What books are similar to The Great Gilly Hopkins?

The 10 closest matches to The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson on ReadingList include Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, Because of Winn-Dixie, There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, and Frindle. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Great Gilly Hopkins reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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 Great Gilly Hopkins

If you liked The Great Gilly Hopkins, read Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, or Because of Winn-Dixie — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

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 Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson? 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 4–6 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.

Bridge to Terabithia810L: Is by Katherine Paterson, the same author, overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (1970s). Amazon → books like this →
Jacob Have I Lovedgrades 3–7: Is by Katherine Paterson, the same author and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Because of Winn-Dixie610L: Both on the Iowa Children's Choice Award list (+2 more shared lists) and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroomgrades 4–6: Both on the Iowa Children's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Frindle830L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Holes660L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Maniac Magee820L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Shiloh890L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Small Spacesgrades 3–5: Both on the Iowa Children's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
The Ghost of Fossil Glengrades 3–8: Both on the Iowa Children's Choice Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →

Common questions

What books are similar to The Great Gilly Hopkins?: The 10 closest matches to The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson on ReadingList include Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, Because of Winn-Dixie, There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, and Frindle. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–6), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Great Gilly Hopkins reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–6), 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 Great Gilly Hopkins

Books like The Great Gilly Hopkins

10 books similar to The Great Gilly Hopkins

Why each is a match

Common questions

Browse by another angle