Books like Piggins

If you liked Piggins, read Nightmare Mountain, Closed for the Season, or My Lucky Day — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Piggins by Jane Yolen (Mystery · grades K–3)? It’s most often read for its themes of mystery and detective stories, pigs, and animals. 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–3 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Piggins

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Why each is a match

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Nightmare Mountaingrades 3–6
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Closed for the Seasongrades 3–8
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
My Lucky Daygrades K–3
Shares themes of pigs and pigs, fiction, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
The Strangergrades 3–5
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Framed!grades 3–8
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Is Anybody There?grades 3–5
Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Owl Moongrades K–3
Is by Jane Yolen, the same author, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
Skeleton Creekgrades 3–8
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Something Big Has Been Heregrades 3–5
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Tarot Says Bewaregrades 3–8
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Piggins for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick · grades K–3 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Crash, Splash, or Moo! by Bob Shea · grades K–3 — Shares themes of animals, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • A Perfect Pork Stew by Paul Brett Johnson · grades K–3 — Shares themes of pigs, fiction and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman · grades K–1 — Shares themes of animals and overlapping grades (K–1).
  • Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle · grades K–2 — Shares themes of animals and overlapping grades (K–2).

Books like Piggins for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
  • Alvin's Swap Shop by Clifford B. Hicks · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
  • Dead Man in Indian Creek by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
  • Terror at the Zoo by Peg Kehret · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • The Name of the Game Was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Piggins for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Whispers from the Dead by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and same genre (Mystery).
  • The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and same genre (Mystery).
  • Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
  • Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
  • The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).

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

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

  • Whispers from the Dead by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and same genre (Mystery).
  • The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list, and same genre (Mystery).
  • Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
  • Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
  • The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes · grades 9–12 — Both on the Nebraska Golden Sower Award list and same genre (Mystery).

Common questions

What books are similar to Piggins?
The 10 closest matches to Piggins by Jane Yolen on ReadingList include Nightmare Mountain, Closed for the Season, My Lucky Day, The Stranger, and Framed!. Each is scored on shared themes (mystery and detective stories, pigs, and animals), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Piggins reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), 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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