Books like The Polar Express

If you liked The Polar Express, read Jumanji, Fables, or Lon Po Po — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (Juvenile Fiction · grades K–3)? 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 K–3 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Polar Express

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Why each is a match

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Jumanjigrades K–3
Is by Chris Van Allsburg, the same author, both on the Caldecott Medal list, and same genre (Juvenile Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Fablesgrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Lon Po Pogrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Owl Moongrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Song and Dance Mangrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
The Strangergrades 3–5
Is by Chris Van Allsburg, the same author, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
A Story, a Storygrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
A Tree Is Nicegrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Arrow to the Sungrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Big Snow and Other Storiesgrades K–3
Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Polar Express for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Black and White by David Macaulay · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Cinderella and Aladdin by Carron Brown · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Duffy and the Devil by Harve Zemach · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Golem by David Wisniewski · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

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

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

  • Black and White by David Macaulay · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Cinderella and Aladdin by Carron Brown · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Duffy and the Devil by Harve Zemach · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
  • Golem by David Wisniewski · grades K–3 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Juvenile Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

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

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

  • Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt · grades 3–7 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1980s).
  • Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction) and the same era (1980s).
  • Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson · grades 3–7 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (1980s).
  • Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction) and the same era (1980s).
  • The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction) and the same era (1980s).

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

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

  • Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
  • Gone Wolf by Amber McBride · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction).
  • Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Juvenile Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Polar Express?
The 10 closest matches to The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg on ReadingList include Jumanji, Fables, Lon Po Po, Owl Moon, and Song and Dance Man. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Polar Express reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), 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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