What books are similar to I Talk Like a River?

The 10 closest matches to I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott on ReadingList include Eleanor & Park, Nation, A Plate of Hope, A Scar like a River, and A Sitting in St. James. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like I Talk Like a River reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–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.

Books like I Talk Like a River

If you liked I Talk Like a River, read Eleanor & Park, Nation, or A Plate of Hope — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott (Children's · grades K–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 K–5 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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Try it on audio — free. 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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Eleanor & Parkgrades 4–9: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
Nationgrades 4–9: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
A Plate of Hopegrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
A Scar like a Rivergrades 4–9: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
A Sitting in St. Jamesgrades 4–9: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
A World Without Summergrades 4–10: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10). Amazon → books like this →
Black Girl You Are Atlasgrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
Bubble Troublegrades K–5: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
Chinese Menugrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
Clap When You Landgrades 3–10: Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →

Books like I Talk Like a River for younger readers (K–2)

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

I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Leaf Man Board Book by Lois Ehlert · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Navigating Night by Julie Leung · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
When You Can Swim by Jack Wong · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).

Books like I Talk Like a River for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry by Paula Yoo · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).

Books like I Talk Like a River for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry by Paula Yoo · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).

Books like I Talk Like a River for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley · grades 3–10 — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10).
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry by Paula Yoo · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).

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

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