What books are similar to The Dark and Deadly Pool?

The 10 closest matches to The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon on ReadingList include The Name of the Game Was Murder, Whispers from the Dead, Don't Look Behind You, Dead Man in Indian Creek, and Christina's Ghost. Each is scored on shared themes (mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Dark and Deadly Pool reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), 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 Dark and Deadly Pool

If you liked The Dark and Deadly Pool, read The Name of the Game Was Murder, Whispers from the Dead, or Don't Look Behind You — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon (Mystery · grades 6–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories. 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 6–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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The Name of the Game Was Murdergrades 3–8: Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Whispers from the Deadgrades 6–9: Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list. Amazon → books like this →
Don't Look Behind Yougrades 6–8: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Dead Man in Indian Creekgrades 4–6: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Christina's Ghostgrades 4–6: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Nightmare Mountaingrades 3–6: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Tarot Says Bewaregrades 3–8: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Terror at the Zoogrades 3–6: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Third Eyegrades 6–8: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Twisted Summergrades 6–8: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Dark and Deadly Pool for younger readers (K–2)

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

Piggins by Jane Yolen · grades K–3 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of detective and mystery stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick · grades K–3 — Same genre (Mystery).
Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list and the same era (1980s).
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Mystery) and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like The Dark and Deadly Pool for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Piggins by Jane Yolen · grades K–3 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
Alvin's Swap Shop by Clifford B. Hicks · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of detective and mystery stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like The Dark and Deadly Pool for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

A Deadly Game of Magic by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list.
The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).
Alvin's Swap Shop by Clifford B. Hicks · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of detective and mystery stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like The Dark and Deadly Pool for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).
Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Mystery).
Middlemarch by George Eliot · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Mystery).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Dark and Deadly Pool?: The 10 closest matches to The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon on ReadingList include The Name of the Game Was Murder, Whispers from the Dead, Don't Look Behind You, Dead Man in Indian Creek, and Christina's Ghost. Each is scored on shared themes (mystery and detective stories and detective and mystery stories), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Dark and Deadly Pool reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), 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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