Books like High Score

If you liked High Score, read A Duet for Home, Roll for Initiative, or Countdown to Yesterday — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser

Get it on Amazon →

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Looking for books like High Score by Destiny Howell (Middle Grade Fiction · grades 4–5)? 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 4–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to High Score

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Why each is a match

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A Duet for Homegrades 4–5
Both on the South Dakota Prairie Bud, Bloom & Pasque Awards list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–5). Amazon → books like this →
Roll for Initiativegrades 4–8
Both on the South Dakota Prairie Bud, Bloom & Pasque Awards list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
Countdown to Yesterdaygrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Finding Normalgrades 3–5
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
J vs. Kgrades 3–5
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Jawbreakergrades 3–7
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Just Keep Walkinggrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Oliver's Great Big Universegrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Onyx & Beyondgrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
The Firefly Summergrades 3–7
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →

More like this

Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Show 12 more

Books like High Score for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (2–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
  • A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis · grades K–1 — Both on the South Dakota Prairie Bud, Bloom & Pasque Awards list and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
  • Abuelita and Me by Leonarda Carranza · grades K–1 — Both on the South Dakota Prairie Bud, Bloom & Pasque Awards list and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
  • Action!: How Movies Began by Meghan McCarthy · grades 2–3 — Both on the South Dakota Prairie Bud, Bloom & Pasque Awards list and the same era (2020s). Amazon →
  • Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty · grades K–1 — Both on the South Dakota Prairie Bud, Bloom & Pasque Awards list and the same era (2020s). Amazon →

Books like High Score for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Books like High Score for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Common questions

What books are similar to High Score?
The 10 closest matches to High Score by Destiny Howell on ReadingList include A Duet for Home, Roll for Initiative, Countdown to Yesterday, Finding Normal, and J vs. K. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like High Score reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–5), 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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