Books to Read If You Liked Wild Robot

Some books take a long time to become “classics.”

Others? It doesn’t take them long to become beloved.

The Wild Robot is definitely in the second category and it’s been well-loved since it was published a decade ago.

If you have a child asking for more books like The Wild Robot, here are some titles to try!

10+ BOOKS LIKE THE WILD ROBOT

The Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Hands DOWN this was the most recommended title when I asked my Instagram community about books like The Wild Robot. Resilience is a rover built to explore and discover Mars. As he’s being developed by NASA scientists, the unexpected happens. – he starts developing human emotions. This is on my list to read aloud to my four kids this year!

Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate
Pocket Bear is a tiny WWI mascot made to fit in a soldier’s pocket, created as a little reminder that someone back home loved them and was rooting for their safe return. A century later, he ends up at the Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where a kind girl, a treasure-hunting cat, and a lot of heart give discarded toys (and readers) the sweetest reminder that everyone deserves a second chance.

Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing
When Maya starts fifth grade without her best friends, she’s already feeling shaky – then she finds a forgotten robot in a store closet and suddenly has a science fair project (and an unexpected friend) on her hands. This sweet, illustrated middle grade story gives all the same emotions toward a robot friend just like you get in The Wild Robot.

Odder by Katherine Applegate
Odder is all about a little otter who comes face to face with a shark, and how that fateful day changes her life forever. This one is written in verse, just like her most well-known book, The One and Only Ivan.

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
After a rival pack attack separates Swift from his family, this brave little wolf has to rely on everything his parents taught him as he travels across the Pacific Northwest, facing hunger, hunters, fires, and highways along the way. This middle grade story, inspired by the real wolf OR-7, makes his thousand-mile journey even more amazing to read. My fifth grader loved this one.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker
This book got ALL the awards – National Book Award finalist, Amazon Best Book of the Year, etc. and has the same friendship across miles vibes that make The Wild Robot beloved. Don’t miss the sequel, Pax, Journey Home.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
This sweet story follows five siblings who are about to lost their beloved brownstone home in Harlem, thanks to a cantankerous (and mysterious) landlord who refuses to budge. If you love the relationship and family vibes of The Wild Robot, you might love this one too.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Ella (like so many readers before her) was completely absorbed by this story of a boy alone in the wilderness trying to survive after a plane crash. This definitely skews a bit older than The Wild Robot (more like 4-6th grades), but it’s an equally great wilderness survival story!

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
This story is a classic survival story that I loved as a child and then loved reading aloud to my kids. Sam is so unhappy living with his family in New York City that he runs away to the Catskill Mountains. He learns about courage, danger and independence as he figures out how to survive all on his own.

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
I’m pretty sure Ella listened to this audiobook at least a half dozen times and it was one of my favorite books as a child. This one is a great one if your kids are a little younger, but still fun if they’re older too.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
I pretty much don’t care for animals (I know) and I STILL think this is one of the best kids books ever, Newbery winner or not. When a book is this sweet, funny, and well-written, who cares if it’s narrated by a gorilla? Not me. (Full review here) 

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
If you love the “worlds colliding” aspect of The Wild Robot, this is another great pick. During a visit to his grandpa, Christopher spots something unbelievable – a rush of mythical creatures charging down the hill. That’s when he learns his grandfather is the keeper of a hidden gateway to a magical world. But there is one BIG problem…the barrier separating the two worlds is beginning to fail.

Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
I’m pretty sure I didn’t see Ella for a month when she blazed through this entire series. Alex and Conner, sister-brother twins, open up a beloved book of stories only to find themselves sucked into the book. In a mysterious land where magic runs rampant, they find themselves interacting with fairy tale characters they’ve heard about all their lives. The real question is. . . can they ever get home?

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