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Quick answer: If you loved Kwame Alexander, read Kwame Alexander's The Crossover, Booked and Rebound, then Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down, then Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X, Clap When You Land and With the Fire on High, and Ellen Hopkins's Crank and Jerry Craft's New Kid and Class Act. All are verse novels and sports stories.
Kwame Alexander writes novels in verse such as The Crossover. These picks share the rhythm.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Crossover | Kwame Alexander | 10-14 | sports and verse fans |
| Booked | Kwame Alexander | Ages 10-14 | soccer in verse |
| Rebound | Kwame Alexander | Ages 10-14 | prequel |
| Long Way Down | Jason Reynolds | Teen | verse novels |
| The Poet X | Elizabeth Acevedo | 14+ | more Acevedo |
| Clap When You Land | Elizabeth Acevedo | 14+ | readers who like verse |
| With the Fire on High | Elizabeth Acevedo | Teen | food and hope |
| Crank | Ellen Hopkins | Teen | addiction in verse |
| New Kid | Jerry Craft | 8-12 | readers who like school stories |
| Class Act | Jerry Craft | 8-12 | the companion |
| Ghost Boys | Jewell Parker Rhodes | 10-14 | readers ready for a hard topic |
| Tyler Johnson Was Here | Jay Coles | 14+ | readers who want a contemporary story |
| Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis | 9-13 | readers who like adventure |
| Love That Dog | Sharon Creech | 8-12 | poems and pets |
| Out of My Mind | Sharon M. Draper | 10–13 | voice and ability |
1. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Twin basketball stars deal with family and loss, told in verse. A Newbery winner.
Best for: sports and verse fans.
2. Booked by Kwame Alexander
A boy who loves soccer deals with his parents' split and a bully. Rhythmic and warm.
Best for: soccer in verse.
3. Rebound by Kwame Alexander
The story of Charlie Bell's teenage years before The Crossover. Moving and funny.
Best for: prequel.
4. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
A boy rides an elevator down seven floors on his way to avenge his brother's death. A novel in verse that is quick and gripping.
Best for: verse novels.
5. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Xiomara, a Dominican girl in Harlem, finds a voice through slam poetry. A verse novel and National Book Award winner.
Best for: more Acevedo.
6. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Two sisters, one in New York and one in the Dominican Republic, learn about each other after their father dies in a plane crash. A verse novel.
Best for: readers who like verse.
7. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
A teen mother and gifted cook dreams of a culinary career. Warm and hopeful.
Best for: food and hope.
8. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
A girl falls into addiction. Raw and harrowing.
Best for: addiction in verse.
9. New Kid by Jerry Craft
Jordan, a Black seventh grader, starts at a prep school and navigates two worlds. Funny and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like school stories.
10. Class Act by Jerry Craft
The companion to New Kid follows Drew as he deals with money, friendship and class at the same school. Smart and funny, with the same big heart.
Best for: the companion.
11. Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Jerome, a twelve-year-old Black boy, is killed by a police officer and becomes a ghost who meets Emmett Till. Serious and moving.
Best for: readers ready for a hard topic.
12. Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
Marvin's twin brother disappears and is found dead after a police encounter. Moving and honest.
Best for: readers who want a contemporary story.
13. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Ten-year-old Bud runs away in Depression-era Michigan to find the man he thinks is his father. Funny and moving, and a Newbery winner.
Best for: readers who like adventure.
14. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
A boy slowly learns to love poetry and shares his feelings about his dog. Short and moving, in verse.
Best for: poems and pets.
15. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
A girl with cerebral palsy cannot speak but has a brilliant mind. Powerful and sad.
Best for: voice and ability.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Kwame Alexander: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Kwame Alexander. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For verse, read Long Way Down. For sports, try Booked. For heart, pick The Poet X.
Related: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo: Summary and Key Takeaways · With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kwame Alexander?
An American poet and author.
What is his best-known book?
The Crossover.
Did it win a prize?
Yes, the 2015 Newbery Medal.
Which book here is best for voice and ability?
Try Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, which suits readers looking for voice and ability.
Which book here is best for poems and pets?
Try Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, which suits readers looking for poems and pets.
Which book here is best for readers who like adventure?
Try Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, which suits readers looking for readers who like adventure.