Books like The Bomb

If you liked The Bomb, read The Cay, Chains, or Shades of Gray — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like The Bomb by Theodore Taylor? 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 7–10 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Bomb

Reading the whole similar-books list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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

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Why each is a match

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The Caygrades 5–8
Is by Theodore Taylor, the same author and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
Chains780L
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
Shades of Graygrades 4–7
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
The Art of Keeping Coolgrades 5–8
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
The Game of Silencegrades 4–7
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
The Green Glass Seagrades 5–8
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
The Landgrades 7–12
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
The River Between Usgrades 7–12
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
Trouble Don't Lastgrades 5–8
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
Under the Blood-Red Sungrades 5–8
Both on the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →

Book data last updated 2026-08-11. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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