What books are similar to Stepping Up?

The 10 closest matches to Stepping Up by Mark Fink on ReadingList include The Stranger Next Door, A Boy Named Queen, Saving Winslow, Ungifted, and Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life. Each is scored on shared themes (basketball, basketball stories, and camps), 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 Stepping Up 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 Stepping Up

If you liked Stepping Up, read The Stranger Next Door, A Boy Named Queen, or Saving Winslow — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Stepping Up by Mark Fink (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of basketball, basketball stories, and camps. 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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The Stranger Next Doorgrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Saving Winslowgrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Ungiftedgrades 5–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life890L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
He Came With the Couchgrades K–3: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Hoot760L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Night Hoopsgrades 6–9: Shares themes of basketball, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Red Kayakgrades 6–8: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Rulesgrades 4–7: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Stepping Up for younger readers (K–2)

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

Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Rugby and Rosie by Nan Parson Rossiter · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–3).

Books like Stepping Up for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Hillestad Butler · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Athlete vs. Mathlete by W. C. Mack · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of basketball and basketball stories and overlapping grades (3–5).
Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–7).
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Stepping Up for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Hillestad Butler · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–7).
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Stepping Up for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Sold by Patricia McCormick · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).

Common questions

What books are similar to Stepping Up?: The 10 closest matches to Stepping Up by Mark Fink on ReadingList include The Stranger Next Door, A Boy Named Queen, Saving Winslow, Ungifted, and Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life. Each is scored on shared themes (basketball, basketball stories, and camps), 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 Stepping Up 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.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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