Books like Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma

If you liked Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma, read A Spoon for Every Bite, El Cucuy!, or El Chupacabras — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: A Spoon for Every Bite by Joe Hayes

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Looking for books like Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma by Joe Hayes (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–6)? 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma

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Why each is a match

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A Spoon for Every Bitegrades 3–5
Is by Joe Hayes, the same author and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
El Cucuy!grades 3–5
Is by Joe Hayes, the same author and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
El Chupacabrasgrades 3–6
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Help Me, Mr. Mutt!grades 3–6
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Postcards from Campgrades 3–6
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Strange Case of Origami Yodagrades 4–6
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hopgrades 3–6
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
A Dog Called Kittygrades 3–5
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Dogtowngrades 3–6
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Invisible Isabelgrades 3–6
Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Memoirs of a Tortoise by Devin Scillian · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta by Lisa Wheeler · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Memoirs of a Tortoise by Devin Scillian · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta by Lisa Wheeler · grades 3–6 — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Texas Bluebonnet Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Common questions

What books are similar to Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma?
The 10 closest matches to Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma by Joe Hayes on ReadingList include A Spoon for Every Bite, El Cucuy!, El Chupacabras, Help Me, Mr. Mutt!, and Postcards from Camp. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–6), 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.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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