Books like Learning to Swear in America

If you liked Learning to Swear in America, read Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares or The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Learning to Swear in America

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Why each is a match

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Dash & Lily’s Book of Daresgrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dreamgrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Year of Secret Assignmentsgrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
A Door Near Heregrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soulgrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
If You Come Softlygrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Izzy, Willy-Nillygrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Jumping the Nailgrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Just Like Martingrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
My Sister's Keepergrades 9–12
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Learning to Swear in America for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Lion vs. Rabbit by Alex Latimer · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Learning to Swear in America for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight · grades 3–5 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Learning to Swear in America for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Breakout by Kate Messner · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz · grades 3–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Learning to Swear in America for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

  • Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • Tears of A Tiger by Sharon M. Draper · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • The China Garden by Liz Berry · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • The Face at the Edge of the World by Eve Bunting · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to Learning to Swear in America?
The 10 closest matches to Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy on ReadingList include Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, The Year of Secret Assignments, A Door Near Here, and Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Learning to Swear in America reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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