What books are similar to The Apothecary?

The 10 closest matches to The Apothecary by Maile Meloy on ReadingList include Bink & Gollie, Here Comes the Garbage Barge, Down the Rabbit Hole, Framed!, and I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871. Each is scored on shared themes (cold war, adventure and adventurers, and alchemy), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Apothecary reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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 The Apothecary

If you liked The Apothecary, read Bink & Gollie, Here Comes the Garbage Barge, or Down the Rabbit Hole — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo — shares adventure and adventurers

Get it on Amazon →

Affiliate link: as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Looking for books like The Apothecary by Maile Meloy (Mystery · grades 2–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of cold war, adventure and adventurers, and alchemy. 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 2–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Why each is a match

Amazon links below are affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Bink & Golliegrades 2–8: Shares themes of adventure and adventurers, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Here Comes the Garbage Bargegrades 2–8: Shares themes of history, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Down the Rabbit Holegrades 2–8: Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Framed!grades 3–8: Same genre (Mystery), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871grades 3–6: Shares themes of adventure and adventurers and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Lootgrades 3–8: Shares themes of adventure and adventurers and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Piegrades 3–8: Same genre (Mystery), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Cardboard Kingdomgrades 4–6: Shares themes of adventure and adventurers and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyergrades 4–6: Same genre (Mystery), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Three Times Luckygrades 4–7: Same genre (Mystery), overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Apothecary for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8).
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (3–8).
Tucky Jo and Little Heart by Patricia Polacco · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (3–5).
A Haunting in Williamsburg by Lou Kassem · grades 3–5 — Same genre (Mystery) and overlapping grades (3–5).
Alvin's Swap Shop by Clifford B. Hicks · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Mystery) and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Apothecary for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of history, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (2–8).
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of history and overlapping grades (3–8).
Alvin's Swap Shop by Clifford B. Hicks · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Mystery) and overlapping grades (4–6).
Bigfoot by Hal George Evarts · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Mystery) and overlapping grades (4–6).
Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Mystery) and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Apothecary 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 — Same genre (Mystery) and the same era (2010s).
Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Mystery) and the same era (2010s).
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Mystery) and the same era (2010s).
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Mystery) and the same era (2010s).
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Mystery) and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Apothecary?: The 10 closest matches to The Apothecary by Maile Meloy on ReadingList include Bink & Gollie, Here Comes the Garbage Barge, Down the Rabbit Hole, Framed!, and I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871. Each is scored on shared themes (cold war, adventure and adventurers, and alchemy), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 2–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Apothecary reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 2–8), 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.

← Back to The Apothecary