Books like A Tale of Two Cities
Looking for books like A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Historical Fiction · 1170L · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of revolution, sacrifice, and resurrection. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to A Tale of Two Cities
AlliesAlan Gratz
Great ExpectationsCharles Dickens · 1150L
The Scarlet LetterNathaniel Hawthorne · 1420L- My ÁntoniaWilla CatherMy ÁntoniaWilla Cather · 1010L
Jane EyreCharlotte Brontë · 890L
The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins · 810L
RefugeeAlan Gratz · 800L
ChainsLaurie Halse Anderson · 780L
The Book ThiefMarkus Zusak · 730L
Salt to the SeaRuta Sepetys · 560L
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Why each is a match
- Alliesgrades 5–9
- Shares themes of sacrifice, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9).
- Great Expectations1150L
- Shares themes of class and a close reading level (1150L vs 1170L).
- The Scarlet Letter1420L
- Same genre (Historical Fiction), a close reading level (1420L vs 1170L), and the same era (1850s).
- My Ántonia1010L
- Same genre (Historical Fiction) and a close reading level (1010L vs 1170L).
- Jane Eyre890L
- Shares themes of class and overlapping grades (10–12).
- The Hunger Games810L
- Shares themes of sacrifice and overlapping grades (6–9).
- Refugee800L
- Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (5–9).
- Chains780L
- Shares themes of revolution and overlapping grades (5–9).
- The Book Thief730L
- Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (8–11).
- Salt to the Sea560L
- Same genre (Historical Fiction) and overlapping grades (8–12).