Books like Where the Red Fern Grows

Looking for books like Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Children's Fiction · 700L · grades 4–7)? It’s most often read for its themes of boy-and-dog bond, rural self-reliance, and perseverance. 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 4–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Where the Red Fern Grows

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Why each is a match

Long Way Down720L
Shares themes of grief and family and a close reading level (720L vs 700L).
The Crossover750L
Shares themes of grief and family and a close reading level (750L vs 700L).
Walk Two Moons770L
Shares themes of grief and family and a close reading level (770L vs 700L).
Rebound780L
Shares themes of family and coming of age and a close reading level (780L vs 700L).
Rascalgrades 5–8
Shares themes of perseverance and family and overlapping grades (5–8).
Ramona the Pest750L
Shares themes of family and a close reading level (750L vs 700L).
The Outsiders750L
Shares themes of family and a close reading level (750L vs 700L).
Dragonwings870L
Shares themes of perseverance and family and a close reading level (870L vs 700L).
Bud, Not Buddy950L
Shares themes of perseverance and family and a close reading level (950L vs 700L).
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—19631000L
Shares themes of family and coming of age and overlapping grades (5–8).

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