What books are similar to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise?

The 10 closest matches to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart on ReadingList include Mick Harte Was Here, So B. It, Ghost Boys, Hope in the Valley, and Ruby Lost and Found. Each is scored on shared themes (grief, family, and journey), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–8), 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 Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

If you liked The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, read Mick Harte Was Here, So B. It, or Ghost Boys — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (Realistic Fiction · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of grief, family, and journey. 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Mick Harte Was Heregrades 5–8: Shares themes of grief and family, both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
So B. Itgrades 5–8: Shares themes of family and journey, both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Ghost Boys360L: Shares themes of family, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Hope in the Valleygrades 3–6: Shares themes of grief and family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Ruby Lost and Foundgrades 6–9: Shares themes of grief and family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Shiloh890L: Shares themes of family, both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Dear Mr. Henshawgrades 4–6: Shares themes of grief and family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Piegrades 6–9: Shares themes of family, both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Front Desk640L: Shares themes of family, both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
The Crossover750L: Shares themes of grief and family, both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list, and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →

Books like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise for younger readers (K–2)

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

Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande · grades K–3 — Shares themes of grief and family and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of family, 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).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (2–5).

Books like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech · 770L — Shares themes of grief and family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–7).
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande · grades K–3 — Shares themes of grief and family and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of grief and family, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (5–8).

Books like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise 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 — Shares themes of grief and family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–7).
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of grief and family, both on the William Allen White Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (5–8).
Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–9).

Books like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–9).
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds · 720L — Shares themes of grief and family and overlapping grades (7–12).
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).

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

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