Books like No Cats in the Library

If you liked No Cats in the Library, read Corduroy, How This Book Got Red, or Yuna's Cardboard Castles — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons (Picture Book · grades K–2)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, belonging, and imagination. 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 K–2 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to No Cats in the Library

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Why each is a match

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Corduroy600L
Shares themes of friendship, belonging, and imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →
How This Book Got Redgrades K–2
Shares themes of friendship and belonging, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
Yuna's Cardboard Castlesgrades K–2
Shares themes of friendship and belonging, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
Gibberishgrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship and belonging, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →
I Lived Inside a Whalegrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship and imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →
Buffalo Fluffalogrades K–2
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guidegrades K–2
Shares themes of imagination, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
You're So Amazing!grades K–2
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
A Mischief of Micegrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →
Don't Think of Tigersgrades K–3
Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →

Books like No Cats in the Library for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Just Like Millie by Lauren Castillo · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Knight Owl by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like No Cats in the Library for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Just Like Millie by Lauren Castillo · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Knight Owl by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like No Cats in the Library for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson · 810L — Shares themes of friendship and imagination.
  • Fablehaven by Brandon Mull · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship and imagination.
  • James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl · 870L — Shares themes of friendship and imagination.
  • The BFG by Roald Dahl · 720L — Shares themes of friendship and imagination.
  • The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship and imagination.

Books like No Cats in the Library for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

  • Four for the Road by K.J. Reilly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
  • Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
  • The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
  • Under the Surface by Diana Urban · grades 7–12 — Shares themes of friendship.
  • Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and the same era (2020s).

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

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