Families who loved Lila on the Landing by Sue Alexander often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
A parent would reach for this book when their child comes home feeling like the odd one out or struggles with the sting of being the last person picked for a game. It is a gentle, realistic story about Lila, a girl who finds herself on the fringes of her neighborhood peer group. Rather than changing who she is to fit in, Lila uses her own creative spark to transform the landing of her apartment building into a world of imagination. Through her self-reliance, she eventually draws others into her world on her own terms. At 57 pages, this chapter book is ideal for ages 7 to 10. It provides a beautiful roadmap for building self-confidence and shows that being alone doesn't have to mean being lonely. It is an excellent choice for normalizing the difficult feelings of social rejection while modeling resilience and the power of play.