What books are similar to Trading Places with Tank Talbott?

The 10 closest matches to Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Hillestad Butler on ReadingList include Red Kayak, Dogtown, Fourth Grade Rats, Ungifted, and Wild Wings. Each is scored on shared themes (dance, bullies, and authorship), 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 Trading Places with Tank Talbott 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 Trading Places with Tank Talbott

If you liked Trading Places with Tank Talbott, read Red Kayak, Dogtown, or Fourth Grade Rats — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Hillestad Butler (Realistic Fiction · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of dance, bullies, and authorship. 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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Red Kayakgrades 6–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Dogtowngrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Fourth Grade Ratsgrades 4–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Ungiftedgrades 5–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Wild Wingsgrades 4–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). 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 →
Hoot760L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Mr. Lincoln's Waygrades 3–8: Shares themes of bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Rulesgrades 4–7: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Stepping Upgrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Trading Places with Tank Talbott for younger readers (K–2)

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

Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
He Came With the Couch by David Slonim · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill · grades K–3 — Shares themes of bullies and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Big Bad Bruce by Bill Peet · grades K–3 — Shares themes of bullies and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Books like Trading Places with Tank Talbott for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
He Came With the Couch by David Slonim · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill · grades K–3 — Shares themes of bullies and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The School Story by Andrew Clements · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of authorship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Trading Places with Tank Talbott for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The School Story by Andrew Clements · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of authorship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
A Boy Named Queen by Sara Cassidy · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).

Books like Trading Places with Tank Talbott for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Sold by Patricia McCormick · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Breaking Boxes by A. M. Jenkins · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn · grades 9–12 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Trading Places with Tank Talbott?: The 10 closest matches to Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Hillestad Butler on ReadingList include Red Kayak, Dogtown, Fourth Grade Rats, Ungifted, and Wild Wings. Each is scored on shared themes (dance, bullies, and authorship), 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 Trading Places with Tank Talbott 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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