What books are similar to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?

The 10 closest matches to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain on ReadingList include Stuart Little, Mr. Popper's Penguins, The Phantom Tollbooth, Anthem, and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Each is scored on shared themes (childhood, adventure, and freedom), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–8), 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 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

If you liked The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, read Stuart Little, Mr. Popper's Penguins, or The Phantom Tollbooth — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Classic Fiction · 950L · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of childhood, adventure, and freedom. 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Stuart Little920L: Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (920L vs 950L). Amazon →
Mr. Popper's Penguins910L: Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (910L vs 950L). Amazon →
The Phantom Tollbooth1000L: Shares themes of adventure and a close reading level (1000L vs 950L). Amazon →
Anthem880L: Shares themes of freedom and a close reading level (880L vs 950L). Amazon →
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon810L: Shares themes of adventure and a close reading level (810L vs 950L). Amazon →
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy720L: Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (720L vs 950L). Amazon →
Little Women1300L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Classic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10). Amazon →
Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye530L: Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (2–5). Amazon →
The Season of Styx Malone510L: Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon →
Bud, Not Buddy950L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (950L vs 950L). Amazon →

Books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for younger readers (K–2)

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

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett · 990L — Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (990L vs 950L).
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (860L vs 950L).
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown · 540L — Shares themes of adventure and both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list.
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of adventure and both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list.
The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of adventure and overlapping grades (2–5).

Books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett · 990L — Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (990L vs 950L).
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Shares themes of adventure, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (860L vs 950L).
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown · 540L — Shares themes of adventure and both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list.
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of adventure and both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list.
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson · 990L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (990L vs 950L).

Books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor · 920L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (920L vs 950L).
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson · 990L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (990L vs 950L).
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell · 1000L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1000L vs 950L).
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi · 1000L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1000L vs 950L).
The Pearl by John Steinbeck · 1010L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1010L vs 950L).

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

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

Black Boy by Richard Wright · 950L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (950L vs 950L).
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison · 950L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (950L vs 950L).
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain · 980L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (980L vs 950L).
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison · 920L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (920L vs 950L).
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi · 1000L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1000L vs 950L).

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

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