What books are similar to Secrets of the Mummies?

The 10 closest matches to Secrets of the Mummies by Shelley Tanaka on ReadingList include Weslandia, Albert, Avalon High, Black Brother, Black Brother, and Call Me Hope. Each is scored on shared themes (mummies, antiquities, and civilization), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Secrets of the Mummies reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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 Secrets of the Mummies

If you liked Secrets of the Mummies, read Weslandia, Albert, or Avalon High — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Secrets of the Mummies by Shelley Tanaka (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of mummies, antiquities, and civilization. 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 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Weslandiagrades 3–8: Shares themes of civilization, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Albertgrades 3–5: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Avalon Highgrades 3–5: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Black Brother, Black Brothergrades 5–8: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Call Me Hopegrades 3–5: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Class Clowngrades 3–5: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Dukegrades 3–5: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Ghost730L: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Rulesgrades 4–7: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
So B. Itgrades 5–8: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →

Books like Secrets of the Mummies for younger readers (K–2)

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

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
Sharing Susan by Eve Bunting · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
Tangerine by Edward Bloor · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Secrets of the Mummies for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan · grades 5–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart · grades 5–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne · grades 4–7 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Tucky Jo and Little Heart by Patricia Polacco · grades 3–5 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
Who Needs a Bratty Brother? by Linda Gondosch · grades 3–5 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).

Books like Secrets of the Mummies for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan · grades 5–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart · grades 5–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne · grades 4–7 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
101 Ways to Bug Your Parents by Lee Wardlaw · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (1990s).

Books like Secrets of the Mummies for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).

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

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