What books are similar to Matilda?

The 10 closest matches to Matilda by Roald Dahl on ReadingList include Frindle, Out of My Mind, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and Holes. Each is scored on shared themes (intelligence, overcoming neglect, and teacher-student bond), 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 Matilda 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.

Books like Matilda

If you liked Matilda, read Frindle, Out of My Mind, or James and the Giant Peach — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Frindle by Andrew Clements — shares intelligence

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Looking for books like Matilda by Roald Dahl (Middle Grade Fiction · 840L · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of intelligence, overcoming neglect, and teacher-student bond. 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.

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Why each is a match

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Frindle830L: Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+5 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Out of My Mind700L: Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+5 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
James and the Giant Peach870L: Is by Roald Dahl, the same author, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The BFG720L: Is by Roald Dahl, the same author, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Holes660L: Shares themes of justice, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+4 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Maniac Magee820L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+6 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (820L vs 840L). Amazon → books like this →
Wonder790L: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+6 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (790L vs 840L). Amazon → books like this →
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH790L: Shares themes of intelligence, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Diary of a Wimpy Kid950L: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (950L vs 840L). Amazon → books like this →
Because of Winn-Dixie610L: Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+5 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (610L vs 840L). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Matilda for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (860L vs 840L).
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey · 720L — Both on the West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 840L).
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths · 560L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–5).
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (750L vs 840L).

Books like Matilda for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl · 810L — Is by Roald Dahl, the same author, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (810L vs 840L).
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner · 550L — Both on the Utah Beehive Book Award (Children's Fiction) list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (860L vs 840L).
Swindle by Gordon Korman · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of justice, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), a close reading level (860L vs 840L), and the same era (1980s).

Books like Matilda for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl · 810L — Is by Roald Dahl, the same author, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (810L vs 840L).
Swindle by Gordon Korman · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of justice, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7).
Unwind by Neal Shusterman · grades 8–12 — Shares themes of justice and both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+2 more shared lists).
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling · 880L — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+4 more shared lists) and a close reading level (880L vs 840L).
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+5 more shared lists) and a close reading level (890L vs 840L).

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

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

Unwind by Neal Shusterman · grades 8–12 — Shares themes of justice and both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+2 more shared lists).
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee · 870L — Shares themes of justice, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (870L vs 840L).
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green · 850L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+3 more shared lists) and a close reading level (850L vs 840L).
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes · 910L — Shares themes of intelligence and a close reading level (910L vs 840L).
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo · 800L — Both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (800L vs 840L).

Common questions

What books are similar to Matilda?: The 10 closest matches to Matilda by Roald Dahl on ReadingList include Frindle, Out of My Mind, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and Holes. Each is scored on shared themes (intelligence, overcoming neglect, and teacher-student bond), 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 Matilda 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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