What books are similar to Where the Wild Things Are?

The 10 closest matches to Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak on ReadingList include Corduroy, Make Way for Ducklings, The Snowy Day, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and The BFG. Each is scored on shared themes (imagination, anger and tantrums, and home and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Where the Wild Things Are reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), 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 Where the Wild Things Are

If you liked Where the Wild Things Are, read Corduroy, Make Way for Ducklings, or The Snowy Day — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Picture Book · 740L · grades K–3)? It’s most often read for its themes of imagination, anger and tantrums, and home and family. 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 K–3 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Corduroy600L: Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
Make Way for Ducklings730L: Both on the Caldecott Medal list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Picture Book), and a close reading level (730L vs 740L). Amazon →
The Snowy Day500L: Both on the Caldecott Medal list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Picture Book), and a close reading level (500L vs 740L). Amazon →
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie410L: Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Picture Book). Amazon →
The BFG720L: Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (720L vs 740L). Amazon →
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory810L: Shares themes of imagination and a close reading level (810L vs 740L). Amazon →
James and the Giant Peach870L: Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (870L vs 740L). Amazon →
Don't Think of Tigersgrades K–3: Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guidegrades K–2: Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon →
I Lived Inside a Whalegrades K–3: Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon →

Books like Where the Wild Things Are for younger readers (K–2)

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

Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons · grades K–2 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Ursula Upside Down by Corey R. Tabor · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey · 720L — Shares themes of imagination and a close reading level (720L vs 740L).

Books like Where the Wild Things Are for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson · 810L — Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (810L vs 740L).
Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Ursula Upside Down by Corey R. Tabor · grades K–3 — Shares themes of imagination, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey · 720L — Shares themes of imagination and a close reading level (720L vs 740L).

Books like Where the Wild Things Are for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson · 810L — Shares themes of imagination, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (810L vs 740L).
Locomotive by Brian Floca · grades 2–6 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (2–6).
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick · grades 3–7 — Both on the Caldecott Medal list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (3–7).
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle · 740L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (740L vs 740L), and the same era (1960s).
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton · 750L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (750L vs 740L), and the same era (1960s).

Books like Where the Wild Things Are for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton · 750L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (750L vs 740L), and the same era (1960s).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (730L vs 740L).
Lord of the Flies by William Golding · 770L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (770L vs 740L).
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson · 690L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (690L vs 740L).
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger · 790L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and a close reading level (790L vs 740L).

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

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