Books Like The House of Sixty Fathers

Gary Paulsen

Like Tien Pao, a young boy is cut off from everyone he knows and must survive on his own resourcefulness. Paulsen's clear, direct prose and steady focus on practical problems will suit fans of the careful, step-by-step survival in The House of Sixty Fathers.

Jean Craighead George

Julie is stranded in the Arctic and depends on patience, observation and unexpected allies to find her way. Its quiet attention to landscape and self-reliance echoes the gentle, grounded journey that drives DeJong's story.

Scott O’Dell

A girl is left alone in a remote place and must learn to provide for herself with dignity and determination. Like DeJong's book, it is a restrained survival story for young readers, rooted in real history and the strength of one solitary character.

Lois Lowry

A young girl helps protect a friend's family from danger during the Second World War, learning courage in frightening circumstances. Readers who were moved by Tien Pao's fear and resolve in occupied territory will find the same clear-eyed look at war through a child's experience.

Sook Nyul Choi

Set under Japanese occupation in Korea, it follows a ten-year-old girl whose family is torn apart by the upheaval of war. Its vivid, realistic portrait of a child surviving occupation closely matches the historical atmosphere of DeJong's novel.

Yoshiko Uchida

A young girl and her family are uprooted by wartime forces and forced to adapt to a harsh new world. Its calm, observant narration and focus on a child's perspective on injustice will appeal to readers who valued the human heart at the centre of The House of Sixty Fathers.

Eric Knight

A loyal dog travels a great distance to find the boy she loves, facing hardship along the way. Like Tien Pao and his lucky pig, the bond between child and animal drives the story, and the plain, heartfelt writing feels similar.

E. B. White, Kate DiCamillo

A farm animal's friendship and devotion give a young character the courage to face a hard world. Its gentle warmth, humour and attention to loyalty make it a comforting choice for readers who loved the animal companionship at the heart of DeJong's book.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

A boy secretly cares for a stray dog and must make difficult moral choices to protect it. The emotional honesty and the child's determination to do right by a vulnerable animal echo the tender, grounded tone of The House of Sixty Fathers.

Laurence Yep

A Chinese boy travels to join his father in a new country and learns about family, identity and perseverance. Its blend of history, childhood wonder and cultural detail offers the same window into China's experience that DeJong's novel provides.

Linda Sue Park

A poor orphan in medieval Korea works patiently toward a goal that tests his loyalty and character. Its quiet pacing and respectful depiction of a distant culture will appeal to readers who appreciated the careful, humane storytelling of The House of Sixty Fathers.

Cynthia Kadohata

A Japanese American girl grows up in the 1950s facing family hardship and a changing world. Its intimate, emotionally direct style and focus on a child's resilience will suit readers who connected with Tien Pao's determination and sense of family.