Books like Genesis Begins Again
If you liked Genesis Begins Again, read Mid-Air, Ghost, or Ghost Boys — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.
Closest match: Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams
Get it on Amazon →Affiliate link: as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Looking for books like Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams (Realistic Fiction · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of colorism, self-worth, and identity. 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.
10 books similar to Genesis Begins Again
Mid-AirAlicia D. Williams
GhostJason Reynolds · 730L
Ghost BoysJewell Parker Rhodes · 360L
Save Me a SeatSarah Weeks · 780L
Between Shades Of GrayRuta Sepetys
Black Brother, Black BrotherJewell Parker Rhodes
BlubberJudy Blume
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous LifeRachel Renée Russell · 890L
Ruby Lost and FoundChristina Li
So B. ItSarah Weeks
Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyNew members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
Why each is a match
Amazon links below are affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
- Mid-Airgrades 5–8
- Is by Alicia D. Williams, the same author and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Ghost730L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Ghost Boys360L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
- Save Me a Seat780L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
- Between Shades Of Graygrades 4–9
- Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (4–9), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
- Black Brother, Black Brothergrades 5–8
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Blubbergrades 4–7
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
- Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life890L
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon → books like this →
- Ruby Lost and Foundgrades 6–9
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →
- So B. Itgrades 5–8
- Shares themes of identity, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon → books like this →
Common questions
- What books are similar to Genesis Begins Again?
- The 10 closest matches to Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams on ReadingList include Mid-Air, Ghost, Ghost Boys, Save Me a Seat, and Between Shades Of Gray. Each is scored on shared themes (colorism, self-worth, and identity), 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 Genesis Begins Again 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.
← Back to Genesis Begins Again