Books like Swindle

If you liked Swindle, read Schooled, Ungifted, or Skeleton Man — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Schooled by Gordon Korman

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Looking for books like Swindle by Gordon Korman (Mystery · grades 4–7)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, justice, and heist. 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 4–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Swindle

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Why each is a match

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Schooledgrades 3–8
Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Ungiftedgrades 5–8
Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, shares themes of friendship, and both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list). Amazon → books like this →
Skeleton Mangrades 3–8
Both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Holes660L
Shares themes of friendship and justice, both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Closed for the Seasongrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Matilda840L
Shares themes of justice, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
The Westing Game750L
Shares themes of justice, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (5–7). Amazon → books like this →
Diary of a Wimpy Kid950L
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Garden State Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Rulesgrades 4–7
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Great Stone Face Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Alvin's Swap Shopgrades 4–6
Both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Swindle for younger readers (K–2)

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

  • Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2000s).
  • Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Mystery), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2000s).
  • Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick · grades K–3 — Same genre (Mystery).
  • In a Dark, Dark Room by Alvin Schwartz · grades K–3 — Same genre (Mystery).
  • Piggins by Jane Yolen · grades K–3 — Same genre (Mystery).

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

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

  • Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8).
  • Zoobreak by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman · grades 3–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, shares themes of friendship, and both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list.
  • The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Unplugged by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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

  • Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and overlapping grades (5–8).
  • Zoobreak by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman · grades 3–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, shares themes of friendship, and both on the South Carolina Children's Book Award list.
  • The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Unplugged by Gordon Korman · grades 4–6 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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

  • The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and justice and same genre (Mystery).
  • Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and same genre (Mystery).
  • Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Mystery), and the same era (2000s).
  • Unwind by Neal Shusterman · grades 8–12 — Shares themes of justice and both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list.
  • Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman · grades 6–9 — Is by Gordon Korman, the same author, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, and overlapping grades (6–9).

Common questions

What books are similar to Swindle?
The 10 closest matches to Swindle by Gordon Korman on ReadingList include Schooled, Ungifted, Skeleton Man, Holes, and Closed for the Season. Each is scored on shared themes (friendship, justice, and heist), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Swindle reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–7), 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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