What books are similar to Hoops?

The 10 closest matches to Hoops by Matt Tavares on ReadingList include Punycorn, Swim Team, Bea and the New Deal Horse, Because of You, John Lewis, and Code Name Kingfisher. Each is scored on shared themes (courage, perseverance, and history), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Hoops reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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 Hoops

If you liked Hoops, read Punycorn, Swim Team, or Bea and the New Deal Horse — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Hoops by Matt Tavares (Middle Grade Graphic Novel · grades 3–5)? It’s most often read for its themes of courage, perseverance, and history. 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.

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Why each is a match

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Punycorngrades 3–5: Shares themes of courage and perseverance, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Swim Teamgrades 3–7: Shares themes of courage and perseverance, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Bea and the New Deal Horsegrades 3–5: Shares themes of courage and perseverance, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Because of You, John Lewisgrades 3–5: Shares themes of courage and history, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Code Name Kingfishergrades 4–8: Shares themes of courage and history, both on the Maine Student Book Award list, and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockeygrades 3–7: Shares themes of perseverance and history, both on the Maine Student Book Award list, and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
Roller Girl440L: Shares themes of perseverance, both on the Maine Student Book Award list, and same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel). Amazon → books like this →
Curveballgrades 3–5: Shares themes of perseverance, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Dogtowngrades 3–6: Shares themes of courage and perseverance and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knightgrades 3–6: Shares themes of courage, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Hoops for younger readers (K–2)

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

Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike by Dashka Slater · grades K–2 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage and history and overlapping grades (2–5).
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).
Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis · 590L — Shares themes of courage and history and overlapping grades (2–5).

Books like Hoops for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust by Elisa Boxer · grades 2–5 — Shares themes of courage and history and overlapping grades (2–5).
Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen · grades 3–7 — Shares themes of courage and history and overlapping grades (3–7).
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).
Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise · grades K–3 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance and overlapping grades (K–3).
Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of courage, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (3–5).

Books like Hoops for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

Global by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel).
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of perseverance and history and both on the South Carolina Junior Book Award list.
Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of perseverance and both on the South Carolina Junior Book Award list (+1 more shared list).
What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Georgia Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list).
Brick Dust and Bones by M.R. Fournet · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of courage and perseverance.

Books like Hoops for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

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

Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of courage and history and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of courage and history.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Murder Among Friends by Candace Fleming · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of history and both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list.
Sky's End by Marc J. Gregson · grades 7–12 — Shares themes of courage.

Common questions

What books are similar to Hoops?: The 10 closest matches to Hoops by Matt Tavares on ReadingList include Punycorn, Swim Team, Bea and the New Deal Horse, Because of You, John Lewis, and Code Name Kingfisher. Each is scored on shared themes (courage, perseverance, and history), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–5), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Hoops reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–5), 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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