Families who loved The Not so Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child feels disconnected from school subjects or struggles with social dynamics during a group project. It is the perfect choice for a student who feels like an outsider or thinks history is just a list of dead people and dusty dates. The story follows Oliver and Ella, two opposites forced to work together on a Civil War project that focuses on a seemingly insignificant soldier. As they dig deeper, they discover that every life has value and that unlikely partnerships can lead to genuine growth. It deals with themes of academic pressure, social anxiety, and the search for purpose in a way that is highly relatable for middle schoolers. It is an encouraging, funny, and grounded story that shows how curiosity can transform a chore into a mission.
