What books are similar to The Hot and Cold Summer?

The 10 closest matches to The Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz on ReadingList include My Friend the Vampire, Class Clown, Heart of a Champion, Dogtown, and Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship, summer, fiction, and friendship, fiction), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Hot and Cold Summer reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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 Hot and Cold Summer

If you liked The Hot and Cold Summer, read My Friend the Vampire, Class Clown, or Heart of a Champion — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like The Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, summer, fiction, and friendship, 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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My Friend the Vampiregrades 3–5: Shares themes of friendship and friendship, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Class Clowngrades 3–5: Is by Johanna Hurwitz, the same author, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Heart of a Championgrades 6–8: Shares themes of friendship and friendship, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Dogtowngrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It Allgrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Cybil Wargrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Stories Julian Tellsgrades 2–3: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–3). Amazon → books like this →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
A Dog Called Kittygrades 3–5: Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Amos & Borisgrades 2–3: Shares themes of friendship, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–3). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Hot and Cold Summer for younger readers (K–2)

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

Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi · grades K–2 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
He Came With the Couch by David Slonim · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–3).
Rugby and Rosie by Nan Parson Rossiter · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like The Hot and Cold Summer for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell · 890L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Hot and Cold Summer for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell · 890L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen · 760L — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).

Books like The Hot and Cold Summer for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Hot and Cold Summer?: The 10 closest matches to The Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz on ReadingList include My Friend the Vampire, Class Clown, Heart of a Champion, Dogtown, and Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship, summer, fiction, and friendship, fiction), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Hot and Cold Summer reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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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