Books like Not Nothing
Looking for books like Not Nothing by Gayle Forman (Middle Grade Fiction · grades 4–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of redemption, friendship, and history. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 4–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to Not Nothing
WonderR.J. Palacio · 790L
Chronicles of a Lizard NobodyPatrick Ness
Confessions of a Class ClownArianne Costner
Control FreaksJ.E. Thomas
Countdown to YesterdayShirley Marr
GroundedAisha Saeed, S.K. Ali, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & Huda Al-Marashi
HeroesAlan Gratz
J vs. KKwame Alexander & Jerry Craft
Just Keep WalkingErin Soderberg Downing
Operation Final NoticeMatthew Landis
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Why each is a match
- Wonder790L
- Shares themes of friendship and empathy, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
- Chronicles of a Lizard Nobodygrades 4–8
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).
- Confessions of a Class Clowngrades 6–8
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
- Control Freaksgrades 6–8
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
- Countdown to Yesterdaygrades 3–6
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
- Groundedgrades 4–8
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).
- Heroesgrades 6–8
- Shares themes of friendship and history and overlapping grades (6–8).
- J vs. Kgrades 3–5
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
- Just Keep Walkinggrades 3–6
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
- Operation Final Noticegrades 4–8
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).