What books are similar to Ways to Make Sunshine?

The 10 closest matches to Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson on ReadingList include Black Girl You Are Atlas, A Face for Picasso, Absurd Words, All Because You Matter (An All Because You Matter Book), and All the Blues in the Sky. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Ways to Make Sunshine reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–7), 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 Ways to Make Sunshine

If you liked Ways to Make Sunshine, read Black Girl You Are Atlas, A Face for Picasso, or Absurd Words — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson (Children's · grades 3–7)? 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 3–7 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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Black Girl You Are Atlasgrades 3–10: Is by Renée Watson, the same author, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–10). Amazon → books like this →
A Face for Picassogrades 6–12: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12). Amazon → books like this →
Absurd Wordsgrades 6–12: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12). Amazon → books like this →
All Because You Matter (An All Because You Matter Book)grades K–5: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
All the Blues in the Skygrades 3–7: Is by Renée Watson, the same author, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Teamgrades 6–12: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12). Amazon → books like this →
Chancegrades 3–8: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Curlfriends: New in Town (a Graphic Novel)grades 3–8: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Eyes That Kiss in the Cornersgrades K–5: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →
Flygrades K–5: Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Ways to Make Sunshine for younger readers (K–2)

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

King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Kumo by Kyo Maclear · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Little Red Riding Hood (40th Anniversary Edition) by Trina Schart Hyman · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnulty · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).

Books like Ways to Make Sunshine for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Kumo by Kyo Maclear · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Little Red Riding Hood (40th Anniversary Edition) by Trina Schart Hyman · grades K–5 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (K–5).
Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Ways to Make Sunshine for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Never Take Your Rhino on a Plane by K. E. LEWIS · grades 3–8 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Once for Yes by Allie Millington · grades 3–7 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca · grades 3–7 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (3–7).

Books like Ways to Make Sunshine for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey · grades 9–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnold · grades 9–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith · grades 9–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and the same era (2020s).
The Twenty-One by Elizabeth Rusch · grades 6–12 — Both on the Golden Kite Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (6–12).
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm · 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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