What books are similar to Just Like Martin?

The 10 closest matches to Just Like Martin by Ossie Davis on ReadingList include If You Come Softly, The Face at the Edge of the World, Ironman, Hanging on to Max, and A Door Near Here. Each is scored on shared themes (fathers and sons, afro-americans, and civil rights movements), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Just Like Martin reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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 Just Like Martin

If you liked Just Like Martin, read If You Come Softly, The Face at the Edge of the World, or Ironman — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson — shares african americans

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Looking for books like Just Like Martin by Ossie Davis (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of fathers and sons, afro-americans, and civil rights movements. 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 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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If You Come Softlygrades 9–12: Shares themes of african americans, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Face at the Edge of the Worldgrades 9–12: Shares themes of african americans, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Realistic Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Ironmangrades 9–12: Shares themes of fathers and sons, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Hanging on to Maxgrades 9–12: Shares themes of fathers and sons, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
A Door Near Heregrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soulgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Jumping the Nailgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Tears of A Tigergrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The China Gardengrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Dash & Lily’s Book of Daresgrades 9–12: Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Just Like Martin for younger readers (K–2)

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

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Enchanted Wood by Ruth Sanderson · grades K–3 — Shares themes of fathers and sons.
Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
Copycat by Ruth Brown · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey · grades K–3 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).

Books like Just Like Martin for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Christopher Changes His Name by Itah Sadu · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Little Vic by Doris Gates · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Worth by A. LaFaye · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of fathers and sons and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Enchanted Wood by Ruth Sanderson · grades K–3 — Shares themes of fathers and sons.

Books like Just Like Martin for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Christopher Changes His Name by Itah Sadu · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Little Vic by Doris Gates · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of african americans and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Worth by A. LaFaye · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of fathers and sons and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Blackwater by Eve Bunting · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos · grades 6–8 — Both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (1990s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Just Like Martin?: The 10 closest matches to Just Like Martin by Ossie Davis on ReadingList include If You Come Softly, The Face at the Edge of the World, Ironman, Hanging on to Max, and A Door Near Here. Each is scored on shared themes (fathers and sons, afro-americans, and civil rights movements), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Just Like Martin reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), 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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