Books like Paul, Big, and Small
If you liked Paul, Big, and Small, read Faking Normal, I am the Weapon, or I Hunt Killers — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
Get it on Amazon →Affiliate link: as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Looking for books like Paul, Big, and Small by David Glen Robb (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? 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 Paul, Big, and Small
Faking NormalCourtney C. Stevens
I am the WeaponAllen Zadoff
I Hunt KillersBarry Lyga
RoomEmma Donoghue
The Sun is Also a StarNicola Yoon
Five SurviveHolly Jackson
I Must Betray YouRuta Sepetys
ImpulseEllen Hopkins
The Brimstone JournalsRon Koertge
The Lovely Bones: A NovelAlice Sebold
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Why each is a match
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- Faking Normalgrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- I am the Weapongrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- I Hunt Killersgrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- Roomgrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- The Sun is Also a Stargrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- Five Survivegrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- I Must Betray Yougrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- Impulsegrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- The Brimstone Journalsgrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
- The Lovely Bones: A Novelgrades 9–12
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
More like this
Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Everything, EverythingNicola YoonAlso Realistic Fiction · on 4 reading lists
Grades 9–12 · 336 pages
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A Taste of HoneyShelagh DelaneyAlso Realistic Fiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 9–10 · 87 pages
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Define "Normal"Julie Anne PetersAlso Realistic Fiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 9–12 · 196 pages
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If You Come SoftlyJacqueline WoodsonAlso Realistic Fiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 9–12 · 181 pages
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Izzy, Willy-NillyCynthia VoigtAlso Realistic Fiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 9–12 · 280 pages
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The Face at the Edge of the WorldEve BuntingAlso Realistic Fiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 9–12 · 158 pages
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The Silver KissAnnette Curtis KlauseAlso Realistic Fiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 9–12 · 224 pages
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A Door Near HereHeather QuarlesAlso Realistic Fiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 9–12 · 231 pages
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A Sudden SilenceEve BuntingAlso Realistic Fiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 9–12 · 112 pages
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A Summer to DieLois LowryAlso Realistic Fiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 9–12 · 154 pages
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AfterFrancine ProseAlso Realistic Fiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 9–12 · 330 pages
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Breathing UnderwaterAlex FlinnAlso Realistic Fiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 9–12 · 263 pages
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Books like Paul, Big, and Small for middle school (grades 6–8)
Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.
- Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
- The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart · grades 5–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
- The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne · grades 4–7 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Common questions
- What books are similar to Paul, Big, and Small?
- The 10 closest matches to Paul, Big, and Small by David Glen Robb on ReadingList include Faking Normal, I am the Weapon, I Hunt Killers, Room, and The Sun is Also a Star. Each is scored on shared themes, 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 Paul, Big, and Small 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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