What books are similar to My Explosive Diary?

The 10 closest matches to My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale on ReadingList include Big Bad Bruce, Lulu's Mysterious Mission, The Recess Queen, A Boy Named Queen, and Jake and Lily. Each is scored on shared themes (bullying, spies, and bullies), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like My Explosive Diary reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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 My Explosive Diary

If you liked My Explosive Diary, read Big Bad Bruce, Lulu's Mysterious Mission, or The Recess Queen — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Big Bad Bruce by Bill Peet — shares bullying and bullies

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Looking for books like My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale (Realistic Fiction · grades 2–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of bullying, spies, and bullies. 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 2–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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Why each is a match

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Big Bad Brucegrades K–3: Shares themes of bullying and bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Lulu's Mysterious Missiongrades 2–8: Shares themes of spies, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Recess Queengrades K–3: Shares themes of bullying and bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8: Shares themes of bullying, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Jake and Lilygrades 3–6: Shares themes of bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Postedgrades 6–9: Shares themes of bullying, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Save Me a Seat780L: Shares themes of bullying, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Blubbergrades 4–7: Shares themes of bullying, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Counting by 7sgrades 2–8: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Fish in a Tree550L: Shares themes of bullying, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →

Books like My Explosive Diary for younger readers (K–2)

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

Herbie's Troubles by Carol Chapman · grades K–3 — Shares themes of bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like My Explosive Diary for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Herbie's Troubles by Carol Chapman · grades K–3 — Shares themes of bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like My Explosive Diary for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen · 760L — Shares themes of bullying, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).

Books like My Explosive Diary for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Barber Shop Chronicles by Inua Ellams · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2010s).
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2010s).
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2010s).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to My Explosive Diary?: The 10 closest matches to My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale on ReadingList include Big Bad Bruce, Lulu's Mysterious Mission, The Recess Queen, A Boy Named Queen, and Jake and Lily. Each is scored on shared themes (bullying, spies, and bullies), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like My Explosive Diary reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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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