What books are similar to The Call of the Wild?

The 10 closest matches to The Call of the Wild by Jack London on ReadingList include Hatchet, Cryptid Hunters, Red Midnight, The River, and Two Degrees. Each is scored on shared themes (survival, nature vs. civilization, and instinct), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Call of the Wild reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–10), 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 Call of the Wild

If you liked The Call of the Wild, read Hatchet, Cryptid Hunters, or Red Midnight — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Call of the Wild by Jack London (Adventure · 1120L · grades 6–10)? It’s most often read for its themes of survival, nature vs. civilization, and instinct. 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 6–10 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Hatchet1020L: Shares themes of survival, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Adventure). Amazon →
Cryptid Huntersgrades 5–8: Shares themes of survival, same genre (Adventure), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Red Midnightgrades 3–8: Shares themes of survival, same genre (Adventure), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
The Rivergrades 5–8: Shares themes of survival, same genre (Adventure), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Two Degreesgrades 5–8: Shares themes of survival, same genre (Adventure), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Island of the Blue Dolphins1000L: Shares themes of survival, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (1000L vs 1120L). Amazon →
The Hunger Games810L: Shares themes of survival, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Night590L: Shares themes of survival, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →
Maus: A Survivor's Talegrades 9–12: Shares themes of survival, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →
A Separate Peace1110L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1110L vs 1120L). Amazon →

Books like The Call of the Wild for younger readers (K–2)

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

Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Adventure).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of survival.
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like The Call of the Wild for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Adventure).
Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (5–9).
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown · 740L — Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (4–6).
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park · 720L — Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (5–8).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of survival.

Books like The Call of the Wild for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1120L).
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1120L).
Animal Farm by George Orwell · 1170L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1170L vs 1120L).
Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (5–9).
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown · 740L — Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Call of the Wild for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Odyssey by Homer · 1130L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1130L vs 1120L).
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen · 1100L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1100L vs 1120L).
1984 by George Orwell · 1090L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1090L vs 1120L).
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1120L).
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1120L).

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

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