What books are similar to All About Sam?

The 10 closest matches to All About Sam by Lois Lowry on ReadingList include Attaboy, Sam!, Loser, Number the Stars, Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World, and Ramona's World. 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!, Loser, or Number the Stars — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

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 →
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 →
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 →
Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the Worldgrades 2–8: Shares themes of family and family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). 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 →
Shiloh890L: Shares themes of family, 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 →
Dear Mr. Henshawgrades 4–6: Shares themes of family, 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 →
101 Ways to Bug Your Parentsgrades 4–6: Shares themes of family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). 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.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Shares themes of family, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).
Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande · grades K–3 — Shares themes of family.
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne · 510L — Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (1–4).

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

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

A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
Do Bananas Chew Gum? by Jamie Gilson · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Drive-By by Lynne Ewing · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

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

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

Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of family life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
Do Bananas Chew Gum? by Jamie Gilson · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Drive-By by Lynne Ewing · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).

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

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

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of family, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of family and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

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

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