What books are similar to Frindle?

The 10 closest matches to Frindle by Andrew Clements on ReadingList include Matilda, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, The Adventures of Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Out of My Mind. Each is scored on shared themes (creativity, language and thought, and intelligence), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Frindle reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–7), 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 Frindle

If you liked Frindle, read Matilda, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, or The Adventures of Captain Underpants — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Frindle by Andrew Clements (Middle Grade Fiction · 830L · grades 3–7)? It’s most often read for its themes of creativity, language and thought, and intelligence. 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 3–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Matilda840L: Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+5 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH790L: Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
The Adventures of Captain Underpants720L: Shares themes of school and imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 830L). Amazon →
Diary of a Wimpy Kid950L: Shares themes of school, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Out of My Mind700L: Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+5 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Maniac Magee820L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+5 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (820L vs 830L). Amazon →
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory810L: Shares themes of imagination, both on the North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Ramona Quimby, Age 8860L: Shares themes of school, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Fish in a Tree550L: Shares themes of school, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
The Mouse and the Motorcycle860L: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (860L vs 830L). Amazon →

Books like Frindle for younger readers (K–2)

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

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Shares themes of school, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths · 560L — Shares themes of creativity and imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak · 740L — Shares themes of imagination and a close reading level (740L vs 830L).
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of imagination and overlapping grades (1–4).

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

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

Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+7 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (790L vs 830L).
Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 830L).
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater · Florence Atwater · 910L — Shares themes of imagination, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Shares themes of school, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths · 560L — Shares themes of creativity and imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).

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

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

Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+7 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (790L vs 830L).
Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 830L).
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian · 820L — Shares themes of school, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (820L vs 830L).
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl · 870L — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (870L vs 830L).
Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+4 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (730L vs 830L).

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

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

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins · 810L — Both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (810L vs 830L).
Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Both on the North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award list (+3 more shared lists) and a close reading level (800L vs 830L).
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes · 910L — Shares themes of intelligence and a close reading level (910L vs 830L).
Allies by Alan Gratz · grades 5–9 — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (5–9).
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans · grades 6–9 — Both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (6–9).

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

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