Books like The Junkyard Dog

If you liked The Junkyard Dog, read Beware of Boys, Copycat, or Fig Pudding — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like The Junkyard Dog by Erika Tamar (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of stepfamily, stories, and pets. 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 Junkyard Dog

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Why each is a match

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Beware of Boysgrades K–3
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Copycatgrades K–3
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Fig Puddinggrades 3–5
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Fudgegrades 4–6
Shares themes of pets, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Red Racergrades K–3
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Walk Two Moons770L
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–7). Amazon → books like this →
Wedgie & Gizmogrades 3–6
Shares themes of pets, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Who Needs a Bratty Brother?grades 3–5
Shares themes of stories, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Againgrades K–3
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Thingsgrades 3–5
Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Junkyard Dog for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola · grades K–1 — Shares themes of pets and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Are You a Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

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

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

  • Are You a Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • City Spies by James Ponti · grades 4–6 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

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

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

  • Blackwater by Eve Bunting · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Breakout by Kate Messner · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Breathe: A Ghost Story by Cliff McNish · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

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

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

  • A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul by Jack Canfield · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • Jumping the Nail by Eve Bunting · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • Just Like Martin by Ossie Davis · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Junkyard Dog?
The 10 closest matches to The Junkyard Dog by Erika Tamar on ReadingList include Beware of Boys, Copycat, Fig Pudding, Fudge, and Red Racer. Each is scored on shared themes (stepfamily, stories, and pets), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Junkyard Dog reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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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