Books like The Grapes of Wrath

Looking for books like The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (American Classic · 680L · grades 10–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of economic injustice, family, and migration. 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 10–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Grapes of Wrath

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Why each is a match

The Color Purple670L
Shares themes of family and resilience and a close reading level (670L vs 680L).
Of Mice and Men630L
Shares themes of American Dream and a close reading level (630L vs 680L).
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1070L
Shares themes of family and resilience and overlapping grades (10–12).
Forged by Firegrades 7–10
Shares themes of family and resilience and overlapping grades (7–10).
Long Way Down720L
Shares themes of family and a close reading level (720L vs 680L).
The Hate U Give590L
Shares themes of family and a close reading level (590L vs 680L).
The Poet X800L
Shares themes of family and a close reading level (800L vs 680L).
I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition)830L
Shares themes of resilience and a close reading level (830L vs 680L).
The Secret Life of Bees840L
Shares themes of family and a close reading level (840L vs 680L).
Purple Hibiscus920L
Shares themes of family and a close reading level (920L vs 680L).

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