What books are similar to Crenshaw?

The 10 closest matches to Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate on ReadingList include A Boy Called Bat, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, Front Desk, Ghost Boys, and Mick Harte Was Here. Each is scored on shared themes (homelessness, imagination, and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Crenshaw reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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 Crenshaw

If you liked Crenshaw, read A Boy Called Bat, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, or Front Desk — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of homelessness, imagination, and family. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

Reading the whole similar-books list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audible30-day trial

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Why each is a match

Amazon links below are affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

A Boy Called Batgrades 3–5: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Piegrades 6–9: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Front Desk640L: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon →
Ghost Boys360L: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Mick Harte Was Heregrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrisegrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
The Thing About Leftoversgrades 4–7: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Streetgrades 3–6: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
All About Samgrades 4–6: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Attaboy, Sam!grades 4–6: Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →

Books like Crenshaw for younger readers (K–2)

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

Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of imagination and family and overlapping grades (1–4).
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman · grades K–2 — Shares themes of imagination and family.
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl · 810L — Shares themes of imagination and family and overlapping grades (3–6).
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of imagination and family and overlapping grades (1–4).
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of imagination and family and overlapping grades (4–7).
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

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

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

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl · 810L — Shares themes of imagination and family and overlapping grades (3–6).
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of imagination and family and overlapping grades (4–7).
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

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

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

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).

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

← Back to Crenshaw