What books are similar to House of Purple Cedar?

The 10 closest matches to House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle on ReadingList include Hearts Unbroken, If I Ever Get Out of Here, Surviving the City, Apple, and Rez Ball. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like House of Purple Cedar reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 House of Purple Cedar

If you liked House of Purple Cedar, read Hearts Unbroken, If I Ever Get Out of Here, or Surviving the City — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle (Young Adult · grades 9–12)? 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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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Hearts Unbrokengrades 9–12: Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list, same genre (Young Adult), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
If I Ever Get Out of Heregrades 9–12: Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list, same genre (Young Adult), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Surviving the Citygrades 9–12: Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list, same genre (Young Adult), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Applegrades 9–12: Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list, same genre (Young Adult), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Rez Ballgrades 9–12: Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list, same genre (Young Adult), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Trail of the Dead (Killer of Enemies #2)grades 9–12: Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list, same genre (Young Adult), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Warrior Girl Unearthedgrades 9–12: Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list, same genre (Young Adult), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
After the Snowgrades 9–12: Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Beautiful Creatures: The Manga (A Graphic Novel)grades 9–12: Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Because You'll Never Meet Megrades 9–12: Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like House of Purple Cedar for younger readers (K–2)

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

Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle · grades K–3 — Is by Tim Tingle, the same author and both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list.
Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child · grades K–3 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard · grades K–3 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).
Little You / kiya kâ-apisîsisiyan by Richard Van Camp · grades K–3 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).
Sitting Bull by S.D. Nelson · grades K–3 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).

Books like House of Purple Cedar for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle · grades K–3 — Is by Tim Tingle, the same author and both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list.
Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner [Dyslexic Edition] by Tim Tingle · grades 3–7 — Is by Tim Tingle, the same author and both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list.
How I Became A Ghost by Tim Tingle · grades 3–7 — Is by Tim Tingle, the same author and both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list.
Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child · grades K–3 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).
Eagle Drums by NASUGRAQ RAINEY. HOPSON · grades 3–7 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).

Books like House of Purple Cedar for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner [Dyslexic Edition] by Tim Tingle · grades 3–7 — Is by Tim Tingle, the same author and both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list.
How I Became A Ghost by Tim Tingle · grades 3–7 — Is by Tim Tingle, the same author and both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list.
Eagle Drums by NASUGRAQ RAINEY. HOPSON · grades 3–7 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall · grades 3–7 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).
Jordin Tootoo by Melanie Florence · grades 3–7 — Both on the American Indian Youth Literature Award list and the same era (2010s).

Books like House of Purple Cedar for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Belle Époque by Elizabeth Ross · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Young Adult), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).

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

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