Books like 'The Matchbox Diary'
Readers who enjoyed The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman & Bagram Ibatoulline also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical action / adventure historical-fiction family realistic children poc-mc journey
-
-
![Time of White Horses by Ibrahim Nasrallah]()
Time of White Horses by Ibrahim Nasrallah
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSpanning the collapse of Ottoman rule and the British Mandate in Palestine, this is the story of three generations of a defiant family from the Palestinian village of Hadiya before 1948. Through the lives of Mahmud, chief elder of Hadiya, his son Khaled, and Khaled’s grandson Naji, we enter the life of a tribe whose fate is decided by one colonizer after another... -
![The Empty Pot by Demi]()
The Empty Pot by Demi
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn IRA-CBC Children's Choice.An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists."When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction journey poc-mc realistic action-adventure ancient-civilization -
![One Child in Berlin by A.W. Hartoin]()
One Child in Berlin by A.W. Hartoin
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s been a year since Stella Bled Lawrence and her husband, Nicky, escaped Italy by the skin of their teeth and a lot has changed. Nicky joined the Royal Air Force and Stella spent the year training as a spy for His Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service. She has the languages and the tradecraft down pat, but she still has a way to go when the Earl of Bickford pulls her from her training early... -
-
![Memories Of My Future by Ammar Habib, Anil Sinha]()
Memories Of My Future by Ammar Habib, Anil Sinha
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWinner of the 2017 Independent Press Award!Look into the past and you can change the future. In Memories Of My Future, Dr. Avinash Singh is the type of surgeon that other physicians envy, and has the world in his hands. That is until tragedy strikes—and it’s a tragedy that puts him on the ropes, forcing him to revisit his greatest nightmares... -
![The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren]()
The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWelcome to Noisy Village! Go crayfishing in the summer at Nocken, "dipping in the pot" at Christmastime with Lisa and Karl, and join Britta and Anna who know the best way to go about "nutting" for the New Year...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction journey realistic 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
![The Rent Collector by Camron Wright]()
The Rent Collector by Camron Wright
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsSurvival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working... -
![Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall]()
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA lavish new picture book from Caldecott-winner Sophie Blackall that will transport readers to the seaside in timeless, nautical splendor!Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books classics -
![The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi]()
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she?Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week... -
![The Trader's Reward by Anna Jacobs]()
The Trader's Reward by Anna Jacobs
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings1871. When Fergus Deagan's wife dies in childbirth, she makes him promise to take their family from Ireland to Western Australia to join his brother Bram, and also to marry again to make sure their children don't miss out on a mother's love. Disowned by her father for becoming pregnant, Cara Payton bears a stillborn baby... -
![Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman]()
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAn international bestseller: Grace learns that she can be anything she wants...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure book children-books -
![Key Player by Kelly Yang]()
Key Player by Kelly Yang
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMia Tang is going for the goal in the fourth Front Desk novel by New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang! The Women’s World Cup coming to Southern California, everyone is soccer-crazy -- especially Mia Tang! The U.S. is playing China in the finals, and Mia feels like her two identities are finally coming together. Less exciting, though? The fact that her P.E...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic children poc-mc family middle-grade fiction children-books -
![Eleven by Tom Rogers]()
Eleven by Tom Rogers
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAlex Douglas always wanted to be a hero. But nothing heroic ever happened to Alex. Nothing, that is, until his eleventh birthday. When Alex rescues a stray dog as a birthday gift to himself, he doesn't think his life can get much better. Radar, his new dog, pretty much feels the same way. But this day has bigger things in store for both of them. This is a story about bullies and heroes... -
![The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco]()
The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSince the Tall Boots--the Nazis--have marched into Monique's small French village, terrorizing it, nothing surprises her. Until the night Monique encounters "the little ghost" sitting at the end of her bed...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction journey poc-mc realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
-
![Goin' Someplace Special by Jerry Pinkney, Patricia C. McKissack]()
Goin' Someplace Special by Jerry Pinkney, Patricia C. McKissack
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings1950s Nashville, Tennessee is segregated, and black people are persecuted, but young Tricia Ann is determined to venture on her own across town to someplace special. A must read book about persecution of minorities, but also about hope and light... -
![Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans]()
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Spanish Ambassador has moved next door, and Madeline knows right away that his son, Pepito, is bad news...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic 20th-century action-adventure animals -
![Walk About by Aaron Fletcher]()
Walk About by Aaron Fletcher
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWrested from the primordial Australian wilderness, Tibooburra Station had taken the blood, sweat and tears of generations of Kerricks and given them a magnificent heritage in return. But now the golden legacy of the outback station was threatened by the disappearance of the young boy who would one day inherit it all... -
![Buddy- How far will a boy go for the dog he loves? by M.H. Herlong]()
Buddy- How far will a boy go for the dog he loves? by M.H. Herlong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA classic boy-and-dog tale in the tradition of Old YellerTyrone "Li'l T" Roberts meets Buddy when his family's car accidentally hits the stray dog on their way to church. Buddy turns out to be the dog Li'l T's always wished for--until Hurricane Katrina comes to New Orleans and he must leave Buddy behind...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure animals black-mc -
![Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo]()
Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsClad ln a doeskin, alone and unafraid, she stood straight and proud before the onrushlng Forces of America’s destiny: Sacajawea. child of a Shoshoni chief, lone woman on Lewis and Clark‘s historic trek-beautiful spear of a dying nation.She knew many men, walked many miles...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc realistic 20th-century action-adventure book classics -
![Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter]()
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIllus. in full color. "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc action-adventure black-mc book children-books -
![Green City in the Sun by Barbara Wood]()
Green City in the Sun by Barbara Wood
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA magnificent saga of two proud and powerful families—one British, one African—and their battle over Kenya’s destiny in the twentieth century.In 1917, Dr. Grace Treverton arrives in Kenya, determined to bring modern medicine to the African natives. Her brother, Sir Valentine Treverton, has his own dream for the British protectorate: to establish an agricultural empire to rival any in England... -
![Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Gwen Strauss]()
Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Gwen Strauss
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRuth and the Green Book is the story of one black family's trip from Chicago to Alabama by car in the late 1940s. Along the way they encounter prejudice, but they also discover The Green Book, a real guide to accommodations which was published for decades to aid African-American travelers as they faced prejudice on the roads across the country...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction journey poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook -
![Turbulência by Clifford Riley]()
Turbulência by Clifford Riley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAmy Cahill knows her family needs to be prepared for the next Vesper attack, so she organizes a training weekend at the brand new Cahill command centre. However, Dan and the others would rather goof off than hone their secret agent skills...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books fiction historical -
![The Wall by Eve Bunting]()
The Wall by Eve Bunting
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA young boy and his father visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure book children-books -
-
![The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain]()
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“We said there was no home like a raft. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery…but you feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.” Sail down the Mississippi with Huck Finn and the runaway slave, Jim...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction journey realistic action-adventure book children-books classics -
![The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack]()
The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsPing was an adventurous duck who lived on a beautiful wise-eyed boat on the Yangtze River. He liked his life on the riverboat just and liked his large family and his kind master. He didn't like to be the last in line to board the boat at night, for that unlucky duck got a loud spank...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction journey poc-mc 20th-century action-adventure animals -
![The Trader's Gift by Anna Jacobs]()
The Trader's Gift by Anna Jacobs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBram Deagan has a thriving trading business, a beautiful wife and a growing family. Since he has a gift for matchmaking and wishes to see his friends Dougal and Mitchell happily married too, he doesn't hesitate to suggest they find wives. In England, Eleanor Prescott has not forgotten the ship's captain who was a true friend to her. Dougal McBride told her to come to him if she was free... -
![Ginger by Kate Klimo]()
Ginger by Kate Klimo
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGinger the golden retriever narrates the story of her life, from her birth in a puppy mill through the various people who have ''owned'' her...Title: .Ginger..Author: .Klimo, Kate/ Jessell, Tim (ILT)..Publisher: .Random House Childrens Books..Publication Date: .2013/01/08..Number of Pages: .147..Binding Type: .PAPERBACK..Library of Congress:...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals anthropomorphism book -
![The Story That Cannot Be Told by J. Kasper Kramer]()
The Story That Cannot Be Told by J. Kasper Kramer
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA powerful middle grade debut that weaves together folklore and history to tell the story of a girl finding her voice and the strength to use it during the final months of the Communist regime in Romania in 1989.Ileana has always collected stories...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
![The Reluctant Wife by Caroline Warfield]()
The Reluctant Wife by Caroline Warfield
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen all else fails, love succeeds…Captain Fred Wheatly’s comfortable life on the fringes of Bengal comes crashing down around him when his mistress dies, leaving him with two children he never expected to have to raise. After he chooses justice over army regulations, he’s forced to resign his position, leaving him no way to support his unexpected family... -
![Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco]()
Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn Irish family stays together with the help of Fiona’s talent for making one-of-a-kind lace in this heartwarming immigration story from the New York Times bestselling creator of The Keeping Quilt.Many years ago, times were hard in all of Ireland, so when passage to America becomes available, Fiona and her family travel to Chicago...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children poc-mc realistic children-books historical fiction -
![A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson]()
A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo young girls not only witness but help to change history in this inspiring and urgent Civil Rights-era picture book by three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Angela Johnson.There's a sweet, sweet smell in the air as two young girls sneak out of their house, down the street, and across town to where men and women are gathered, ready to march for freedom and justice...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic poc-mc children family children-books historical social-commentary -
![The Missing Collection by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Found; Sent; Sabotaged; Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix]()
The Missing Collection by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Found; Sent; Sabotaged; Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was a big deal. Then he and a neighbor, Chip, who finds out he's also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters, saying things such as: "You are one of the missing," and, "Beware! They're coming back to get you...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books fiction historical -
![Satch & Me by Dan Gutman]()
Satch & Me by Dan Gutman
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"You wanna know who threw the fastest pitch ever?"Many baseball players claim that Satchel Paige was the fastest pitcher in the history of the game. Stosh and his coach, Flip Valentini, are on a mission to find out. With radar gun in tow, they travel back to 1942 and watch Satch pitch to power hitter Josh Gibson in the Negro League World Series...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure book children-books fiction -
-
![Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall]()
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsRuby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family... -
![I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín]()
I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAn eleven-year-old’s world is upended by political turmoil in this searing novel from an award-winning poet, based on true events in Chile.Celeste Marconi is a dreamer...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction journey poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook -
![The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco]()
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Mary Ellen gets bored with her reading, Grandpa knows a hunt for a bee tree is just what she needs. Half the town joins the exciting chase, but it's not until everyone returns home that Mary Ellen makes a discovery of her own: Sometimes, even the sweetest of things must be worked for...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals book children-books -
![The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy]()
The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA magnificently illustrated and authentic retelling of the classic Chinese folktale of the seven brothers and their supernatural gifts. "Exceptional...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction journey poc-mc action-adventure book children-books -
![That Book Woman by Heather Henson]()
That Book Woman by Heather Henson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age -
![This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, James E. Ransome]()
This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, James E. Ransome
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJacqueline Woodson--New York TimesBestselling, National Book Award andNewbery Honor winning author--writes arich story of a family adapting to change as they hold on to the past and embrace the future. WithCoretta Scott King Award winning illustrator James Ransome.During the time of the Great Migration, millions of African American families relocated from the South, seeking better opportunities...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook black-mc -
![Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg]()
Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis exciting pioneering story, based on actual events, introduces readers to a fascinating chapter in American history, when FDR set up a New Deal colony in Alaska to give loans and land to families struggling during the Great Depression. Terpsichore can’t wait to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps . . . now she just has to convince her mom...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children realistic middle-grade fiction children-books historical -
![Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson]()
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail... -
![Legacy by Clifford Riley]()
Legacy by Clifford Riley
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThe first of seven brand new 39 clues stories, leading up to one explosive reveal.Time is running out for Grace Cahill as she struggles to make the most important choice of her life: a decision that will shape the future of the Cahill family... and the world at large...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books fiction -
![The Black Book of Buried Secrets by Mallory Kass, Rick Riordan]()
The Black Book of Buried Secrets by Mallory Kass, Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsFor the past five hundred years, the Cahills have silently dominated the world. Their desperate hunt for the 39 Clues lies behind some of history’s biggest enigmas – the curse of the Hope diamond, the race to summit Mt. Everest, the wild life and death of Harry Houdini. And now – finally – the secrets are out...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books fiction -
-
![House Without Walls by Ching Yeung Russell]()
House Without Walls by Ching Yeung Russell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor most people, home is a place with four walls. It's a place to eat, sleep, rest, and live. For a refugee, the concept of home is ever-changing, ever-moving, ever-wavering. And often, it doesn't have any walls at all.Eleven-year-old Lam escapes from Vietnam with Dee Dee during the Vietnamese Boat People Exodus in 1979, when people from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fled their homelands for safety...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic poc-mc family middle-grade fiction historical young-adult -
![Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson]()
Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLindy and her doll Sally are best friends - wherever Lindy goes, Sally stays right by her side. They eat together, sleep together, and even pick cotton together. So, on the night Lindy and her mama run away in search of freedom, Sally goes too. This young girl's rag doll vividly narrates her enslaved family's courageous escape through the Underground Railroad... -
![Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold]()
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIllus. in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard... -
![Fireworks by Clifford Riley]()
Fireworks by Clifford Riley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe last of seven brand new 39 Clues stories, with an explosive secret revealed!The holidays can be hard for any family, but they're particularly tough for the Cahills. Amy Cahill is exhausted from her training. Dan can't forget the tragedies he witnessed on the Clue hunt. Ian and Natalie Kabra are trying to enjoy the London festivities, but it's hard without their parents...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books fiction -
![Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson]()
Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen fifteen-year-old Rachel is forced to move to Boston in 1872, she is furious. She is also lonely, for her beloved horse, Peaches, has been sold. But Rachel soon finds a horse that needs her, and needs her desperately: The Governor's Girl, a famous firehorse, has been badly burned. Rachel gets permission to care for the Girl in a stable behind her house...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals anthropomorphism book -
![Naya Nuki: Shoshone Girl Who Ran by Kenneth Thomasma]()
Naya Nuki: Shoshone Girl Who Ran by Kenneth Thomasma
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter being taken prisoner by an enemy tribe, a Shoshoni girl escapes and makes a thousand-mile journey through the wilderness in search of her own people...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure book children-books fiction
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
