What books are similar to When Stars Are Scattered?

The 10 closest matches to When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson on ReadingList include Parachute Kids, Refugee, Amari and the Night Brothers, Class Act, and Ferris. Each is scored on shared themes (refugees, family, and hope), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like When Stars Are Scattered reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–8), 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 When Stars Are Scattered

If you liked When Stars Are Scattered, read Parachute Kids, Refugee, or Amari and the Night Brothers — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson (Graphic Novel · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of refugees, family, and hope. 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Parachute Kidsgrades 3–7: Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Graphic Novel). Amazon →
Refugee800L: Shares themes of refugees and family, both on the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award list (+4 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
Amari and the Night Brothersgrades 4–7: Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Class Actgrades 4–8: Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Ferrisgrades 3–6: Shares themes of family, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Four Eyes: A Graphic Novelgrades 3–7: Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon →
The Labors of Hercules Bealgrades 3–7: Shares themes of family, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon →
The Lost Yeargrades 6–8: Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon →
Wait Till Helen Comesgrades 4–7: Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
A Night Dividedgrades 5–8: Shares themes of family, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →

Books like When Stars Are Scattered for younger readers (K–2)

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

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Shares themes of family and both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list).
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Shares themes of family, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (2–5).
Picture Purrfect (Bodega Cats #1) by Hilda Eunice Burgos · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of family, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
Bone by Jeff Smith · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like When Stars Are Scattered for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Between Two Brothers by Crystal Allen · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family and hope and overlapping grades (4–8).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli · 820L — Shares themes of family, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7).

Books like When Stars Are Scattered for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of family, both on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Between Two Brothers by Crystal Allen · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of family and hope and overlapping grades (4–8).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, both on the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Shares themes of family, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (3–7).

Books like When Stars Are Scattered for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, both on the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds · 720L — Shares themes of family, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (7–12).
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas · 590L — Shares themes of family and both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list (+1 more shared list).
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family and hope and overlapping grades (6–9).
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys · 560L — Shares themes of refugees and hope 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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