Books like Just Like Millie

If you liked Just Like Millie, read I Lived Inside a Whale, Knight Owl and Early Bird, or Knight Owl — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Just Like Millie by Lauren Castillo (Picture Book · grades K–3)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, courage, and kindness. 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 Just Like Millie

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Why each is a match

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I Lived Inside a Whalegrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship and kindness, both on the Colorado Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
Knight Owl and Early Birdgrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship and courage, both on the Colorado Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
Knight Owlgrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship and courage, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →
A Mischief of Micegrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Colorado Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
Corduroy600L
Shares themes of friendship and kindness, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →
Dogtowngrades 3–6
Shares themes of friendship and courage, both on the Colorado Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
The Giving Tree530L
Shares themes of friendship and kindness, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon →
The Yellow Busgrades K–3
Shares themes of kindness, both on the Colorado Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
Because of You, John Lewisgrades 3–5
Shares themes of courage, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Buffalo Fluffalogrades K–2
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon →

Books like Just Like Millie for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Gibberish by Young Vo · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (2–5).
  • How This Book Got Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
  • Night in the City by Julie Downing · grades K–2 — Shares themes of kindness, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
  • No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).

Books like Just Like Millie for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Gibberish by Young Vo · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (2–5).
  • Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of friendship and courage.
  • It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship and courage and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of friendship and courage and overlapping grades (3–5).

Books like Just Like Millie for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Heroes by Alan Gratz · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship and courage.
  • Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of friendship and courage.
  • It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship and courage and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship and courage.
  • Skyriders by Polly Holyoke · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship and courage.

Books like Just Like Millie for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

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

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