Books like A Good Kind of Trouble

A warm, relatable journey through the awkwardness of junior high and the empowering realization that some rules are meant to be broken. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with A Good Kind of Trouble.

warm
hopeful
empowering
anxious

01
The lions of Little Rock
Kristin Levine
A gentle but unflinching exploration of how a quiet voice can become the loudest in the room when friendship and justice are on the line.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- empathetic
- finding your voice
02
Piecing Me Together
Renée Watson
A reflective and empowering journey of a young woman navigating the intersection of race, class, and well-intentioned but flawed mentorship.
Shares:
- empowering
- earnest
03
I am Jazz
Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
A gentle, brightly colored embrace of a book that celebrates the simple, profound truth of knowing exactly who you are.
Shares:
- warm
- hopeful
- earnest
- gentle
04
Blended
Sharon M. Draper
A heartfelt, musical exploration of what it means to feel split down the middle and the journey to finding your own unique harmony.
Shares:
- hopeful
- anxious
- earnest
- empathetic
05
Allegedly
Tiffany D. Jackson
A claustrophobic, razor-sharp psychological thriller that forces you to question every piece of truth you are handed.
Feels:
- claustrophobic
- tense
- bleak
06
Monday's Not Coming
Tiffany D. Jackson
A frantic, heartbreaking descent into the terrifying reality of who society chooses to look for and who it allows to disappear.
Shares:
- earnest
07
Anger is a Gift
Mark Oshiro
A raw, urgent exploration of trauma, systemic injustice, and the transformative power of collective fury.
Shares:
- earnest
08
Right thing
Stephanie Perry Moore
A gentle, faith-based school story that guides young readers through the everyday moral dilemmas of growing up.
Shares:
- earnest
- gentle
09
Maybe He Just Likes You
Barbara Dee
A deeply validating exploration of middle school boundaries that transforms quiet discomfort into loud, unapologetic empowerment.
Shares:
- hopeful
- empowering
- anxious
- earnest
10
King and the Dragonflies
Kacen Callender
A tender, atmospheric exploration of grief, identity, and the secrets we keep hidden in the bayou.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
11
On The Come Up
Angie Thomas
A fierce, rhythmic anthem about the power of words and the fight to be heard on your own terms.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- humorous
- finding your voice
12
Harbor me
Jacqueline Woodson
A quiet, deeply moving sanctuary of a story about the healing power of simply listening to one another.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest

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