Books like The Adventures of Augie March

If you liked The Adventures of Augie March, read As I Lay Dying, Crime and Punishment, or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow (Realistic Fiction · grades 11–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of picaresque literature, depressions, and family. 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 11–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Adventures of Augie March

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Why each is a match

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As I Lay Dyinggrades 11–12
Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →
Crime and Punishmentgrades 11–12
Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1070L
Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (10–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Glass Menageriegrades 11–12
Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Grapes of Wrath680L
Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (10–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Hate U Give590L
Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Joy Luck Club930L
Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Namesakegrades 11–12
Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →
Antigonegrades 9–12
Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Barber Shop Chroniclesgrades 11–12
Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Adventures of Augie March for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • 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 same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik · grades K–1 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1950s).
  • A Boy, a Dog and a Frog by Mercer Mayer · grades K–1 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Amos & Boris by William Steig · grades 2–3 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman · grades K–1 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like The Adventures of Augie March for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech · 770L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • A Time of Troubles by Pieter Van Raven · grades 5–9 — Shares themes of depressions and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • All About Sam by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Attaboy, Sam! by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like The Adventures of Augie March for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech · 770L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • A Time of Troubles by Pieter Van Raven · grades 5–9 — Shares themes of depressions and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • All About Sam by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Attaboy, Sam! by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like The Adventures of Augie March for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

  • A Time of Troubles by Pieter Van Raven · grades 5–9 — Shares themes of depressions and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Adventures of Augie March?
The 10 closest matches to The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow on ReadingList include As I Lay Dying, Crime and Punishment, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Glass Menagerie, and The Grapes of Wrath. Each is scored on shared themes (picaresque literature, depressions, and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 11–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Adventures of Augie March reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 11–12), 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.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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