Books like The Beasts in Your Brain

If you liked The Beasts in Your Brain, read Conditions of a Heart, From Here, or Rise — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like The Beasts in Your Brain by Katherine Speller (Young Adult Nonfiction · grades 9–12)? 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Beasts in Your Brain

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Why each is a match

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Conditions of a Heartgrades 9–12
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
From Heregrades 9–12
Same genre (Young Adult Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Risegrades 9–12
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
The Dark Becomes Hergrades 9–12
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
The Revenant Gamesgrades 9–12
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Where the Dark Stands Stillgrades 9–12
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
A Conspiracy of Kingsgrades 5–12
Overlapping grades (5–12) and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
A Face for Picassogrades 6–12
Overlapping grades (6–12) and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
A Fate So Coldgrades 7–12
Overlapping grades (7–12) and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
A Game of Fox & Squirrelsgrades 5–12
Overlapping grades (5–12) and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Beasts in Your Brain for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • 100 Chapatis by Derek Mascarenhas · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Avocado Magic by Taltal Levi · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Brave Baby Hummingbird by Sy Montgomery · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Daughter of the Light-Footed People by Belen Medina · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Gifts from the Garbage Truck by Andrew Larsen · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

Books like The Beasts in Your Brain for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • A Meerkat Diary by Suzi Eszterhas · grades 3–5 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Young Adult Nonfiction).
  • Curveball by Pablo Cartaya · grades 3–5 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Finding Normal by Stephanie Faris · grades 3–5 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Genius Ears by Lena Anlauf · grades 3–5 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

Books like The Beasts in Your Brain for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • All the Ways to Go by Jessie Janowitz · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Breaking into Sunlight by John Cochran · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Young Adult Nonfiction).
  • It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Juniper Mae by Sarah Soh · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Beasts in Your Brain?
The 10 closest matches to The Beasts in Your Brain by Katherine Speller on ReadingList include Conditions of a Heart, From Here, Rise, The Dark Becomes Her, and The Revenant Games. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Beasts in Your Brain reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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