What books are similar to All About Sam?

The 10 closest matches to All About Sam by Lois Lowry on ReadingList include Attaboy, Sam!, Number the Stars, Loser, Ramona's World, and Striped Ice Cream. Each is scored on shared themes (brothers and sisters, family, and family life), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like All About Sam reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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.

Books like All About Sam

If you liked All About Sam, read Attaboy, Sam!, Number the Stars, or Loser — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Attaboy, Sam! by Lois Lowry — shares family and family life

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Looking for books like All About Sam by Lois Lowry (Realistic Fiction · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of brothers and sisters, family, and family life. 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 4–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Attaboy, Sam!grades 4–6: Is by Lois Lowry, the same author, shares themes of family and family life, and both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list. Amazon → books like this →
Number the Stars670L: Is by Lois Lowry, the same author, shares themes of family, and both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list. Amazon → books like this →
Losergrades 4–6: Shares themes of family and family life, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Ramona's Worldgrades 4–6: Shares themes of family life, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Striped Ice Creamgrades 4–6: Shares themes of family life, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Shiloh890L: Shares themes of family, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Daphne's Bookgrades 4–8: Shares themes of family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Pinballsgrades 4–6: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+2 more shared lists), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Who Needs a Bratty Brother?grades 3–5: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroomgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like All About Sam for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of family life and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child · grades K–3 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Poor Louie by Tony Fucile · grades K–3 — Shares themes of family life, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Guji Guji by Chen, Zhiyuan · grades K–3 — Shares themes of family and family life and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of family and family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like All About Sam for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of family life and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child · grades K–3 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Poor Louie by Tony Fucile · grades K–3 — Shares themes of family life, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Fig Pudding by Ralph J. Fletcher · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of family and family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
Guji Guji by Chen, Zhiyuan · grades K–3 — Shares themes of family and family life and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like All About Sam for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of family and family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8).
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley · 580L — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (3–7).
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of family, both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7).
101 Ways to Bug Your Parents by Lee Wardlaw · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like All About Sam for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry · grades 9–12 — Is by Lois Lowry, the same author, shares themes of brothers and sisters, and both on the California Young Reader Medal list.
Shadow of the Dragon by Sherry Garland · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of family life, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of family life and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Room by Emma Donoghue · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of family life and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to All About Sam?: The 10 closest matches to All About Sam by Lois Lowry on ReadingList include Attaboy, Sam!, Number the Stars, Loser, Ramona's World, and Striped Ice Cream. Each is scored on shared themes (brothers and sisters, family, and family life), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like All About Sam reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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