What books are similar to Hatchet?

The 10 closest matches to Hatchet by Gary Paulsen on ReadingList include Island of the Blue Dolphins, The River, Old Yeller, Rascal, and Summer of the Monkeys. Each is scored on shared themes (survival, resilience, and self-reliance), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Hatchet reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–8), 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 Hatchet

If you liked Hatchet, read Island of the Blue Dolphins, The River, or Old Yeller — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (Adventure · 1020L · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of survival, resilience, and self-reliance. 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Island of the Blue Dolphins1000L: Shares themes of survival, resilience, and nature, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and a close reading level (1000L vs 1020L). Amazon →
The Rivergrades 5–8: Shares themes of survival and nature, both on the North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Adventure). Amazon →
Old Yellergrades 5–8: Shares themes of survival and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Rascalgrades 5–8: Shares themes of nature and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Summer of the Monkeysgrades 4–7: Shares themes of nature and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Touching Spirit Beargrades 6–9: Shares themes of survival and nature, both on the North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Diary of a Wimpy Kid950L: Shares themes of growing up, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), and a close reading level (950L vs 1020L). Amazon →
The Call of the Wild1120L: Shares themes of survival, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Adventure). Amazon →
The Hunger Games810L: Shares themes of survival, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+6 more shared lists), and a close reading level (810L vs 1020L). Amazon →
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing470L: Shares themes of growing up, both on the North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (2–5). Amazon →

Books like Hatchet for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle · 460L — Shares themes of nature and growing up and both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list.
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Shares themes of growing up and both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list).
Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Adventure), and overlapping grades (2–5).
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of nature and both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff · 410L — Both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (1980s).

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

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

Smile by Raina Telgemeier · 410L — Shares themes of growing up, both on the Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (4–8).
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of survival, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Adventure).
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Just Keep Walking by Erin Soderberg Downing · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of resilience and nature, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6).
Two Degrees by Alan Gratz · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of survival, both on the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award list, and same genre (Adventure).

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

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

Smile by Raina Telgemeier · 410L — Shares themes of growing up, both on the Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (4–8).
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of survival, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Adventure).
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Just Keep Walking by Erin Soderberg Downing · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of resilience and nature, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6).
Two Degrees by Alan Gratz · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of survival, both on the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award list, and same genre (Adventure).

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

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

Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of survival, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+6 more shared lists), and a close reading level (800L vs 1020L).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (7–10).
The Pearl by John Steinbeck · 1010L — Shares themes of nature, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (1010L vs 1020L).
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou · 1070L — Shares themes of resilience, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (1070L vs 1020L).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of resilience, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and overlapping grades (7–10).

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

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