What books are similar to Vincent and Theo?

The 10 closest matches to Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman on ReadingList include Torpedoed, Mr Tiger Goes Wild, Pocketful of Posies, The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia, and Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Vincent and Theo reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–10), 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 Vincent and Theo

If you liked Vincent and Theo, read Torpedoed, Mr Tiger Goes Wild, or Pocketful of Posies — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman (Children's · grades 4–10)? 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 4–10 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

Reading the whole similar-books list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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Why each is a match

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Torpedoedgrades 6–12: Is by Deborah Heiligman, the same author, both on the Golden Kite Award list, and same genre (Children's). Amazon → books like this →
Mr Tiger Goes Wildgrades K–5: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
Pocketful of Posiesgrades K–5: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russiagrades 4–10: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10). Amazon → books like this →
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogungrades 4–10: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10). Amazon → books like this →
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doylegrades 4–9: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
A Band of Angelsgrades K–5: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
A Dance Like Starlightgrades K–5: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
A Green Place to begrades K–5: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
A Ray of Lightgrades 4–10: Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Vincent and Theo for younger readers (K–2)

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

A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
At Night by Jonathan Bean · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Building Our House by Jonathan Bean · grades K–5 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).

Books like Vincent and Theo for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Abigail Adams by Natalie S. Bober · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass by Russell Freedman · grades 4–10 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Vincent and Theo for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Abigail Adams by Natalie S. Bober · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass by Russell Freedman · grades 4–10 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming · grades 4–10 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).

Books like Vincent and Theo for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Abigail Adams by Natalie S. Bober · grades 4–10 — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass by Russell Freedman · grades 4–10 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming · grades 4–10 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–10).
Arthur, For the Very First Time by Patricia MacLachlan · grades 4–9 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle · grades 4–9 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9).

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

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