Books like Look Both Ways

If you liked Look Both Ways, read The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, You Are Here: Connecting Flights, or A Boy Called Bat — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Looking for books like Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds (Realistic Fiction · grades 5–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of community, childhood, and connection. 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 5–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Look Both Ways

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Why each is a match

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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Streetgrades 3–6
Shares themes of community, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
You Are Here: Connecting Flightsgrades 3–6
Shares themes of community, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
A Boy Called Batgrades 3–5
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Amal Unboundgrades 5–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (5–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Ava and Pipgrades 3–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Backlashgrades 3–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Ban This Bookgrades 3–6
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Clayton Byrd Goes Undergroundgrades 3–5
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Counting by 7sgrades 2–8
Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →

Books like Look Both Ways for younger readers (K–2)

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

Books like Look Both Ways for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

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

  • Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Duke by Kirby Larson · grades 3–5 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–5), and the same era (2010s).
  • Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Ellie's Story by W. Bruce Cameron · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Look Both Ways for middle school (grades 6–8)

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

  • Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
  • Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur · grades 4–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (4–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Ellie's Story by W. Bruce Cameron · grades 3–6 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2010s).
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Look Both Ways 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 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
  • Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2010s).
  • Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (6–9), and the same era (2010s).
  • Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2010s).
  • Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman · grades 7–10 — Same genre (Realistic Fiction), overlapping grades (7–10), and the same era (2010s).

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

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