What books are similar to Plague Year?

The 10 closest matches to Plague Year by Stephanie S. Tolan on ReadingList include Truly Devious, Tears of A Tiger, One of Us Is Lying, The Man in the Woods, and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Each is scored on shared themes (high schools, prejudices, and schools), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Plague Year reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 Plague Year

If you liked Plague Year, read Truly Devious, Tears of A Tiger, or One of Us Is Lying — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson — shares schools and mystery and detective stories

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Looking for books like Plague Year by Stephanie S. Tolan (Mystery · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of high schools, prejudices, and schools. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Truly Deviousgrades 9–12: Shares themes of schools and mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Tears of A Tigergrades 9–12: Shares themes of high schools and schools, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
One of Us Is Lyinggrades 9–12: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
The Man in the Woodsgrades 9–12: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnesgrades 9–12: Shares themes of high schools and schools and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Good Girl's Guide to Murdergrades 9–12: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Naturalsgrades 9–12: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Aftergrades 9–12: Shares themes of high schools and schools and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Daughter of the Starsgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
If You Come Softlygrades 9–12: Shares themes of schools, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Plague Year for younger readers (K–2)

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

Piggins by Jane Yolen · grades K–3 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
In a Dark, Dark Room by Alvin Schwartz · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list and same genre (Mystery).
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of schools and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray · grades K–3 — Shares themes of schools and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Double Trouble in Walla Walla by Andrew Clements · grades K–3 — Shares themes of schools.

Books like Plague Year for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

A Haunting in Williamsburg by Lou Kassem · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).
Dead Man in Indian Creek by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).
Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).
Ghosts Don't Get Goose Bumps by Elvira Woodruff · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
Scared Stiff by Willo Davis Roberts · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).

Books like Plague Year for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Dead Man in Indian Creek by Mary Downing Hahn · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).
Spirit Seeker by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).
Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).
Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).
The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery).

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

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

Fake ID by L. R. Giles · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12).
How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12).
That's Not My Name by Megan Lally · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12).
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes · grades 9–12 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12).
The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of high schools and overlapping grades (9–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to Plague Year?: The 10 closest matches to Plague Year by Stephanie S. Tolan on ReadingList include Truly Devious, Tears of A Tiger, One of Us Is Lying, The Man in the Woods, and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Each is scored on shared themes (high schools, prejudices, and schools), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Plague Year reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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