What books are similar to The Diary of a Young Girl?

The 10 closest matches to The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank on ReadingList include Night, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Black Boy, Salt to the Sea, and Great Expectations. Each is scored on shared themes (Holocaust, coming of age, and hope), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 7–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Diary of a Young Girl reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 7–10), 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 Diary of a Young Girl

If you liked The Diary of a Young Girl, read Night, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, or Black Boy — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (Memoir · 1080L · grades 7–10)? It’s most often read for its themes of Holocaust, coming of age, and hope. 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 7–10 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Night590L: Shares themes of Holocaust, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Memoir). Amazon → books like this →
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1070L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Memoir), and a close reading level (1070L vs 1080L). Amazon → books like this →
Black Boy950L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Memoir), and a close reading level (950L vs 1080L). Amazon → books like this →
Salt to the Sea560L: Shares themes of Holocaust and hope and overlapping grades (8–12). Amazon → books like this →
Great Expectations1150L: Shares themes of coming of age and a close reading level (1150L vs 1080L). Amazon → books like this →
19841090L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (1090L vs 1080L), and the same era (1940s). Amazon → books like this →
The Pearl1010L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (1010L vs 1080L), and the same era (1940s). Amazon → books like this →
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—19631000L: Shares themes of coming of age and a close reading level (1000L vs 1080L). Amazon → books like this →
To Kill a Mockingbird870L: Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (870L vs 1080L). Amazon → books like this →
Little Women1300L: Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (1300L vs 1080L). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Diary of a Young Girl for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (860L vs 1080L).
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett · 990L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (990L vs 1080L), and the same era (1940s).
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of Holocaust.

Books like The Diary of a Young Girl for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (860L vs 1080L).
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare · 850L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (850L vs 1080L).
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman · 820L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (5–8).
Rebound by Kwame Alexander · 780L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (5–8).
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt · 770L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (4–7).

Books like The Diary of a Young Girl for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare · 850L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (850L vs 1080L).
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman · 820L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (5–8).
Rebound by Kwame Alexander · 780L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (5–8).
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt · 770L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (4–7).
The Giver by Lois Lowry · 760L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (6–8).

Books like The Diary of a Young Girl for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of Holocaust, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (8–11).
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie · 600L — Shares themes of coming of age, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (7–10).
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of Holocaust, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (9–12).
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare · grades 8–10 — Shares themes of family conflict, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (8–10).
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 1080L).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Diary of a Young Girl?: The 10 closest matches to The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank on ReadingList include Night, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Black Boy, Salt to the Sea, and Great Expectations. Each is scored on shared themes (Holocaust, coming of age, and hope), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 7–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Diary of a Young Girl reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 7–10), 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.

Book data last updated 2026-08-11. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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