Books like 'El Deafo'
Readers who enjoyed El Deafo by Cece Bell & David Lasky also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure 20th century realistic friendship children humor family coming-of-age animals
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Matilda by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 87 ratingsMatilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived... -
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThe perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day is a storybook that belongs on every child's bookshelf.Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair.And it got worse...His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship humor realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsA hungry little mouse appears on the doorstep. What can you do but give him a cookie? But then he will ask for a glass of milk, and when he’s finished it he’ll have to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a milky face. Of course, he’ll then want a pair of scissors to trim his hair...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship humor 20th-century action-adventure anthropomorphism -
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsHave you ever dreamed of being locked in a department store at night? The endearing story of Corduroy paints a picture of the adventures that might unfold (for a teddy bear at least) in such a situation. When all the shoppers have gone home for the night, Corduroy climbs down from the shelf to look for his missing button...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age family friendship poc-mc 20th-century action-adventure -
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The True Story Of The 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsFor those who think they know the story of the Three Little Pigs and the Big, Bad Wolf, here it is as they've never heard it before. In this highly acclaimed collaboration between Scieszka and Smith, Alexander T. Wolf tells his side of the incident. Was it premeditated swineacide or simply an accident? Readers can decide for themselves in this laugh-aloud tale that's sure to tickle the funny bone... -
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThis classic tale of the famous Mallard ducks of Boston is available for the first time in a full-sized paperback edition. Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1942, Make Way for Ducklings has been described as "one of the merriest picture books ever" (The New York Times). Ideal for reading aloud, this book deserves a place of honor on every child's bookshelf...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
Heirs of Falcon Point by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the early days of World War II, the Lang family lost everything. Eighty years later, it’s time to take it back.The Nazis have taken control of Austria, and wealthy widower Leopold Lang faces a difficult decision: join the ranks of the foreign power that has taken over his homeland or flee with his children to safety. Leopold makes his choice—but too late...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsARE YOU MY MOTHER? tells a very simple story for children who have just started to read. their younger brothers or sisters will also want to follow the baby bird's quest as he asks everyone and everything he meets, "Are You My Mother?".Back in 1957, Theodor Geisel responded to an article in Life magazine that lamented the use of boring reading primers in schools. Using the pseudonym of "Dr...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship humor 20th-century action-adventure anthropomorphism -
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 71 ratings"Now, my dears," said old Mrs Rabbit one morning, "you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden."But what does Peter Rabbit do? Beatrix Potter's delightful 'Tale of Peter Rabbit' tells the story...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age family humor 20th-century action-adventure anthropomorphism -
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 87 ratingsA gorgeous full-colour large format edition of Charlotte's Web, one of the best-loved animal stories of our time.The unforgettable story of a girl called Fern who loves a little pig called Wilbur. It tells how Charlotte A... -
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThe story of a train filled with toys and gifts for little boys and girls that breaks down before reaching the children. After asking several passing trains for help over the hill, a little blue train agrees to help the stranded toys. Even though she is small, the blue train tries her best to bring the toys to the children on the other side of the hill...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship 20th-century action-adventure book children-books -
The Body by Robin Waterfield, Stephen King
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsFrom Different Seasons The Body, as a media tie-in for the movie starring River Phoenix, Kiefer Sutherland, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell... -
The Rainbow Fish Mini-Book by Marcus Pfister
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsA glittering stocking stuffer that will add sparkle to any child's Christmas Marcus Pfister's international bestseller has been specially packaged for holiday giving in an attractive mini-book edition. The book contains the complete text of the original hardcover edition along with the eye-catching holographic foil stamping that has captivated Rainbow Fish's millions of fans... -
Searching for David's Heart: A Christmas Story by Cherie Bennett
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen her older brother, David, dies in an accident, Darcy feels responsible for his death. Then she meets the boy who received David's heart in an organ transplant, and learns that life truly does go on.A journey of faith, hope, and love.Life at Darcy's house isn't always easy. Money is tight, and her parents argue a lot...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family female-mc friendship realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
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From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsWhen Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. And she would go in comfort-she would live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She saved her money, and she invited her brother Jamie to go, mostly because be was a miser and would have money...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction humor realistic -
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, Carl Burger
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsInstinct told them that the way home lay to the west. And so the doughty young Labrador retriever, the roguish bull terrier and the indomitable Siamese set out through the Canadian wilderness. Separately, they would soon have died. But, together, the three house pets faced starvation, exposure, and wild forest animals to make their way home to the family they love...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn this, the second book in the series, the heart-stopping adventures of the Black Stallion continue as Alec discovers that two men are after the Black. One claims to be the Black’s rightful owner and one is trying to kill the beautiful steed. An Arab chieftain proves his ownership of the Black and takes him away, but Alec is determined to find his horse again... -
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsLife with his little brother, Fudge, makes Peter Hatcher feel like a fourth grade nothing. Whether Fudge is throwing a temper tantrum in a shoe store, smearing mashed potatoes on the walls at Hamburger Heaven, or trying to fly, he's never far from trouble...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship humor realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAn Oscar-winning story of a memorable mother and her feisty daughter who find the courage and humor to live through life's hazards and to love each other as never before. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lonesome Dove created two characters who won the hearts of readers and moviegoers everywhere--Aurora Greenway and her daughter Emma...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction humor realistic 20th-century action-adventure adult -
The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsA cat. A seagull. An impossible task.A worldwide bestseller and the subject of a feature film, THE STORY OF A SEAGULL... is finally out in paperback!Her wings burdened by an oil slick, a seagull struggles to the nearest port to lay her final egg. Exhausted, she lands on a balcony where Zorba the cat is sunning himself... -
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life by Maurice Sendak
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratings‘A daring imagination has woven a simple rhyme into a brilliantly original tale [about Jennie, the Sealyham terrier, who seeks Experience and becomes the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre].' 'H. ‘Superb fantasy.' 'BL... -
Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter Jimmy is blinded in an accident with a firecracker, he has to relearn all the things he used to know. With the help of a determined therapist, he learns to read Braille and to use a cane. Then he's given the chance to have a guide dog. Learning to work with Leader is not easy, but Jimmy tries harder than he ever has before...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age historical-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure book -
Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFour gems, with new introductions, mark acclaimed Indian writer R. K. Narayan’s centennialIntroducing this collection of stories, R. K. Narayan describes how in India “the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor poc-mc 20th-century action-adventure anthologies children-books -
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsRamona tries her hardest to be brave and fearless, but now she has her own bedroom it's sometimes a little difficult to be brave - you never know what could be lurking under the bed...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship humor realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
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Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThere's never been anyone quite like Ramona Geraldine Quimby! And now, the irresistible, irrepressible star of Beverly Cleary's best-loved and bestselling series is back -- in the paperback version of her first book in 15 years. Now, Ramona is a fourth grader, struggling with her spelling; feuding and flirting with her old nemesis, Yard Ape; and joyfully making her first real girlfriends... -
Upper Fourth at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe girls are in a higher form now. This year there is the tension of exams for the first time, but there is all the fun of the summer term as well - and the high spirits of a lively and imaginative form of girls... -
Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe very first Famous Five adventure, featuring Julian, Dick, Anne, not forgetting tomboy George and her beloved dog, Timmy! There's a shipwreck off Kirrin Island! But where is the treasure? The Famous Five are on the trail - looking for clues - but they're not alone! Someone else has got the same idea...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer 20th-century -
Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEveryone loves the little girl who wears a red-hooded cloak, but no one more than her grandmother. One day, Grandmother gets sick, and Little Red Riding Hood sets out to visit her, carrying a basket of food as a present...Categorized as:
animals children family historical-fiction poc-mc 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsAstrid Lindgren's story of feisty, red-haired Pippi has been given a sparkling new translation by award-winning Tiina Nunnally and engaging pictures by acclaimed Lauren Child.Pippi Longstocking was first published in the United States in 1950, and has been translated from the original Swedish into ninety-one languages... -
Always by Morris Gleitzman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAlways stay hopeful.That's my motto.You're probably thinking, He's a dreamer, that Wassim. What's he got to be hopeful about? He's ten years old and look at his life.Thanks, but it's not so bad.I've got a lot to be hopeful about.Specially now there's a person who can help me. A person called Felix Salinger... -
Wild Chicks by Cornelia Funke
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe series that launched Cornelia Funke as one of the most beloved authors in German, THE WILD CHICKS is a middle-grades to YA series about a group of German girls who form the eponymous “Wild Chicks” gang... -
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsEvery kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age family historical-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
The Black Stallion's Blood Bay Colt by Walter Farley
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsYoung Tom Messenger has been taking care of Bonfire, the second son of the famous Black Stallion, since Bonfire’s birth. Tom has earned the trust of Jimmy Creech, the veteran driver who owns Bonfire, and Tom is eager to work with the young colt, building his strength and endurance.But suddenly Jimmy’s health takes a bad turn, and Tom must pick up Bonfire’s reins himself...Categorized as:
animals children historical-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure anthropomorphism book -
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThis is the second title in the hugely popular series about Ramona Quimby. Ramona doesn't think she's a pest - she knows that she isn't a pest on purpose... -
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The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe Room on the Roof is a timeless coming-of-age novel that will resonate with a whole new generation of readers. Written by renowned author Ruskin Bond when he was just seventeen, it is the story of Rusty, a teenage Anglo-Indian boy who is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the stifling European quarter of Dehra Dun...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor 20th-century action-adventure bildungsroman book -
Lisa and Lottie by Erich Kästner
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen they meet for the first time at summer camp, two ten-year-old girls discover they are twins and agree to exchange identities in an attempt to reconciliate their divorced parents...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor realistic 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
LA Trompeta Del Cisne by E.B. White
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsLouis is a mute swan. His beloved Serena ignores him because of his handicap. To help him, his father steals a trumpet. Louis learns how to play it, not only to give his father the money to pay for the instrument, but also to win Serena's heart... -
What's Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJust about everything in Endora, Iowa (pop. 1,091 and dwindling) is eating Gilbert Grape, a twenty-four-year-old grocery clerk who dreams only of leaving. His enormous mother, once the town sweetheart, has been eating nonstop ever since her husband's suicide, and the floor beneath her TV chair is threatening to cave in...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family humor realistic season-summer 20th-century action-adventure book -
Second Form At Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDarrell, Sally, Gwendoline, Mary-Lou and all the other girls from the First Term at Malory Towers are now in the second form and they are as lively as ever. Mam'zelle Dupont is still trying to be strict, Alicia plays a terrible trick with invisible chalk and Gwendoline and Daphne inevitably get into trouble...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age female-mc friendship historical-fiction humor realistic 20th-century -
How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA curmudgeonly but charming old woman, her estranged grandson, and a colony of penguins proves it's never too late to be the person you want to be in this rich, heartwarming story from the acclaimed author of Ellie and the Harpmaker.Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to... -
First Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsDarrell's off to her new school.But what has she packed?1. Tennis racket? Yes2. Pocket-money? Yes3. A lid for her temper? NoOh dear! Malory Towers has a whole trunkload of trouble to come!Darrell and her friends grow together as they share their school days. There are new students to induct, sporting matches to be won, tempers to control and tricks to play on teachers...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age friendship historical-fiction humor realistic 20th-century -
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsDanny’s life seems perfect: his home is a gypsy caravan, he’s the youngest car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of wonderful stories to tell. And when Danny discovers his father’s secret, he’s off on the adventure of a lifetime. Here’s Roald Dahl’s famous story about a 9-year-old boy, his dad, and a daring and hilarious pheasant-snatching expedition...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age family historical-fiction humor realistic 20th-century -
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsTalk about unlucky sevens. An hour ago, seventeen-year-old, seven months pregnant Novalee Nation was heading for California with her boyfriend. Now she finds herself stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, with just $7.77 in change...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction humor realistic 20th-century -
The Darkening Skies by Janet MacLeod Trotter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThough by nature an optimist, when Sara Pallister arrives in the mining town of Whitton Grange, she cannot help but be appalled by the welcome she receives...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family contemporary military 20th-century fiction epic action-adventure -
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Rosy Is My Relative by Gerald Durrell
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRosy, the elephant bequeathed to young Adrian Rookwhistle by a reprobate relative, turned out to be a handful: not alone because of her size but also because of her fondness for strong drink. To Adrian she represented the chance to get away froma City shop and a suburban lodging by exploiting her theatrical talent and experience...Categorized as:
animals children humor 20th-century action-adventure anthropomorphism book children-books -
The Risk Pool by Richard Russo
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Risk Pool is a thirty-year journey through the lives of Sam Hall, a small-town gambling hellraiser, and his watchful, introspective son Ned... -
Son of the Black Stallion by Walter Farley
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen Alec receives the Black Stallion’s first son as a gift, he believes his dreams have come true, but Satan’s savage arrogance makes him dangerous and unpredictable. Still, Alec is resolved to gain the fiery colt’s trust, even if he must risk his life to do it... -
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratings"Not for the faint-hearted, Lon Po Po (Grandmother Wolf), is a tale of a menacing danger and courage....(Young's) command of page composition and his sensitive use of color give the book a visual force that matches the strength of the story and stands as one of the illustrator's best efforts." --Booklist. "Absolutely splendid." -- Kirkuse Reviews. "An extraordinary and powerful book... -
Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJulian, Dick and Anne arrive in Kirrin Cottage to stay with George (real name Georgina) for the holidays. They plan to spend time exploring Kirrin Island but their happiness is spoilt when Aunt Fanny falls ill and has to leave with Uncle Quentin to be treated in a far-off hospital...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship realistic 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAn elderly artist and her six-year-old granddaughter while away a summer together on a tiny island in the gulf of Finland. Gradually, the two learn to adjust to each other's fears, whims and yearnings for independence, and a fierce yet understated love emerges - one that encompasses not only the summer inhabitants but the island itself, with its mossy rocks, windswept firs and unpredictable seas...Categorized as:
children family female-mc humor realistic season-summer 20th-century action-adventure
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