Books like Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub

If you liked Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub, read Do Bananas Chew Gum?, Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You, or The Dollhouse Murders — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Closest match: Do Bananas Chew Gum? by Jamie Gilson

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Looking for books like Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub by Jamie Gilson (Children's · grades 4–7)? 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 4–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub

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Why each is a match

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Do Bananas Chew Gum?grades 4–6
Is by Jamie Gilson, the same author, overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
Sixth Grade Can Really Kill Yougrades 3–8
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
The Dollhouse Murdersgrades 4–7
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroomgrades 4–6
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (1980s). Amazon → books like this →
Bud, Not Buddy950L
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Bunniculagrades 3–6
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Eleanor & Parkgrades 4–9
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →
Holes660L
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Maniac Magee820L
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
Poppygrades 4–9
Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–9). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Hail, Hail, Camp Timberwood by Ellen Conford · grades 4–7 — Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–7).
  • Ten Kids, No Pets by Ann M. Martin · grades 4–6 — Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–6).
  • Superfudge by Judy Blume · grades 3–6 — Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Hail, Hail, Camp Timberwood by Ellen Conford · grades 4–7 — Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–7).
  • Ten Kids, No Pets by Ann M. Martin · grades 4–6 — Both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, same genre (Children's), and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Divergent by Veronica Roth · grades 8–12 — Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list).
  • Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary · grades 4–6 — Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (3–6).

Common questions

What books are similar to Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub?
The 10 closest matches to Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub by Jamie Gilson on ReadingList include Do Bananas Chew Gum?, Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You, The Dollhouse Murders, There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, and Bud, Not Buddy. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–7), 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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