What books are similar to Sunny Side Up?

The 10 closest matches to Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm on ReadingList include The Fourteenth Goldfish, Awkward, Full of Beans, Parachute Kids, and The Name of This Book Is Secret. Each is scored on shared themes (family secrets, grandparent and child, and dysfunctional families), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Sunny Side Up reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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 Sunny Side Up

If you liked Sunny Side Up, read The Fourteenth Goldfish, Awkward, or Full of Beans — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm (Graphic Novel · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of family secrets, grandparent and child, and dysfunctional families. 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 3–6 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 Fourteenth Goldfishgrades 4–6: Is by Jennifer L. Holm, the same author, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Awkwardgrades 3–5: Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Full of Beansgrades 4–7: Is by Jennifer L. Holm, the same author, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Parachute Kidsgrades 3–7: Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
The Name of This Book Is Secretgrades 6–8: Shares themes of secrets, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
When Stars Are Scatteredgrades 5–8: Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
A Handful of Starsgrades 3–8: Shares themes of grandparent and child and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Clayton Byrd Goes Undergroundgrades 3–5: Shares themes of grandparent and child and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Dog Man Unleashedgrades 3–6: Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Dramagrades 5–9: Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Sunny Side Up for younger readers (K–2)

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

Real Friends by Shannon Hale · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying by Jim Dutcher · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).
Bone by Jeff Smith · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel) and overlapping grades (2–8).
Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre · grades 3–5 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).
Real Friends by Shannon Hale · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
Sisters by Raina Telgemeier · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey · grades 3–5 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).
The Big Bad Fox by Benjamin Renner · grades 3–5 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

Real Friends by Shannon Hale · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
Sisters by Raina Telgemeier · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson · grades 3–8 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s).
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Graphic Novel), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and the same era (2010s).
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list and same genre (Graphic Novel).
Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of secrets.
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds · grades 3–10 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (3–10), and the same era (2010s).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Sunny Side Up?: The 10 closest matches to Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm on ReadingList include The Fourteenth Goldfish, Awkward, Full of Beans, Parachute Kids, and The Name of This Book Is Secret. Each is scored on shared themes (family secrets, grandparent and child, and dysfunctional families), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Sunny Side Up reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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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