Here are 100 books that The Broken Rainbow fans have personally recommended if you like The Broken Rainbow. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Heroes of the Secret Underground

Debra Clewer Author Of The Secret Gold

From my list on time-slip adventures for middle graders.

Why am I passionate about this?

An avid reader since the age of 7, I have long loved history. When combined with fiction and throwing in a time slip, my imagination is unlimited! I have a passion for introducing historical fact to young readers, and time-slip adventure is a fun and engaging way to do it, without being bogged down with superfluous information. Young people’s reading levels have changed (as recent statistics worldwide show). As a writer, I gain inspiration from these novels for my own works.

Debra's book list on time-slip adventures for middle graders

Debra Clewer Why Debra loves this book

I’m fascinated by all historical backgrounds and am particularly interested when the narrative is a powerful time-slip story inspired by the author's family. It is set in Budapest during the Holocaust. 

I found the descriptions of the time especially interesting in relation to what the people endured, particularly the children. There was much I didn’t know about Budapest in 1944. This one kept me both informed and turning the pages.

By Susanne Gervay ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Heroes of the Secret Underground 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 timely and powerful time-slip story inspired by the author's family in Budapest during the Holocaust


Louie lives with her brothers, Bert and Teddy, in a hotel run by their grandparents. It is one of Sydney's grand old buildings, rich in history ... and in secrets.

When a rose-gold locket, once thought lost, is uncovered, it sends Louie and her brothers spinning back in time. Back to a world at war: Budapest in the winter of 1944, where their grandparents are hiding secrets of their own ...

From bestselling author Susanne Gervay comes a heart-racing timeslip story inspired by…


If you love The Broken Rainbow...

Book cover of What Does It Mean to Be American?

What Does It Mean to Be American? by Rana DiOrio,

An engaging picture book for children that celebrates what it means to be American!

What does it mean to be American? Does it mean you like apple pie or fireworks? Not exactly. This patriotic picture book is perfect for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Election Day, or any day you want…

Book cover of Harper Wells

Debra Clewer Author Of The Secret Gold

From my list on time-slip adventures for middle graders.

Why am I passionate about this?

An avid reader since the age of 7, I have long loved history. When combined with fiction and throwing in a time slip, my imagination is unlimited! I have a passion for introducing historical fact to young readers, and time-slip adventure is a fun and engaging way to do it, without being bogged down with superfluous information. Young people’s reading levels have changed (as recent statistics worldwide show). As a writer, I gain inspiration from these novels for my own works.

Debra's book list on time-slip adventures for middle graders

Debra Clewer Why Debra loves this book

I love history and found this to be an engrossing, historically based time-slip novel. 

From reading this, I learned about the politician, social reformer, and feminist Edith Cowan. The author has woven a cast of supporting characters to add to the story’s depth. 

I particularly love the inclusion of the time-travelling bed, which holds its own secrets. It’s an interesting twist on the usual time-travel methods, and instrumental to the historical fiction story's timeline. 

By Bethany Loveridge ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Harper Wells as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

An exciting time travel journey, combining suspense and adventure with problem solving as Harper

tries to keep history on the right course and save a missing girl.

Harper Wells finally gets a room of her own, away from her annoying big brother and the grief they

both feel at the disappearance of her mother. But on the first night in her brand-new bed, she wakes up

in the past and meets a young girl named Edie. Not knowing where she is or how she got there,

Harper eventually wakes up back in her room at home.

When another night's sleep…


Book cover of Partners in Time

Debra Clewer Author Of The Secret Gold

From my list on time-slip adventures for middle graders.

Why am I passionate about this?

An avid reader since the age of 7, I have long loved history. When combined with fiction and throwing in a time slip, my imagination is unlimited! I have a passion for introducing historical fact to young readers, and time-slip adventure is a fun and engaging way to do it, without being bogged down with superfluous information. Young people’s reading levels have changed (as recent statistics worldwide show). As a writer, I gain inspiration from these novels for my own works.

Debra's book list on time-slip adventures for middle graders

Debra Clewer Why Debra loves this book

This is an engrossing time-slip story with a difference. 

Involving two countries, two different timelines, four very different lives, and the English royal family in the Second World War, I was taken by the way the narrative interchanges seamlessly between the 1941 and 2022 time periods to create an action-filled MG story. 

The completely different character arcs of two boys who form a strong bond, taking two others along with them, are compelling. I also love the way the historical information side is well researched, providing knowledge I didn’t previously have. 

By Nicholas Hodgson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Partners in Time 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?

Brace yourself for the time-travel adventure of two lifetimes!

Jett was just happy to make a new friend.

He honestly didn’t mind that Harry claimed to have time travelled via a secret underground tunnel from wartime London all the way to twenty-first century New Zealand.
Nothing wrong with a kid having a great imagination.

Except Harry wasn’t lying or making it up.
There really was a tunnel.
An impossible link between the past and the future.
But tampering with time travel, even by accident, has unintended consequences.

Now Harry and Jett have to race against time to mend what was…


If you love Tasma Walton...

Book cover of Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale

Cinderelliot by Mark Ceilley,

A gay retelling of the classic fairy tale--a scrumptious love story featuring ungrateful stepsiblings, a bake-off, and a fairy godfather.

Cinderelliot is stuck at home taking care of his ungrateful stepsister and stepbrother. When Prince Samuel announces a kingdom-wide competition to join the royal staff as his baker, the stepsiblings…

Book cover of Fossil Frenzy

Debra Clewer Author Of The Secret Gold

From my list on time-slip adventures for middle graders.

Why am I passionate about this?

An avid reader since the age of 7, I have long loved history. When combined with fiction and throwing in a time slip, my imagination is unlimited! I have a passion for introducing historical fact to young readers, and time-slip adventure is a fun and engaging way to do it, without being bogged down with superfluous information. Young people’s reading levels have changed (as recent statistics worldwide show). As a writer, I gain inspiration from these novels for my own works.

Debra's book list on time-slip adventures for middle graders

Debra Clewer Why Debra loves this book

This is a great time-slip adventure story.

I love the author’s deep knowledge of Australian dinosaurs and the research she has put into creating a fast-paced and riveting story. Zac, Clare, and Luke Adamson are in drought-stricken outback Queensland. When the trio set off in search of dinosaur fossils, two cyclones merge, and after the storm clears, they are in a vastly different place and time. 

From reading this, I discovered something new and learned about an ancient creature known as the Demon Duck of Doom. Very interesting stuff indeed!

By Sandra Bennett ,

Why should I read it?

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


Book cover of Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness: How to Make Sales Forever

Ed Brodow Author Of Negotiation Boot Camp: How to Resolve Conflict, Satisfy Customers, and Make Better Deals

From my list on how to negotiate for personal success.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ed Brodow is one of the world’s leading experts on the art of negotiation and the bestselling author of eight books, including the business classic Negotiation Boot Camp. SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt dubbed Ed “The King of Negotiators.” Forbes Magazine agreed, ranking Ed as one of the nation’s leading dealmakers. A nationally recognized television personality, Ed has appeared as a negotiation guru on ABC National News, Fox News, PBS, Inside Edition, and Fortune Business Report. For more than two decades, his acclaimed seminars have set the standard for "how to make a deal" in Corporate America. Ed is a former U.S. Marine officer, Fortune 500 sales manager, and Hollywood movie actor.

Ed's book list on how to negotiate for personal success

Ed Brodow Why Ed loves this book

My good friend Jeffrey Gitomer is the man when it comes to sales training. His colorful book aims to demystify the basic principles of selling. The amusing cartoons and pithy advice make this fun book appealing and accessible. Gitomer is unashamedly enthusiastic about sales and sales negotiation. His prose is straightforward and realistic. The Little Red Book includes plenty of advice and practical ideas on every aspect of the sales process.

By Jeffrey Gitomer ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Little Red Book of Selling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Until now, there has been no definitive "little red book" for the millions of sales-people across the globe. In the tradition of Harvey Penick's Little Red Book, New York Times bestseller and the best selling sports book of all time. The Little Red Book of Selling by sales master Jeffrey Gitomer fills that void with an edgy, practical, and fun resource that salespeople will love-and sales managers will buy by the case. Salespeople hate to read. That's why The Little Red Book of Selling is short, sweet, and to the point. It's packed with answers that people are searching for…


Book cover of Founding Startup Societies: A Step by Step Guide

Lotta Moberg Author Of The Political Economy of Special Economic Zones: Concentrating Economic Development

From my list on special economic zones and private jurisdictions.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a development economist I've been on a long quest for policies that actually help promote lives and create long-term wealth. After much searching, I've found special economic zones and other special jurisdictions as holding the key to radical prosperity for the world’s poor today and for humanity at large. Privately governed institutions leverage the power of incentives that we find in a capitalism market system to provide for social services and public goods. Any economists out there looking for hopeful projects to benefit the world economy should start with this short list of core books on this topic. Fortunately, as time goes by, the reading list in this field keeps expanding.

Lotta's book list on special economic zones and private jurisdictions

Lotta Moberg Why Lotta loves this book

Startup Societies are the next generation of SEZs.

In this book, the authors lay out not only the technical, but also the cultural aspects of founding startup societies.

While mainstream people still see the prospects of these kinds of societies as radical, unrealistic, or even harmful, this book allows you not only to dream, but to realize that full-scale projects of new societies, and even new cities, are possible.

These can be governed in radically different ways than the towns and cities we are accustomed to, to the benefit of prosperity and cultural fulfillment of its people. 

By Mark Frazier , Joseph McKinney ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Founding Startup Societies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


If you love The Broken Rainbow...

Book cover of Boomer Sees the Town

Boomer Sees the Town by Diann Floyd Boehm,

Discover the first adventure in the Curious Bunny series!

In Boomer Sees the Town, Boomer leaves the forest to explore the wonders, sounds, and surprises of the big city. Perfect for curious minds and early readers, this heartwarming children’s story encourages imagination, discovery, and kindness.

Written by award-winning author…

Book cover of All the Places to Love

PeggySue Wells Author Of The 10 Best Decisions a Single Mom Can Make: A Biblical Guide for Navigating Family Life on Your Own

From my list on being a single mom and staying sane.

Why am I passionate about this?

“Eminently quotable, PeggySue Wells is a tonic — warm like your favorite blanket, bracing like a stiff drink.”

History buff and tropical island votary, PeggySue parasails, skydives, scuba dives, and has taken (but not passed) pilot training. The bestselling author of 30 books including the What To Do series, The Slave Across the Street, Bonding With Your Child Through Boundaries, Homeless for the Holidays, Chasing Sunrise, and The Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make, PeggySue’s most challenging and rewarding adventure was solo parenting seven children. With one in four homes single mom-led, PeggySue teamed with Pam Farrel to offer practical help and tangible tips to moms navigating parenting solo.

PeggySue's book list on being a single mom and staying sane

PeggySue Wells Why PeggySue loves this book

No matter how young or old, everyone needs a timeless picture book about the best of hearth and home. The illustrations by Mike Wimmer are breathtaking and inviting. Patricia MacLachlan’s carefully chosen words reflect the relationship glue that creates connecting and belonging within families. No matter how old you are, All the Places to Love is a touch point for the heart.

By Patricia MacLachlan , Michael Wimmer (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All the Places to Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A young boy describes the favorite places that he shares with his family on his grandparents' farm and in the nearby countryside


Book cover of The Book of Extraordinary Deaths: True Accounts of Ill-Fated Lives

Flavia Z. Drago Author Of Leila, the Perfect Witch

From my list on picture books only Mexican authors could have made.

Why am I passionate about this?

Hello! My name is Flavia Z. Drago and I'm a Mexican picturebook maker currently living with my partner and my cat in the UK. As a child, most of the books that I read came from foreign countries, particularly Europe and the US, and these have had a huge influence on my work as an author and illustrator. However, now that I'm in charge of making the books that I would have liked as a child, I enjoy adding details of my Mexican culture whenever possible. To some extent, the books that I've shared with you collect some of the stories, experiences, and emotions that as a Mexican have impacted my life.

Flavia's book list on picture books only Mexican authors could have made

Flavia Z. Drago Why Flavia loves this book

Death by tortoise shell, a lifeless head, excess of dance, or playing a concert? Based on true stories, in this impossible to catalogue book, you can find out the tragic, sometimes funny, but always incredible deaths of famous, and ordinary, people alike. 

What I love about this book is Cecilia’s sensitivity and witty sense of humor to deal with the illustrations. While some of the deaths depicted are brutal in nature, the images are never violent or morbid, but they are rather whimsical, poetic, and rather intriguing.

By Cecilia Ruiz ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The Book of Extraordinary Deaths introduces readers to the bizarre demises of thinkers, writers, monarchs, artists, and notable nobodies throughout history. Beginning in the fifth century BC with the morbidly unusual death of Aeschylus and journeying chronologically to identical twins - who died on the same day - in the present day, readers will learn of people they may or may not have ever heard of, but will forever remember for their memorable final moments. With Ruiz's witty descriptions and beautiful illustrations, her characters come to life on the page even as they reach their demises.


Book cover of How We Die: Reflections of Life's Final Chapter

Brad Stuart Author Of Facing Death: Spirituality, Science, and Surrender at the End of Life

From my list on healing our fear of death remembering ourselves.

Why am I passionate about this?

I saved many lives as a doctor working in the hospital, the ER, and the ICU. But the people whose lives I couldn’t save fascinated me the most. Many of them found a place of peace, healing, and profound knowledge before they died. This made me question what I learned in medical training. I loved science but knew there was something beyond what we could see and measure. I wasn’t religious, but I could sense some kind of ultimate and eternal love just beyond our grasp, creating and maintaining everything. I adore books that capture this sense of radical love and show us who we really are—so we can discover it today.

Brad's book list on healing our fear of death remembering ourselves

Brad Stuart Why Brad loves this book

I love this book because it’s a pure and simple description of the physical reasons our lives end. I don’t believe anyone has ever brought death down to earth like Dr. Nuland.

I liked his book so much that I arranged to meet with him. I found him to be the same clear and compassionate person (and doctor) who appears on every page of his book.

What I admire the most is how he manages to describe some of the deadliest human diseases from the inside out, writing so clearly that readers can relax into understanding and let go of their worries without thinking.

By Sherwin B. Nuland ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked How We Die as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The definitive resource on perhaps the single most universal human concern: death.

Even more relevant than when it was first published, this edition addresses contemporary issues in end-of-life care and includes an all-embracing and incisive afterword that examines the state of health care and our relationship with life as it approaches its terminus. How We Die also discusses how we can take control of our own final days and those of our loved ones.


"Nuland's work acknowledges, with unmatched clarity, the harsh realities of how life departs… There is compassion, and often…


If you love Tasma Walton...

Book cover of If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility

If I Could Choose a Best Day by Irene Latham,

A fresh, fun, inspiring illustrated poetry collection you can put in the hands of any reader.

Curated by the award-winning duo Irene Latham and Charles Waters, this collection contains 30 poems that all begin with the same word: "if." Subject matter moves from the practical "if you have a pencil"…

Book cover of Everything I Never Told You

Linda Rosen Author Of Abandoning the Script

From my list on novels that circle around long-held family secrets.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve heard many stories from friends who, as adults, discovered that the person they always believed to be their mother or father was not, and saw what it did to their sense of self. I became fascinated by the how and why a family would perpetuate such a lie, and it made me wonder about the difference between a secret and a lie, and if there is one. This set me off writing novels about family secrets, and reading many more. I enjoy exploring what such devastating news does to a person, and to the entire family, once the secret is discovered. 

Linda's book list on novels that circle around long-held family secrets

Linda Rosen Why Linda loves this book

I was drawn into this story from its first brilliant line.

Before this book was released, I read an ARC of the novel as a member of the Group Reads committee that curates a list of novels perfect for book clubs. Immediately, I felt this would be a bestseller and am so glad I was right.

The multilayered characters are so well drawn, and the propulsive mystery is deftly laid out, making it a page turner. This is a novel I kept reading late into the night.

By Celeste Ng ,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Everything I Never Told You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The acclaimed debut novel by the author of Little Fires Everywhere and Our Missing Hearts

"A taut tale of ever deepening and quickening suspense." -O, the Oprah Magazine

"Explosive . . . Both a propulsive mystery and a profound examination of a mixed-race family." -Entertainment Weekly

"Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet." So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia's body…


Book cover of Heroes of the Secret Underground
Book cover of Harper Wells
Book cover of Partners in Time

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