If you loved

Books like Small steps

A big-hearted, gently funny exploration of an underdog trying to do the right thing when the world expects him to fail. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Small steps.

grounded
warm
anxious
redemptive

01
Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake
Louis Sachar
A wry, tongue-in-cheek manual for surviving the harshest, dustiest juvenile detention camp imaginable.
Shares:
- wry
02
Holes
Louis Sachar
A sun-baked, puzzle-box tall tale where generations of bad luck collide in the desert dust.
Shares:
- wry
- hopeful
- unlikely friendships
03
Out of my mind
Sharon Mills Draper · 2010
A deeply empathetic and triumphant journey inside the brilliant mind of a girl fighting to be heard.
Shares:
- earnest
- empathetic
04
Petey
Ben Mikaelsen · 1998
A quiet, heart-wrenching exploration of human dignity and the transformative power of being truly seen.
Shares:
- earnest
05
Things Not Seen
Andrew Clements
A grounded, suspenseful exploration of what it means to disappear and the quiet miracle of finally being noticed.
Shares:
- anxious
- earnest
- empathetic
06
Any Small Goodness
Tony Johnston · 2001
A warm, accessible slice of neighborhood life that celebrates family, friendship, and the everyday triumphs of growing up.
Shares:
- grounded
- warm
- earnest
- hopeful
07
The Schwa was here
Neal Shusterman · 2004
A grounded, empathetic exploration of what it means to feel invisible and the quiet power of finally being seen by a friend.
Shares:
- grounded
- warm
- wry
- empathetic
08
The stars beneath our feet
David Barclay Moore
A poignant and grounded journey of a young boy navigating the heavy currents of grief and the tense realities of his neighborhood.
Shares:
- grounded
- earnest
09
Freak the Mighty
Rodman Philbrick
An uplifting and earnest story about two boys who combine their unique strengths to become an unstoppable team.
Shares:
- earnest
- empathetic
10
Insignificant events in the life of a cactus
Dusti Bowling
A funny, sun-drenched exploration of friendship and resilience set against the quirky backdrop of a dying western theme park.
Shares:
- earnest
- wry
- empathetic
- hopeful
11
Max the Mighty
W. R. Philbrick
A big-hearted, fast-paced road trip about a gentle giant discovering that true strength comes from protecting those who need it most.
Shares:
- earnest
12
Things hoped for
Andrew Clements
A tense but hopeful exploration of artistic ambition, sudden independence, and the mysteries hidden within our own families.
Shares:
- earnest
- empathetic
- hopeful

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