What books are similar to Boy at War?

The 10 closest matches to Boy at War by Harry Mazer on ReadingList include The Butterfly, Tucky Jo and Little Heart, Duke, A Boy at War, and Boxes for Katje. Each is scored on shared themes (world war, 1939-1945, causes, and history), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Boy at War reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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 Boy at War

If you liked Boy at War, read The Butterfly, Tucky Jo and Little Heart, or Duke — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Boy at War by Harry Mazer (Realistic Fiction · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of world war, 1939-1945, causes, and history. 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.

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Why each is a match

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The Butterflygrades 3–6: Shares themes of world war, 1939-1945 and history, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Tucky Jo and Little Heartgrades 3–5: Shares themes of world war, 1939-1945 and history, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Dukegrades 3–5: Shares themes of world war, 1939-1945, both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
A Boy at Wargrades 3–6: Is by Harry Mazer, the same author, both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Boxes for Katjegrades 3–8: Shares themes of world war, 1939-1945, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Worthgrades 4–8: Shares themes of history, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
Here Comes the Garbage Bargegrades 2–8: Shares themes of history, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
One Potato, Two Potatogrades 3–6: Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Prisoner B-3087grades 3–8: Shares themes of history, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Saving Zashagrades 3–8: Shares themes of world war, 1939-1945, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Boy at War for younger readers (K–2)

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

Humpty-Dumpty Egg-Splodes by O'Malley, Kevin · grades K–3 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont · grades K–2 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll · grades K–3 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland · grades K–3 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Books like Boy at War for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Humpty-Dumpty Egg-Splodes by O'Malley, Kevin · grades K–3 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll · grades K–3 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
The Lemonade War by Davies, Jacqueline · grades 4–6 — Both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson · grades 3–6 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Boy at War for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Spying on Miss Müller by Eve Bunting · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of world war, 1939-1945, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of history, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
The Lemonade War by Davies, Jacqueline · grades 4–6 — Both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson · grades 3–6 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Boy at War for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
After by Francine Prose · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2000s).
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2000s).
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín · grades 9–10 — Shares themes of history.

Common questions

What books are similar to Boy at War?: The 10 closest matches to Boy at War by Harry Mazer on ReadingList include The Butterfly, Tucky Jo and Little Heart, Duke, A Boy at War, and Boxes for Katje. Each is scored on shared themes (world war, 1939-1945, causes, and history), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Boy at War reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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