What books are similar to Red Kayak?

The 10 closest matches to Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings on ReadingList include Perfect, Blackwater, The Gollywhopper Games, Fourth Grade Rats, and Drive-By. Each is scored on shared themes (death, conduct of life, and boats and boating), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Red Kayak reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), 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 Red Kayak

If you liked Red Kayak, read Perfect, Blackwater, or The Gollywhopper Games — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Closest match: Perfect by Natasha Friend — shares death

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Looking for books like Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings (Realistic Fiction · grades 6–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of death, conduct of life, and boats and boating. 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 6–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Perfectgrades 6–9: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
Blackwatergrades 6–8: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Gollywhopper Gamesgrades 3–8: Shares themes of conduct of life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Fourth Grade Ratsgrades 4–6: Shares themes of conduct of life and friendship, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Drive-Bygrades 3–8: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Flippedgrades 3–8: Shares themes of conduct of life and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Say What?grades 2–8: Shares themes of conduct of life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Crashgrades 3–8: Shares themes of conduct of life and friendship and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Flying Sologrades 4–6: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Lulu's Mysterious Missiongrades 2–8: Shares themes of conduct of life, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Red Kayak for younger readers (K–2)

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

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
No David! by David Shannon · grades K–3 — Shares themes of conduct of life.

Books like Red Kayak for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of death and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Fig Pudding by Ralph J. Fletcher · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of death and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
No David! by David Shannon · grades K–3 — Shares themes of conduct of life.

Books like Red Kayak for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter · grades 6–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz · grades 6–8 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
The Compound by S. A. Bodeen · grades 6–9 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).

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

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

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of death, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of conduct of life and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of death and friendship and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Sudden Silence by Eve Bunting · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of death and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of death and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to Red Kayak?: The 10 closest matches to Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings on ReadingList include Perfect, Blackwater, The Gollywhopper Games, Fourth Grade Rats, and Drive-By. Each is scored on shared themes (death, conduct of life, and boats and boating), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Red Kayak reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), 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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