58 books like Written in the Sky

By Matthew Kaopio,

Here are 58 books that Written in the Sky fans have personally recommended if you like Written in the Sky. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of KINO and the KING

Lehua Parker Author Of One Boy, No Water

From my list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in a kanaka maoli—Native Hawaiian—family in Hawai’i, I hungered for stories centered around island kids and their authentic lived experiences. I scoured classrooms, libraries, and bookstores looking for stories that reflected my reality, but all I ever found were dusty collections of ancient legends, not books that appealed to my sense of wonder or adventure. It’s the reason I wrote the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy and why I’m so excited to share this collection with you. These books are everything I always wanted to read as a child growing up in Hawai‘i—and more!

Lehua's book list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens

Lehua Parker Why did Lehua love this book?

With a sacred stone in hand, twelve-year-old Kino hides from bullies in an ancient grass hut on display at Bishop Museum. In a blinding flash, she travels back in time to 1825 and meets a young boy who is destined to become King Kamehameha III. Together they go on an epic adventure facing sharks, Night Marchers, wild boars, and more as they collect the four items Kino needs to return home. I love this fantasy story with Hawaiian kids as heroes because it treats Hawaiian history and culture as both magical and ordinary rather than sensationally exotic.

By Jen Angeli,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked KINO and the KING as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Want to escape into an epic adventure back in time? Pick up a copy of KINO and the KING and follow Kino Kahele on her visit when Hawaii was a young nation, and the Kamehameha Dynasty ruled the land. After Kino receives a pohaku (stone), that is supposed to help Kino find her destiny, she is chased by bullies into the Hawaiian Hall at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. She ducks into the ancient grass hut display and hides her rock in a conch shell. With a flash of bright light, she is transported to 1825 where she meets 11-year-old…


Book cover of Night of the Howling Dogs

Lehua Parker Author Of One Boy, No Water

From my list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in a kanaka maoli—Native Hawaiian—family in Hawai’i, I hungered for stories centered around island kids and their authentic lived experiences. I scoured classrooms, libraries, and bookstores looking for stories that reflected my reality, but all I ever found were dusty collections of ancient legends, not books that appealed to my sense of wonder or adventure. It’s the reason I wrote the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy and why I’m so excited to share this collection with you. These books are everything I always wanted to read as a child growing up in Hawai‘i—and more!

Lehua's book list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens

Lehua Parker Why did Lehua love this book?

What starts out as a camping trip in remote Halape for a boy scout troop from Hilo turns desperate when an earthquake hits and their camp is devastated by a tsunami. The boys are scattered, and it’s up to Dylan and his nemesis Louie to reunite the troop and get them to safety. Inspired by real events that I remember, this book is a survival story about friendship, leadership, and teamwork that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

By Graham Salisbury,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Night of the Howling Dogs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

DYLAN'S SCOUT TROOP goes camping in Halape, a remote spot below the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. The only thing wrong with the weekend on a beautiful, peaceful beach is Louie, a tough older boy. Louie and Dylan just can't get along.That night an earthquake rocks the camp, and then a wave rushes in, sweeping everyone and everything before it. Dylan and Louie must team up on a dangerous rescue mission. The next hours are an amazing story of survival and the true meaning of leadership.


Book cover of The Islands at the End of the World

Lehua Parker Author Of One Boy, No Water

From my list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in a kanaka maoli—Native Hawaiian—family in Hawai’i, I hungered for stories centered around island kids and their authentic lived experiences. I scoured classrooms, libraries, and bookstores looking for stories that reflected my reality, but all I ever found were dusty collections of ancient legends, not books that appealed to my sense of wonder or adventure. It’s the reason I wrote the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy and why I’m so excited to share this collection with you. These books are everything I always wanted to read as a child growing up in Hawai‘i—and more!

Lehua's book list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens

Lehua Parker Why did Lehua love this book?

When sixteen-year-old Leilani and her father traveled to O’ahu from Hilo to try a promising but experimental treatment for her epilepsy, they never expected to be stranded in the middle of a worldwide geomagnetic storm. With tsunamis striking randomly, all modern technology broken, and facing food shortages under martial law, Leilani and her father have to fight their way home. Along the way, Leilani discovers that the one thing that makes her different may be the one thing that saves us all. It’s an apocalyptic page-turner centered on Hawaii’s ecology and traditional cultural solutions.

By Austin Aslan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Islands at the End of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

In this fast-paced survival story set in Hawaii, electronics fail worldwide, the islands become completely isolated, and a strange starscape fills the sky. Leilani and her father embark on a nightmare odyssey from Oahu to their home on the Big Island. Leilani’s epilepsy holds a clue to the disaster, if only they can survive as the islands revert to earlier ways. 
   A powerful story enriched by fascinating elements of Hawaiian ecology, culture, and warfare, this captivating and dramatic debut from Austin Aslan is the first of two novels. The author has a master’s degree in tropical conservation biology from the…


Book cover of 'Ewa Which Way

Lehua Parker Author Of One Boy, No Water

From my list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in a kanaka maoli—Native Hawaiian—family in Hawai’i, I hungered for stories centered around island kids and their authentic lived experiences. I scoured classrooms, libraries, and bookstores looking for stories that reflected my reality, but all I ever found were dusty collections of ancient legends, not books that appealed to my sense of wonder or adventure. It’s the reason I wrote the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy and why I’m so excited to share this collection with you. These books are everything I always wanted to read as a child growing up in Hawai‘i—and more!

Lehua's book list on authentically Hawaiian books for tweens and teens

Lehua Parker Why did Lehua love this book?

This coming-of-age story is powerful, immediate, and like a bloody scraped knee, painfully evocative of the transition between childhood and adulthood. I loved this book for its ability to show all the complicated rules, expectations, and entanglements of being a kid trying to make sense out of adult behavior. Set in ‘Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i, in 1982, Landon and Luke face prejudices of class and race, their parents’ alcohol abuse and valium popping coping mechanisms, and sheer dysfunction. Landon shares his reality with heartbreaking twelve-year-old clarity.   

By Tyler Miranda,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 'Ewa Which Way as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fiction. EWA WHICH WAY is a coming-of-age novel set in the early 1980s, around the time of Hurricane ‘Iwa. The DeSilva family, in economic straits, has suffered the setback of having to move from town to Ewa Beach, and the dissonance between parents impacts the lives of their young sons, Landon and Luke. In addition to humorous moments of growing up local, Portuguese, and Catholic, there are serious underlying themes regarding religion, ethnic tensions, assimilation issues, domestic violence, and the reality that children sometimes need to find their own way in the world at a very young age. With problems…


Book cover of Pinto!

Marsha Hubler Author Of A Horse to Love

From my list on horses for tweens, teens, and young adults.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have horse blood in my veins. I’ve loved horses ever since I knew what amazing animals they are. I grew up in a town where no one could house a horse. As I read about horses and learned more about them, I dreamed about the day I could have my very own. As a married adult with 4 acres of property and a little barn, I finally had my own horses over a 20-year period. The knowledge I gained by having my own beloved animals and caring for 12 foster children prepared me to write the Keystone Stables series about foster girl, Skye Nicholson, and her quarter horse, Champ. 

Marsha's book list on horses for tweens, teens, and young adults

Marsha Hubler Why did Marsha love this book?

Although I enjoy reading fiction the most, this true story, Pinto, intrigued me because the “star” of the show is a horse. Set in 1912, four men, called the "Overland Westerners," decided fame and fortune awaited them as they embarked on the longest horseback ride in history. Their goal was to visit all 48 state capitals in 3 years and complete their journey at the San Francisco World's Fair on June 1, 1915. Facing rugged roads, raging rivers, thieves, and near starvation, the men went through 17 horses. Only one horse completed the entire journey... Pinto, a little horse with a heart as big as the sky! The page-turning book describes Pinto's account of his dangerous adventure. 

By M.J. Evans,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pinto! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

★"A forgotten piece of Americana brought to vivid life."★ —Kirkus Review

In 1912, four men, calling themselves the "Overland Westerners," decided fame and fortune awaited if they embarked on the longest horseback ride in history. Their goal was to visit all forty-eight state capitals over the course of three years and complete their journey at the San Francisco World's Fair on June 1, 1915. Facing rugged roads, raging rivers, thieves and near starvation, the men went through seventeen horses. Only one horse completed the entire journey...Pinto, a little horse with a heart as big as the whole country! This is…


Book cover of Smart Girl's Guide: Understanding Families: Feelings, Fighting, & Figuring It Out

Rachel Ginocchio Author Of Roads to Family: All the Ways We Come to Be

From my list on anatomy, modern human reproduction, and family.

Why am I passionate about this?

For as long as I can remember, my parents answered any/all of my questions about the body, puberty, and sex; often giving me more information than I actually wanted! So when friends asked me questions, I was always eager to pass on my knowledge. Who knew that years later, it would land me a master’s degree in public health (MPH), jobs in sexuality health education, and a passion for writing about human reproduction and family formation? Plus, I have personal experience on the topic: I come from a three-generation family created through adoption and foster care; and overcame the trials and tribulations of infertility with the use of assisted reproduction. 

Rachel's book list on anatomy, modern human reproduction, and family

Rachel Ginocchio Why did Rachel love this book?

When I first came across a box of used American Girl books at our local bookstore, I passed right by.

I wasn’t a total snob; afterall, my daughter and her friends fiercely loved their American Girl dolls. But American Girl books about puberty, relationships, and family? I was dubious. But moments after I flipped through Friends Till the End and A Smart Girl’s Guide to Liking Herself, I was impressed.

Each book was well written, promoted universal values (e.g., honesty, respect), and had a warmth to them. The material was laid out in short chapters, with colorful headers, accessible call-out pages, and interactive activities.

Though Understanding Families is part of their Smart Girl’s Guide collection, youth of all sex/genders will get a lot out of the entire series.  

By Amy Lynch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Smart Girl's Guide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

A guide to communicating with family offers advice on talking to parents, tips on dealing with conflict, and quizzes and activities to learn more about oneself.


Book cover of All about Dad and Me: A Journal for Fathers and Daughters

Natasha Wing Author Of The Night Before Father's Day

From my list on fathers and journals for daughters.

Why am I passionate about this?

My father died in 2020 during the pandemic so Father’s Day has taken on a new importance to me as far as reminding people to spend time with the people they love before they are gone. I had started to write a story about my dad and his childhood days before he went to the hospital, and with the help of his friend, was able to complete it for the family to have as a keepsake. I encourage kids to ask questions of their parents and for parents to write down or audio record the stories that they want to pass down. Children’s books and journals are a great way to start the conversation.

Natasha's book list on fathers and journals for daughters

Natasha Wing Why did Natasha love this book?

I wish I had a book like this when I was a moody teenager! My dad and I could have been closer and shared more things. A journal like this helps show pre-teens that their father was pretty cool when he was younger, and that parents and kids probably have more in common than they think! This book for 8-12-year-old daughters has questions that both dad and daughter answer plus prompters such as What is your greatest talent? It’ll make a great keepsake for daughters to revisit when they are an adult.

By Rockridge Press,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All about Dad and Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Deepen your connection to your 8- to 12-year-old daughter using this fun, encouraging journal

From sharing embarrassing stories to describing your perfect day, this dad journal is an opportunity for you and your daughter to learn about each other through writing exercises that encourage honesty, humor, and understanding.

This guided journal will help you strengthen the bond between you and your pre-teen girl with:

A range of thought-provoking prompts―Father-daughter relationships are rewarding, but they can also be an emotional roller coaster at times. Both dad and daughter will answer the same questions, from lighthearted entries to deeper questions about your…


Book cover of The Elvenbane

Edith Pawlicki Author Of Vows of Gold and Laughter

From my list on fantasy if you want to be truly wonderstruck.

Why am I passionate about this?

An avid reader my whole life, I jumped into epic fantasy at age eleven. Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, and Robert Jordan were all high school favorites (and they are wonderful) but by the time I had reached the age that I was supposed to be reading their books, my palette was fairly jaded. The thrill of discovering new worlds and surprising magic was growing elusive, but wonder remains my favorite beat as a reader. I consider it the ultimate challenge in my own writing, and I greedily collect books that surprise me with their scope and imagination, leaving me awed and wonderstruck.

Edith's book list on fantasy if you want to be truly wonderstruck

Edith Pawlicki Why did Edith love this book?

Probably the most traditional book on this list, I am starting with The Elvenbane because it is my measuring stick for other fantasy. I read it first as a preteen, and I have revisited it many years since, always to be delighted by the world Norton and Lackey created. The detailed illusions, varied settings, the disparate magics, and the mischievous dragons all kept me guessing and in a haze of delight. There was so much that was familiar but with fresh twists that made it new again. It might not be as novel as the other books on my list, but a fantasy has hit the spot if it brings me back to the wonder I felt reading The Elvenbane.

By Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Elvenbane as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Possessed of great magical abilities, the Elvenlords can change the very world around them to suit their will. They rule their human slaves with an iron hand but they also fear them. According to an ancient prophecy, one day the Elvenbane - a person half-elf and half-human will be born, and the elvenlords will be overthrown. Neither the elves nor the desperate humans know that the prophecy was created by a third, hidden race: the dragons. The dragonkin love to secretly manipulate the elven society and they get a fresh chance when a human woman, pregnant by an Elvenlord, flees…


Book cover of Wanted: One Perfect Boy

Katie Van Ark Author Of The Boy Next Door

From my list on figure skating that won’t make skaters cringe.

Why am I passionate about this?

My hometown didn’t have an ice rink until I was in high school, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with figure skating. From making backyard rinks to coaching learn-to-skate, I did everything I could to spend more time on ice. I also voraciously devoured books with even a hint (like a frozen pond!) of figure skating. All too often, these attempts to spend more time in the skating world only resulted in frustration when authors messed up key details. This list includes my favorite books about skating that fellow figure skaters can enjoy without inaccuracies tripping up their extra ice time.

Katie's book list on figure skating that won’t make skaters cringe

Katie Van Ark Why did Katie love this book?

Wanted: One Perfect Boy is just one of the fantastic titles in the Silver Blades series by Melissa Lowell. This series, published during the 1990s heyday of skating, leans toward the tween crowd but is a great sentimental binge read. This particular title is about a pair partnership breakup, no romance involved, but still delivers all the feels in Nikki’s search for a new partner. 

By Melissa Lowell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wanted as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Book by Lowell, Melissa


Book cover of On The Roof: A look inside Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish

S.M. Stevens Author Of Bit Players, Has-Been Actors and Other Posers

From my list on for tweens, teens and young adults who love theater.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a teenager, I didn’t have the lack of inhibition or abundant self-confidence to excel in high school drama. Like Sadie in Bit Players, I finally wowed the directors at my senior year audition, only to learn the lead was promised in advance to someone else. I recovered and stayed involved in theater: cast, crew, and front-of-house jobs for a summer theater program; the box office for Cornell’s MFA program; and supporting my kids’ drama activities. Performing in a show is different from any other experience. If you’ve been in a show, you know this. If you haven’t, read on to enter the magical world of theatre.

S.M.'s book list on for tweens, teens and young adults who love theater

S.M. Stevens Why did S.M. love this book?

If you’ve never done theater, this book will have you running for the nearest audition. The non-fiction book contains heartwarming reflections from the cast, crew, and creative team for Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, including director Joel Grey. Readers get an inside look at show life, from cast bonding to pre-opening stress to performance mishaps. The vignettes convey what each cast and crew member contributes to making the magic happen. While heavy on the feel-good memories, it rings true and mesmerizes.

Theatre Quotient: High. It’s all theater, all the time!

By Samantha Hahn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked On The Roof as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A look inside Off-Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, the ground-breaking, award-winning musical.
Samantha Hahn, the youngest member of the cast, tells the story of how "Yiddish Fiddler" came to be.
Samantha has interviewed the cast, crew, and creative team - each with a unique take on the show and the impact it has had on their lives - for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes "Yiddish Fiddler" so special.
On the Roof takes the reader on a never before seen journey - from rehearsals that end in tears and screaming in elevators, to the beautiful bonds between company…


Book cover of KINO and the KING
Book cover of Night of the Howling Dogs
Book cover of The Islands at the End of the World

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