What books are similar to The Face at the Edge of the World?

The 10 closest matches to The Face at the Edge of the World by Eve Bunting on ReadingList include A Sudden Silence, Jumping the Nail, If You Come Softly, Just Like Martin, and Impulse. Each is scored on shared themes (suicide, african americans, and suicide, fiction), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Face at the Edge of the World reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 Face at the Edge of the World

If you liked The Face at the Edge of the World, read A Sudden Silence, Jumping the Nail, or If You Come Softly — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: A Sudden Silence by Eve Bunting

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Looking for books like The Face at the Edge of the World by Eve Bunting (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of suicide, african americans, and suicide, fiction. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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A Sudden Silencegrades 9–12: Is by Eve Bunting, the same author, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Jumping the Nailgrades 9–12: Is by Eve Bunting, the same author, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
If You Come Softlygrades 9–12: Shares themes of african americans, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Just Like Martingrades 9–12: Shares themes of african americans, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Impulsegrades 9–12: Shares themes of suicide, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Death and the King's Horsemangrades 11–12: Shares themes of suicide and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →
Thirteen Reasons Whygrades 9–12: Shares themes of suicide and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Izzy, Willy-Nillygrades 9–12: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Say Goodnight, Graciegrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Night Kitesgrades 9–12: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Face at the Edge of the World for younger readers (K–2)

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

Sharing Susan by Eve Bunting · grades 2–8 — Is by Eve Bunting, the same author and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry · grades K–0 — Shares themes of african americans, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Great White Man-Eating Shark by Margaret Mahy · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).
Two bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1980s).

Books like The Face at the Edge of the World for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Summer of Riley by Eve Bunting · grades 3–5 — Is by Eve Bunting, the same author, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Sharing Susan by Eve Bunting · grades 2–8 — Is by Eve Bunting, the same author and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of african americans, fiction, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of suicide and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like The Face at the Edge of the World for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Blackwater by Eve Bunting · grades 6–8 — Is by Eve Bunting, the same author, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Sharing Susan by Eve Bunting · grades 2–8 — Is by Eve Bunting, the same author and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Spying on Miss Müller by Eve Bunting · grades 6–8 — Is by Eve Bunting, the same author and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of african americans, fiction, both on the California Young Reader Medal list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of suicide and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Face at the Edge of the World?: The 10 closest matches to The Face at the Edge of the World by Eve Bunting on ReadingList include A Sudden Silence, Jumping the Nail, If You Come Softly, Just Like Martin, and Impulse. Each is scored on shared themes (suicide, african americans, and suicide, fiction), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Face at the Edge of the World reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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