What books are similar to Drive-By?

The 10 closest matches to Drive-By by Lynne Ewing on ReadingList include Blackwater, Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, Loch, and A Family Apart. 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 Blackwater, Fig Pudding, or Flying Solo — 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, 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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Blackwatergrades 6–8: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Fig Puddinggrades 3–5: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Flying Sologrades 4–6: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Lochgrades 3–8: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
A Family Apartgrades 6–8: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
All About Samgrades 4–6: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Clayton Byrd Goes Undergroundgrades 3–5: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomatogrades K–3: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Jake and Lilygrades 3–6: Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Perfectgrades 6–9: Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon → books like this →

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

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

Basket by George Ella Lyon · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Copycat by Ruth Brown · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Don't Fidget a Feather! by Erica Silverman · grades K–3 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi · grades K–2 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction) and the same era (1990s).

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

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

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
The Lemonade War by Davies, Jacqueline · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Weslandia by Paul Fleischman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
Who Needs a Bratty Brother? by Linda Gondosch · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–5).
You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye by Patricia Hermes · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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

Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (6–8).
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6).
The Lemonade War by Davies, Jacqueline · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Weslandia by Paul Fleischman · grades 3–8 — Both on the Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–8).
You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye by Patricia Hermes · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of death, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (4–6).

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

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

A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of death and brothers and sisters and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of brothers and sisters and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Shadow of the Dragon by Sherry Garland · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of gangs and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Tears of A Tiger by Sharon M. Draper · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of death and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of death and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Common questions

What books are similar to Drive-By?: The 10 closest matches to Drive-By by Lynne Ewing on ReadingList include Blackwater, Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, Loch, and A Family Apart. 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.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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