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Readalikes · April 7, 2021

8 Books Like… The Night Diary

So you read Veera Hiranandani’s book and loved it — now you’re on the hunt for books like The Night Diary? Welcome!

Books Like The Night Diary

Recommending readalikes can be a tricky process, but as I said in the first post in this series, I enjoy the process of finding similar threads running through even books that appear different on the surface. Today’s pick is Veera Hiranandani’s The Night Diary, a moving book about the Indian partition and a girl dealing with the grief of her mother’s death when she was a baby. The story is told through Nisha’s letters to her mother.

Here’s my readalike criterion: Each book I recommend must have at least three strong similarities with the beloved title. For this post, seeing as there just aren’t many books about the Indian partition, I’ve chosen books rich with culture, with brave tween girls leaving home, grieving the loss of a parent, and/or finding their voice in their own home.

8 Books Like The Night Diary

Here are 8 books like The Night Diary

Prairie Lotus

Prairie Lotus - Books Like... The Night Diary

Set in 1880, this novel by Linda Sue Park follows a half-Chinese girl and her widowed father who move to a small town in America and the xenophobia and racism they encounter. Historical fiction, a determined heroine, and the struggle to belong — check, check, check.


Red, White, and Whole

Red, White, and Whole

I adored this verse novel about 13-year-old Reha who is straddling cultures in 1980’s America. Caught between the traditions of her immigrant Indian parents and the American lifestyle, Cindy Lauper, MTv, and school dances, Reha life comes to a standstill when her mother develops a life-threatening illness.


The Messy Life of Blue

The Messy Life of Blue - Books Like... The Night Diary

11-year-old Blue is used to living in a house full of boys, with her dad and three brothers. She’s still grieving the death of her mother and trying to navigate life without her. But when discovers her mother’s death certificate in the attic, family secrets are revealed that just may change Blue’s life.


Center of Gravity

Center of Gravity

Tessa’s anxiety is triggered after her mom dies from breast cancer. It’s 1985 and not many people realize when Tessa starts collecting milk cartons with the faces of missing kids — not even her dad. Tessa bonds with a group of boys whose acceptance and support may be just what she needs to find her balance again.


Glitter Gets Everywhere

Glitter Gets Everywhere - Books Like... The Night Diary

After Kitty’s mother dies from lung cancer, a change in her father’s work means that Kitty, her big sister Imogen, and her dad move from their home in London, England to New York City. Through making new friends, living in a new city and bonding with her family, Kitty realizes that although grief is like glitter that gets everywhere, there’s yet life to be lived.


The Warden’s Daughter

The Warden's Daughter

Cammie lives a unique life as the daughter of a prison warden, but she’s also missing the mother who died trying to save her. As her thirteenth birthday approaches, Cammie has never needed a mother more. Set in the 1950’s this is a fast-paced, moving middle grade book.


The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise - Books Like... The Night Diary

This gem of a book follows Coyote and her father who’ve been living in a school bus (by choice) for the last five years since her mother and sisters died in an accident. Coyote is making her dad return to a time capsule she buried with her sisters (except he doesn’t know that’s where they’re going) and they pick up some memorable passengers along the way. This one is a tearjerker, and so full of heart.


Reckless, Glorious Girl

Reckless, Glorious Girl

I loved this novel-in-verse about a girl missing the father who died before she was born while bonding with her grandmother, mother, and band of girlfriends in Bardstown, Kentucky.


Your turn! Which books like The Night Diary would you recommend and why? I’d love to hear from you. Also, I would love your help with this series. Which middle-grade, chapter books, or picture books, or even YA books would you love readalikes for? Let me know!


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Posted In: Readalikes · Tagged: readalikes

About the Author

Afoma Umesi is the founder and blogger at Reading Middle Grade. She's a writer and editor with a deep love for children's literature. Her favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction, but she'll never say no to a graphic novel. Read More…

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Comments

  1. Shari Sawyers says

    April 7, 2021 at 7:38 am

    Beginners Welcome by Cindy Baldwin is a fantastic readalike! Annie and her mother are grieving the sudden death of her boisterous father, and trying to find new ways to connect without him. Starting at a new school, Annie just wants to remain invisible until another new girl comes along and reminds Annie of the need for friendship. She is also hiding a secret from her mom: she has been sneaking away in the afternoons to learn piano from an elderly man, and as her world begin to collide, Annie has to make tough choices that will result in someone being hurt. This is a sweet, relatable story of grief, with touches of magic that keep it from feeling too heavy.

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      April 7, 2021 at 10:03 am

      Awesome readalike rec! Thank you, Shari! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Anne O'Brien Carelli says

    June 27, 2022 at 9:41 am

    You always have such wonderful lists! I especially appreciated this one because I missed a couple of these books when promoting MG stories, so thank you!

    Reply

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👯‍♀️ TWINS in middle grade literature 💕 

I love seeing more twins in middle grade books. For a long time, the only twins I knew in middle grade lit were the Sweet Valley High girlies. Then, I got a glimpse of twin life with Issa and Jessie in @karinaisreadingandwriting’s THE VANDERBEEKERS. 

Since then, we’ve seen more depictions of twins, including Varian Johnson’s TWINS (a graphic novel about twin sisters Francine and Maureen entering 6th grade), MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca, and Hope and Gordon in THE WINTERTON DECEPTION (review to come)!

And of course, these two books, TWIN CITIES and SAVING SUNSHINE (which I just started and am loving)! While these stories will appeal to twins, I think everyone who’s ever been curious about twins will love getting a glimpse into what life feels like as one half of a whole. 

Which middle grade twin stories have you read and loved? 😍 

#middlegrade #twinbooks #mglit #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks
📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the 📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the truth 

This stunning graphic novel follows Cinzia, Avvisi writer’s apprentice living in sunny Sianerra. Cinzia and her mestra write news stories/pamphlets to the city, but not everyone likes when they tell the truth. 

After an edition exposing the ruling family for extortion, cinzia and her mestra are arrested at night and she has to join forces with the princess to fight back against censorship. 

Besides the wonderfully imaginative and powerful storyline, loved the visuals and the diversity representation in this graphic novel. The main character has a bad leg and gets around with a walking stick, which is something rarely depicted in graphic novels (and it’s barely even discussed—it just is!).

Although, this book is closer to fantasy (but without magical elements), it’s set in a Renaissance-style Italian village, so it could work for lovers of realistic fiction too.

Look out for it in November! Have you read this graphic novel? Thoughts? Is it on your radar already?

#graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites 🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites

Looking for an upper middle grade book about ballet, friendships, and body image? Meet TURNING POINT. 

This book focuses on Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda)’s friendship and how it changes over a summer when both girls are drawn into different pursuits. Mo is off at a ballet intensive with Mila, while Sheeda is stuck at church (with her church “friends”) feeling like she has no life.

At the ballet intensive, Mo comes face to face with her competitive attitude which is fueled by feelings of not “fitting in” with the mostly white, skinny ballet dancers. Even though she makes a couple of friends (who basically lovingly force her to befriend them), she’s insecure at times, afraid to be vulnerable because everything feels so different. On the other hand, Sheeda is desperate for something new. Unfortunately, she falls into a risky situation with Mo’s brother whom she happens to have a crush on.

Paula Chase is one of my favorite writers for this audience and this may be my favorite of hers so far. It’s in the same universe as two of her previous books, DOUGH BOYS and SO DONE but you don’t need to read them in order. 

I’d say her books are great for kids ages 12+
Have you read any books by this author? Which ones are your favorites?

#booksbooksbooks #mglit #bookstagram
🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides I’d seen this b 🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides

I’d seen this book floating around for ages but was never drawn to it (the cover maybe?) until I saw a review somewhere I can’t remember 🤪 I was pleasantly surprised!

Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they’re entering sixth grade. Luisa will be attending middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they come to face to face with different, but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book. The side by side depictions of both kids parallel lives, the way the illustrations celebrate Mexican culture, living, and traditions, and the heartwarming way the twins find their way back to each other. 

I’d recommend this one to 6th graders and up (heads up for content warning: text mentions and depicts illicit drug use by a minor, although portrayed in a negative light) as a fascinating look into Mexican culture, life as a twin, and finding your own identity.

#kidlit #graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man An ♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man

Ant isn’t your average 10 year old. He loves a good game of spades and he and his best friend are planning to revamp their reputation after losing badly at the last spades tournament. But things are changing in Ant’s life. His dad is acting weird, asking him to hide things from his mom. There’s a new girl in class who Ant maybe likes and who plays spades better than many boys he knows. 

When his best friend is grounded, Ant teams up with Shirley, hoping to impress his father and finally be tough like Joplin men should be. But instead, he learns what it really means to be a man—and it’s not about never crying.

There’s SO MUCH going on in this story, but the author does a stunning job of keeping all the threads in place. I was very surprised by all the protagonist has to manage at his age and the fact that it all remains believable. The story is told by Ant’s ancestor, lending a touch of magic realism. There are also many details about playing a game of spades and I loved, loved the audiobook narrator.

If you’re looking for a meatier middle grade book perfect for kids ages 9-12 (and older, really—love the cover!) looking for books that balance levity and relatability with real issues like toxic masculinity, parental addiction, friendship issues, and crushes.

#mglit #middlegrade #middlegradebookies #kidlit #booksforkids
❤️ a protagonist for the times Willow (Lolo) ❤️ a protagonist for the times

Willow (Lolo) Weaver’s summer is not going well. Her grandfather has recently died, her grandma isn’t herself and she’s given away her grandfather’s foster dog, Hank. Lolo’s mother is heavily pregnant and Lolo is in summer school because she didn’t do too well in her last exams. On top of that their lake town isn’t a lake town anymore because the lake’s been drained and smells awful now. 

Lolo wants to help her grandmother feel better and she’s convinced that getting back her grandfather’s dog will do the trick. The only problem is that the dog now belongs to someone else. So Lolo gets on Pop’s boat to steal Hank back—only to run into her summer school classmate, Noah (who’s the new dog owner).

I really enjoyed Lolo’s story. It’s strongly reminiscent of classics like Ramona and Lolo’s voice leaps off the pages. The setting is also an unmistakable part of this story and the story feels drenched in summer. My heart went out to Lolo who always feels like she’s the reason why everything’s gone awry. I also laughed plenty at her way of seeing the world. 

This book is perfect for family readalouds especially for kids in grades 3-5. Dog lovers and kids who like a good adventure with a sprinkle of mischief will love it too.

#mglit #summerbooks #booksforelementaryschoolkids #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram
🎸 believe the hype I was very nervous about re 🎸 believe the hype

I was very nervous about reading a book about a kid with cancer, but there’s no better author than Rob Harrell to do this. 

When Ross is diagnosed with a rare lacrimal gland cancer (in his eye), it’s like a new trial for his seventh grade existence. Add to that the fact that his mom died from cancer years before, he’s going blind in one eye, his best friend is moving away soon, and mean kids at school are making terrible memes about his illness and you have a dumpster fire of a year waiting to happen. Or is it?

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I especially loved the audiobook version which has fun interdissions featuring Will’s comic alter-ego BatPig (with a different narrator, background jingles and everything). 

I would recommend this book to 6th graders and up looking for funny books with male protagonists. It’s also a great one to hand to kids coping with cancer or chronic illnesses. 

If you’re in the WINK fan club, you just got a new member 😉

#mglit #books #bookstagram
🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction 🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction recovery

After years of dealing with opioid addiction, Franny’s mom is finally sober and on the right track with a cleaning job and a cozy apartment upstairs from a laundromat. But then she gets in an accident and has to be prescribed opioids again, sending Franny into a frenzy. 

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I read this book in one sitting and loved it—as I do everything Sumner writes. Maid for It is an informative, gripping, and accessible middle grade book about living with a parent recovering from addiction. This one is a page-turner.

Sumner does a great job tackling important issues like poverty, classism, and drug misuse and presenting everything in an age-appropriate fashion for middle schoolers. If you’re looking for books about parents with addiction, this is a great pick.

Have you read any books by this author? Which one is your favorite? I think this might be mine 🥰

#bookstagram #kidlit #mglit #bookworm #amreader
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