What books are similar to Brooklyn?

The 10 closest matches to Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín on ReadingList include Rifles for Watie, Torch, Antony and Cleopatra, The Book Thief, and A Tale of Two Cities. Each is scored on shared themes (irish, women immigrants, and history), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Brooklyn reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–10), 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 Brooklyn

If you liked Brooklyn, read Rifles for Watie, Torch, or Antony and Cleopatra — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (Historical Fiction · grades 9–10)? It’s most often read for its themes of irish, women immigrants, 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 9–10 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Rifles for Watiegrades 5–9: Shares themes of history, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon → books like this →
Torchgrades 9–12: Shares themes of history, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Antony and Cleopatragrades 9–10: Both on the Cambridge IGCSE English Literature (0475) list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–10). Amazon → books like this →
The Book Thief730L: Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (8–11), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
A Tale of Two Cities1170L: Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
All We Have Leftgrades 9–12: Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Alliesgrades 5–9: Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon → books like this →
Armageddon Summergrades 9–12: Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon920L: Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Master Harold...and the Boysgrades 9–10: Shares themes of social life and customs and overlapping grades (9–10). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Brooklyn for younger readers (K–2)

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

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Family Pictures by Carmen Lomas Garza · grades K–1 — Shares themes of social life and customs.
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history.
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of history.

Books like Brooklyn for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).

Books like Brooklyn for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen · 730L — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).

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

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

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of social life and customs and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of social life and customs and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Selected Stories by Katherine Mansfield · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of social life and customs.

Common questions

What books are similar to Brooklyn?: The 10 closest matches to Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín on ReadingList include Rifles for Watie, Torch, Antony and Cleopatra, The Book Thief, and A Tale of Two Cities. Each is scored on shared themes (irish, women immigrants, and history), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Brooklyn reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–10), 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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