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.

10 books similar to Stepping Up

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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 →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Saving Winslowgrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Ungiftedgrades 5–8
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life890L
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Hoot760L
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Rulesgrades 4–7
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsgrades 7–10
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10). Amazon →
Trading Places with Tank Talbottgrades 4–6
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Athlete vs. Mathletegrades 3–5
Shares themes of basketball and basketball stories and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →

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

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

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

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

  • 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).
  • Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Fablehaven by Brandon Mull · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (4–7).

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

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

  • 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).
  • Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Fablehaven by Brandon Mull · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (4–7).

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

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

  • Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
  • 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 Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (8–11).
  • The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini · 840L — Shares themes of friendship.

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

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