What books are similar to Big Ben?

The 10 closest matches to Big Ben by David Harry Walker on ReadingList include My Dog, My Hero, Shiloh Season, Striped Ice Cream, All About Sam, and All the Money in the World. Each is scored on shared themes (saint bernard dog and dogs, fiction), 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 Big Ben 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 Big Ben

If you liked Big Ben, read My Dog, My Hero, Shiloh Season, or Striped Ice Cream — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Big Ben by David Harry Walker (Realistic Fiction · grades 4–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of saint bernard dog and dogs, fiction. 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.

Reading the whole similar-books list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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Why each is a match

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My Dog, My Herogrades 3–5: Shares themes of dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Shiloh Seasongrades 3–6: Shares themes of dogs, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Striped Ice Creamgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
All About Samgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
All the Money in the Worldgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Attaboy, Sam!grades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
City Spiesgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Do Bananas Chew Gum?grades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Eight Keysgrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Flying Sologrades 4–6: Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Big Ben for younger readers (K–2)

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

¡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).
Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).
How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Big Ben for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Four Eyes by Rex Ogle · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Loser by Jerry Spinelli · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
No Talking by Andrew Clements · grades 3–8 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Big Ben for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Four Eyes by Rex Ogle · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Loser by Jerry Spinelli · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
No Talking by Andrew Clements · grades 3–8 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Big Ben 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 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (6–9).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (6–9).
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — 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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