What books are similar to Monster?

The 10 closest matches to Monster by Walter Dean Myers on ReadingList include Speak, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Long Way Down, The Outsiders, and Out of the Dust. Each is scored on shared themes (criminal justice, race and adolescence, and identity and reputation), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 8–11), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Monster reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 8–11), 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 Monster

If you liked Monster, read Speak, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or Long Way Down — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Monster by Walter Dean Myers (Young Adult Fiction · 670L · grades 8–11)? It’s most often read for its themes of criminal justice, race and adolescence, and identity and reputation. 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 8–11 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Speak690L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (690L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →
The Perks of Being a Wallflower720L: Same genre (Young Adult Fiction), a close reading level (720L vs 670L), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Long Way Down720L: Same genre (Young Adult Fiction) and a close reading level (720L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →
The Outsiders750L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (750L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →
Out of the Dust740L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (740L vs 670L), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Ender's Game780L: Same genre (Young Adult Fiction) and a close reading level (780L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →
The Poet X800L: Same genre (Young Adult Fiction) and a close reading level (800L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →
American Born Chinese530L: Same genre (Young Adult Fiction) and a close reading level (530L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →
The Grapes of Wrath680L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (680L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →
Of Mice and Men630L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (630L vs 670L). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Monster for younger readers (K–2)

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

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña · 610L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (610L vs 670L).
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey · 730L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (730L vs 670L).
Corduroy by Don Freeman · 600L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (600L vs 670L).
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak · 740L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (740L vs 670L).

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

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

Holes by Louis Sachar · 660L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (660L vs 670L), and the same era (1990s).
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry · 670L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (670L vs 670L).
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo · 670L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (670L vs 670L).
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White · 680L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (680L vs 670L).
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan · 660L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (660L vs 670L).

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

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

Holes by Louis Sachar · 660L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (660L vs 670L), and the same era (1990s).
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry · 670L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (670L vs 670L).
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo · 670L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (670L vs 670L).
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly · 690L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (690L vs 670L).
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg · 700L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (700L vs 670L).

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

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

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (730L vs 670L).
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie · 600L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (600L vs 670L).
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green · 850L — Same genre (Young Adult Fiction) and a close reading level (850L vs 670L).
Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults) by Bryan Stevenson · 1130L — Shares themes of incarceration and overlapping grades (9–12).
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay · grades 7–12 — Same genre (Young Adult Fiction) and overlapping grades (7–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to Monster?: The 10 closest matches to Monster by Walter Dean Myers on ReadingList include Speak, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Long Way Down, The Outsiders, and Out of the Dust. Each is scored on shared themes (criminal justice, race and adolescence, and identity and reputation), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 8–11), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Monster reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 8–11), 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 2026-08-11. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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