What books are similar to The Stranger Next Door?

The 10 closest matches to The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret on ReadingList include Stepping Up, A Boy Named Queen, Saving Winslow, Stolen Children, and The Ghost's Grave. Each is scored on shared themes (arson, moving, household, and cats), 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 Stranger Next Door 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 Stranger Next Door

If you liked The Stranger Next Door, read Stepping Up, A Boy Named Queen, or Saving Winslow — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of arson, moving, household, and cats. 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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Stepping Upgrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Saving Winslowgrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Stolen Childrengrades 4–6: Is by Peg Kehret, the same author, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Ghost's Gravegrades 3–8: Is by Peg Kehret, the same author, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Ungiftedgrades 5–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Bad Kittygrades K–3: Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life890L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
He Came With the Couchgrades K–3: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Hoot760L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Stranger Next Door for younger readers (K–2)

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

Titanicat by Marty Crisp · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Copycat by Ruth Brown · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like The Stranger Next Door for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret · grades 3–6 — Is by Peg Kehret, the same author, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6).
Rules by Cynthia Lord · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Titanicat by Marty Crisp · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Hillestad Butler · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like The Stranger Next Door for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret · grades 3–6 — Is by Peg Kehret, the same author, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6).
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
Rules by Cynthia Lord · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Hillestad Butler · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Stranger Next Door for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Sold by Patricia McCormick · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Stranger Next Door?: The 10 closest matches to The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret on ReadingList include Stepping Up, A Boy Named Queen, Saving Winslow, Stolen Children, and The Ghost's Grave. Each is scored on shared themes (arson, moving, household, and cats), 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 Stranger Next Door 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.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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