Books like A Single Shard
Looking for books like A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) · 920L · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of perseverance, art, and mentorship. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to A Single Shard
Bea and the New Deal HorseL. M. Elliott
The Girl Who Figured It OutMinda Dentler
The Lost YearKatherine Marsh
Mr. Popper's PenguinsRichard Atwater · Florence Atwater · 910L
The Old Man and the SeaErnest Hemingway · 940L
Bud, Not BuddyChristopher Paul Curtis · 950L
DragonwingsLaurence Yep · 870L
The House on Mango StreetSandra Cisneros · 870L
The Witch of Blackbird PondElizabeth George Speare · 850L
ChainsLaurie Halse Anderson · 780L
Reading the whole similar-books list? Open any title for its Amazon listing — or listen to many of them free with a 30-day Audible trial.
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
Why each is a match
- Bea and the New Deal Horsegrades 3–5
- Shares themes of perseverance, same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)), and overlapping grades (3–5).
- The Girl Who Figured It Outgrades 3–6
- Shares themes of perseverance and determination and overlapping grades (3–6).
- The Lost Yeargrades 6–8
- Shares themes of perseverance, same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)), and overlapping grades (6–8).
- Mr. Popper's Penguins910L
- Shares themes of determination and a close reading level (910L vs 920L).
- The Old Man and the Sea940L
- Shares themes of perseverance and a close reading level (940L vs 920L).
- Bud, Not Buddy950L
- Shares themes of perseverance and a close reading level (950L vs 920L).
- Dragonwings870L
- Shares themes of perseverance and a close reading level (870L vs 920L).
- The House on Mango Street870L
- Shares themes of poverty and a close reading level (870L vs 920L).
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond850L
- Same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)) and a close reading level (850L vs 920L).
- Chains780L
- Same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)), a close reading level (780L vs 920L), and the same era (2000s).