Books like Cardboard

If you liked Cardboard, read Operation: Dump the Chump, Unbreakable, or Don't Hurt Laurie — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: Operation: Dump the Chump by Barbara Park

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Looking for books like Cardboard by Doug TenNapel (Realistic Fiction · grades 6–8)? 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 6–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Cardboard

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Why each is a match

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Operation: Dump the Chumpgrades 4–8
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
Unbreakablegrades 6–8
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Don't Hurt Lauriegrades 4–8
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
Harris and Megrades 6–8
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Mick Harte Was Heregrades 5–8
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
So B. Itgrades 5–8
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
Stargirlgrades 6–9
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
The Compoundgrades 6–9
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
The Goof that Won the Pennantgrades 4–8
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
Creepy Carrots!grades 3–10
Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–10), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Cardboard for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Cardboard 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 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk · grades K–3 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
  • Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) by Lynn Plourde · grades 3–5 — Both on the Young Hoosier Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Cardboard?
The 10 closest matches to Cardboard by Doug TenNapel on ReadingList include Operation: Dump the Chump, Unbreakable, Don't Hurt Laurie, Harris and Me, and Mick Harte Was Here. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Cardboard reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), 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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