Books like Big Ben

If you liked Big Ben, read My Dog, My Hero, Shiloh Season, or Striped Ice Cream — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Big Ben by David Harry Walker (Realistic Fiction · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of saint bernard dog and dogs, 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 4–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Big Ben

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Why each is a match

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My Dog, My Herogrades 3–5
Shares themes of dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Shiloh Seasongrades 3–6
Shares themes of dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Striped Ice Creamgrades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
All About Samgrades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
All the Money in the Worldgrades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Attaboy, Sam!grades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Do Bananas Chew Gum?grades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Eight Keysgrades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Flying Sologrades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Losergrades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →

Books like Big Ben for younger readers (K–2)

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

Books like Big Ben for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • No Talking by Andrew Clements · grades 3–8 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • The Computer Nut by Betsy Cromer Byars · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like Big Ben for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • No Talking by Andrew Clements · grades 3–8 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • The Computer Nut by Betsy Cromer Byars · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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

  • Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (6–9).
  • Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (6–9).
  • Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).

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

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