Books like Finding Normal

If you liked Finding Normal, read The One and Only Family, A Duet for Home, or Countdown to Yesterday — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate

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Looking for books like Finding Normal by Stephanie Faris (Middle Grade Fiction · grades 3–5)? 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 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Finding Normal

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Why each is a match

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The One and Only Familygrades 3–5
Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
A Duet for Homegrades 4–5
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (4–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Countdown to Yesterdaygrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
High Scoregrades 4–5
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (4–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
J vs. Kgrades 3–5
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Jawbreakergrades 3–7
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Just Keep Walkinggrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Oliver's Great Big Universegrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Onyx & Beyondgrades 3–6
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
The Firefly Summergrades 3–7
Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Finding Normal for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (2–5), and the same era (2020s).
  • 100 Chapatis by Derek Mascarenhas · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Avocado Magic by Taltal Levi · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Brave Baby Hummingbird by Sy Montgomery · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Daughter of the Light-Footed People by Belen Medina · grades K–2 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

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

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

  • The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 3–7 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s).
  • The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2020s).
  • The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate · grades 2–5 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (2–5), and the same era (2020s).
  • The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).
  • The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry by Chad Morris · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).

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

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

  • All the Ways to Go by Jessie Janowitz · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and the same era (2020s).
  • Breaking into Sunlight by John Cochran · grades 6–8 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and the same era (2020s).
  • Confessions of a Class Clown by Arianne Costner · grades 6–8 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • Control Freaks by J.E. Thomas · grades 6–8 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction) and the same era (2020s).
  • Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow · grades 6–8 — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction) and the same era (2020s).

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

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

  • Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • Rise by Freya Finch · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • The Beasts in Your Brain by Katherine Speller · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • The Dark Becomes Her by Judy I. Lin · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).
  • The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mississippi Magnolia Book Award list and the same era (2020s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Finding Normal?
The 10 closest matches to Finding Normal by Stephanie Faris on ReadingList include The One and Only Family, A Duet for Home, Countdown to Yesterday, High Score, and J vs. K. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Finding Normal reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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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