What books are similar to Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares?

The 10 closest matches to Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn on ReadingList include Learning to Swear in America, Ruby Lost and Found, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, The Year of Secret Assignments, and A Door Near Here. Each is scored on shared themes (treasure hunt (game), identity, and identity (philosophical concept)), 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 Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares 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 Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares

If you liked Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, read Learning to Swear in America or Ruby Lost and Found — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of treasure hunt (game), identity, and identity (philosophical concept). 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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Learning to Swear in Americagrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Ruby Lost and Foundgrades 6–9: Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dreamgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Year of Secret Assignmentsgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
A Door Near Heregrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soulgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
If You Come Softlygrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Izzy, Willy-Nillygrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Jumping the Nailgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Just Like Martingrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares for younger readers (K–2)

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

Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Lion vs. Rabbit by Alex Latimer · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Shares themes of identity, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech · 770L — Shares themes of identity, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Shares themes of identity and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks · 780L — Shares themes of identity and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Alligator Sue by Sharon Arms Doucet · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of identity and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Shares themes of identity, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech · 770L — Shares themes of identity, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Shares themes of identity and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks · 780L — Shares themes of identity and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of identity and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of identity, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and overlapping grades (9–12).
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Tears of A Tiger by Sharon M. Draper · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
That's Not My Name by Megan Lally · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of identity, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and overlapping grades (9–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares?: The 10 closest matches to Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn on ReadingList include Learning to Swear in America, Ruby Lost and Found, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, The Year of Secret Assignments, and A Door Near Here. Each is scored on shared themes (treasure hunt (game), identity, and identity (philosophical concept)), 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 Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares 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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