Books like The Dunderheads

If you liked The Dunderheads, read No More Dead Dogs, Peter and the Starcatchers, or The Girl Who Could Fly — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman (Fantasy · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of schools, individuality, and humorous 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 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Dunderheads

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Why each is a match

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No More Dead Dogsgrades 2–8
Shares themes of schools and humorous stories and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
Peter and the Starcatchersgrades 3–8
Shares themes of humorous stories, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
The Girl Who Could Flygrades 4–6
Shares themes of schools and individuality and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Word Eatergrades 3–8
Shares themes of schools, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Dear Mrs. LaRuegrades 3–5
Shares themes of humorous stories, both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Flying Sologrades 4–6
Shares themes of schools and teachers and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Freaky Fridaygrades 4–6
Shares themes of schools, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
My Horrible Secretgrades 4–6
Shares themes of schools and humorous stories and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dudegrades 3–5
Shares themes of humorous stories, both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
The Great Pet Escapegrades 3–8
Shares themes of schools and humorous stories and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →

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

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

  • Arnie, the Doughnut by Laurie Keller · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Scat by Carl Hiaasen · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of teachers and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of individuality and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of individuality and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (2–8).

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

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

  • The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools and humorous stories and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus by John Grandits · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of humorous stories, both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, and overlapping grades (3–5).
  • A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Arnie, the Doughnut by Laurie Keller · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of schools and overlapping grades (3–5).

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

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

  • The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools and humorous stories and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Arnie, the Doughnut by Laurie Keller · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Double Fudge by Judy Blume · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of humorous stories and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Eragon by Christopher Paolini · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (2000s).

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

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

  • Eragon by Christopher Paolini · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (2000s).
  • Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of individuality.
  • A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of individuality.
  • A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody · grades 7–12 — Same genre (Fantasy).
  • Brave New World by Aldous Huxley · 870L — Shares themes of individuality.

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

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