What books are similar to The Odyssey?

The 10 closest matches to The Odyssey by Homer on ReadingList include Great Expectations, The Outsiders, Julius Caesar, The Call of the Wild, and A Separate Peace. Each is scored on shared themes (heroism, homecoming, and hospitality and xenia), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Odyssey reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 Odyssey

If you liked The Odyssey, read Great Expectations, The Outsiders, or Julius Caesar — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Odyssey by Homer (Epic Poetry · 1130L · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of heroism, homecoming, and hospitality and xenia. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Great Expectations1150L: Shares themes of loyalty and a close reading level (1150L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →
The Outsiders750L: Shares themes of loyalty, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (7–9). Amazon → books like this →
Julius Caesargrades 9–11: Shares themes of loyalty, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and overlapping grades (9–11). Amazon → books like this →
The Call of the Wild1120L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1120L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →
A Separate Peace1110L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1110L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →
Pride and Prejudice1100L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (1100L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →
19841090L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1090L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →
A Tale of Two Cities1170L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1170L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →
Animal Farm1170L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1170L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →
Frankenstein1170L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1170L vs 1130L). Amazon → books like this →

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

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

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White · 680L — Shares themes of loyalty and both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson · 780L — Shares themes of loyalty and overlapping grades (5–9).
Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of loyalty.
Nimbus by Jan Eldredge · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of loyalty.
Saving Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of loyalty.

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

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

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1130L).
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1130L).
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson · 780L — Shares themes of loyalty and overlapping grades (5–9).
Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of loyalty.
Legend by Marie Lu · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of loyalty and overlapping grades (6–9).

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

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

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1130L).
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1130L).
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston · 1080L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1080L vs 1130L).
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou · 1070L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1070L vs 1130L).
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (1070L vs 1130L).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Odyssey?: The 10 closest matches to The Odyssey by Homer on ReadingList include Great Expectations, The Outsiders, Julius Caesar, The Call of the Wild, and A Separate Peace. Each is scored on shared themes (heroism, homecoming, and hospitality and xenia), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Odyssey reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 2026-08-11. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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