What books are similar to Plain Jane and the Mermaid?

The 10 closest matches to Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol on ReadingList include Beasts, Gone Wolf, Brownstone, Death in the Jungle, and Divergent. 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 Plain Jane and the Mermaid 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.

Books like Plain Jane and the Mermaid

If you liked Plain Jane and the Mermaid, read Beasts, Gone Wolf, or Brownstone — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol (Juvenile 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.

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Why each is a match

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Beastsgrades 9–12: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Gone Wolfgrades 9–12: Same genre (Juvenile Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Brownstonegrades 9–12: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Death in the Junglegrades 4–10: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (4–10). Amazon → books like this →
Divergentgrades 8–12: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (8–12). Amazon → books like this →
His Face Is the Sungrades 9–12: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Long Way Down720L: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon → books like this →
Orbiting Jupitergrades 7–10: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (7–10). Amazon → books like this →
Sisters in the Windgrades 9–12: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian600L: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and overlapping grades (7–10). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Plain Jane and the Mermaid for younger readers (K–2)

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

Ballet Brown by Bellen Woodard · grades K–1 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Barnaby Unboxed! by Terry Fan · grades 2–3 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Braided Roots by Pasha Westbrook · grades 2–3 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell · grades 2–3 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Detective Sweet Pea: The Case of the Golden Bone by Sara Varon · grades 2–3 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).

Books like Plain Jane and the Mermaid for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps · grades 4–5 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Barnaby Unboxed! by Terry Fan · grades 2–3 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Braided Roots by Pasha Westbrook · grades 2–3 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet by Goldy Moldavsky · grades 4–5 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan · grades 4–5 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).

Books like Plain Jane and the Mermaid for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico · grades 6–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
It's All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango · grades 6–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz · grades 6–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling · grades 6–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie · grades 6–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list and same genre (Juvenile Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to Plain Jane and the Mermaid?: The 10 closest matches to Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol on ReadingList include Beasts, Gone Wolf, Brownstone, Death in the Jungle, and Divergent. 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 Plain Jane and the Mermaid 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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