Books like 'Rez Ball'
Readers who enjoyed Rez Ball by Byron Graves also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure sports indigenous-mc grief friendship realistic coming-of-age romantic-love family
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Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom award-winning, bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five comes a powerful YA novel in verse about a boy who is wrongfully incarcerated. Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Walter Dean Myers, and Elizabeth Acevedo. The story that I thoughtwas my lifedidn’t start on the dayI was born Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet... -
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsAn award-winning and inspiring novel. When Jessica's dreams are shattered, she puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before. Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg... -
Jabari salta by Gaia Cornwall
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. "Looks easy," says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back... -
A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run?So that’s what Annabelle does—she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She’s not ready to think about the why yet, just the how—muscles burning, heart pumping, feet pounding the earth... -
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16 on the Block by Babygirl Daniels
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA girl's sixteenth birthday is supposed to be sweet, but for Summer Flynt, it was the day that her life changed forever. Young, fly, and beautiful, Summer is under the wing of her older sister, Trish. But when Trish steals something that doesn't belong to her and gets involved in a lifestyle she can't handle, she pays with her life... -
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhen Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt. A brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable... -
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 middle-grade lgbtq -
Restart by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe amazing New York Times bestseller about what you can do when life gives you a second chance.Chase's memory just went out the window.Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name.He knows he's Chase... -
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... -
Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratings" New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice Kids won't just love this book. They need it. --Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and EvilEach page crackles as we embark on the greatest adventure of all. --Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of Okay for NowEveryone knows there are different kinds of teachers... -
Out of My Heart by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMelody faces her fears to follow her passion in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novel Out of My Mind.Melody, the huge-hearted heroine of Out of My Mind, is now a year older and a year braver. But not as brave as she wants to be, as she’s terrified of horses. Even though she loves horses—loves loves loves them—from afar... -
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez, Sol Madariaga
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAn #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school poc-mc realistic social-commentary sports -
St. Clair by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"I never want to hurt you. You get that, right?" Skylar knows Rafael wants something very specific from him--and Skylar wants him to have it. Convincing Rafael is going to take some serious innovation. Skylar lost his voice twelve years ago to the Nettlebush Indian Reserve's first and last serial killer. That serial killer was Rafael's father. Rafael's father, Skylar learns, isn't the problem... -
Gives Light by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Skylar is my name, tragically."Sixteen-year-old Skylar is witty, empathetic, sensitive--and mute. Skylar hasn't uttered a single word since his mother died eleven years ago, a senseless tragedy he's grateful he doesn't have to talk about... -
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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
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... -
Saving Wishes by G.J. Walker-Smith
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor Charli Blake, being seventeen is a tough gig.She's been branded a troublemaker, her reputation is in tatters and she's stuck in Pipers Cove, a speck of a town on the coast of Tasmania. Thankfully, it's temporary. Her lifelong dream of travelling the world is just months away from becoming reality... -
Picture Perfect by Holly Smale
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek." It's the hilarious third book in the No.1 bestselling, award winning GEEK GIRL series! Harriet Manners knows more facts that most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is "Ever Upward". She knows that 28% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon... -
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction in this striking debut novel.Ian Gray isn’t supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn’t happen end up happening anyway... -
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:
coming-of-age family friendship poc-mc realistic social-commentary sports action-adventure -
Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA middle grade debut by author, Erin Bow, about a young girl who defies her family’s expectations in order to save her brother and become an eagle hunter. It goes against all tradition for Aisulu to train an eagle, for among the Kazakh nomads, only men can fly them... -
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... -
The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyanne Young
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe day Raquel has been dreading for months has finally arrived. Sasha, her best friend in the whole world, has died of cancer. Overwhelmed and brokenhearted, Raquel can't even imagine life without her. And then a letter from Sasha arrives... -
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... -
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The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGirl Online meets Wild in this emotionally charged story of girl who takes to the wilderness to rediscover herself and escape the superficial persona she created on social media.Mari Turner’s life is perfect. That is, at least to her thousands of followers who have helped her become an internet starlet... -
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
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 male-mc realistic teens action-adventure -
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
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... -
Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds, Nile Bullock
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds transports us back to the early 2000s in Soundtrack, an audiobook original about New York City teens whose talent and love of music lift them to unexpected heights. Stuy wanted to play the drums just like his mom, a founding member of the punk band The Bed-Stuy Magic Dusters...Categorized as:
realistic friendship coming-of-age family grief poc-mc social-commentary young-adult -
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... -
The Impact Zone by Jordan Ford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA nomad. A wallflower. A riptide of romance…Savannah enjoys living in the shelter of her best friend’s shadow. But when a mysterious accident sends her BFF into a coma, Savannah is left adrift... -
The Art of Holding On and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Junior Library Guild Fall 2016 Selection“When every piece falls into place, it’s like a dance, a delicate but powerful balancing act. The art of holding on and letting go at the same time.” Competitive climber Cara Jenkins feels most at home high off the ground, clinging to a rock wall by her fingertips... -
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. -
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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... -
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 drama friendship romantic-love action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
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... -
A French Girl in New York by Anna Adams
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMaude Laurent is a spirited sixteen-year-old orphan who grew up in a small, provincial town in the north of France with a passion for piano and a beautiful voice. One day in Paris, she is discovered by an American music producer who takes her to New York to live with him and his close-knit family while producing her first album, with help from teen pop star, Matt... -
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... -
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSometimes, the greatest comebacks take place far away from the ball field.Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out... -
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... -
Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEzra Cloud hates living in Northeast Minneapolis. His father is a professor of their language, Ojibwe, at a local college, so they have to be there. But Ezra hates the dirty, polluted snow around them. He hates being away from the rez at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation. And he hates the local bully in his neighborhood, Matt Schroeder, who terrorizes Ezra and his friend Nora George... -
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJeff Greene was only seven when Melody, his mother, left him with his reserved, undemonstrative father, the Professor. So when she reenters his life years later with an invitation to spend the summer with her in Charleston, Jeff is captivated by her free spirit and warmth, and he eagerly looks forward to returning for another visit the following year... -
Torn Away by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this... -
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Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEveryone says that middle school is awful, but Trent knows nothing could be worse than the year he had in fifth grade, when a freak accident on Cedar Lake left one kid dead, and Trent with a brain full of terrible thoughts he can't get rid of... -
Jackpot by Nic Stone
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin --which Angie Thomas, the bestselling author of The Hate U Give, called "a must read"--comes a pitch-perfect romance that examines class, privilege, and how a stroke of good luck can change an entire life...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school poc-mc realistic social-commentary action-adventure -
Break the Rules by Joanna Philbin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe only daughter of supermodel Katia Summers, witty and thoughtful Lizzie Summers likes to stick to the sidelines. The sole heir to Metronome Media and daughter of billionaire Karl Jurgensen, outspoken Carina Jurgensen would rather climb mountains than social ladders. Daughter of chart-topping pop icon Holla Jones, stylish and sensitive Hudson Jones is on the brink of her own music breakthrough...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic action-adventure book contemporary -
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMarcus Vega is six feet tall, 180 pounds, and the owner of a premature mustache. When you look like this and you're only in the eighth grade, you're both a threat and a target. Marcus knows what classmates and teachers see when they look at him: a monster.But appearances are deceiving. At home, Marcus is a devoted brother...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school male-mc poc-mc realistic action-adventure -
The Hoopster by Alan Sitomer
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAndre Anderson is an African American teenager with a bright future. He loves to play basketball. He loves to hang out with his friends. He loves to laugh. Andre has skills, brains, and heart. He also has a dream. Then he is viciously attacked. Now everything he ever believed about the world has been called into question. Even his deadly jump shot... -
Swim That Rock by John Rocco, Jay Primiano
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA young working-class teen fights to save his family’s diner after his father is lost in a fishing-boat accident. When his dad goes missing in a fishing-boat accident, fourteen-year-old Jake refuses to think he may have lost his father forever. But suddenly, nothing seems certain in Jake’s future, and now his family’s diner may be repossessed by loan sharks...
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