Books like Hands

If you liked Hands, read A Work in Progress, Farther Than the Moon, or Good Different — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Hands by Torrey Maldonado? 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 6–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Hands

Reading the whole similar-books list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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Why each is a match

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A Work in Progressgrades 4–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
Farther Than the Moongrades 6–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
Good Differentgrades 6–9
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
Mexikidgrades 6–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
Not an Easy Wingrades 6–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
Parachute Kidsgrades 3–7
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
The Door of No Returngrades 6–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
The Mona Lisa Vanishesgrades 6–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
Two Tribesgrades 6–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
What Happened to Rachel Riley?grades 6–8
Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →

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

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

  • A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga · grades 4–5 — Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Frizzy by Claribel Ortega · grades 4–5 — Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Hoops by Matt Tavares · grades 3–5 — Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case · grades 4–5 — Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas · grades 4–5 — Both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

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

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