Books like Butterfly Yellow

If you liked Butterfly Yellow, read The Hired Girl, African Town, or Chains — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lại? 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.

10 books similar to Butterfly Yellow

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Why each is a match

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The Hired Girlgrades 7–12
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
African Towngrades 7–12
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
Chains780L
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
Streams to the River, River to the Seagrades 6–9
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
The Bombgrades 7–10
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and overlapping grades (7–10). Amazon →
The Color of a Liegrades 9–12
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →
The Landgrades 7–12
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
The River Between Usgrades 7–12
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
1919 The Year That Changed Americagrades 7–12
Overlapping grades (7–12) and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
A Boy Called Christmasgrades 3–10
Overlapping grades (3–10) and the same era (2010s). Amazon →

Books like Butterfly Yellow for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk · grades 5–8 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill · grades 3–6 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Chickadee by Louise Erdrich · grades 4–7 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dash (Dogs of World War II) by Kirby Larson · grades 4–7 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos · grades 4–7 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).

Books like Butterfly Yellow for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk · grades 5–8 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill · grades 3–6 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Chickadee by Louise Erdrich · grades 4–7 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dash (Dogs of World War II) by Kirby Larson · grades 4–7 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos · grades 4–7 — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and the same era (2010s).

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

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