What books are similar to The Paper Crane?

The 10 closest matches to The Paper Crane by Molly Bang on ReadingList include Eyes of the Dragon, The Talking Eggs, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dragons Love Tacos, and Enchanted Wood. Each is scored on shared themes (cranes (birds), restaurants, and origami), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–1), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Paper Crane reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–1), 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 Paper Crane

If you liked The Paper Crane, read Eyes of the Dragon, The Talking Eggs, or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: Eyes of the Dragon by Margaret Leaf

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Looking for books like The Paper Crane by Molly Bang (Fantasy · grades K–1)? It’s most often read for its themes of cranes (birds), restaurants, and origami. 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 K–1 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Eyes of the Dragongrades K–3: Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
The Talking Eggsgrades K–3: Same genre (Fantasy), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
The Wonderful Wizard of Ozgrades K–1: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Fantasy), and overlapping grades (K–1). Amazon → books like this →
Dragons Love Tacosgrades K–3: Same genre (Fantasy) and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Enchanted Woodgrades K–3: Same genre (Fantasy) and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Headgrades K–3: Same genre (Fantasy) and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
The Magic School Bus Inside the Earthgrades K–3: Same genre (Fantasy) and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Trouble with Trollsgrades K–3: Same genre (Fantasy) and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Rapunzelgrades 1–4: Same genre (Fantasy) and overlapping grades (1–4). Amazon → books like this →
Saint George and the Dragongrades 1–4: Same genre (Fantasy) and overlapping grades (1–4). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Paper Crane for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (1980s).
The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt · grades 2–3 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Fantasy).
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett · grades 4–5 — Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list and same genre (Fantasy).
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz · grades 4–7 — Same genre (Fantasy).
Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston · grades 4–7 — Same genre (Fantasy).

Books like The Paper Crane for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

A Deadly Game of Magic by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (1980s).
Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan · grades 6–8 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (1980s).
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (1980s).
12 Again by Sue Corbett · grades 6–8 — Same genre (Fantasy).
A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody · grades 7–12 — Same genre (Fantasy).

Books like The Paper Crane for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Fantasy) and the same era (1980s).
A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody · grades 7–12 — Same genre (Fantasy).
Cinder by Marissa Meyer · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Fantasy).
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross · grades 9–12 — Same genre (Fantasy).
Eragon by Christopher Paolini · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Fantasy).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Paper Crane?: The 10 closest matches to The Paper Crane by Molly Bang on ReadingList include Eyes of the Dragon, The Talking Eggs, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dragons Love Tacos, and Enchanted Wood. Each is scored on shared themes (cranes (birds), restaurants, and origami), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–1), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Paper Crane reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–1), 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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