What books are similar to Game Changer?

The 10 closest matches to Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald on ReadingList include Million-Dollar Throw, New Kid, Ghost, Smile, and The Crossover. Each is scored on shared themes (football, injury, and truth), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Game Changer reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–8), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like Game Changer

If you liked Game Changer, read Million-Dollar Throw, New Kid, or Ghost — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica — shares football

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Looking for books like Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald (Sports Fiction · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of football, injury, and truth. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Million-Dollar Throwgrades 5–8: Shares themes of football, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, and same genre (Sports Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
New Kidgrades 4–8: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Ghost730L: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Smile410L: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Crossover750L: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)740L: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
So B. Itgrades 5–8: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Hunger Games810L: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
When Stars Are Scatteredgrades 5–8: Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
Wonder790L: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Game Changer for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Akiak by Robert J. Blake · grades K–3 — Same genre (Sports Fiction).
Miss Nelson Has a Field Day by Harry Allard · grades K–3 — Shares themes of football.
No More Water in the Tub by Tedd Arnold · grades K–3 — Same genre (Sports Fiction).
The Raft by Jim LaMarche · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Sports Fiction).

Books like Game Changer for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

Akiak by Robert J. Blake · grades K–3 — Same genre (Sports Fiction).
Miss Nelson Has a Field Day by Harry Allard · grades K–3 — Shares themes of football.
No More Water in the Tub by Tedd Arnold · grades K–3 — Same genre (Sports Fiction).
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2010s).
Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Game Changer for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans · grades 6–9 — Both on the Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2010s).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s).
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson · 440L — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, overlapping grades (4–7), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Game Changer for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of football.
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans · grades 6–9 — Both on the Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Both on the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award list, overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 5–9 — Both on the Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards list, overlapping grades (5–9), and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Game Changer?: The 10 closest matches to Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald on ReadingList include Million-Dollar Throw, New Kid, Ghost, Smile, and The Crossover. Each is scored on shared themes (football, injury, and truth), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 5–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Game Changer reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 5–8), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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