Books like Night Kites

If you liked Night Kites, read A Sudden Silence, Breaking Boxes, or Master Harold...and the Boys — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Night Kites by M. E. Kerr (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of family problems, aids (disease), and brothers. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Night Kites

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Why each is a match

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A Sudden Silencegrades 9–12
Shares themes of brothers, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Breaking Boxesgrades 9–12
Shares themes of brothers, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Master Harold...and the Boysgrades 9–10
Shares themes of social life and customs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–10). Amazon → books like this →
High Heatgrades 6–9
Shares themes of family problems, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Izzy, Willy-Nillygrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Perfect Chemistrygrades 9–12
Shares themes of family problems, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Selected Storiesgrades 11–12
Shares themes of social life and customs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Face at the Edge of the Worldgrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Truth Trapgrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
A Summer to Diegrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Night Kites for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Don’t Touch My Room by Patricia Lakin · grades K–3 — Shares themes of brothers and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Bagdad Ate It by Phyllis Green · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
  • Herbie's Troubles by Carol Chapman · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
  • Tangerine by Edward Bloor · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of brothers and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs? by Carol Carrick · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).

Books like Night Kites for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Daphne's Book by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family problems and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Don’t Touch My Room by Patricia Lakin · grades K–3 — Shares themes of brothers and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • All About Sam by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
  • Bagdad Ate It by Phyllis Green · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
  • Harry's Mad by Dick King-Smith · grades 3–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).

Books like Night Kites for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Daphne's Book by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family problems and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • All About Sam by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
  • December Stillness by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 6–8 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
  • Harry's Mad by Dick King-Smith · grades 3–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
  • Taking Terri Mueller by Norma Fox Mazer · grades 6–8 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).

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

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

  • After by Francine Prose · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • Bad by Jean Ferris · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to Night Kites?
The 10 closest matches to Night Kites by M. E. Kerr on ReadingList include A Sudden Silence, Breaking Boxes, Master Harold...and the Boys, High Heat, and Izzy, Willy-Nilly. Each is scored on shared themes (family problems, aids (disease), and brothers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Night Kites reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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