What books are similar to The Twenty-One?

The 10 closest matches to The Twenty-One by Elizabeth Rusch on ReadingList include A Face for Picasso, Absurd Words, All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team, Beneath the Wide Silk Sky, and Chance. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Twenty-One reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–12), 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 The Twenty-One

If you liked The Twenty-One, read A Face for Picasso, Absurd Words, or All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like The Twenty-One by Elizabeth Rusch (Children's · grades 6–12)? 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 6–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

Reading the whole similar-books list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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Why each is a match

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A Face for Picassogrades 6–12: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12). Amazon → books like this →
Absurd Wordsgrades 6–12: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12). Amazon → books like this →
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Teamgrades 6–12: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12). Amazon → books like this →
Beneath the Wide Silk Skygrades 9–12: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Chancegrades 3–8: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Curlfriends: New in Town (a Graphic Novel)grades 3–8: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Freddie vs. the Family Cursegrades 3–8: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Lupe Wong Won't Dancegrades 3–8: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Never Take Your Rhino on a Planegrades 3–8: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Once for Yesgrades 3–7: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Twenty-One for younger readers (K–2)

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

Mario and the Hole in the Sky by Elizabeth Rusch · grades K–5 — Is by Elizabeth Rusch, the same author, both on the Golden Kite Award list, and same genre (Children's).
All Because You Matter (An All Because You Matter Book) by Tami Charles · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
Fly by Brittany J. Thurman · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).

Books like The Twenty-One for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Mario and the Hole in the Sky by Elizabeth Rusch · grades K–5 — Is by Elizabeth Rusch, the same author, both on the Golden Kite Award list, and same genre (Children's).
All Because You Matter (An All Because You Matter Book) by Tami Charles · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
Fly by Brittany J. Thurman · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).

Books like The Twenty-One for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca · grades 3–7 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens by Isabel Roxas · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali · grades 3–7 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–7).

Books like The Twenty-One for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnold · grades 9–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (9–12).
The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith · grades 9–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm · grades 4–9 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris · grades 9–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (9–12).
White Lies by Ann Bausum · grades 6–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12).

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

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