Books like Juana and Lucas

If you liked Juana and Lucas, read 11 Birthdays, Are You Ready to Play Outside?, or Balloons over Broadway — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina? 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.

10 books similar to Juana and Lucas

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Why each is a match

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11 Birthdaysgrades 3–5
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Are You Ready to Play Outside?grades K–2
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Balloons over Broadwaygrades 1–4
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (1–4), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Bink and Gollie: Two for Onegrades K–2
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Charlie & Mouse Even Bettergrades K–2
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Dog Man390L
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (2–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Don't Throw It to Mo!grades K–2
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Fox the Tigergrades K–2
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Front Desk640L
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Max and the Midknightsgrades 3–6
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →

Books like Juana and Lucas for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Frizzy by Claribel Ortega · grades 4–5 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list).
  • Big Nate: In a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce · 500L — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Chickadee by Louise Erdrich · grades 4–7 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dash (Dogs of World War II) by Kirby Larson · grades 4–7 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos · grades 4–7 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).

Books like Juana and Lucas for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Big Nate: In a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce · 500L — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Chickadee by Louise Erdrich · grades 4–7 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dash (Dogs of World War II) by Kirby Larson · grades 4–7 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos · grades 4–7 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Elijah of Buxton (Scholastic Gold) by Christopher Paul Curtis · grades 5–8 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).

Books like Juana and Lucas for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

  • Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle · grades 6–10 — Both on the Pura Belpré Author Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle · grades 7–12 — Both on the Pura Belpré Author Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo · 800L — Both on the Pura Belpré Author Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • The Wall by Peter Sís · grades 5–9 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list and the same era (2010s).
  • Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall · grades 7–12 — Both on the Pura Belpré Author Award list 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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