Books like Fireworks

If you liked Fireworks, read The Bear and the Moon, Frog Went A-Courtin', or Mei Li — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Fireworks by Matthew Burgess (Realistic Fiction · grades K–3)? 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 K–3 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Fireworks

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Why each is a match

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The Bear and the Moongrades K–5
Is by Matthew Burgess, the same author, overlapping grades (K–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Frog Went A-Courtin'grades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Mei Ligrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Prayer for a Childgrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Sam, Bangs & Moonshinegrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eatgrades 2–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Becoming Muhammad Aligrades 3–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Better with Buttergrades 3–6
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
City of Thievesgrades 3–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Dogtowngrades 3–6
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Fireworks for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s).
  • How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s).
  • Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s).
  • Swing by Audrey Meeker · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s).
  • The Aquanaut by Dan Santat · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s).

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

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

  • Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • City Spies by James Ponti · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s).
  • Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone · grades 3–5 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s).
  • Ferris by Kate DiCamillo · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).

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

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

  • Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • City Spies by James Ponti · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2020s).
  • Ferris by Kate DiCamillo · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).
  • Four Eyes by Rex Ogle · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).

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

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

  • Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • The Yield by Tara June Winch · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney · grades 9–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • A Time of Troubles by Pieter Van Raven · grades 5–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to Fireworks?
The 10 closest matches to Fireworks by Matthew Burgess on ReadingList include The Bear and the Moon, Frog Went A-Courtin', Mei Li, Prayer for a Child, and Sam, Bangs & Moonshine. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Fireworks reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), 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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