Books like The BFG

Looking for books like The BFG by Roald Dahl (Middle Grade Fiction · 720L · grades 3–6)? It’s most often read for its themes of friendship, courage, and imagination. 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 3–6 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The BFG

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Why each is a match

The Adventures of Captain Underpants720L
Shares themes of friendship and imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 720L).
James and the Giant Peach870L
Shares themes of friendship and imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (870L vs 720L).
The Whipping Boygrades 3–7
Shares themes of friendship and courage, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–7).
Number the Stars670L
Shares themes of friendship and courage and a close reading level (670L vs 720L).
The 13-Story Treehouse560L
Shares themes of friendship and imagination, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (560L vs 720L).
Fablehavengrades 4–7
Shares themes of friendship, courage, and imagination and overlapping grades (4–7).
Simon Sort of Saysgrades 6–8
Shares themes of friendship and courage, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
The First State of Beinggrades 6–8
Shares themes of friendship and courage, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
Out of My Mind700L
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (700L vs 720L).
Hello, Universe690L
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (690L vs 720L).

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