What books are similar to My Robot Buddy?

The 10 closest matches to My Robot Buddy by Alfred Slote on ReadingList include Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Nova's Ark, My Teacher Is an Alien, Aliens Ate My Homework, and How to Eat Fried Worms. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship, robots, and science fiction), 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 My Robot Buddy 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 My Robot Buddy

If you liked My Robot Buddy, read Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Nova's Ark, or My Teacher Is an Alien — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like My Robot Buddy by Alfred Slote (Science Fiction · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, robots, and science fiction. 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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Charlie and the Great Glass Elevatorgrades 4–6: Shares themes of science fiction, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and same genre (Science Fiction). Amazon →
Nova's Arkgrades 2–8: Shares themes of robots and science fiction, same genre (Science Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
My Teacher Is an Aliengrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and same genre (Science Fiction). Amazon →
Aliens Ate My Homeworkgrades 3–8: Shares themes of science fiction, same genre (Science Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
How to Eat Fried Wormsgrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25grades 6–9: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Science Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Sal and Gabi Break the Universegrades 4–7: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Science Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Shape-Changergrades 3–8: Shares themes of science fiction, same genre (Science Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
The Last Dragon on Marsgrades 4–8: Shares themes of friendship and science fiction and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Virtually Perfectgrades 3–8: Shares themes of science fiction, same genre (Science Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →

Books like My Robot Buddy for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (2–4).
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel · 350L — Shares themes of friendship.
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel · 330L — Shares themes of friendship.
A Lot to Like! by Derek Anderson · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (2–5).
A Mischief of Mice by Christie Matheson · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship.

Books like My Robot Buddy for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo · 610L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (3–5).
El Deafo by Cece Bell · 420L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–6).
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling · 880L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–7).
Holes by Louis Sachar · 660L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–7).
New Kid by Jerry Craft · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–8).

Books like My Robot Buddy for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

El Deafo by Cece Bell · 420L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–6).
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling · 880L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–7).
Holes by Louis Sachar · 660L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–7).
New Kid by Jerry Craft · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–8).
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson · 440L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) list, and overlapping grades (4–7).

Books like My Robot Buddy for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Drama by Raina Telgemeier · grades 5–9 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (5–9).
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes · 910L — Shares themes of friendship.
Four for the Road by K.J. Reilly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
My Ántonia by Willa Cather · 1010L — Shares themes of friendship.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck · 630L — Shares themes of friendship.

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

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