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 The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Stargirl, The Girl Who Could Fly, Eight Keys, and Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World. 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 The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Stargirl, or The Girl Who Could Fly — 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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The Strange Case of Origami Yodagrades 4–6: Shares themes of middle schools, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon →
Stargirlgrades 6–9: Shares themes of individuality, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →
The Girl Who Could Flygrades 4–6: Shares themes of individuality, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Eight Keysgrades 4–6: Shares themes of middle schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
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 (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
Losergrades 4–6: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Rulesgrades 4–7: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Say What?grades 2–8: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
Star in the Stormgrades 2–8: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon →
The Perfect Scoregrades 3–8: Shares themes of middle schools, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →

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.

Togo by Robert J. Blake · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) list, and overlapping grades (2–8).
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), 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.

Togo by Robert J. Blake · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) list, and overlapping grades (2–8).
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).

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.

Togo by Robert J. Blake · grades 2–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) 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 (Michigan Reading Association) list, and overlapping grades (2–8).
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes · grades 5–8 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).

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.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2000s).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2000s).
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2000s).
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen · grades 11–12 — Shares themes of individuality.

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

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