What books are similar to Chains?

The 10 closest matches to Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson on ReadingList include The War That Saved My Life, Inside Out & Back Again, The Outsiders, I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Each is scored on shared themes (slavery, freedom, and resilience), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–9), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Chains reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–9), 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 Chains

If you liked Chains, read The War That Saved My Life, Inside Out & Back Again, or The Outsiders — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Closest match: The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley — shares freedom and resilience

Get it on Amazon →

Affiliate link: as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Looking for books like Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) · 780L · grades 5–9)? It’s most often read for its themes of slavery, freedom, and resilience. The 10 titles below 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 5–9 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Why each is a match

Amazon links below are affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

The War That Saved My Life580L: Shares themes of freedom and resilience, same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)), and a close reading level (580L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
Inside Out & Back Again800L: Shares themes of resilience and a close reading level (800L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
The Outsiders750L: Shares themes of loyalty and a close reading level (750L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition)830L: Shares themes of resilience and a close reading level (830L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
The Witch of Blackbird Pond850L: Same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)) and a close reading level (850L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
A Single Shard920L: Same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)), a close reading level (920L vs 780L), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
Esperanza Rising750L: Shares themes of resilience and a close reading level (750L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
Island of the Blue Dolphins1000L: Shares themes of resilience, same genre (Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)), and a close reading level (1000L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
Pax760L: Shares themes of loyalty and a close reading level (760L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →
Speak690L: Is by Laurie Halse Anderson, the same author and a close reading level (690L vs 780L). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Chains for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia · 750L — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse · 740L — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and a close reading level (740L vs 780L).
Guji Guji by Chen, Zhiyuan · grades K–3 — Shares themes of loyalty.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain · 950L — Shares themes of freedom and a close reading level (950L vs 780L).
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen · 1020L — Shares themes of resilience and a close reading level (1020L vs 780L).

Books like Chains for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia · 750L — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and a close reading level (750L vs 780L).
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse · 740L — Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list and a close reading level (740L vs 780L).
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain · 950L — Shares themes of freedom and a close reading level (950L vs 780L).
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen · 1020L — Shares themes of resilience and a close reading level (1020L vs 780L).
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of freedom and overlapping grades (5–8).

Books like Chains for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck · 680L — Shares themes of resilience and a close reading level (680L vs 780L).
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou · 1070L — Shares themes of resilience.
Legend by Marie Lu · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of loyalty and overlapping grades (6–9).
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–9 — Shares themes of loyalty and overlapping grades (5–9).
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of resilience and overlapping grades (6–9).

Common questions

What books are similar to Chains?: The 10 closest matches to Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson on ReadingList include The War That Saved My Life, Inside Out & Back Again, The Outsiders, I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Each is scored on shared themes (slavery, freedom, and resilience), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–9), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Chains reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–9), 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.

← Back to Chains