What books are similar to Breaking Boxes?

The 10 closest matches to Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins on ReadingList include The Only Alien on the Planet, A Sudden Silence, Izzy, Willy-Nilly, Night Kites, and Sold. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship and brothers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Breaking Boxes reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 Breaking Boxes

If you liked Breaking Boxes, read The Only Alien on the Planet, A Sudden Silence, or Izzy, Willy-Nilly — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship and brothers. 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 9–12 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 Only Alien on the Planetgrades 9–12: Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
A Sudden Silencegrades 9–12: Shares themes of brothers, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Izzy, Willy-Nillygrades 9–12: Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Night Kitesgrades 9–12: Shares themes of brothers, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Soldgrades 9–12: Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Someone Like Yougrades 9–12: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Armageddon Summergrades 9–12: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Badgrades 9–12: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Ironmangrades 9–12: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Postedgrades 6–9: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Breaking Boxes for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Rugby and Rosie by Nan Parson Rossiter · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Tangerine by Edward Bloor · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of brothers and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like Breaking Boxes for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Stonewords: A Ghost Story by Pam Conrad · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Pinballs by Betsy Cromer Byars · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like Breaking Boxes for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Stonewords: A Ghost Story by Pam Conrad · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Pinballs by Betsy Cromer Byars · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

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

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

Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Shadow of the Dragon by Sherry Garland · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).

Common questions

What books are similar to Breaking Boxes?: The 10 closest matches to Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins on ReadingList include The Only Alien on the Planet, A Sudden Silence, Izzy, Willy-Nilly, Night Kites, and Sold. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship and brothers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Breaking Boxes reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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