What books are similar to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH?

The 10 closest matches to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien on ReadingList include Wonder, Maniac Magee, Out of My Mind, Old Yeller, and Frindle. Each is scored on shared themes (family, courage, and science and ethics), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

If you liked Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, read Wonder, Maniac Magee, or Out of My Mind — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (Middle Grade Fiction · 790L · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of family, courage, and science and ethics. 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 4–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Wonder790L: Shares themes of family, both on the Mark Twain Readers Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Maniac Magee820L: Shares themes of family, both on the Mark Twain Readers Award list (+4 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Out of My Mind700L: Shares themes of family and intelligence, both on the Mark Twain Readers Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Old Yellergrades 5–8: Shares themes of family and courage, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Frindle830L: Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Ramona the Pest750L: Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Shiloh890L: Shares themes of family and courage, both on the Mark Twain Readers Award list (+3 more shared lists), and a close reading level (890L vs 790L). Amazon →
The Mouse and the Motorcycle860L: Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+2 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (860L vs 790L). Amazon →
Mr. Popper's Penguins910L: Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Number the Stars670L: Shares themes of family and courage, both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list), and a close reading level (670L vs 790L). Amazon →

Books like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH for younger readers (K–2)

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

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey · 730L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (730L vs 790L).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of family and courage and a close reading level (590L vs 790L).
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey · 720L — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction) and a close reading level (720L vs 790L).

Books like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Rascal by Sterling North · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian · 820L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Matilda by Roald Dahl · 840L — Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The BFG by Roald Dahl · 720L — Shares themes of courage, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).

Books like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Rascal by Sterling North · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian · 820L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Matilda by Roald Dahl · 840L — Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The BFG by Roald Dahl · 720L — Shares themes of courage, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina · 700L — Shares themes of family, both on the Newbery Medal list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).

Books like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, and a close reading level (800L vs 790L).
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton · 750L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (750L vs 790L).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of courage, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (730L vs 790L).
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo · 800L — Shares themes of family and a close reading level (800L vs 790L).
I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai · 830L — Shares themes of courage and a close reading level (830L vs 790L).

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

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