What books are similar to Torch?

The 10 closest matches to Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann on ReadingList include Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard, Allies, Projekt 1065, The Book Thief, and Divergent. Each is scored on shared themes (courage, freedom, and history), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Torch reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 Torch

If you liked Torch, read Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard, Allies, or Projekt 1065 — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Historical Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of courage, freedom, and history. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullardgrades 9–12: Shares themes of courage and history and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →
Alliesgrades 5–9: Shares themes of courage, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
Projekt 1065grades 5–9: Shares themes of courage, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
The Book Thief730L: Shares themes of courage, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (8–11). Amazon →
Divergentgrades 8–12: Shares themes of courage, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and overlapping grades (8–12). Amazon →
Refugee800L: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
Salt to the Sea560L: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (8–12). Amazon →
The False Princegrades 5–9: Shares themes of courage, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
Touching Spirit Beargrades 6–9: Shares themes of courage, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
Divine Rivalsgrades 9–12: Shares themes of courage and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →

Books like Torch for younger readers (K–2)

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

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of courage and history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage and history.
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of courage and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.
Just Like Millie by Lauren Castillo · grades K–3 — Shares themes of courage.

Books like Torch for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of courage and freedom, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of courage and history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of courage and history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of courage and history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan · 680L — Shares themes of courage, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Historical Fiction).

Books like Torch for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of courage and freedom, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of courage and history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of courage and history and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan · 680L — Shares themes of courage, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Historical Fiction).
Heroes by Alan Gratz · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of courage and history.

Books like Torch for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Murder Among Friends by Candace Fleming · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (9–12).
Sky's End by Marc J. Gregson · grades 7–12 — Shares themes of courage and overlapping grades (7–12).
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of freedom and overlapping grades (7–10).
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens · 1170L — Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (9–12).
Anthem by Ayn Rand · 880L — Shares themes of freedom and overlapping grades (8–12).

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

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