Books like Swim Team
Looking for books like Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (Middle Grade Graphic Novel · grades 3–7)? It’s most often read for its themes of perseverance, friendship, and race. The 10 titlesbelow 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 3–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to Swim Team
DogtownKatherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko
Roller GirlVictoria Jamieson · 440L
Big Nate: In a Class by HimselfLincoln Peirce · 500L
Bud, Not BuddyChristopher Paul Curtis · 950L
Dog ManDav Pilkey · 390L
El DeafoCece Bell · 420L
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneJ.K. Rowling · 880L
New KidJerry Craft
Number the StarsLois Lowry · 670L
SmileRaina Telgemeier · 410L
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Why each is a match
- Dogtowngrades 3–6
- Shares themes of perseverance, friendship, and courage and overlapping grades (3–6).
- Roller Girl440L
- Shares themes of perseverance and friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–7).
- Big Nate: In a Class by Himself500L
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–7).
- Bud, Not Buddy950L
- Shares themes of perseverance and race and overlapping grades (4–7).
- Dog Man390L
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (2–5).
- El Deafo420L
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–6).
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone880L
- Shares themes of friendship and courage and overlapping grades (4–7).
- New Kidgrades 4–8
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8).
- Number the Stars670L
- Shares themes of friendship and courage and overlapping grades (4–7).
- Smile410L
- Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Middle Grade Graphic Novel), and overlapping grades (4–8).