Books like Guts for Glory

If you liked Guts for Glory, read A Meerkat Diary, Genius Ears, or Wild Brunch: Poems About How Creatures Eat — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Guts for Glory by Jonna Lapati (Middle Grade Nonfiction · grades 3–5)? 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 Guts for Glory

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Why each is a match

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A Meerkat Diarygrades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Genius Earsgrades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Wild Brunch: Poems About How Creatures Eatgrades 4–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Nonfiction), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Curveballgrades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Finding Normalgrades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Lightningborn (Storm Dragons #1)grades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Not Nothinggrades 4–8
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Search for a Giant Squidgrades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
The Girl Who Figured It Outgrades 3–6
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
The One and Only Familygrades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Guts for Glory for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • 100 Chapatis by Derek Mascarenhas · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Avocado Magic by Taltal Levi · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Brave Baby Hummingbird by Sy Montgomery · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Daughter of the Light-Footed People by Belen Medina · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Gifts from the Garbage Truck by Andrew Larsen · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

Books like Guts for Glory for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Who Got Game? Basketball by Derrick Barnes · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Nonfiction), and the same era (2020s).
  • All the Ways to Go by Jessie Janowitz · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Breaking into Sunlight by John Cochran · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Juniper Mae by Sarah Soh · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

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

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

  • Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Rise by Freya Finch · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • The Beasts in Your Brain by Katherine Speller · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • The Dark Becomes Her by Judy I. Lin · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Guts for Glory?
The 10 closest matches to Guts for Glory by Jonna Lapati on ReadingList include A Meerkat Diary, Genius Ears, Wild Brunch: Poems About How Creatures Eat, Curveball, and Finding Normal. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Guts for Glory reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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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