Books like Define "Normal"

If you liked Define "Normal", read I Must Betray You, The Silver Kiss, or Breathing Underwater — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

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Looking for books like Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of peer counseling, friendship in fiction, and parent and child in 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Define "Normal"

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Why each is a match

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I Must Betray Yougrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Silver Kissgrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Breathing Underwatergrades 9–12
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Hanging on to Maxgrades 9–12
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
My Sister's Keepergrades 9–12
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Aftergrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Shattering Glassgrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Soldgrades 9–12
Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Everything, Everythinggrades 9–12
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Girl, Stolengrades 9–12
Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Define "Normal" for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • The Pinballs by Betsy Cromer Byars · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship in fiction, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • No Talking by Andrew Clements · grades 3–8 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Schooled by Gordon Korman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Books like Define "Normal" for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • The Pinballs by Betsy Cromer Byars · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of friendship in fiction, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • No Talking by Andrew Clements · grades 3–8 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter · grades 6–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz · grades 6–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings · grades 6–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Define "Normal"?
The 10 closest matches to Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters on ReadingList include I Must Betray You, The Silver Kiss, Breathing Underwater, Hanging on to Max, and My Sister's Keeper. Each is scored on shared themes (peer counseling, friendship in fiction, and parent and child in fiction), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Define "Normal" reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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