Books like Ender's Game
Looking for books like Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Young Adult Fiction · 780L · grades 6–10)? It’s most often read for its themes of war, leadership, and identity. The 10 titlesbelow 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 6–10 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to Ender's Game
The Poet XElizabeth Acevedo · 800L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
SpeakLaurie Halse Anderson · 690L
American Born ChineseGene Luen Yang · 530L
Persepolis: The Story of a ChildhoodMarjane Satrapi
The Catcher in the RyeJ.D. Salinger · 790L
Walk Two MoonsSharon Creech · 770L
PaxSara Pennypacker · 760L
The CrossoverKwame Alexander · 750L
The Westing GameEllen Raskin · 750L
Why each is a match
- The Poet X800L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (800L vs 780L).
- The Outsiders750L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
- Speak690L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (690L vs 780L).
- American Born Chinese530L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (530L vs 780L).
- Persepolis: The Story of a Childhoodgrades 9–12
- Shares themes of war and identity and overlapping grades (9–12).
- The Catcher in the Rye790L
- Shares themes of identity and a close reading level (790L vs 780L).
- Walk Two Moons770L
- Shares themes of identity and a close reading level (770L vs 780L).
- Pax760L
- Shares themes of war and a close reading level (760L vs 780L).
- The Crossover750L
- Shares themes of identity and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
- The Westing Game750L
- Shares themes of identity and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).