What books are similar to James and the Giant Peach?

The 10 closest matches to James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl on ReadingList include The BFG, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, The Adventures of Captain Underpants, The 13-Story Treehouse, and Mr. Popper's Penguins. Each is scored on shared themes (escape, friendship, and imagination), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like James and the Giant Peach reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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 James and the Giant Peach

If you liked James and the Giant Peach, read The BFG, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, or The Adventures of Captain Underpants — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (Middle Grade Fiction · 870L · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of escape, friendship, and imagination. 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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The BFG720L: Shares themes of friendship and imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
The Mouse and the Motorcycle860L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
The Adventures of Captain Underpants720L: Shares themes of friendship and imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 870L). Amazon →
The 13-Story Treehouse560L: Shares themes of friendship and imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Mr. Popper's Penguins910L: Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet820L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Stuart Little920L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Bridge to Terabithia810L: Shares themes of friendship and imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (810L vs 870L). Amazon →
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory810L: Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (810L vs 870L). Amazon →
The Cricket in Times Square780L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →

Books like James and the Giant Peach for younger readers (K–2)

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

Corduroy by Don Freeman · 600L — Shares themes of friendship and imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (K–3).
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (750L vs 870L).
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak · 740L — Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (740L vs 870L).
I Lived Inside a Whale by Xin Li · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and imagination and overlapping grades (K–3).
No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship and imagination.

Books like James and the Giant Peach for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Frindle by Andrew Clements · 830L — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (830L vs 870L).
Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Corduroy by Don Freeman · 600L — Shares themes of friendship and imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (K–3).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (950L vs 870L).
Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 870L).

Books like James and the Giant Peach for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Frindle by Andrew Clements · 830L — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (830L vs 870L).
Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (950L vs 870L).
Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 870L).
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).

Books like James and the Giant Peach for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini · 840L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (840L vs 870L).
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes · 910L — Shares themes of friendship and a close reading level (910L vs 870L).
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton · 750L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (750L vs 870L).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (730L vs 870L).
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee · 870L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (870L vs 870L), and the same era (1960s).

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

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