiloh, A Boy Called Bat, A Boy Named Queen, Ava and Pip, and Ghost. Each is scored on shared themes (censorship, books, and standing up), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Ban This Book reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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 Ban This Book

If you liked Ban This Book, read Shiloh, A Boy Called Bat, or A Boy Named Queen — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Ban This Book by Alan Gratz (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of censorship, books, and standing up. 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Shiloh890L: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
A Boy Called Batgrades 3–5: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8: Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Ava and Pipgrades 3–8: Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Ghost730L: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Mick Harte Was Heregrades 5–8: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Postedgrades 6–9: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Saving Winslowgrades 3–8: Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Saving Zashagrades 3–8: Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
The Strange Case of Origami Yodagrades 4–6: Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →

Books like Ban This Book for younger readers (K–2)

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

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Ban This Book for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Ungifted by Gordon Korman · grades 5–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job by Willo Davis Roberts · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen · 760L — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Hostage by Willo Davis Roberts · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Loch by Paul Zindel · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Ban This Book for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Ungifted by Gordon Korman · grades 5–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job by Willo Davis Roberts · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen · 760L — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Hostage by Willo Davis Roberts · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Ban This Book for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2010s).
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2010s).
Unwind by Neal Shusterman · grades 8–12 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list).

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

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