Books like My Horrible Secret

If you liked My Horrible Secret, read When the Boys Ran the House, Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days, or Double Fudge — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like My Horrible Secret by Stephen Roos (Humor · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of humorous stories, brothers, and baseball stories. 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.

10 books similar to My Horrible Secret

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Why each is a match

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When the Boys Ran the Housegrades 3–6
Shares themes of humorous stories and brothers, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Daysgrades 4–6
Shares themes of humorous stories, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Humor). Amazon →
Double Fudgegrades 4–6
Shares themes of humorous stories and brothers, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
No More Dead Dogsgrades 2–8
Shares themes of humorous stories and schools, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Busgrades 3–5
Shares themes of humorous stories and brothers, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
The Sixth Grade Nickname Gamegrades 4–6
Shares themes of humorous stories and schools, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Banana Twistgrades 4–6
Shares themes of humorous stories, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Humor). Amazon →
Arnie, the Doughnutgrades 2–8
Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
Dear Mrs. LaRuegrades 3–5
Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Dog Breathgrades 2–8
Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →

Books like My Horrible Secret for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Humor) and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Real Friends by Shannon Hale · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of schools and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Scat by Carl Hiaasen · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Humor) and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like My Horrible Secret for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth by Barbara Park · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Knocked Out by Nunga-Nungas by Louise Rennison · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–5).
  • Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by O'Malley, Kevin · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–5).
  • Piggie Pie! by Margie Palatini · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–5).
  • The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of humorous stories and schools and overlapping grades (3–5).

Books like My Horrible Secret for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth by Barbara Park · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and schools and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Humor), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Flying Solo by Ralph J. Fletcher · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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