Books like Growing Home

If you liked Growing Home, read Curveball, Just a Pinch of Magic, or Operation Final Notice — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Growing Home by Beth Ferry (Middle Grade Fantasy · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, family, and perseverance. 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 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Growing Home

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Why each is a match

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Curveballgrades 3–5
Shares themes of friendship, family, and perseverance, both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Just a Pinch of Magicgrades 4–8
Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Operation Final Noticegrades 4–8
Shares themes of friendship, family, and perseverance and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Fablehavengrades 4–7
Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
The House at the Edge of Magicgrades 3–5
Shares themes of perseverance, both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy). Amazon →
The Sherlock Societygrades 4–8
Shares themes of friendship and family, both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
The Trumpet of the Swangrades 3–6
Shares themes of family and perseverance, same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)740L
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy). Amazon →
Amir and the Jinn Princessgrades 4–8
Shares themes of family, same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Bea and the New Deal Horsegrades 3–5
Shares themes of family and perseverance and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →

Books like Growing Home for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Knight Owl by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1) by Christina Soontornvat · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy), and overlapping grades (2–5).
  • Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy), and overlapping grades (2–5).
  • Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Shares themes of friendship and family and overlapping grades (2–5).

Books like Growing Home for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship and family and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship and perseverance and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–8).
  • Knight Owl by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like Growing Home for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Brick Dust and Bones by M.R. Fournet · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of family and perseverance, both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy).
  • Skyriders by Polly Holyoke · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship and perseverance, both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy).
  • Control Freaks by J.E. Thomas · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship and perseverance and both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list.
  • Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of perseverance, both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fantasy).
  • The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of family and perseverance and both on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list.

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

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

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

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