What books are similar to Real Friends?

The 10 closest matches to Real Friends by Shannon Hale on ReadingList include All's Faire in Middle School, Crush, Class Act, El Deafo, and Fourth Grade Rats. Each is scored on shared themes (schools, best friends, and graphic novels), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Real Friends reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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 Real Friends

If you liked Real Friends, read All's Faire in Middle School, Crush, or Class Act — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Real Friends by Shannon Hale (Graphic Novel · grades 2–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of schools, best friends, and graphic novels. 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 2–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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All's Faire in Middle Schoolgrades 4–8: Shares themes of schools and graphic novels, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
Crushgrades 4–8: Shares themes of schools and graphic novels, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
Class Actgrades 4–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and same genre (Graphic Novel). Amazon → books like this →
El Deafo420L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Fourth Grade Ratsgrades 4–6: Shares themes of schools and friendship, both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
When Zachary Beaver Came to Towngrades 2–8: Shares themes of best friends and friendship, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Wonder790L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Dog Man Unleashedgrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Dramagrades 5–9: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon → books like this →
Each Kindnessgrades 3–8: Shares themes of schools and friendship and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Real Friends for younger readers (K–2)

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

We Forgot Brock! by Carter Goodrich · grades K–3 — Shares themes of best friends and friendship and overlapping grades (K–3).
Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8).
Bone by Jeff Smith · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (K–2).
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of schools, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Real Friends for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools and friendship and overlapping grades (4–6).
Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of graphic novels, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5).
Sidekicks by Dan Santat · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of graphic novels, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8).
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of graphic novels, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–6).
The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Real Friends for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools and friendship and overlapping grades (4–6).
Sidekicks by Dan Santat · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of graphic novels, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8).
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of graphic novels, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–6).
The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8).

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

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

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of graphic novels and same genre (Graphic Novel).
Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of graphic novels and same genre (Graphic Novel).
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Graphic Novel).
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (6–9).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (6–9).

Common questions

What books are similar to Real Friends?: The 10 closest matches to Real Friends by Shannon Hale on ReadingList include All's Faire in Middle School, Crush, Class Act, El Deafo, and Fourth Grade Rats. Each is scored on shared themes (schools, best friends, and graphic novels), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Real Friends reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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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