Brown Girl Dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson
Like The Crossover, this memoir in verse uses short, vivid poems to capture family, identity and growing up, with a quieter, reflective voice that still pulls you through quickly.
12 books to read next
Books Like The Crossover
If you loved The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The Crossover tells the story of twin brothers Josh and Jordan Bell in bouncing, rhythmic verse that moves like a basketball game. Readers love its fast pace, the way the poems shift shape on the page, and the warmth of a close family led by a former pro-player father. Beneath the trash talk and court action, it deals honestly with brotherly rivalry, growing up, and a parent's failing health, balancing humour with real emotional weight for middle-grade readers.
More novels in verse
Love That Dog
Sharon Creech
A short, funny and moving verse novel about a boy discovering poetry. Fans of Josh's wordplay will enjoy watching another kid find his voice through poems.
Other Words for Home
Jasmine Warga
A heartfelt verse novel about a Syrian girl starting over in America. It shares The Crossover's accessible free verse and focus on family love under pressure.
Sports and family on the line
Ghost
Jason Reynolds
A talented, troubled boy joins an elite track team. Its energetic voice, sporting drive and honest look at family struggles will appeal to readers who loved the Bell twins.
Booked
Kwame Alexander
Alexander's verse novel about a soccer-loving boy facing his parents' separation offers the same rhythmic poems, sporting energy and wordplay that made The Crossover a hit.
Hoops
Walter Dean Myers
A classic basketball novel about a Harlem teen and the coach who pushes him. Readers who loved the court action and mentor figures will find plenty here.
Brothers, fathers and growing up
The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963
Christopher Paul Curtis, Reginald André Jackson
A funny, loving family story with sibling rivalry at its heart that turns serious, much like The Crossover's mix of laughter and real loss.
Wonder
R. J. Palacio
Short chapters and a warm family at the centre make this story of a boy starting school a natural fit for readers moved by the Bells' closeness.
Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
A classic about friendship, imagination and grief. It handles loss with the same honesty The Crossover brings to the Bell family's hardest moments.
Strong voices, big emotions
Long Way Down
Jason Reynolds
For slightly older readers, this gripping verse novel takes place in one elevator ride. Its punchy poems and emotional intensity build on everything The Crossover does well.
New Kid
Jerry Craft
A graphic novel about a Black boy navigating a new private school, full of humour and sharp observation. It reads as quickly and confidently as Josh's narration.
Inside Out & Back Again
Thanhha Lai
A Vietnamese refugee girl's year in America told in spare, powerful verse. Fans of The Crossover's poetic form will appreciate its emotional depth and family bonds.
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