What books are similar to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?

The 10 closest matches to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor on ReadingList include Bud, Not Buddy, Dragonwings, Refugee, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and The Friendship. Each is scored on shared themes (Jim Crow South, family and land, and racial injustice), 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 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 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 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

If you liked Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, read Bud, Not Buddy, Dragonwings, or Refugee — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

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Looking for books like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (Historical Fiction · 920L · grades 6–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of Jim Crow South, family and land, and racial injustice. 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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Bud, Not Buddy950L: Both on the Newbery Medal list (+2 more shared lists), same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (950L vs 920L). Amazon → books like this →
Dragonwings870L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (870L vs 920L). Amazon → books like this →
Refugee800L: Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (800L vs 920L). Amazon → books like this →
Let the Circle Be Unbrokengrades 4–8: Is by Mildred D. Taylor, the same author and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Friendshipgrades 4–9: Is by Mildred D. Taylor, the same author and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
Rifles for Watiegrades 5–9: Both on the Newbery Medal list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon → books like this →
To Kill a Mockingbird870L: Shares themes of racial injustice, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (870L vs 920L). Amazon → books like this →
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—19631000L: Same genre (Historical Fiction) and a close reading level (1000L vs 920L). Amazon → books like this →
One Crazy Summer750L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (750L vs 920L). Amazon → books like this →
Black Ships Before Troygrades 6–8: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare · 850L — Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (850L vs 920L).
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater · Florence Atwater · 910L — Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (910L vs 920L).
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (860L vs 920L).
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park · 920L — Both on the Newbery Medal list and a close reading level (920L vs 920L).
New Kid by Jerry Craft · grades 4–8 — Both on the Newbery Medal list (+2 more shared lists) and overlapping grades (4–8).

Books like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare · 850L — Both on the Newbery Medal list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (850L vs 920L).
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park · 920L — Both on the Newbery Medal list and a close reading level (920L vs 920L).
The Giver by Lois Lowry · 760L — Both on the Newbery Medal list (+2 more shared lists) and a close reading level (760L vs 920L).
New Kid by Jerry Craft · grades 4–8 — Both on the Newbery Medal list (+2 more shared lists) and overlapping grades (4–8).
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli · 820L — Both on the Newbery Medal list (+2 more shared lists) and a close reading level (820L vs 920L).

Books like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka · grades 11–12 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and the same era (1970s).
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara · grades 9–10 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Historical Fiction), and the same era (1970s).
My Ántonia by Willa Cather · 1010L — Same genre (Historical Fiction) and a close reading level (1010L vs 920L).
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green · 850L — Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list) and a close reading level (850L vs 920L).
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison · 920L — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, a close reading level (920L vs 920L), and the same era (1970s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?: The 10 closest matches to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor on ReadingList include Bud, Not Buddy, Dragonwings, Refugee, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and The Friendship. Each is scored on shared themes (Jim Crow South, family and land, and racial injustice), 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 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 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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