What books are similar to The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake?

The 10 closest matches to The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake by Elvira Woodruff on ReadingList include Eight Keys, The Ghost of Lizard Light, Attaboy, Sam!, Flying Solo, and Ghosts Don't Get Goose Bumps. Each is scored on shared themes (undertakers and undertaking, orphans, and truck drivers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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 Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake

If you liked The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake, read Eight Keys, The Ghost of Lizard Light, or Attaboy, Sam! — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake by Elvira Woodruff (Realistic Fiction · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of undertakers and undertaking, orphans, and truck drivers. 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 4–6 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 orphans, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Ghost of Lizard Lightgrades 3–5: Is by Elvira Woodruff, the same author, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Attaboy, Sam!grades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Flying Sologrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Ghosts Don't Get Goose Bumpsgrades 3–5: Is by Elvira Woodruff, the same author, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Greetings from Witness Protection!grades 6–8: Shares themes of orphans, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Ramona's Worldgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Shiloh890L: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Ghost Inside the Monitorgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Root Cellargrades 6–8: Shares themes of orphans, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake for younger readers (K–2)

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

Basket by George Ella Lyon · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
Copycat by Ruth Brown · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
Don't Fidget a Feather! by Erica Silverman · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi · grades K–2 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).

Books like The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Worth by A. LaFaye · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of orphans, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).
All About Sam by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
All the Money in the World by Bill Brittain · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Big Ben by David Harry Walker · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
City Spies by James Ponti · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Worth by A. LaFaye · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of orphans, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).
All About Sam by Lois Lowry · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
All the Money in the World by Bill Brittain · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Big Ben by David Harry Walker · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
City Spies by James Ponti · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Truth Trap by Frances A. Miller · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of orphans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
A Time of Troubles by Pieter Van Raven · grades 5–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (1990s).
Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).
Bad by Jean Ferris · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake?: The 10 closest matches to The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake by Elvira Woodruff on ReadingList include Eight Keys, The Ghost of Lizard Light, Attaboy, Sam!, Flying Solo, and Ghosts Don't Get Goose Bumps. Each is scored on shared themes (undertakers and undertaking, orphans, and truck drivers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Secret Funeral of Slim Jim the Snake reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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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