What books are similar to The Cricket in Times Square?

The 10 closest matches to The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden on ReadingList include Wonder, Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet, The BFG, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and James and the Giant Peach. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship, unlikely kindness, and city life), 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 Cricket in Times Square 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.

Books like The Cricket in Times Square

If you liked The Cricket in Times Square, read Wonder, Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet, or The BFG — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden (Middle Grade Fiction · 780L · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, unlikely kindness, and city life. 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.

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Why each is a match

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Wonder790L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet820L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
The BFG720L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
The Mouse and the Motorcycle860L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
James and the Giant Peach870L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Pax760L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 780L). Amazon →
The Adventures of Captain Underpants720L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 780L). Amazon →
Out of My Mind700L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Hello, Universe690L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →
Holes660L: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon →

Books like The Cricket in Times Square for younger readers (K–2)

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

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths · 560L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Corduroy by Don Freeman · 600L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (600L vs 780L).
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak · 740L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (740L vs 780L), and the same era (1960s).
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows · 580L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (580L vs 780L).

Books like The Cricket in Times Square for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Stuart Little by E.B. White · 920L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo · 610L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Blended by Sharon M. Draper · 610L — Shares themes of music, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths · 560L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).

Books like The Cricket in Times Square for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton · 750L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
Blended by Sharon M. Draper · 610L — Shares themes of music, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon · 510L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien · 790L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (790L vs 780L).

Books like The Cricket in Times Square for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton · 750L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (730L vs 780L).
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini · 840L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (840L vs 780L).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky · 720L — Shares themes of friendship and a close reading level (720L vs 780L).
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes · 910L — Shares themes of friendship and a close reading level (910L vs 780L).

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

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