What books are similar to The Honest Truth?

The 10 closest matches to The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart on ReadingList include Ghost, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, Rules, Surviving the Applewhites, and When Stars Are Scattered. Each is scored on shared themes (illness, adventure, and hope), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Honest Truth reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–8), 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 Honest Truth

If you liked The Honest Truth, read Ghost, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, or Rules — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart (Realistic Fiction · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of illness, adventure, 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Ghost730L: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Piegrades 6–9: Shares themes of illness, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Rulesgrades 4–7: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Surviving the Applewhitesgrades 5–8: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
When Stars Are Scatteredgrades 5–8: Shares themes of hope, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
A Long Walk to Water720L: Shares themes of hope, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list, and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Amal Unboundgrades 5–8: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Dukegrades 3–5: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Max and the Midknightsgrades 3–6: Shares themes of adventure, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Stuck in Neutralgrades 7–10: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10). Amazon →

Books like The Honest Truth 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 adventure and both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list.
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).
My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne · grades 4–7 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Tucky Jo and Little Heart by Patricia Polacco · grades 3–5 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
Ungifted by Gordon Korman · grades 5–8 — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz · grades 4–7 — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2010s).
Albert by Donna Jo Napoli · grades 3–5 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).

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

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

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of hope, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne · grades 4–7 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Ungifted by Gordon Korman · grades 5–8 — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz · grades 4–7 — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2010s).
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).

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

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

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of hope, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2010s).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2010s).
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys · 560L — Shares themes of hope and overlapping grades (8–12).

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

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