Recommendations based on Inside Out & Back Againby Thanhha Lai

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The One and Only Ivan

    by Katherine Applegate
    A gorilla named Ivan, who lives in a mall, finds hope and freedom through his art and the help of his friends.

    The story is placed at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall by the Video Arcade. Ivan, the gorilla, has lived in captivity at the Big Top Mall for 9,855 days by his own tally. , He lives in his domain, and is ... (Wikipedia)

  2. A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story

    by Linda Sue Park
    A boy's story of courage and perseverance, as he faces the civil war in Sudan.

    A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ ... (Goodreads)

  3. Because of Winn-Dixie

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.

    Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)

  4. Rain Reign

    by Ann M. Martin
    A young girl with Asperger's navigates her world through her love of homonyms while dealing with family issues.

    From Newbery Honor author Ann M. Martin, who wrote the Baby-sitters Club series, comes a, New York Times,-bestselling middle grade novel about a girl, her dog, and the trials of growing up in a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

    by Grace Lin
    A young girl named Minli embarks on a journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and change her family's fortune.

    By a bare mountain, where the Jade River runs through, lies a poor, mud-covered village known as the Village of Fruitless Mountain, where the protagonist, Minli lives. Minli is a young ten-year-old ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Okay for Now

    by Gary D. Schmidt
    A young boy struggles to find his place in a new town, but with the help of a kind librarian and John James Audubon's illustrations, he discovers his own talents and strengths.

    Douglas "Doug" Swieteck is a fourteen-year-old boy living somewhere on Long Island in 1968 during the Vietnam War . After Doug's dad is fired for mouthing off to his boss, the Swietecks move to the ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Dead End in Norvelt

    by Jack Gantos
    A humorous coming-of-age story of a boy helping an elderly neighbor and uncovering the secrets of his hometown.

    Dead End in Norvelt takes place during the summer of 1962, after the American schoolboy Jack Gantos fires his father's war trophy, a Japanese sniper rifle , at a war movie playing at a drive-in movie ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Out of My Mind

    by Sharon M. Draper
    A young girl with cerebral palsy struggles to overcome obstacles and prove her ability.

    Melody Brooks is a girl who was born with cerebral palsy . Also, who is ten years old. Her parents have done everything they can to help her live a normal life, but life is often frustrating for ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The Crossover

    by Kwame Alexander
    Two brothers explore the joys and struggles of adolescence through the power of basketball.

    New York Times, bestseller ∙ Newbery Medal Winner ∙, Coretta Scott King Honor Award ∙,2015 YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults,∙, 2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Between Shades of Gray

    by Ruta Sepetys
    A young girl's story of survival and resilience in the face of oppression during World War II.

    Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family ... (Goodreads)

  11. Drama

    by Raina Telgemeier
    A young girl discovers her passion for theatre while navigating her own personal journey.

    PLACES, EVERYONE! Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi , she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the ... (Goodreads)

  12. Flotsam

    by David Wiesner
    A boy discovers a camera with mysterious photographs, inspiring a journey of exploration.

    The book has no words , but is told through pictures. A boy is at the beach and finds an old camera. He takes the film to get it developed, and sees photos of fantastical undersea cities and ... (Wikipedia)

  13. One for the Murphys

    by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
    A young foster child's struggles to find her place in a tumultuous world.

    Twelve-year-old Carley Connors can take a lot. Growing up in Las Vegas with her fun-loving mother, she's learned to be tough. But she never expected a betrayal that would land her in a foster care. ... (Goodreads)

  14. Journey

    by Aaron Becker
    A wordless picture book about a girl who uses a magical red crayon to embark on a journey through a wondrous and imaginative world.

    Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship. A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom ... (Goodreads)

  15. Wonderstruck

    by Brian Selznick
    Two stories from different eras intertwine, revealing hidden connections between a deaf girl and a runaway boy.

    Ben’s story starts in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in June 1977. He was born deaf in his left ear. Ben’s mom, Elaine, was the town librarian, but died in a car crash. He now lives with his aunt and uncle ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Cloud Searchers

    by Kazu Kibuishi
    A group of adventurers battle an evil force to save their world from destruction.

    The Elf King, believing that Emily is too dangerous to be left alone, sends Gabilan, an assassin to hunt her down. At the same time, elf soldiers continue to hunt down Trellis, who is continuing his ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

    by Ellen Levine
    A slave's courageous escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

    A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist. Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Piecing Me Together

    by Renée Watson
    An African-American teen's journey to self-discovery and personal empowerment.

    Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner, New York Times, bestseller, "Timely and timeless." —Jacqueline Woodson,"Important and deeply moving." —John Green Acclaimed author Renee ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Three Times Lucky

    by Sheila Turnage
    A young girl's adventure to discover the truth of her mysterious past.

    Newbery honor winner,, New York Times, bestseller, Edgar Award Finalist, and E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor book. A hilarious Southern debut with the kind of characters you meet once in a lifetime ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

    by Brian Selznick
    An orphaned boy's journey to unravel the secrets of a mechanical man and find his place in the world.

    In 1930s Paris, young Hugo Cabret and his father repair an automaton at the museum where his father works. When Hugo's father dies in a fire, his uncle brings him to live and work at the train ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Fish in a Tree

    by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
    A young girl discovers her own unique talents with the help of a supportive teacher.

    "Fans of R.J. Palacio’s, Wonder, will appreciate this feel-good story of friendship and unconventional smarts.” —,Kirkus Reviews, Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. The Lion and the Mouse

    by Jerry Pinkney
    A fable of unlikely friendship that teaches the importance of kindness and helping others.

    In a book where the only words are the sounds made by the animals, the story begins at dawn. A mouse escapes several predators before coming upon a lion. The lion lets the mouse go. Later, some ... (Wikipedia)

  23. This Is Not My Hat

    by Jon Klassen
    A small fish steals a hat from a big fish and tries to get away with it. But can he?

    A small fish has stolen a hat from a big sleeping fish, and boasts about how easy it will be for him to get away with the theft, because the big fish will not wake up any time soon and maybe not even ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Interrupting Chicken

    by David Ezra Stein
    A young chicken's imaginative bedtime stories, with a few interruptions along the way.

    Awarded a 2011 Caldecott Honor!, A favorite joke inspires this charming tale, in which a little chicken's habit of interrupting bedtime stories is gleefully turned on its head. It's time for the ... (Goodreads)

  25. Liar & Spy

    by Rebecca Stead
    A young boy's journey of self-discovery, navigating the complexities of bullies and friendships.

    The day that Georges (with a silent s, named for Georges Seurat ) moves from a house to an apartment with his family, he sees a boy walking two dogs, disappearing into a locked door under the lobby ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Burning Bridge

    by John Flanagan
    Two boys must venture into enemy territory to save their kingdom from destruction.

    In the prologue, Halt (a legendary Ranger) sees Dirk Reacher, one of Morgarath's allies, give him a plan. Halt thinks about this, but eventually decides it's true. Meanwhile, on a special mission for ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Night Gardener

    by Jonathan Auxier
    Two children investigate the mysterious happenings in a cursed Irish manor.

    A New York Times bestseller, The Night Gardener is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it’s also a moral fable about human greed ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

    by Kate DiCamillo
    Edward, a china rabbit, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning the power of love.

    Edward Tulane is a china rabbit given to a ten-year-old girl named Abilene , by her grandmother in the 1930s. He enjoys a pleasant but vain life with his young mistress, who treats him with the ... (Wikipedia)

  29. All American Boys

    by Jason Reynolds
    Two high school boys, one black, one white, navigate race, justice and friendship.

    Rashad is absent again today. That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all… Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. ... (Goodreads)

  30. I'll Give You the Sun

    by Jandy Nelson
    Two teens navigate struggles of family, love, art, and identity as they come of age.

    Noah and Jude Sweetwine are twins. As they enter their teen years, they grow apart. This is partly due to their sibling rivalry, as they compete for the attention of their mother, Dianna; and partly ... (Wikipedia)