Books like 'The Garbage King'
Readers who enjoyed The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure africa eastern-africa ethiopia realistic poverty children friendship journey
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I Want to Go Home! by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRudy Miller is so unhappy spending the summer at Camp Algonkian Island that he devises dozens of tricks to get himself sent home... -
![The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt]()
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsTraditional Chinese edition of The Day the Crayons Came Home, a companion book of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. "The Day the Crayons Came Home" is a Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of 2015 and a Time Magazine Top 10 Children's Book of 2015. In Traditional Chinese. Annotation copyright Tsai Fong Books, Inc. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc...Categorized as:
children friendship journey action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr, Guy Puzey]()
Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr, Guy Puzey
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPippi Longstocking meets Heidi meets Anne Shirley in this tale of an irrepressible girl in a mountain village who navigates unexpected changes with warmth and humor.Speed and self-confidence, that’s Astrid’s motto... -
![Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBea has barely been scraping by since her husband died. After falling for a telephone scam, she loses everything and is forced to abandon her trailer. With only two-thirds of a tank in her old van, she heads toward the Pacific Ocean with her cat—on a mission to reclaim what’s rightfully hers, even if it means making others pay for what she lost... -
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![A Bad Case Of Stripes by David Shannon, Jane Casserly]()
A Bad Case Of Stripes by David Shannon, Jane Casserly
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 56 ratingsBestselling and award-winning author and illustrator David Shannon's colorful cure for conformityCamilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don't like them. And Camilla Cream is very, very worried about what other people think of her... -
![Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling]()
Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne girl sets out on a journey across the treacherous Arizona desert to rescue a young pilot stranded after a plane crash in this gripping story of survival, friendship, and rescue from a bestselling and award-winning author...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic survival action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
![Rebels with a Cause by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein]()
Rebels with a Cause by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMax Einstein is the first and only children's adventure series officially approved by the Albert Einstein Archives. Max Einstein's typical day is not your average 12-year-old's. She..Categorized as:
children exploration friendship action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd]()
How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMy Side of the Mountain meets How to Steal a Dog in this high-stakes and heartfelt middle-grade story of a young boy and his dog surviving on their own in the woods.Being alone is something Raymond is used to.Twelve-year-old Raymond Hurley has never had a place to call home... -
![The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, Stephen Gammell]()
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, Stephen Gammell
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe relatives' station wagon: it smelled like a real car, looked like a rainbow, and was roomy enough for a crowd. Lucky! Because a big crowd in all shapes and sizes piled into that old wagon at four o'clock one summer morning and piled out of it the next day at their relatives' place on the north side of the mountains. All in good moods...Categorized as:
children exploration friendship realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
![The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate]()
The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family... -
![The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman]()
The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSleuthing duo Emily and James tackle their most challenging mystery yet set on the haunting Alcatraz Island in Book 3 of the New York Times bestselling Book Scavenger series!Legendary literary game-maker Garrison Griswold is back in action―this time with “Unlock the Rock...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![Surprises According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney]()
Surprises According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBeing a classroom hamster means having to be ready for anything?but suddenly there are a lot of big surprises in Humphrey's world. Some are exciting, like seeing the playground during a fire drill and getting to roll around in a hamster ball... -
![Make the Rules by Annie Barrows]()
Make the Rules by Annie Barrows
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBean's older sister, Nancy, is going to Girl Power 4-Ever Camp, where she will do Crafts and Music and First Aid and other secret things that Bean will never know about because girls have to be eleven to go to Girl Power 4-Ever Camp. Bean doesn't care. She doesn't want to go to camp. She wouldn't go even if they begged her. So ha. So ha ha...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary fiction -
![Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game by Chris Grabenstein]()
Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game by Chris Grabenstein
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMr. Lemoncello is going LIVE ACROSS THE NATION with his brand new television BREAKOUT!After months of anticipation, Mr. Lemoncello is launching his first-ever GAME SHOW on the world-famous Kidzapalooza TV network—where kids rule! Kyle can't wait to audition! But only a lucky few will make it through the auditions to compete in front of MILLIONS of viewers in Mr...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
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![Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting]()
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA picture book which takes the matter of grave concern, "homelessness" and helps explain it to children. Eve Bunting explores the dynamics of family relatinships and addresses contemporary social issues... -
![Toby Alone by Timothée de Fombelle]()
Toby Alone by Timothée de Fombelle
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTranslated into twenty-two languages.Toby Lolness may be just one and a half millimeters tall, but he’s the most wanted person in his world — the world of the great oak Tree. Toby’s father has made a groundbreaking discovery: the Tree itself is alive, lowing with vital energy, and there may even be a world beyond it...Categorized as:
children friendship journey 21st-century action-adventure audiobook book contemporary -
![Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret]()
Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThirteen-year-old Sunny runs away from her current foster parent in search of her twin sister, from whom she was separated ten years earlier. On the way, shell face a tornado, bullies, and a stray dog and the fact that her sister may not be who Sunny hoped she would be... -
![Ruby Reinvented by Ronni Arno]()
Ruby Reinvented by Ronni Arno
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen Ruby flees Hollywood to escape the fame of her parents, she tells a lie that could ruin the life she loves at her new boarding school in this M!X novel about courage, families, and finding your own spotlight.Ruby Miller has it made. As the only child of model-turned-TV-host Celestine Cruz and pro-baseball star Zack Miller, she has everything a twelve-year-old girl could want...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure boarding-school book children-books contemporary -
![The Stars of Summer by Tara Dairman]()
The Stars of Summer by Tara Dairman
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s not easy being an undercover restaurant critic—especially when you’re only twelve years old!After successfully completing her first restaurant review for the New York Standard newspaper, Gladys Gatsby is looking forward to a quiet summer of cooking and eating. But her plans quickly go awry when her friend Charissa Bentley delivers Gladys’s birthday gift: a free summer at Camp Bentley...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![Train I Ride by Paul Mosier]()
Train I Ride by Paul Mosier
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRydr is on a train heading east, leaving California, where her gramma can’t take care of her anymore, and traveling to Chicago to live with an unknown relative. She brings with her a suitcase, memories both happy and sad, and a box containing something very important.As Rydr meets her fellow passengers and learns their stories, her own past begins to emerge... -
![No News Is Good News by Annie Barrows]()
No News Is Good News by Annie Barrows
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIvy and Bean need some money. Ten dollars, to be exact. Never mind what for. Okay, it's for low-fat Belldeloon cheese in a special just-for you serving size. Don't ask why. How are Ivy and Bean going to make ten dollars? Hey, maybe they should write a newspaper about Pancake Court and sell it! Great idea! And easy, too. All they have to do is snoop around the neighborhood. Wow..Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron]()
A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDaddy says, "Most folks got a north star in their life—something that gives their life extra meaning. Mine is music."Without even thinking, I say, "Mine is Tam."Abby knows that Tam, her Shetland sheepdog, is her north star, and she's pretty certain she's his, too...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic survival action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook -
![The Terrible Two Go Wild by Mac Barnett, Jory John]()
The Terrible Two Go Wild by Mac Barnett, Jory John
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSummers are for pranking in The Terrible Two Go Wild , the third installment of the hilarious New York Times bestselling series by Mac Barnett and Jory John, with illustrations by Kevin Cornell.School’s out, and pranksters Miles and Niles have retreated to a perfect hideout in the woods, complete with snacks, games, books, sleeping bags, stream-chilled lemonade . . -
![The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums by Trenton Lee Stewart, Diana Sudyka]()
The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums by Trenton Lee Stewart, Diana Sudyka
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis exclusive companion book to the bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series is a mind-bending collection that will put YOU to the test! With full-color artwork throughout, this companion features ingenious new puzzles, riddles, and brainteasers compiled by Mr. Benedict himself, with the help of Reynie, Kate, Sticky, Constance, and other Society associates...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary fiction -
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![Football Genius by Tim Green]()
Football Genius by Tim Green
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author and former NFL player Tim Green scores a touchdown with this exhilarating and action-packed story about an ordinary boy who becomes a hero you can really root for. Perfect for fans of Mike Lupica.Twelve-year-old Troy White has a phenomenal gift: He can predict football plays before they even happen. Any position. Any player. Any team...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![The Yellow Bus by Loren Long]()
The Yellow Bus by Loren Long
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPerfect for fans of Love and Hello, Lighthouse , The Yellow Bus from #1 New York Times bestselling Loren Long is a tender and soulful story about a forgotten school bus that finds happiness and purpose in the most unexpected places--and in the journey along the way.There is a bright yellow bus who spends her days driving. She loves carrying children from one important place to another...Categorized as:
children realistic children-books fiction outdoors action-adventure contemporary book -
![Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes]()
Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsSheila Rae, the Brave is a warm, humorous, and loving story of sibling sympathy and support. Just because Sheila Rae is older, she doesn't always know better!This classic picture book about overcoming fear is written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Kitten's First Full Moon... -
![What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau]()
What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsClara Luna's name means "clear moon" in Spanish. But lately, her head has felt anything but clear. One day a letter comes from Mexico, written in Spanish: Dear Clara, We invite you to our house for the summer. We will wait for you on the day of the full moon, in June, at the Oaxaca airport. Love, your grandparents. Fourteen-year-old Clara has never met her father's parents...Categorized as:
children exploration friendship realistic action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age -
![My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano]()
My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA story of first friendship.she is my best friend i think i never had a best friend so i’m not sure but i think she is a really good best friend because when we were drawing she drew me and i drew her...Categorized as:
realistic friendship children children-books fiction outdoors contemporary female-mc -
![Deep Water by Watt Key]()
Deep Water by Watt Key
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA middle grade survival story about a scuba dive gone wrong and two enemies who must unite to survive.It's the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don't feel right, don't go down.So after her father falls ill, twelve-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
![The Last Leopard by Lauren St. John]()
The Last Leopard by Lauren St. John
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMartine can't wait to spend the school vacation riding her white giraffe around the Sawubona wildlife reserve with her friend Ben. But when her grandmother gets a distressed call from an old friend, Martine's hopes are dashed. They must all travel to Zimbabwe, where Martine will face her greatest challenge yet... -
![Survivors by Jeff Probst, Christopher Tebbetts]()
Survivors by Jeff Probst, Christopher Tebbetts
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSequel to the New York Times bestseller Stranded and Trial by Fire! As seen on The Today Show, Rachael Ray, and Kelly and Michael. From the Emmy-Award winning host of Survivor, Jeff Probst with Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life co-author Chris Tebbetts comes a brand new family adventure series!Eleven days down, and no end in sight...Categorized as:
children realistic survival action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson]()
The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA story of fear and hope, loneliness and friendship -- full of the heart, engaging characters, and propulsive, page-turning mystery that made The Goldfish Boy so beloved.Nate and his mother are running away. Fleeing from an emotionally abusive situation, they hide out in an abandoned cottage in the middle of a forest. Though it's old and run-down, at least it's a place of their own... -
![Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London]()
Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFroggy's mother knows that everyone's nervous on the first day of school. "Not me!" says Froggy, and together they leapfrog to the bus stop -- flop flop flop. Froggy's exuberant antics, complete with sound effects, will delight his many fans and reassure them that school can be fun."This is a great read-aloud with sounds and words that encourage active participation...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure animals book children-books contemporary -
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![I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black, Debbie Ridpath Ohi]()
I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black, Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere is NOTHING boring about being a kid, but one little girl is going to have to prove it in this anything-but-boring picture book from comedian Michael Ian Black.Just when a little girl thinks she couldn't possibly be more bored, she stumbles upon a potato who turns the tables on her by declaring that children are boring... -
![Bound to be Bad by Annie Barrows]()
Bound to be Bad by Annie Barrows
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe adventures of Ivy and Bean continue in the latest installment from series creators Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall. In Ivy and Bean Bound to Be Bad the two girls decide to be so good and kind and pure of thought that wild animals will befriend them. When this doesn't work, they decide that perhaps a little badness can be good...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby]()
The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGirl Online meets Wild in this emotionally charged story of girl who takes to the wilderness to rediscover herself and escape the superficial persona she created on social media.Mari Turner’s life is perfect. That is, at least to her thousands of followers who have helped her become an internet starlet...Categorized as:
friendship journey realistic survival action-adventure book coming-of-age contemporary -
![The Gorgon in the Gully by Melina Marchetta]()
The Gorgon in the Gully by Melina Marchetta
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeyond the basketball courts and classrooms of St Raph's is a gully where everything disappears forever. Danny Griggs has heard stories about a creature that lives down there. So why does he volunteer to face the Gorgon when he's been petrified of everything all his life?A gentle story about overcoming fear and looking at things from all angles, from best-selling author Melina Marchetta...Categorized as:
children realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary fiction middle-grade -
![Charmed Forces: Super Special by Melissa J. Morgan]()
Charmed Forces: Super Special by Melissa J. Morgan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlyssa finds an amethyst, a stone believed to aid in psychic awareness. Suddenly she?s interpreting dreams and making predictions, all with 100 percent accuracy. While half the camp girls are believers, the other half are skeptics, attributing the gem?s track record to coincidence. Not that Alyssa cares what anyone thinks. In fact, she?s so attached to the amethyst, she names it Amy... -
![The Boys Return by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
The Boys Return by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s spring break and the only assignment Wally Hatford and Caroline Malloy have is to do something that they have never done before. Wally’s sure that will be a cinch once he hears the great news about the mighty Benson brothers coming to stay for vacation. It will be nonstop action all the way...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic children-books fiction middle-grade contemporary young-adult -
![The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman]()
The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Middle East Book Award winner and Governor General’s Literary Award finalist inspired by Kabul, Afghanistan’s first library bus is now in paperback! It is still dark in Kabul, Afghanistan when the library bus rumbles out of the city. There are no bus seats—instead there are chairs and tables and shelves of books...Categorized as:
realistic children exploration poverty children-books fiction poc-mc historical-fiction -
![Main Street #5: The Secret Book Club by Ann M. Martin]()
Main Street #5: The Secret Book Club by Ann M. Martin
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFlora, Ruby, Olivia, and Nikki start their own summer book club when well-loved books start appearing on their doorsteps in the fifth of Ann Martin's wonderful Main Street books.Flora and Ruby are about to start their second summer in Camden Falls...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![The Girls Take Over by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
The Girls Take Over by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe race is on! The Hatford boys and the Malloy girls are ready to outdo one another again. Eddie is the first girl to ever try out for the school baseball team. Now she and Jake are competing for the same position, while Caroline and Wally compete for class spelling bee champ. Wally is itching to win, but Caroline the show-off plans to be number one...Categorized as:
realistic children friendship children-books fiction contemporary middle-grade action-adventure -
![A Traitor Among the Boys by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Morris Gleitzman]()
A Traitor Among the Boys by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Morris Gleitzman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Hatford boys' New Year's resolution is "the girls can stay . . . but only if they play by our rules." Their mother insists that they "treat those girls as though they were your sisters." Okay, but somehow the boys' interpretation owes more to sibling rivalry than to brotherly love...Categorized as:
realistic children friendship children-books fiction middle-grade contemporary humor -
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![Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee]()
Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYou can't judge a dog by its The heroic story of a sweet, loyal pit bull pup that defies expectations and her breed's reputation to save the day--and the boy she loves!11-year-old Mackenzie has got one friend in the whole Cash, his brown-eyed pit bull... -
![Trial by Fire by Jeff Probst, Chris Tebbetts]()
Trial by Fire by Jeff Probst, Chris Tebbetts
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThey thought it couldn't get any worse.They Were Wrong.Being shipwrecked on a jungle island in the middle of the South Pacific was bad enough. But now that Carter, Vanessa, Buzz and Jane have lost their boat - and almost everything on board - to another violent storm, it's like starting over...Categorized as:
children realistic survival action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![The Journey Back by Priscilla Cummings]()
The Journey Back by Priscilla Cummings
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEscaped and on the run, can Digger find redemption? His bold escape from a juvenile detention facility nearly kills him, but soon an angry fourteen-year-old Digger is on the run, hijacking a tractor trailer, "borrowing" a bicycle, and stealing a canoe. When injuries stop him, Digger hides at a riverside campground, where he befriends a young boy and a girl his own age... -
![Abuela by Arthur Dorros, Elisa Kleven]()
Abuela by Arthur Dorros, Elisa Kleven
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhile riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City...Categorized as:
children exploration journey realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
![Let's Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile]()
Let's Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDon't move! A master of animation explores the elusive art of doing nothing in this comical tale of two very active imaginations.Frankie and Sal have already played every sport and board game invented, baked and eaten batches of cookies, and painted a zillion pictures...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary fiction -
![Runner by Carl Deuker]()
Runner by Carl Deuker
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of "Night Hoops" and "Painting the Black" comes this suspenseful, psychologically astute novel with themes of terrorism and patriotism, fear and courage...
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