What books are similar to Hurt Go Happy?

The 10 closest matches to Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby on ReadingList include Cursed, The Running Dream, Small Steps, Tending to Grace, and Five Flavors of Dumb. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 7–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Hurt Go Happy reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 7–10), 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 Hurt Go Happy

If you liked Hurt Go Happy, read Cursed, The Running Dream, or Small Steps — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein

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 Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby? 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 7–10 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.

Cursedgrades 7–12: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Running Dreamgrades 7–12: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Small Stepsgrades 6–9: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Tending to Gracegrades 6–9: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Five Flavors of Dumbgrades 8–12: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list, overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Rose Under Firegrades 8–12: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list, overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13Bgrades 8–12: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list, overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
You're Welcome, Universegrades 8–12: Both on the Schneider Family Book Award list, overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
1919 The Year That Changed Americagrades 7–12: Overlapping grades (7–12) and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
A Conspiracy of Kingsgrades 5–12: Overlapping grades (5–12) and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Common questions

What books are similar to Hurt Go Happy?: The 10 closest matches to Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby on ReadingList include Cursed, The Running Dream, Small Steps, Tending to Grace, and Five Flavors of Dumb. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 7–10), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Hurt Go Happy reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 7–10), 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 Hurt Go Happy

Books like Hurt Go Happy

10 books similar to Hurt Go Happy

Why each is a match

Common questions

Browse by another angle