What books are similar to Summer of the Monkeys?

The 10 closest matches to Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls on ReadingList include Rascal, The Trumpet of the Swan, Old Yeller, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Each is scored on shared themes (family, perseverance, and nature), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Summer of the Monkeys reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–7), 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 Summer of the Monkeys

If you liked Summer of the Monkeys, read Rascal, The Trumpet of the Swan, or Old Yeller — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls (Middle Grade Fiction · grades 4–7)? It’s most often read for its themes of family, perseverance, and nature. 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 4–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Rascalgrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, perseverance, and nature, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Trumpet of the Swangrades 3–6: Shares themes of family, perseverance, and nature, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Old Yellergrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, animals, and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing470L: Shares themes of family and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Diary of a Wimpy Kid950L: Shares themes of family and growing up, both on the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Ramona the Pest750L: Shares themes of family and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Where the Red Fern Grows700L: Is by Wilson Rawls, the same author, shares themes of family and perseverance, and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Hatchet1020L: Shares themes of nature and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
Maniac Magee820L: Shares themes of family, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Pax760L: Shares themes of nature, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Summer of the Monkeys 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 and animals, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).
Picture Purrfect (Bodega Cats #1) by Hilda Eunice Burgos · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of family and animals, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle · grades K–2 — Shares themes of nature and animals.
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of family and nature and overlapping grades (1–4).
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of family and nature and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Summer of the Monkeys for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien · 790L — Shares themes of family, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Operation Final Notice by Matthew Landis · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family and perseverance, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Shares themes of family and growing up, 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 and animals, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon · 510L — Shares themes of family and growing up, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).

Books like Summer of the Monkeys for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien · 790L — Shares themes of family, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Operation Final Notice by Matthew Landis · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family and perseverance, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon · 510L — Shares themes of family and growing up, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown · 740L — Shares themes of family and nature, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of family and nature, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Summer of the Monkeys for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and growing up, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (7–10).
Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of family, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–9).
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway · 940L — Shares themes of perseverance and nature.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck · 1010L — Shares themes of family and nature and overlapping grades (6–9).
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of nature, both on the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award list, and overlapping grades (6–9).

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

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