Books like The Downstairs Girl

If you liked The Downstairs Girl, read Echo, Refugee, or Bud, Not Buddy — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (Historical Fiction · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of household employees, fiction, authorship, fiction, and chinese americans, fiction. 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 3–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Downstairs Girl

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Why each is a match

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Echo680L
Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Refugee800L
Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
Bud, Not Buddy950L
Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
A Corner of the Universegrades 5–8
Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
A Long Walk to Water720L
Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
A Night Dividedgrades 5–8
Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Alliesgrades 5–9
Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871grades 3–6
Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912590L
Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (2–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
One Crazy Summer750L
Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →

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

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

  • Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz · grades 5–9 — Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s).
  • A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s).
  • A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck · grades 3–8 — Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s).
  • Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea · grades 3–5 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

  • Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz · grades 5–9 — Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s).
  • Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys · 560L — Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s).
  • A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck · grades 3–8 — Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

  • Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz · grades 5–9 — Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s).
  • Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys · 560L — Same genre (Historical Fiction), overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens · 1170L — Same genre (Historical Fiction).
  • Drama by Raina Telgemeier · grades 5–9 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s).
  • Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).

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

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