Books like The Crossover

Looking for books like The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (Verse Novel · 750L · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of family, brotherhood, and basketball. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, 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 The Crossover

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Why each is a match

Rebound780L
Shares themes of family and basketball, same genre (Verse Novel), and a close reading level (780L vs 750L).
Walk Two Moons770L
Shares themes of family, grief, and identity and a close reading level (770L vs 750L).
Other Words for Home930L
Shares themes of family and identity, same genre (Verse Novel), and a close reading level (930L vs 750L).
Long Way Down720L
Shares themes of family and grief and a close reading level (720L vs 750L).
Merci Suárez Changes Gears700L
Shares themes of family and identity and a close reading level (700L vs 750L).
The Poet X800L
Shares themes of family and identity and a close reading level (800L vs 750L).
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet820L
Shares themes of family and identity and a close reading level (820L vs 750L).
Dear Mr. Henshawgrades 4–6
Shares themes of family, grief, and identity and overlapping grades (4–6).
Ruby Lost and Foundgrades 6–9
Shares themes of family, grief, and identity and overlapping grades (6–9).
Something Like Homegrades 6–8
Shares themes of family and identity, same genre (Verse Novel), and overlapping grades (6–8).

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