Books like Wishtree

If you liked Wishtree, read The Wild Robot, The One and Only Ivan, or The One and Only Ruby — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (Middle Grade Fiction · 590L · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of community, kindness, and prejudice. 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Wishtree

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Why each is a match

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The Wild Robot740L
Shares themes of kindness and nature, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The One and Only Ivan570L
Is by Katherine Applegate, the same author, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and a close reading level (570L vs 590L). Amazon → books like this →
The One and Only Rubygrades 2–5
Is by Katherine Applegate, the same author, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Restart730L
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (730L vs 590L). Amazon → books like this →
Wonder790L
Shares themes of kindness, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Fish in a Tree550L
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (550L vs 590L). Amazon → books like this →
The War That Saved My Life580L
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), a close reading level (580L vs 590L), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Because of Winn-Dixie610L
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (610L vs 590L). Amazon → books like this →
Front Desk640L
Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), a close reading level (640L vs 590L), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Holes660L
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (660L vs 590L). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Wishtree for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths · 560L — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), a close reading level (560L vs 590L), and the same era (2010s).
  • Night in the City by Julie Downing · grades K–2 — Shares themes of community and kindness.
  • Thank a Farmer by Maria Gianferrari · grades K–2 — Shares themes of community and nature.
  • Corduroy by Don Freeman · 600L — Shares themes of kindness and a close reading level (600L vs 590L).
  • The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein · 530L — Shares themes of kindness and a close reading level (530L vs 590L).

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

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

  • The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon · 510L — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (510L vs 590L).
  • Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (700L vs 590L).
  • Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of nature, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 590L).
  • Odder by Katherine Applegate · grades 3–5 — Is by Katherine Applegate, the same author, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–5).
  • Blended by Sharon M. Draper · 610L — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), a close reading level (610L vs 590L), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

  • The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon · 510L — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (510L vs 590L).
  • Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (700L vs 590L).
  • Pax by Sara Pennypacker · 760L — Shares themes of nature, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 590L).
  • Blended by Sharon M. Draper · 610L — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), a close reading level (610L vs 590L), and the same era (2010s).
  • Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson · 440L — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), a close reading level (440L vs 590L), and the same era (2010s).

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

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

  • Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of prejudice.
  • The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo · 800L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list, a close reading level (800L vs 590L), and the same era (2010s).
  • The Fault in Our Stars by John Green · 850L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Beloved by Toni Morrison · 870L — Shares themes of community.
  • The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway · 940L — Shares themes of nature.

Common questions

What books are similar to Wishtree?
The 10 closest matches to Wishtree by Katherine Applegate on ReadingList include The Wild Robot, The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Ruby, Restart, and Wonder. Each is scored on shared themes (community, kindness, and prejudice), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Wishtree reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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 2026-08-11. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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