What books are similar to The Perfect Score?

The 10 closest matches to The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea on ReadingList include Eight Keys, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Backlash, Call Me Hope, and Class Clown. Each is scored on shared themes (examinations, cheating, and middle schools), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Perfect Score reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–8), 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 Perfect Score

If you liked The Perfect Score, read Eight Keys, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, or Backlash — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of examinations, cheating, and middle schools. 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 3–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Eight Keysgrades 4–6: Shares themes of middle schools and schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
The Strange Case of Origami Yodagrades 4–6: Shares themes of middle schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Backlashgrades 3–8: Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Call Me Hopegrades 3–5: Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Class Clowngrades 3–5: Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Piegrades 6–9: Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Flying Sologrades 4–6: Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Fourth Grade Ratsgrades 4–6: Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Math Cursegrades 4–8: Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Mick Harte Was Heregrades 5–8: Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →

Books like The Perfect Score for younger readers (K–2)

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

Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of middle schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
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 Perfect Score for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You by Barthe DeClements · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You by Barthe DeClements · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli · grades 6–9 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
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).
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2010s).

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

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