What books are similar to Widget?

The 10 closest matches to Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland on ReadingList include Can I Be Your Dog?, Shiloh Season, My Dog, My Hero, Titanicat, and Cat Secrets. Each is scored on shared themes (cats, dogs, and dogs, fiction), 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 Widget 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 Widget

If you liked Widget, read Can I Be Your Dog?, Shiloh Season, or My Dog, My Hero — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland (Realistic Fiction · grades K–3)? It’s most often read for its themes of cats, dogs, and dogs, fiction. 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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Can I Be Your Dog?grades K–3: Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Shiloh Seasongrades 3–6: Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
My Dog, My Herogrades 3–5: Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Titanicatgrades K–3: Shares themes of cats and cats, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Cat Secretsgrades K–3: Shares themes of cats and cats, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Hachikogrades 3–6: Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Madeline Finn and the Library Doggrades K–2: Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →
Riptidegrades K–3: Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
The Dog Who Had Kittensgrades K–3: Shares themes of cats and dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Tornadogrades 3–6: Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Widget for younger readers (K–2)

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

Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh · grades K–3 — Shares themes of dogs, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Good Boy, Fergus by David Shannon · grades K–2 — Shares themes of dogs and dogs, fiction and overlapping grades (K–2).
Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Widget for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of cats, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh · grades K–3 — Shares themes of dogs, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel · grades K–3 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3).
Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Widget for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of cats, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of cats, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of dogs, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Big Ben by David Harry Walker · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of dogs, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like Widget for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to Widget?: The 10 closest matches to Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland on ReadingList include Can I Be Your Dog?, Shiloh Season, My Dog, My Hero, Titanicat, and Cat Secrets. Each is scored on shared themes (cats, dogs, and dogs, fiction), 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 Widget 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.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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