What books are similar to Taking Terri Mueller?

The 10 closest matches to Taking Terri Mueller by Norma Fox Mazer on ReadingList include Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job, All About Sam, December Stillness, Harry's Mad, and Hostage. Each is scored on shared themes (divorce, parental kidnapping, and kidnapping), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Taking Terri Mueller reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), 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 Taking Terri Mueller

If you liked Taking Terri Mueller, read Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job, All About Sam, or December Stillness — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Taking Terri Mueller by Norma Fox Mazer (Realistic Fiction · grades 6–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of divorce, parental kidnapping, and kidnapping. 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 6–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Jobgrades 3–8: Shares themes of kidnapping, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
All About Samgrades 4–6: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
December Stillnessgrades 6–8: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Harry's Madgrades 3–6: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Hostagegrades 3–8: Shares themes of kidnapping, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Night Hoopsgrades 6–9: Shares themes of divorce, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Sharing Susangrades 2–8: Shares themes of girls, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Shoeshine Girlgrades 4–6: Shares themes of girls, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Root Cellargrades 6–8: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Thing About Leftoversgrades 4–7: Shares themes of divorce, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Taking Terri Mueller for younger readers (K–2)

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

Bagdad Ate It by Phyllis Green · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
Herbie's Troubles by Carol Chapman · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs? by Carol Carrick · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Are You a Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like Taking Terri Mueller for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Bagdad Ate It by Phyllis Green · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
Herbie's Troubles by Carol Chapman · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
Summer of Riley by Eve Bunting · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of divorce and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs? by Carol Carrick · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye by Patricia Hermes · grades 4–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like Taking Terri Mueller for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye by Patricia Hermes · grades 4–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Zach's Lie by Roland Smith · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of kidnapping, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling · grades 3–6 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon by Janet Stevens · grades 3–8 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming · grades 3–8 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Taking Terri Mueller for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of divorce and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Sudden Silence by Eve Bunting · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
Girl, Stolen by April Henry · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of kidnapping and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
Night Kites by M. E. Kerr · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Taking Terri Mueller?: The 10 closest matches to Taking Terri Mueller by Norma Fox Mazer on ReadingList include Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job, All About Sam, December Stillness, Harry's Mad, and Hostage. Each is scored on shared themes (divorce, parental kidnapping, and kidnapping), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Taking Terri Mueller reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), 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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