What books are similar to Martha Speaks?

The 10 closest matches to Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh on ReadingList include Shiloh Season, The Sweetest Fig, Can I Be Your Dog?, Widget, and Dog Breath. Each is scored on shared themes (dogs, spanish language materials, and ficción juvenil), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Martha Speaks reading-level appropriate?

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

If you liked Martha Speaks, read Shiloh Season, The Sweetest Fig, or Can I Be Your Dog? — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh (Realistic Fiction · grades K–3)? It’s most often read for its themes of dogs, spanish language materials, and ficción juvenil. 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.

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Why each is a match

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Shiloh Seasongrades 3–6: Shares themes of dogs, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Sweetest Figgrades 3–8: Shares themes of dogs and ficción juvenil, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Can I Be Your Dog?grades K–3: Shares themes of dogs, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Widgetgrades K–3: Shares themes of dogs, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Dog Breathgrades 2–8: Shares themes of dogs and perros and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Tomás and the Library Ladygrades K–1: Shares themes of spanish language materials, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–1). Amazon → books like this →
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eatgrades 2–8: Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
A Bad Case of Stripesgrades 2–8: Shares themes of ficción juvenil, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Ellie's Storygrades 3–6: Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
My Dog, My Herogrades 3–5: Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Martha Speaks for younger readers (K–2)

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

Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Dandy by Ame Dyckman · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Except Antarctica! by Todd Sturgell · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Humpty-Dumpty Egg-Splodes by O'Malley, Kevin · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like Martha Speaks for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Fudge by Charlotte Towner Graeber · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of dogs and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller · grades 3–6 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
Aliens Are Coming! by Megan McCarthy · grades 3–6 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Martha Speaks for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Fudge by Charlotte Towner Graeber · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of dogs and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
Spying on Miss Müller by Eve Bunting · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

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

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

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to Martha Speaks?: The 10 closest matches to Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh on ReadingList include Shiloh Season, The Sweetest Fig, Can I Be Your Dog?, Widget, and Dog Breath. Each is scored on shared themes (dogs, spanish language materials, and ficción juvenil), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Martha Speaks reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), 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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