What books are similar to Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike?

The 10 closest matches to Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike by Dashka Slater on ReadingList include Knight Owl, Knight Owl and Early Bird, The Yellow Bus, Just Like Millie, and Escargot. Each is scored on shared themes (courage, perseverance, and growing up), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–2), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–2), 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 Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike

If you liked Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike, read Knight Owl, Knight Owl and Early Bird, or The Yellow Bus — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Closest match: Knight Owl by Christopher Denise — shares courage and perseverance

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Looking for books like Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike by Dashka Slater (Picture Book · grades K–2)? It’s most often read for its themes of courage, perseverance, and growing up. 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–2 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Knight Owlgrades K–3: Shares themes of courage and perseverance, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Knight Owl and Early Birdgrades K–3: Shares themes of courage and perseverance, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
The Yellow Busgrades K–3: Shares themes of growing up, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Just Like Milliegrades K–3: Shares themes of courage, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Escargotgrades K–2: Is by Dashka Slater, the same author and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →
Buffalo Fluffalogrades K–2: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →
Butt or Face?grades K–2: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guidegrades K–2: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →
How This Book Got Redgrades K–2: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →
Night in the Citygrades K–2: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike for younger readers (K–2)

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

No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons · grades K–2 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
Thank a Farmer by Maria Gianferrari · grades K–2 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
You're So Amazing! by James Catchpole · grades K–2 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
Yuna's Cardboard Castles by Marie Tang · grades K–2 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
100 Chapatis by Derek Mascarenhas · grades K–2 — Same genre (Picture Book), overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2020s).

Books like Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

The Girl Who Figured It Out by Minda Dentler · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of perseverance and same genre (Picture Book).
Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of courage, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Picture Book).
Bea and the New Deal Horse by L. M. Elliott · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Hoops by Matt Tavares · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Rascal by Sterling North · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of perseverance and growing up.

Books like Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

The Girl Who Figured It Out by Minda Dentler · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of perseverance and same genre (Picture Book).
Global by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Rascal by Sterling North · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of perseverance and growing up.
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson · 440L — Shares themes of perseverance and growing up.
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of perseverance and growing up.

Books like Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky · 720L — Shares themes of growing up.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of growing up.

Common questions

What books are similar to Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike?: The 10 closest matches to Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike by Dashka Slater on ReadingList include Knight Owl, Knight Owl and Early Bird, The Yellow Bus, Just Like Millie, and Escargot. Each is scored on shared themes (courage, perseverance, and growing up), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–2), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–2), 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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