Books like The Candymakers

If you liked The Candymakers, read A Boy Named Queen, Each Kindness, or Eight Keys — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like The Candymakers by Wendy Mass (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of secrets, contests, and friendship. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 Candymakers

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Why each is a match

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A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Each Kindnessgrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Eight Keysgrades 4–6
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Memoirs of a Goldfishgrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Save Me a Seat780L
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Saving Winslowgrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Bear and the Pianogrades K–3
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
The Boy at the Back of the Classgrades 3–6
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Ungiftedgrades 5–8
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
We Forgot Brock!grades K–3
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Candymakers for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Don't Fidget a Feather! by Erica Silverman · grades K–3 — Shares themes of contests, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • He Came With the Couch by David Slonim · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Rugby and Rosie by Nan Parson Rossiter · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–3).

Books like The Candymakers for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Wild Wings by Gill Lewis · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
  • Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Don't Fidget a Feather! by Erica Silverman · grades K–3 — Shares themes of contests, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell · 890L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).

Books like The Candymakers for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass · grades 6–8 — Is by Wendy Mass, the same author and shares themes of friendship.
  • Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Wild Wings by Gill Lewis · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
  • Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like The Candymakers for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

  • Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of secrets and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Candymakers?
The 10 closest matches to The Candymakers by Wendy Mass on ReadingList include A Boy Named Queen, Each Kindness, Eight Keys, Memoirs of a Goldfish, and Save Me a Seat. Each is scored on shared themes (secrets, contests, and friendship), 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 Candymakers 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.

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