What books are similar to Drive-By?

The 10 closest matches to Drive-By by Lynne Ewing on ReadingList include Flying Solo, Loch, All About Sam, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, and Shiloh. Each is scored on shared themes (gangs, death, and brothers and sisters), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Drive-By reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–8), 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 Drive-By

If you liked Drive-By, read Flying Solo, Loch, or All About Sam — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like Drive-By by Lynne Ewing (Realistic Fiction · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of gangs, death, and brothers and sisters. 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 3–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Flying Sologrades 4–6: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Lochgrades 3–8: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
All About Samgrades 4–6: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Clayton Byrd Goes Undergroundgrades 3–5: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
Shiloh890L: Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
The Lemonade Wargrades 4–6: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Weslandiagrades 3–8: Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Who Needs a Bratty Brother?grades 3–5: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon →
You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbyegrades 4–6: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Backlashgrades 3–8: Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →

Books like Drive-By for younger readers (K–2)

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

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
Sharing Susan by Eve Bunting · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
Tangerine by Edward Bloor · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s).
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third III · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (2–8).

Books like Drive-By for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park · grades 5–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Schooled by Gordon Korman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Drive-By for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park · grades 5–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (5–8).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Schooled by Gordon Korman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).

Books like Drive-By for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (7–10).
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli · grades 6–9 — Both on the Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9).
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (7–10).
Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and overlapping grades (6–9).

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

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