Books like Salt to the Sea

Looking for books like Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (Historical Fiction · 560L · grades 8–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of war, survival, and refugees. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 8–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Salt to the Sea

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Why each is a match

A Long Walk to Water720L
Shares themes of war, survival, and hope, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 560L).
Refugee800L
Shares themes of survival and refugees, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (800L vs 560L).
Night590L
Shares themes of survival and Holocaust and a close reading level (590L vs 560L).
Echo680L
Shares themes of war, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (680L vs 560L).
Alliesgrades 5–9
Shares themes of war, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–9).
The Book Thief730L
Shares themes of Holocaust, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (730L vs 560L).
The Devil's Arithmetic730L
Shares themes of Holocaust, same genre (Historical Fiction), and a close reading level (730L vs 560L).
The Diary of a Young Girl1080L
Shares themes of Holocaust and hope and overlapping grades (7–10).
Code Name Kingfishergrades 4–8
Shares themes of survival, same genre (Historical Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–8).
Maus: A Survivor's Talegrades 9–12
Shares themes of survival and Holocaust and overlapping grades (9–12).

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