What books are similar to Zen and the Art of Faking It?

The 10 closest matches to Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick on ReadingList include Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Stargirl, The Girl Who Could Fly, and Eight Keys. Each is scored on shared themes (asian americans, middle schools, and zen buddhism), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Zen and the Art of Faking It reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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 Zen and the Art of Faking It

If you liked Zen and the Art of Faking It, read Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, or Stargirl — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick (Realistic Fiction · grades 2–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of asian americans, middle schools, and zen buddhism. 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 2–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Drums, Girls & Dangerous Piegrades 6–9: Is by Jordan Sonnenblick, the same author, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
The Strange Case of Origami Yodagrades 4–6: Shares themes of middle schools, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Stargirlgrades 6–9: Shares themes of individuality, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
The Girl Who Could Flygrades 4–6: Shares themes of individuality, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Eight Keysgrades 4–6: Shares themes of middle schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the Worldgrades 2–8: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Jake and Lilygrades 3–6: Shares themes of individuality, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Losergrades 4–6: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Rulesgrades 4–7: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Say What?grades 2–8: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Zen and the Art of Faking It for younger readers (K–2)

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

Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
Togo by Robert J. Blake · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of individuality, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Zen and the Art of Faking It for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of middle schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Togo by Robert J. Blake · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Zen and the Art of Faking It for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Star in the Storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of middle schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Togo by Robert J. Blake · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
When the Wolves Returned by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Zen and the Art of Faking It for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of individuality and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
After by Francine Prose · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2000s).
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2000s).
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (2000s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Zen and the Art of Faking It?: The 10 closest matches to Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick on ReadingList include Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Stargirl, The Girl Who Could Fly, and Eight Keys. Each is scored on shared themes (asian americans, middle schools, and zen buddhism), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Zen and the Art of Faking It reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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.

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

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