Books like 'Because Amelia Smiled'
Readers who enjoyed Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
action / adventure poc-mc family friendship children journey exploration
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Andrew Henry's Meadow by Doris Burn
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA classic reissued for a new generationAndrew Henry has two younger brothers, who are always together, and two older sisters, who are always together. But Andrew Henry is in the middle--and he's always with himself. He doesn't mind this very much, because he's an inventor. But when Andrew Henry's family doesn't appreciate him or his inventions, he decides it's time to run away... -
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMolly Lou Melon is different, but this doesn't slow her down... -
Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA reflection on immigration, family, and home.Wishes tells the honest story about one Vietnamese family's search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting impact that makes on the littlest member of the family. Inspired by actual events in the author's life... -
What If... by Samantha Berger
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCreativity, the power of imagination, and the importance of self-expression are celebrated in this inspiring picture book written and illustrated by real-life best friends. This girl is determined to express herself! If she can't draw her dreams, she'll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can't do that, she'll turn her world into a canvas... -
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All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA picture book celebration of love by the Newbery Medal–winning author, Patricia MacLachlan, with luminous paintings by Mike Wimmer. Within the sanctuary of a loving family, baby Eli is born and, as he grows, learns to cherish the people and places around him, eventually passing on what he has discovered to his new baby sister, Sylvie: “All the places to love are here . .Categorized as:
children exploration family poc-mc action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age -
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... -
The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA powerful story about immigration, trust, and new beginnings, full of heart and humanity, for anyone who has ever felt unwelcome or out of place. Perfect for fans of Allen Say, Francesca Sanna, and Yuyi Morales... -
Escargot by Dashka Slater
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe unabridged board book edition of the funny and charming award-winning picture book, Escargot. Bonjour! Escargot is a beautiful French snail who wants only two things:1. To be your favorite animal. 2. To get to the delicious salad at the end of the book.But when he gets to the salad, he discovers that there's a carrot in it. And Escargot hates carrots...Categorized as:
children family friendship action-adventure animals anthropomorphism book children-books -
The Secret of the Fairies by Thea Stilton
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA magical world is in danger! The Thea Sisters are on their way. . . .Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters are on an expedition to the fantastical Land of Erin. While they are searching for a missing friend, they learn that the land itself is in peril! The mouselets are ready to help... -
The Tiger's Nest by Trudi Trueit, National Geographic Kids
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn an island nation in the Indian Ocean, the explorers venture through a vast underwater world and take part in a friendly robotics competition. But the tides of good fortune change quickly. Suddenly, Team Cousteau jumps into action to rescue a faculty member from the brink of death... -
Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen curious Penguin finds a lost pinecone in the snow, their friendship grows into something... -
The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPublished in Indonesia in 2005, "The Rainbow Troops," Andrea Hirata's closely autobiographical debut novel, sold more than five million copies, shattering records. Now it promises to captivate audiences around the globe.Ikal is a student at the poorest village school on the Indonesian island of Belitong, where graduating from sixth grade is considered a remarkable achievement... -
Raids and Rescues by Bryan Chick
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe fifth book in the fast-paced and imaginative series about four adventurous friends and the secret world hidden in their local zoo. Ella, Noah, Richie, and Megan are in trouble—and so is the Secret Zoo! A captivating series for tween readers praised as "action packed and breathless" by Publishers Weekly, and "a fast-paced mix of mystery and fantasy" by School Library Journal... -
Alfie: by Thyra Heder
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNia loves Alfie, her pet turtle. But he’s not very soft, he doesn’t do tricks, and he’s pretty quiet. Sometimes she forgets he’s even there! That is until the night before Nia’s seventh birthday, when Alfie disappears! Then, in an innovative switch in point of view, we hear Alfie’s side of the story. He didn’t leave Nia—he’s actually searching for the perfect birthday present for his dear friend... -
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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 family friendship action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman, Bagram Ibatoulline
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"Pick whatever you like most. Then I’ll tell you its story." When a little girl visits her great-grandfather at his curio-filled home, she chooses an unusual object to learn about: an old cigar box. What she finds inside surprises her: a collection of matchboxes making up her great-grandfather’s diary, harboring objects she can hold in her hand, each one evoking a memory... -
Truman by Jean Reidy
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter his best friend Sarah leaves for her first day of school, a tortoise named Truman goes on an adventure across the living room and learns to be brave in this thoughtful and heartwarming twist on a first experience story.Truman the tortoise lives with his Sarah, high above the taxis and the trash trucks and the number eleven bus, which travels south...Categorized as:
friendship children family animals children-books fiction action-adventure anthropomorphism -
The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhere have all the bedtime stories gone?One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down...when a Snatchabook flew into town.It's bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief... -
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... -
Gameknight999 vs. Herobrine: Herobrine Reborn Book Three: A Gameknight999 Adventure: An Unofficial Minecrafter's Adventure by Mark Cheverton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNew York Times Bestselling author. What is more fun than playing Minecraft? Taking an adventure right into the game itself with bestselling author Mark Cheverton.What will Gameknight999 do when his own friend is infected with the evil Herobrine virus?This adventure series is created especially for readers who love the fight of good vs... -
Letters from Felix: A Little Rabbit on a World Tour with Envelope by Annette Langen
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the bestselling book Letters from Felix, something terrible hasppens at the end of vacation: Sophie's cuddly rabbit, Felix, disappears in the airport! The is very, very bad, because Sophie and Felix are inseparable. But when schools starts again, suddenly a letter for Sophie arrives from London - a letter from Felix! Over 4... -
Thea Stilton and the Frozen Fiasco by Thea Stilton, Emily Clement
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne of the Thea Sisters' favorite authors, a famouse mystery writer, has disappeared! To find him, the five mice travel to his native Iceland. Together they traverse the stunning landscape and reconstruct the plot of the author's latest novel...Categorized as:
children exploration friendship action-adventure animals book children-books fiction -
Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThree strangers, hungry and tired, pass through a war-torn village. Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones... -
Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe moon and back before bathtime? Whatever next! Join Baby Bear as he finds a rocket, makes friends with an owl and has a picnic on the moon! This enlarged edition is the second Bear family adventure following the bestselling 'Peace at Last'... -
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All-American Adventure by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe U.S.A. is in danger...Only the Kidds can find the treasure that will save it!Bick, Beck, Storm and Tommy are stuck in Washington, D.C. without any priceless antiques to hunt--BORING! But everything changes when the Kidds uncover a dastardly a fake Bill of Rights!Now they're crisscrossing the country in a race to prove the document is a forgery...Categorized as:
family children exploration action-adventure fiction middle-grade children-books audiobook -
Love, Z by Jessie Sima
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhile out looking for adventure, a young robot named Z finds a message in a bottle: "Love, Beatrice, it says. But what is love? And who is Beatrice? Finding out might be the best adventure of all... -
Snail Crossing by Corey R. Tabor
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA determined snail.A plump cabbage.A truly epic journey . . .In a book as cheerful and charming as Snail himself, Corey Tabor tells a winning tale of a slow but steady snail, whose determination and kindness bring him the best reward of all: friendship... -
Bruce's Big Storm by Ryan T. Higgins
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBruce's home is already a full house.But when a big storm brings all his woodland neighbors knocking, he'll have to open his door to a crowd of animals in need of shelter-whether he likes it or not.Readers will love this next installment of the uproarious, award-winning Mother Bruce series... -
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...Categorized as:
family poc-mc children journey exploration historical-fiction children-books fiction -
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale by Verna Aardema
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built... -
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... -
Chopsticks (Hyperion Picture Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Scott Magoon
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMeet Chopsticks! They've been best friends forever. But one day, this inseparable pair comes to a fork in the road. And for the very first time, they have to figure out how to function apart. From New York Times best-selling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and rising artistic talent Scott Magoon, this witty and inventive tale celebrates both independence and the unbreakable bonds of friendship...Categorized as:
children family friendship poc-mc action-adventure book children-books female-author -
Today I Feel Silly Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling team of Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, authors of I’m Gonna Like Me and Where Do Balloons Go?, Today I Feel Silly helps children understand and appreciate their shifting moods... -
Alice's Farm: A Rabbit's Tale by Maryrose Wood
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn Maryrose Wood's stunning middle-grade novel, Alice's Farm, a brave young rabbit must work with her natural predators to save her farmland home and secretly help the farm’s earnest but incompetent new owners.When a new family moves into Prune Street Farm, Alice and the other cottontails are cautious... -
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The Shimmering Stone by Paula Harrison
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThese are no ordinary princesses--they're Rescue Princesses!Princess Amina is excited that her fellow Rescue Princesses are visiting for her cousin’s wedding.When a wounded tiger is found in the hills, the girls know her cubs can't survive without their mother... -
Lego Ninjago: Official Guide by Greg Farshtey
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMasters of Spinjitzu: A new force to save the world!Masters of Spinjitzu: A new force to save the world!This handbook is THE official guide to all the most important stats from the world of Ninjago, including exclusive info you can't get anywhere else. Each ninja's strengths and weaknesses? CHECK. The lowdown on all the Golden Weapons? CHECK... -
Summer Is Here by Renée Watson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNew York Times bestselling creators Renée Watson and Bea Jackson offer a picture book ode to a picture-perfect summer day, from sunrise to sunset.Summer is here!No dark clouds in the sky,it's a perfect day for play.What joy will summer bring me today?Summer is finally here, and she's bringing the most perfect day! From sunup to sundown, there's so much to do on this lovely summer day...Categorized as:
family friendship children poc-mc children-books action-adventure fiction season-summer -
Book Buddies: Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA lonely doll helps a child adjust to a blended family in the first of a charming series about library toys and the children who borrow them, written by Newbery Honoree Cynthia Lord.Ivy was Anne the librarian's doll when she was a young girl. But now she has moved to Anne's library to be its newest Book Buddy--a toy that can be checked out just like a book...Categorized as:
family children friendship fantasy children-books fiction action-adventure middle-grade -
The Jolly Mon: Book and Musical CD by Jimmy Buffett, Savannah Jane Buffett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn a remote island called Bananaland, the Jolly Mon uses his beautiful voice and an enchanted guitar to lure fish from the ocean and bring happiness to all. But these gifts can't save him from treacherous pirates. For that, he will need the help of a very special dolphin... -
Leaf by Sandra Dieckmann
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a polar bear arrives unexpectedly in the woods, the animals fear and avoid him, suspecting him to be dangerous—and his habit of collecting leaves only adds to their distrust. Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves, just trying to go home... -
Journey on a Runaway Train by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Anthony VanArsdale
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this all-new very special mini-series, the Aldens have been recruited by a secret society to return lost artifacts and treasures to their rightful locations―all around the world! After finding a painted turtle figurine, the Aldens are introduced to the Silverton family and Reddimus Society, a secret guild whose mission is to return lost artifacts and treasures to the sites they were taken from...Categorized as:
children exploration family mystery children-books action-adventure fiction audiobook -
The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA magical book that has become an enduring children's classic, The Red Balloon is the story of a young boy and his best friend--a bright red balloon. Chock-full of photographs of the boy, the balloon and the captivating city of Paris. A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year...Categorized as:
children exploration friendship action-adventure book children-books classics fiction -
Mr. Postmouse's Rounds by Marianne Dubuc
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMr. Postmouse has loaded up his wagon and is ready to deliver the mail. From the lofty heights of the Birds’ tree houses to the inky depths of Mrs. Octopus’s ship, the intrepid letter carrier lets nothing stand in the way of his deliveries. Each spread features whimsically detailed interiors of creatures’ homes, which readers will pore over for delightful surprises... -
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... -
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Hello, Ninja by N.D. Wilson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNow a Netflix animated TV series!Are you longing for adventure? Mischief? What about sandwiches ?Tag along with one sneaky ninja who is happy to share his busy day (but not his lunch) with curious kids everywhere in this rhyming picture book perfect for fans of The Three Ninja Pigs and 10 Little Ninjas. Written by bestselling author Nate “N.D... -
Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA lyrical lullaby imbued with traditional Inuit beliefsThis bedtime poem, written by internationally acclaimed Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk, describes the gifts bestowed upon a newborn baby by all the animals of the Arctic. Lyrically and lovingly written, this visually stunning book is infused with the Inuit values of love and respect for the land and its animal inhabitants... -
We Forgot Brock! by Carter Goodrich
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe importance of imaginary friends is very real in this picture book adventure from the author of Say Hello to Zorro! and lead character designer for Despicable Me, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc.Phillip and Brock are best friends. Everyone can see Phillip, but only Phillip can see Brock... -
Wish by Matthew Cordell
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs an elephant couple embark on a life together, thoughts of children are far away—at first. But as the desire for a child grows, so do unexpected challenges. And it's only after thwarted plans and bitter disappointment that their deepest wish miraculously comes true... -
B Is for Baby by Atinuke
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsB is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba! Baby’s brother is getting ready to take a basket of bananas all the way to Baba’s bungalow in the next village. He will have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge... -
A Little Bit Brave by Nicola Kinnear
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLogan is a stay-at-home bunny - but he's about to discover how brave he really is.It's time for his first adventure, and he doesn't want to go. But there's an amazing world outside, if he can just pluck up courage to look . . .A Little Bit Brave is a funny, reassuring picture book which shows that we're all a lot braver than we think...Categorized as:
children friendship exploration children-books action-adventure animals fiction humor
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