Books like The Things They Carried

If you liked The Things They Carried, read All Quiet on the Western Front, Our Town, or Life of Pi — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (War Novel · 880L · grades 11–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of war, memory, and guilt and memory. 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 11–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Things They Carried

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Why each is a match

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All Quiet on the Western Front830L
Shares themes of war, same genre (War Novel), and a close reading level (830L vs 880L). Amazon →
Our Towngrades 9–12
Shares themes of memory and mortality, both on the AP English Literature & Composition list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →
Life of Pi830L
Shares themes of storytelling, both on the AP English Literature & Composition list, and a close reading level (830L vs 880L). Amazon →
The Fault in Our Stars850L
Shares themes of mortality and a close reading level (850L vs 880L). Amazon →
My Ántonia1010L
Shares themes of memory and a close reading level (1010L vs 880L). Amazon →
Hamletgrades 11–12
Shares themes of mortality, both on the AP English Literature & Composition list, and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon →
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhoodgrades 9–12
Shares themes of war, both on the AP English Literature & Composition list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →
The Glass Menageriegrades 11–12
Shares themes of memory, both on the AP English Literature & Composition list, and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon →
Anthem880L
Both on the AP English Literature & Composition list and a close reading level (880L vs 880L). Amazon →
Beloved870L
Both on the AP English Literature & Composition list and a close reading level (870L vs 880L). Amazon →

Books like The Things They Carried for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (760L vs 880L).
  • Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Shares themes of memory and a close reading level (730L vs 880L).
  • The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen · 730L — Shares themes of memory and a close reading level (730L vs 880L).
  • A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park · 720L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (720L vs 880L).
  • Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland · 720L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (720L vs 880L).

Books like The Things They Carried for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin · 920L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (920L vs 880L).
  • The Giver by Lois Lowry · 760L — Shares themes of memory and a close reading level (760L vs 880L).
  • Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card · 780L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (780L vs 880L).
  • Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (760L vs 880L).
  • Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Shares themes of memory and a close reading level (730L vs 880L).

Books like The Things They Carried for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

  • Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin · 920L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (920L vs 880L).
  • Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card · 780L — Shares themes of war and a close reading level (780L vs 880L).
  • Brave New World by Aldous Huxley · 870L — Both on the AP English Literature & Composition list and a close reading level (870L vs 880L).
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë · 890L — Both on the AP English Literature & Composition list and a close reading level (890L vs 880L).
  • Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe · 890L — Both on the AP English Literature & Composition list and a close reading level (890L vs 880L).

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

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