What books are similar to The Sun is Also a Star?

The 10 closest matches to The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon on ReadingList include Everything, Everything, Instructions for Dancing, Check & Mate, I Must Betray You, and The Hate U Give. Each is scored on shared themes (deportation, social issues, and immigrants), 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 Sun is Also a Star 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 Sun is Also a Star

If you liked The Sun is Also a Star, read Everything, Everything, Instructions for Dancing, or Check & Mate — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

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Looking for books like The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of deportation, social issues, and immigrants. 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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Everything, Everythinggrades 9–12: Is by Nicola Yoon, the same author, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Instructions for Dancinggrades 9–12: Is by Nicola Yoon, the same author, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Check & Mategrades 9–12: Shares themes of romance, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
I Must Betray Yougrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+3 more shared lists), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Hate U Give590L: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+2 more shared lists), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boygrades 9–12: Shares themes of romance, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Fault in Our Stars850L: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
My Sister's Keepergrades 9–12: Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Today Tonight Tomorrowgrades 9–12: Shares themes of romance and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Divergentgrades 8–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Sun is Also a Star for younger readers (K–2)

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

Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Zombies Don't Eat Veggies! by Jorge Lacera · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
The Monkey Goes Bananas by C. P. Bloom · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2010s).
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates! by Ryan T. Higgins · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2010s).
Mr. Fox's Game of "No!" by David LaRochelle · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like The Sun is Also a Star for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Chester by Mélanie Watt · grades K–3 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier · grades 3–6 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm · grades 4–6 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+2 more shared lists) and the same era (2010s).
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander · 750L — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+2 more shared lists) and the same era (2010s).

Books like The Sun is Also a Star for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier · grades 3–6 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm · grades 4–6 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+2 more shared lists) and the same era (2010s).
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander · 750L — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+2 more shared lists) and the same era (2010s).
Wonder by R.J. Palacio · 790L — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+2 more shared lists) and the same era (2010s).

Books like The Sun is Also a Star for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta · grades 9–12 — Both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
I am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Sun is Also a Star?: The 10 closest matches to The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon on ReadingList include Everything, Everything, Instructions for Dancing, Check & Mate, I Must Betray You, and The Hate U Give. Each is scored on shared themes (deportation, social issues, and immigrants), 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 Sun is Also a Star 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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