Books like The Metamorphosis

If you liked The Metamorphosis, read A Time of Troubles, Blues for an Alabama Sky, or Fathers and Sons — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–10)? It’s most often read for its themes of translations into english. 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 9–10 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Metamorphosis

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Why each is a match

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A Time of Troublesgrades 5–9
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Blues for an Alabama Skygrades 9–10
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (9–10), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Fathers and Sonsgrades 9–10
Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–10). Amazon → books like this →
Master Harold...and the Boysgrades 9–10
Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–10). Amazon → books like this →
Two Suns in the Skygrades 6–10
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–10), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
A Taste of Honeygrades 9–10
Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–10). Amazon → books like this →
Check & Mategrades 9–12
Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Dairy Queengrades 9–12
Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Piegrades 6–9
Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Everything, Everythinggrades 9–12
Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

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

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

  • Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel · grades K–1 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora · grades K–1 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens · grades 2–3 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • A Boy, a Dog and a Frog by Mercer Mayer · grades K–1 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Amos & Boris by William Steig · grades 2–3 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

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

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

  • Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens · grades 2–3 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech · 770L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents by Lee Wardlaw · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
  • Amos & Boris by William Steig · grades 2–3 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Attaboy, Sam! by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).

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

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

  • Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech · 770L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
  • 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents by Lee Wardlaw · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
  • Attaboy, Sam! by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
  • Drive-By by Lynne Ewing · grades 3–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
  • Flying Solo by Ralph J. Fletcher · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).

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

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

  • As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner · grades 11–12 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky · grades 11–12 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow · grades 11–12 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri · grades 11–12 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • The Rover by Aphra Behn · grades 11–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Metamorphosis?
The 10 closest matches to The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka on ReadingList include A Time of Troubles, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Fathers and Sons, Master Harold...and the Boys, and Two Suns in the Sky. Each is scored on shared themes (translations into english), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Metamorphosis reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–10), 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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