What books are similar to Loch?

The 10 closest matches to Loch by Paul Zindel on ReadingList include Drive-By, Go Away, Big Green Monster, No Such Thing, The Doom Stone, and A Family Apart. Each is scored on shared themes (underwater exploration, brothers and sisters, and monsters), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Loch reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–8), 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 Loch

If you liked Loch, read Drive-By, Go Away, Big Green Monster, or No Such Thing — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like Loch by Paul Zindel (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of underwater exploration, brothers and sisters, and monsters. 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 3–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Drive-Bygrades 3–8: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Go Away, Big Green Monstergrades K–3: Shares themes of monsters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
No Such Thinggrades K–3: Shares themes of monsters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
The Doom Stonegrades 6–9: Is by Paul Zindel, the same author, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
A Family Apartgrades 6–8: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
All About Samgrades 4–6: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomatogrades K–3: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Jake and Lilygrades 3–6: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swampgrades K–3: Shares themes of monsters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Shiloh890L: Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Loch for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Monster Who Ate My Peas by Danny Schnitzlein · grades K–3 — Shares themes of monsters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Basket by George Ella Lyon · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Copycat by Ruth Brown · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Don't Fidget a Feather! by Erica Silverman · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).

Books like Loch for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Lemonade War by Davies, Jacqueline · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
The Monster Who Ate My Peas by Danny Schnitzlein · grades K–3 — Shares themes of monsters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Who Needs a Bratty Brother? by Linda Gondosch · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
Zach's Lie by Roland Smith · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Loch for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Lemonade War by Davies, Jacqueline · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Zach's Lie by Roland Smith · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
A Boy Named Queen by Sara Cassidy · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Ava and Pip by Carol Weston · grades 3–8 — Both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Loch for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Time of Troubles by Pieter Van Raven · grades 5–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (1990s).
Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
Bad by Jean Ferris · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Loch?: The 10 closest matches to Loch by Paul Zindel on ReadingList include Drive-By, Go Away, Big Green Monster, No Such Thing, The Doom Stone, and A Family Apart. Each is scored on shared themes (underwater exploration, brothers and sisters, and monsters), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Loch reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–8), 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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