What books are similar to Roll for Initiative?

The 10 closest matches to Roll for Initiative by Jaime Formato on ReadingList include Operation Final Notice, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Season of Styx Malone, Countdown to Yesterday, and Grounded. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship, anxiety, and gaming), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Roll for Initiative reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–8), 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 Roll for Initiative

If you liked Roll for Initiative, read Operation Final Notice, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, or The Season of Styx Malone — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Roll for Initiative by Jaime Formato (Middle Grade Fiction · grades 4–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, anxiety, and gaming. 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 4–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Operation Final Noticegrades 4–8: Shares themes of friendship, anxiety, and family, both on the Washington Sasquatch Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Diary of a Wimpy Kid950L: Shares themes of friendship and family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
The Season of Styx Malone510L: Shares themes of friendship and family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Countdown to Yesterdaygrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Groundedgrades 4–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Washington Sasquatch Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Jawbreakergrades 3–7: Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Just a Pinch of Magicgrades 4–8: Shares themes of friendship and family, both on the Washington Sasquatch Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Out of My Mind700L: Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet820L: Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Rewindgrades 4–8: Shares themes of family, both on the Washington Sasquatch Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →

Books like Roll for Initiative for younger readers (K–2)

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

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
A Lot to Like! by Derek Anderson · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
Fox Has a Problem by Corey R. Tabor · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Shares themes of friendship and family and overlapping grades (2–5).
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows · 580L — Shares themes of friendship and family and overlapping grades (2–4).

Books like Roll for Initiative for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Stuart Little by E.B. White · 920L — Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Duel by Jessixa Bagley · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–8).
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt · 550L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).

Books like Roll for Initiative for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Shares themes of friendship and family, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Duel by Jessixa Bagley · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–8).
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt · 550L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (6–8).

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

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

Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and family.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton · 750L — Shares themes of friendship and family and overlapping grades (7–9).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship and family and overlapping grades (7–10).
Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt · grades 6–9 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2020s).
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay · grades 7–12 — Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (7–12).

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

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