What books are similar to If I Built a Car?

The 10 closest matches to If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen on ReadingList include If I Built a School, Bedhead, My Lucky Day, Satch and Me, and The Ghost of Lizard Light. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like If I Built a Car reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), 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 If I Built a Car

If you liked If I Built a Car, read If I Built a School, Bedhead, or My Lucky Day — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen (Realistic Fiction · grades K–3)? 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–3 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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If I Built a Schoolgrades K–3: Is by Chris Van Dusen, the same author, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Bedheadgrades K–3: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
My Lucky Daygrades K–3: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Satch and Megrades 3–5: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
The Ghost of Lizard Lightgrades 3–5: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the Schoolgrades K–3: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Titanicatgrades K–3: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Togogrades 2–8: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
A Dog Called Kittygrades 3–5: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Chez Bobgrades K–2: Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →

Books like If I Built a Car for younger readers (K–2)

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

Don’t Touch My Room by Patricia Lakin · grades K–3 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio · grades K–3 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp · grades K–2 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–2).
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh · grades K–3 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Miss Nelson Has a Field Day by Harry Allard · grades K–3 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like If I Built a Car for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Loser by Jerry Spinelli · grades 4–6 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Don’t Touch My Room by Patricia Lakin · grades K–3 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Ferret in the Bedroom, Lizards in the Fridge by Bill Wallace · grades 3–5 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio · grades K–3 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like If I Built a Car for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

High Heat by Carl Deuker · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Loser by Jerry Spinelli · grades 4–6 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Night Hoops by Carl Deuker · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Perfect by Natasha Friend · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Books like If I Built a Car for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

High Heat by Carl Deuker · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Night Hoops by Carl Deuker · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Perfect by Natasha Friend · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
The Compound by S. A. Bodeen · grades 6–9 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Common questions

What books are similar to If I Built a Car?: The 10 closest matches to If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen on ReadingList include If I Built a School, Bedhead, My Lucky Day, Satch and Me, and The Ghost of Lizard Light. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like If I Built a Car reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), 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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