Books like Heroes
Looking for books like Heroes by Alan Gratz (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) · grades 6–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of courage, friendship, and history. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 Heroes
Number the StarsLois Lowry · 670L
Code Name KingfisherLiz Kessler
DogtownKatherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko
IcebergJennifer A. Nielsen
Impossible CreaturesKatherine Rundell
It Came from the TreesAlly Russell
Mid-AirAlicia D. Williams
Not NothingGayle Forman
Simon Sort of SaysErin Bow
SkyridersPolly Holyoke
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Why each is a match
- Number the Stars670L
- Shares themes of courage and friendship, same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)), and overlapping grades (4–7).
- Code Name Kingfishergrades 4–8
- Shares themes of courage and history and overlapping grades (4–8).
- Dogtowngrades 3–6
- Shares themes of courage and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).
- Iceberggrades 3–7
- Shares themes of courage and history and overlapping grades (3–7).
- Impossible Creaturesgrades 4–8
- Shares themes of courage and friendship and overlapping grades (4–8).
- It Came from the Treesgrades 3–6
- Shares themes of courage and friendship and overlapping grades (3–6).
- Mid-Airgrades 6–8
- Shares themes of courage and friendship and overlapping grades (6–8).
- Not Nothinggrades 4–8
- Shares themes of friendship and history and overlapping grades (4–8).
- Simon Sort of Saysgrades 6–8
- Shares themes of courage and friendship and overlapping grades (6–8).
- Skyridersgrades 6–8
- Shares themes of courage and friendship and overlapping grades (6–8).