Books like Athlete vs. Mathlete

If you liked Athlete vs. Mathlete, read Game Changer, Stepping Up, or Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Athlete vs. Mathlete by W. C. Mack (Sports Fiction · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of basketball, twins, and brothers. 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 3–5 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Athlete vs. Mathlete

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Why each is a match

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Game Changergrades 5–8
Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, same genre (Sports Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Stepping Upgrades 3–8
Shares themes of basketball and basketball stories and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Busgrades 3–5
Shares themes of brothers, both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
The Crossover750L
Shares themes of basketball, both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
Bink & Golliegrades 2–8
Same genre (Sports Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Rebound780L
Shares themes of basketball and overlapping grades (5–8). Amazon →
11 Birthdaysgrades 3–5
Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Awkwardgrades 3–5
Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Between Two Brothersgrades 4–8
Shares themes of brothers and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon →
Clayton Byrd Goes Undergroundgrades 3–5
Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →

Books like Athlete vs. Mathlete for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Double Fudge by Judy Blume · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix · grades 4–6 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica · grades 5–8 — Same genre (Sports Fiction) and overlapping grades (5–8).
  • My Horrible Secret by Stephen Roos · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • New Kid by Jerry Craft · grades 4–8 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (4–8), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Athlete vs. Mathlete for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Double Fudge by Judy Blume · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and overlapping grades (4–6).
  • Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix · grades 4–6 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list, overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans · grades 6–9 — Both on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards), Grades 3-5 & Grades 6-8 divisions list and the same era (2010s).
  • Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica · grades 5–8 — Same genre (Sports Fiction) and overlapping grades (5–8).
  • My Horrible Secret by Stephen Roos · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and overlapping grades (4–6).

Book data last updated 2026-07-07. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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