Books like The Butterfly Jar
If you liked The Butterfly Jar, read Bob and Jack: A Boy and His Yak, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, or Something Big Has Been Here — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.
Looking for books like The Butterfly Jar by Jeffrey Moss (Poetry · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of american poetry. 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 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to The Butterfly Jar
Bob and Jack: A Boy and His YakJeffrey Moss
Chicka Chicka Boom BoomBill Martin Jr.- Something Big Has Been HereJack PrelutskySomething Big Has Been HereJack Prelutsky
A Light in the AtticShel Silverstein
Class ClownJohanna Hurwitz
Falling UpShel Silverstein
Frankenstein Takes the CakeAdam Rex
Hey, AlArthur Yorinks- Love That DogSharon CreechLove That DogSharon Creech
My Little Sister Ate One HareBill Grossman
Reading the whole similar-books list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.
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Try it on audio — free. 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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- Bob and Jack: A Boy and His Yakgrades 4–8
- Is by Jeffrey Moss, the same author, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boomgrades K–3
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Poetry), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
- Something Big Has Been Heregrades 3–5
- Shares themes of american poetry, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
- A Light in the Atticgrades 4–8
- Same genre (Poetry) and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Class Clowngrades 3–5
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
- Falling Upgrades 4–8
- Same genre (Poetry) and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Frankenstein Takes the Cakegrades 2–8
- Same genre (Poetry) and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Hey, Algrades K–3
- Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
- Love That Doggrades 4–8
- Same genre (Poetry) and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
- My Little Sister Ate One Haregrades K–3
- Same genre (Poetry) and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Books like The Butterfly Jar for elementary readers (grades 3–5)
Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.
- The Lady With the Alligator Purse by Nadine Bernard Westcott · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1980s).
- The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg · grades 3–5 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (1980s).
- The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1980s).
- Who Needs a Bratty Brother? by Linda Gondosch · grades 3–5 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (1980s).
Books like The Butterfly Jar for high school & teens (grades 9–12)
Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.
- Poems by Elizabeth Bishop · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of american poetry and same genre (Poetry).
- Ariel by Sylvia Plath · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of american poetry and same genre (Poetry).
- Collected Poems by Gabriel Okara · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Poetry).
- England's Green by Zaffar Kunial · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Poetry).
- Kumukanda by Kayo Chingonyi · grades 9–10 — Same genre (Poetry).
Common questions
- What books are similar to The Butterfly Jar?
- The 10 closest matches to The Butterfly Jar by Jeffrey Moss on ReadingList include Bob and Jack: A Boy and His Yak, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Something Big Has Been Here, A Light in the Attic, and Class Clown. Each is scored on shared themes (american poetry), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
- Are books like The Butterfly Jar reading-level appropriate?
- Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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.