Books like Of Mice and Men

Looking for books like Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Literary Fiction · 630L · grades 8–11)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, loneliness, and American Dream. 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 8–11 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Of Mice and Men

Why each is a match

Flowers for Algernon910L
Shares themes of friendship and disability, same genre (Literary Fiction), and overlapping grades (8–11).
The Grapes of Wrath680L
Shares themes of American Dream and a close reading level (680L vs 630L).
The Kite Runner840L
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Literary Fiction), and a close reading level (840L vs 630L).
The Great Gatsby1070L
Shares themes of American Dream, same genre (Literary Fiction), and overlapping grades (10–12).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time1090L
Shares themes of disability, same genre (Literary Fiction), and overlapping grades (8–12).
The Parker Inheritance610L
Shares themes of friendship and a close reading level (610L vs 630L).
The Color Purple670L
Same genre (Literary Fiction) and a close reading level (670L vs 630L).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower720L
Shares themes of friendship and a close reading level (720L vs 630L).
The Book Thief730L
Shares themes of friendship and a close reading level (730L vs 630L).
Out of the Dust740L
Shares themes of Great Depression and a close reading level (740L vs 630L).

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