What books are similar to Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust?

The 10 closest matches to Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer on ReadingList include Because of You, John Lewis, A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos, Ernö Rubik and His Magic Cube, and Introducing Sandwina: The Strongest Woman in the World!. Each is scored on shared themes (history, courage, and Holocaust), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

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 Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust

If you liked Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust, read Because of You, John Lewis first — the closest match in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Closest match: Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney — shares history and courage

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Looking for books like Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer (Picture Book · grades 2–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of history, courage, and Holocaust. 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 2–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Because of You, John Lewisgrades 3–5: Shares themes of history and courage, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchengrades 3–6: Shares themes of biography, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinosgrades 2–5: Shares themes of biography, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (2–5). Amazon → books like this →
Ernö Rubik and His Magic Cubegrades 3–6: Shares themes of biography, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Introducing Sandwina: The Strongest Woman in the World!grades 2–5: Shares themes of biography, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (2–5). Amazon → books like this →
Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toysgrades 3–6: Shares themes of biography, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Girl Who Figured It Outgrades 3–6: Shares themes of biography, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Choleragrades 3–6: Shares themes of history and biography and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Iceberggrades 3–7: Shares themes of history and courage, both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
There Was a Party for Langstongrades K–5: Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–5). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1) by Christina Soontornvat · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage, both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
Blue by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond · grades K–4 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–4).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of history and courage and overlapping grades (2–5).
A Land of Books by Duncan Tonatiuh · grades K–5 — Same genre (Picture Book), overlapping grades (K–5), and the same era (2020s).

Books like Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey by Chad Soon & Amy Maranville · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of history and biography and overlapping grades (3–7).
Hoops by Matt Tavares · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of history and courage and overlapping grades (3–5).
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of courage, both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6).
The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1) by Christina Soontornvat · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage, both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (2–5).
The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry by Chad Morris · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of courage, both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey by Chad Soon & Amy Maranville · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of history and biography and overlapping grades (3–7).
Heroes by Alan Gratz · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of history and courage.
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of history and both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of courage and Holocaust.
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of courage, both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history and courage.
Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history and courage.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak · 730L — Shares themes of courage and Holocaust.
Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt · grades 6–9 — Both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2020s).
Murder Among Friends by Candace Fleming · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history.

Common questions

What books are similar to Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust?: The 10 closest matches to Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer on ReadingList include Because of You, John Lewis, A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos, Ernö Rubik and His Magic Cube, and Introducing Sandwina: The Strongest Woman in the World!. Each is scored on shared themes (history, courage, and Holocaust), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–5), 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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