Books like 'Punching the Air'
Readers who enjoyed Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure realistic social-commentary poc-mc coming-of-age crime high-school prison family
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The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, اونجلی رئوف
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTold with humor and heart, 'THE BOY AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS' offers a child's perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn't always make sense.There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it.He's eight years old (just like me), but he's very strange...Categorized as:
bullying family friendship poc-mc politics realistic social-commentary action-adventure -
![We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez]()
We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA ripped-from-the-headlines novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S.-Mexico border.Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña have no false illusions about the town they've grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Though their families--both biological and found--create a warm community for them, threats lurk around every corner...Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc politics -
![Islandborn by Junot Díaz]()
Islandborn by Junot Díaz
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery kid in Lola's school was from somewhere else. Hers was a school of faraway places. So when Lola's teacher asks the students to draw a picture of where their families immigrated from, all the kids are excited. Except Lola. She can't remember The Island—she left when she was just a baby... -
![The Unteachables by Gordon Korman, Sarah Beth Goer]()
The Unteachables by Gordon Korman, Sarah Beth Goer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA hilarious new middle grade novel from beloved and bestselling author Gordan Korman about what happens when the worst class of kids in school is paired with the worst teacher—perfect for fans of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day.The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks...Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic action-adventure audiobook -
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![Ban This Book by Alan Gratz]()
Ban This Book by Alan Gratz
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratings-Readers, librarians, and all those books that have drawn a challenge have a brand new hero.... Stand up and cheer, book lovers. This one's for you...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc politics realistic social-commentary -
![Answers in the Pages by David Levithan]()
Answers in the Pages by David Levithan
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA bold, timely novel about speaking up and coming out as parents lobby to ban a beloved book from the school curriculum by New York Times-bestselling author David Levithan. When Donovan left his copy of The Adventurers on the kitchen counter, he didn't think his mom would read it--much less have a problem with it. It's just an adventure novel about two characters trying to stop an evil genius..Categorized as:
realistic family friendship coming-of-age romantic-love social-commentary politics middle-grade -
![The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata]()
The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPublished in Indonesia in 2005, "The Rainbow Troops," Andrea Hirata's closely autobiographical debut novel, sold more than five million copies, shattering records. Now it promises to captivate audiences around the globe.Ikal is a student at the poorest village school on the Indonesian island of Belitong, where graduating from sixth grade is considered a remarkable achievement... -
![Darkness Before Dawn by Sharon M. Draper]()
Darkness Before Dawn by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHope shines in the face of fear in this conclusion to Sharon M. Draper’s award-winning Hazelwood High trilogy.In her senior year, things are finally looking a little brighter for Keisha. Still haunted by the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, Andy, she finds comfort in the attentions of the new track coach, twenty-three-year-old Jonathan Hathaway, the principal’s son... -
![Leaving Blythe River by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
Leaving Blythe River by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde returns with an unforgettable story of courage. Seventeen-year-old Ethan Underwood is totally unprepared to search for his father in the Blythe River National Wilderness. Not only is he small, scrawny, and skittish but he’s barely speaking to the man after a traumatic betrayal... -
![The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz]()
The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK ALA NOTABLE BOOK Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary -
![The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith]()
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsIn the tradition of Speak, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault.Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.What was once simple, is now complex...Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age crime family friendship high-school literary-fiction realistic -
![The Recruit by Robert Muchamore]()
The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsCHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented--and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist. They are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists, hack into crucial documents, and gather intel on global threats—all without gadgets or weapons...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime family friendship high-school historical-fiction male-mc realistic -
![Louder Than Hunger by John Schu]()
Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRevered teacher, librarian, and story ambassador John Schu explores anorexia—and self-expression as an act of survival—in a wrenching and transformative novel-in-verse. But another voice inside me says, We need help. We’re going to die. Jake volunteers at a nursing home because he likes helping people...Categorized as:
realistic family bullying friendship historical-fiction coming-of-age survival male-mc -
![Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen]()
Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings3:47 a.m. That's when they come for Wren Clemens. She's hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who've gone so far off the rails, their parents don't know what to do with them any more. This is wilderness therapy camp... -
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![Slay by Brittney Morris]()
Slay by Brittney Morris
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 25 ratings'We are different ages, genders and traditions ... but tonight we all SLAY' Black Panther meets Ready Player One. A fierce teen game developer battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther-inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for black gamers...Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age family friendship high-school literary-fiction poc-mc realistic -
![The Havoc of Choice by Wanjiru Koinange]()
The Havoc of Choice by Wanjiru Koinange
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings2007, KenyaLong held captive by her father’s shadow of corruption, Kavata has spent her life suffocated by political machinations. When her husband decides to run in the next election, these shadows threaten to consume her home. Unable to bear this darkness,Kavata plots to escape. As her family falls apart, so too does her country...Categorized as:
politics historical-fiction literary-fiction family fiction contemporary corruption journey -
![The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan]()
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor fans of Linda Sue Park and A Long Way Gone, two young boys must escape a life of slavery in modern-day Ivory CoastFifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two years what has mattered are the number of cacao pods he and his younger brother, Seydou, can chop down in a day. The higher the number the safer they are...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary -
![Tyrell by Coe Booth]()
Tyrell by Coe Booth
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn astonishing new voice in teen literature, writing what is sure to be one of the most talked-about debuts of the year.Tyrell is a young, African American teen who can't get a break. He's living (for now) with his spaced-out mother and little brother in a homeless shelter. His father's in jail... -
![Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson]()
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this striking new novel by the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming, Tiffany D. Jackson tells the story of three Brooklyn teens who plot to turn their murdered friend into a major rap star by pretending he's still alive. Brooklyn, 1998. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary -
![The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams]()
The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsEverybody needs friends? especially a boy in a dress! Dennis? life is boring and lonely. His mother left two years ago, his truck driver father is depressed, his brother is a bully and, worst of all, ?no hugging? is one of their household rules. But one thing Dennis does have is soccer?he?s the leading scorer on his team...Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age family friendship poc-mc realistic social-commentary action-adventure -
![My Friends by Hisham Matar]()
My Friends by Hisham Matar
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA young man leaves behind more than he realizes to follow his passions in this major, luminous novel of friendship, family, and the unthinkable realities of exile from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Return.The trick time plays is to lull us into the belief that everything lasts forever, and although nothing does, we continue, inside our dream...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction politics friendship family coming-of-age africa northern-africa -
![Yara's Spring by Jamal Saeed, Sharon McKay]()
Yara's Spring by Jamal Saeed, Sharon McKay
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing of age against all odds in the midst of the Arab Spring.Growing up in Aleppo, Yara’s childhood has long been shadowed by the coming revolution. But when the Arab Spring finally arrives at Yara’s doorstep, it is worse than even her Nana imagined: sudden, violent, and deadly. When rescuers dig Yara out from under the rubble that was once her family’s home, she emerges to a changed world...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic family poc-mc coming-of-age survival friendship high-school -
![The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll): A Picture Book by Winsome Bingham]()
The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll): A Picture Book by Winsome Bingham
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom award-winning creators Winsome Bingham and E.B. Lewis, The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll) is a powerful, full-color picture book story celebrating a journey crucial to our the walk to vote—a perfect read aloud.My granny is taking me on THE WALK.“Because leaders are not born,” she says. “They’re made through molding and modeling.”“What’s the walk?” I ask.“You’ll see...Categorized as:
social-commentary politics family realistic poc-mc historical-fiction children-books fiction -
![What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau]()
What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsClara Luna's name means "clear moon" in Spanish. But lately, her head has felt anything but clear. One day a letter comes from Mexico, written in Spanish: Dear Clara, We invite you to our house for the summer. We will wait for you on the day of the full moon, in June, at the Oaxaca airport. Love, your grandparents. Fourteen-year-old Clara has never met her father's parents... -
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![Devils Within by S.F. Henson]()
Devils Within by S.F. Henson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKilling isn’t supposed to be easy. But it is. It’s the after that’s hard to deal with.Nate was eight the first time he stabbed someone; he was eleven when he earned his red laces—a prize for spilling blood for “the cause... -
![Rez Ball by Byron Graves]()
Rez Ball by Byron Graves
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis debut novel by Byron Graves tells the story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident... -
![Bang! by Sharon G. Flake]()
Bang! by Sharon G. Flake
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAs violence continues in his community, a 13-year-old boy must make some difficult choices to set his life on another course.Bang! Guns really sound like that, you know. Bang! And people bleed from everywhere, and blood is redder than you think. And little kids look funny in caskets. That's 'cause they ain't meant to be in one, I guess... -
![Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner]()
Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the tradition of Jack London, Seth Kantner presents an Alaska far removed from majestic clichés of exotic travelogues and picture postcards. Kantner’s vivid and poetic prose lets readers experience Cutuk Hawcly’s life on the Alaskan plains through the character’s own words — feeling the pliers pinch of cold and hunkering in an igloo in blinding blizzards...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family literary-fiction poc-mc realistic survival action-adventure animals -
![Kalahari by Jessica Khoury]()
Kalahari by Jessica Khoury
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDeep in the Kalahari Desert, a Corpus lab protects a dangerous secret…But what happens when that secret takes on a life of its own? When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert without a guide... -
![Guitar Notes by Mary Amato]()
Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsA "sweet story of two different loners finding their counterpoint" (School Library Journal) from a star of state master and children's choice lists making her YA debut. Clean YA with the emotional resonancy of John Green and Sarah Dessen.On odd days, Tripp Broody uses a school practice room to let loose on a borrowed guitar...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school male-mc realistic teens action-adventure -
![Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick]()
Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFrom hot new talent Jordan Sonnenblick, a "Tuesdays with Morrie" for teens. Coincides with the publication of his new hardcover novel.16-year-old Alex decides to get even. His parents are separated, his father is dating his former third-grade teacher, and being 16 isn't easy, especially when it comes to girls...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school literary-fiction male-mc realistic teens -
![Bloomability by Sharon Creech]()
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsKidnapped!The kidnappers are actually her Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max, but that doesn't matter to Domenica Santolina Doone, better known as Dinnie. She feels as if she's being taken out of the country against her will. Certainly no one asked her opinion. Dinnie is used to change-with her family constantly moving from state to state while her father searches for one new "opportunity" after another...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook -
![House Arrest by K.A. Holt]()
House Arrest by K.A. Holt
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsStealing is bad.Yeah.I know.But my brother Levi is always so sick, and his medicine is always so expensive.I didn’t think anyone would notice,if I took that credit card,if, in one stolen second,I bought Levi’s medicine.But someone did notice.Now I have to prove I’m not a delinquent, I’m not a total bonehead... -
![Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz]()
Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsROGUE AGENT!Sir Damian Cray: Millions adore him. He is a philanthropist, peace activist, and the world's most famous vintage pop star. But still it's not enough - not if he is to save the world. Trouble is, only Alex Rider recognizes that it's the world that needs saving from Sir Damian Cray... -
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![Break Us by Jennifer Brown]()
Break Us by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNikki Kill doesn’t see the world in black and white. Her synesthesia shades everything in view, transforming numbers, words, and emotions into colorful clues. Which means she’s a dangerous commodity to anyone with something to hide.Nikki has already taken on the Hollises—one of L.A.’s most powerful families—for murdering her half sister, Peyton... -
![Almost True by Keren David]()
Almost True by Keren David
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRuthless killers are hunting Ty so the police move him and his mum to a quiet seaside town. But a horrific attack and a bullet meant for Ty prove that he's not safe.On the road again, Ty's in hiding with complete strangers . . . who seem to know a lot about him. Meanwhile he's desperate to see his girlfriend Claire, and terrified that she may betray him... -
![I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach, Nick Podehl]()
I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach, Nick Podehl
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Deep, moving, LOL funny, and completely original.” – School Library Journal on Nothing SpecialFelton Reinstein has never been good with stress. Which is why he's seriously freaking out. Revealing his college choice on national TV? It's a heart attack waiting to happen. Deciding on a major for the next four years of his life? Ridiculous. He barely even knows who he is outside of football. And so.Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age family friendship high-school male-mc realistic action-adventure -
![The Journey Back by Priscilla Cummings]()
The Journey Back by Priscilla Cummings
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEscaped and on the run, can Digger find redemption? His bold escape from a juvenile detention facility nearly kills him, but soon an angry fourteen-year-old Digger is on the run, hijacking a tractor trailer, "borrowing" a bicycle, and stealing a canoe. When injuries stop him, Digger hides at a riverside campground, where he befriends a young boy and a girl his own age... -
![Dime by E.R. Frank]()
Dime by E.R. Frank
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe startling realities of teen prostitution are revealed in this eye-opening, heartbreaking story from the author of "America," which "Booklist "called a piercing, unforgettable novel and "Kirkus Reviews "deemed a work of sublime humanity. As a teen girl in Newark, New Jersey, lost in the foster care system, Dime just wants someone to care about her, to love her. A family... -
![If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser]()
If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"WHEN YOU GREW UP IN THE PROJECTS, THERE WERE NO CHOICES. NO GOOD ONES, AT LEAST." In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Many teenagers drop out of school and join gangs, and every kid knows someone who died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis... -
![Taking Flight by Adrian R. Magnuson]()
Taking Flight by Adrian R. Magnuson
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJeremy Walsh’s parents assume he’s been abducted by the elderly man he met on a cross-country flight, but it’s the other way around...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship literary-fiction romantic-love action-adventure book contemporary drama -
![Breakout by Kate Messner]()
Breakout by Kate Messner
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNora Tucker is looking forward to summer vacation in Wolf Creek--two months of swimming, popsicles, and brushing up on her journalism skills for the school paper. But when two inmates break out of the town's maximum security prison, everything changes. Doors are locked, helicopters fly over the woods, and police patrol the school grounds... -
![We Were Here by Matt de la Peña]()
We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe story of one boy and his journey to find himself.When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home—said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face... -
![Alabama Moon by Watt Key]()
Alabama Moon by Watt Key
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter the death of his father, ten-year-old Moon leaves their forest shelter home and is sent to an Alabama institution, becoming entangled in the outside world he has never known and making good friends, a relentless enemy, and finally a new life... -
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![Endangered by Eliot Schrefer]()
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Sophie has to visit her mother at her sanctuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. Then Otto, an infant bonobo, comes into her life, and for the first time she feels responsible for another creature. But peace does not last long for Sophie and Otto...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school historical-fiction poc-mc politics realistic -
![Spud by John van de Ruit]()
Spud by John van de Ruit
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt's 1990. Apartheid is crumbling. Nelson Mandela has just been released from prison. And Spud Milton?thirteen-year-old, prepubescent choirboy extraordinaire?is about to start his first year at an elite boys-only boarding school in South Africa...Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age friendship high-school historical-fiction male-mc realistic teens -
![Faceless by Alyssa B. Sheinmel]()
Faceless by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Maisie Winters wakes up, she’s in the hospital.The last thing she remembers is running through the hills of her neighborhood one misty morning. Slowly, she puts the pieces together. Before she could make it home, a storm gathered. Lightning hit a power line and sparks rained down, the hot-burning electrical fire consuming her. Destroying her face...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school literary-fiction realistic survival action-adventure -
![Travel Team by Mike Lupica]()
Travel Team by Mike Lupica
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe #1 Bestseller!Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court -- but don't tell him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that matters when he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to national prominence as a boy... -
![I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak]()
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsprotect the diamondssurvive the clubsdig deep through the spadesfeel the heartsEd Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime family friendship high-school historical-fiction literary-fiction male-mc -
![Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman]()
Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSet in Chennai, India, this is the story of a boy who's unexpectedly released into the world after spending his whole life in jail with his mom.Kabir has been in jail since the day he was born, because his mom is serving time for a crime she didn't commit...Categorized as:
realistic family friendship social-commentary historical-fiction coming-of-age poc-mc prison
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