Books like The fire-eaters by David Almond
Set against the backdrop of 1962 England, The Fire‑Eaters follows Bobby Burns and the people he loves as they wrestle with personal and national tensions. While ailing father and a fire‑eater named Mr. McNulty trouble his family, Bobby endures bullying at school and the looming dread of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Through these trials, he and his friends find small moments of triumph, demonstrating that even in dark times, joy and hope can still flourish.
First publish date: 2003
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: David Almond
★
★
★
★
★
4.0 (1 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for The fire-eaters by David Almond are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to The fire-eaters (20 similar books)
Mark Twain’s classic novel follows the first-person narration of Huckleberry "Huck" Finn as he journeyes down the Mississippi River in 19th‑century America, exploring adventure, friendship and the era’s social issues.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
1818 novel by Mary Shelley about young scientist Victor Frankenstein who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox experiment.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
During World War II, a foster girl in Nazi Germany steals books to share with neighbors and a hidden Jewish man, proving literature’s power to nourish the soul amid darkness.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Bod is the lone living child in a graveyard, raised by ghosts, werewolves and other spectral inhabitants. As he learns their ancient customs and the ability to Fade, he confronts the mysteries of both living and dead worlds.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Treasure Island is Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure about a boy’s coming‑of‑age journey on a ship, featuring the iconic Long John Silver and shaping modern notions of pirates, treasure maps and tropical island tales.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens’s 1837-39 social novel, follows an orphan raised in a workhouse who flees to London, joins a gang of pickpockets, and uncovers family secrets while exposing child labour and exploitation.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A novel about Emma Woodhouse, a young woman's struggles with matchmaking, misplaced pride, and the dangers of meddling in others' lives in 18th-century England.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Thirteen‑year‑old Conor struggles with his mother’s cancer and the cruelty of reality until a mysterious monster offers him guidance.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When a family moves into a new house, 10‑year‑old Michael discovers a mysterious creature hidden in the garage and learns that caring for it will change his world forever.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Philip Pullman's acclaimed trilogy follows Lyra Belacqua, a young girl with an animal‑daemon, as she ventures across parallel universes to rescue her kidnapped friend and confront the enigmatic forces of Dust.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Craig of the Mohicans, a frontier scout turns away from civilization, forming a bond with a Mohican warrior as they escort two sisters across the perilous wilderness of America's frontier.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An adventurous English hero risks his life during the Reign of Terror to rescue French refugees and expose royalist conspirators, capturing the perilous spirit of the early French Revolution.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A spirited eleven‑year‑old orphan named Pollyanna moves in with her stern Aunt Polly in Beldingsville, Vermont, and spreads optimism through her "Glad Game," uplifting residents while facing resistance from those who refuse her help.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Seventeen‑year‑old Dodger, a sewer scavenger in Victorian London, rescues a girl and finds himself drawn into a world where history and fantasy collide with figures like Sweeney Todd, Charles Dickens, and Benjamin Disraeli.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A 13‑year‑old boy, once known only as Asta’s Son, cycles from poverty to outlaw in 14th‑century England; he must flee with only a newly revealed name—Crispin—and his mother’s crumbling cross of lead.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A teenage girl from a New Orleans brothel embarks on a murder investigation to get into a prestigious college.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 1899 Manhattan, sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule New York's high society, until scandal, betrayal, and a life‑changing accident threaten their elite status and family legacy.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In an Arkansas town hosting German POWs during World War II, 12‑year‑old Patty Bergen befriends the escaped prisoner Anton, learning that humanity can transcend prejudice and fear.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In a quiet Pennsylvania town, young Annabelle faces bullying and prejudice when a new student, Betty Glengarry, targets the kind but reclusive WWI veteran Toby. Annabelle must find her courage to defend him and confront the town’s hidden wounds.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Your Eyes in Stars follows the unlikely friendship between a German outsider and the daughter of a prison warden in a small New York town, as their bond is tested by the haunting nightly bugle calls of a life‑serving inmate during the World War II era.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
The Savage Fortress by Chris PriestleyThe Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer by Matt de la Peña
The AMAZING Maurice and Other Stories by E. Nesbit
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!