What books are similar to Eleanor & Park?

The 10 closest matches to Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell on ReadingList include I Talk Like a River, Nation, A Boy Called Christmas, A Ray of Light, and A Snicker of Magic (Scholastic Gold). Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–9), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Eleanor & Park reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–9), 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 Eleanor & Park

If you liked Eleanor & Park, read I Talk Like a River, Nation, or A Boy Called Christmas — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (Children's · grades 4–9)? 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 4–9 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.

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Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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Why each is a match

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I Talk Like a Rivergrades K–5: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
Nationgrades 4–9: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
A Boy Called Christmasgrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
A Ray of Lightgrades 4–10: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10). Amazon → books like this →
A Snicker of Magic (Scholastic Gold)grades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
Abigail Adamsgrades 4–10: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10). Amazon → books like this →
Alchemy and Meggy Swanngrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
Anna and the Swallow Mangrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardiangrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
At Nightgrades K–5: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Eleanor & Park for younger readers (K–2)

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

Building Our House by Jonathan Bean · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Freedom Over Me by Ashley Bryan · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).

Books like Eleanor & Park for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle · grades 4–9 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
Black Enough by Ibi Zoboi · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones · grades 4–9 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
Bloody Jack Series by L. A. Meyer · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Building Our House by Jonathan Bean · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).

Books like Eleanor & Park for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle · grades 4–9 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
Black Enough by Ibi Zoboi · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones · grades 4–9 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
Bloody Jack Series by L. A. Meyer · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell · grades 4–9 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).

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

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

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle · grades 4–9 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
Black Enough by Ibi Zoboi · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones · grades 4–9 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
Bloody Jack Series by L. A. Meyer · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell · grades 4–9 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).

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

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