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 Dogtown, Fourth Grade Rats, Ungifted, Wild Wings, and Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life. 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 Dogtown, Fourth Grade Rats, or Ungifted — 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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Dogtowngrades 3–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
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 →
Ungiftedgrades 5–8: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Wild Wingsgrades 4–6: Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life890L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Hoot760L: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Rulesgrades 4–7: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Stepping Upgrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
The Stranger Next Doorgrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8: Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →

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

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

My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton · 530L — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (2–5).
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2000s).
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows · 580L — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (2–4).

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.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo · 610L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–5).
Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

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 and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Blubber by Judy Blume · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
My Explosive Diary by Emily Gale · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of bullies, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

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 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).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2000s).
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2000s).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of friendship.

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

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