What books are similar to Riding Freedom?

The 10 closest matches to Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan on ReadingList include Prisoner B-3087, Crash, Flight #116 Is Down!, The River, and The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. Each is scored on shared themes (history, mistaken identity, and identification), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Riding Freedom reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–8), 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 Riding Freedom

If you liked Riding Freedom, read Prisoner B-3087, Crash, or Flight #116 Is Down! — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Adventure · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of history, mistaken identity, and identification. 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 3–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Prisoner B-3087grades 3–8: Shares themes of history, both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Crashgrades 3–8: Same genre (Adventure), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (1990s). Amazon →
Flight #116 Is Down!grades 3–8: Same genre (Adventure), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (1990s). Amazon →
The Rivergrades 5–8: Same genre (Adventure), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (1990s). Amazon →
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—19631000L: Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
A Royal Conundrumgrades 3–6: Same genre (Adventure) and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
A Wolf Called Wandergrades 4–6: Same genre (Adventure) and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Aliens Ate My Homeworkgrades 3–8: Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (1990s). Amazon →
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Artgrades 4–8: Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Because of You, John Lewisgrades 3–5: Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →

Books like Riding Freedom for younger readers (K–2)

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

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (2–8).
Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Same genre (Adventure) and overlapping grades (2–5).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (2–8).
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (2–5).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (2–5).

Books like Riding Freedom for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Boy at War by Harry Mazer · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (4–6).
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis · 950L — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (1990s).
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (4–8).
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith · grades 5–8 — Same genre (Adventure) and overlapping grades (5–8).
Drive-By by Lynne Ewing · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (1990s).

Books like Riding Freedom for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin · 920L — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (6–9).
Boy at War by Harry Mazer · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (4–6).
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis · 950L — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (1990s).
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (4–8).
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith · grades 5–8 — Same genre (Adventure) and overlapping grades (5–8).

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

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

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin · 920L — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (6–9).
Murder Among Friends by Candace Fleming · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history.
Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London · 1120L — Same genre (Adventure) and overlapping grades (6–10).
Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history.

Book data last updated 2026-07-07. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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