Books like Star in the Storm

If you liked Star in the Storm, read ¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat, Shiloh Season, or My Dog, My Hero — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow (Realistic Fiction · grades 2–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of canada, dogs, and newfoundland dog. 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.

10 books similar to Star in the Storm

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Why each is a match

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¡Vamos! Let's Go Eatgrades 2–8
Shares themes of dogs, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Shiloh Seasongrades 3–6
Shares themes of dogs, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
My Dog, My Herogrades 3–5
Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Ellie's Storygrades 3–6
Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Fudgegrades 4–6
Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the Worldgrades 2–8
Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
Losergrades 4–6
Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Rulesgrades 4–7
Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Say What?grades 2–8
Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
Togogrades 2–8
Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →

Books like Star in the Storm for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Star in the Storm for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
  • Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Star in the Storm for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
  • Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Star in the Storm for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

  • Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
  • Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2000s).
  • Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2000s).
  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2000s).
  • Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2000s).

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

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