What books are similar to Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum?

The 10 closest matches to Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy on ReadingList include A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying, Good Dog, Action!: How Movies Began, Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be Wild, and A Handful of Stars. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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 Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum

If you liked Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum, read A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying or Good Dog — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy (Nonfiction · grades 3–6)? 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullyinggrades K–3: Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Good Doggrades K–3: Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Action!: How Movies Begangrades 2–3: Is by Meghan McCarthy, the same author and overlapping grades (2–3). Amazon → books like this →
Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be Wildgrades 3–6: Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
A Handful of Starsgrades 3–8: Same genre (Nonfiction), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!grades K–3: Same genre (Nonfiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wildernessgrades 4–8: Same genre (Nonfiction), overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miraclegrades 4–8: Same genre (Nonfiction), overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Aliens Are Coming!grades 3–6: Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Artgrades 4–8: Same genre (Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum for younger readers (K–2)

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

I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton · grades K–2 — Same genre (Nonfiction) and the same era (2010s).
Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).
Dandy by Ame Dyckman · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova · grades 3–5 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).
Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs · grades 3–5 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (4–8).
Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (4–8).
Chomp by Carl Hiaasen · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (6–8), and the same era (2010s).
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds · grades 3–10 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (3–10), and the same era (2010s).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
El Deafo by Cece Bell · 420L — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Nonfiction) and the same era (2010s).
The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Nonfiction) and the same era (2010s).
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds · grades 3–10 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (3–10), and the same era (2010s).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell · grades 4–9 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (4–9), and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum?: The 10 closest matches to Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy on ReadingList include A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying, Good Dog, Action!: How Movies Began, Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be Wild, and A Handful of Stars. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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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