If you loved
Books like Tex
A dusty, heartfelt exploration of brotherhood and survival when the adults in your life have left you to fend for yourself. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Tex.
- dusty
- melancholic
- restless
- hopeful
- 01
Rumble Fish
S. E. Hinton · 1975
A stark, hazy fever dream of a coming-of-age story where the desperate need to be cool collides with the bleak reality of growing up.
- 02
That was then, this is now
S. E. Hinton · 1971
A raw, street-level elegy for a boyhood friendship fracturing under the weight of growing up.
- 03
The Last Picture Show
Larry McMurtry · 1966
A quiet, melancholic exploration of adolescent isolation in a desolate Texas town.
- 04
Brothers in Arms
Paul Langan and Ben Alirez
A tense, emotionally charged exploration of grief and the heavy cost of revenge.
- 05
Old Yeller
Fred Gipson
A sun-baked, emotionally devastating frontier tale about the harsh realities of growing up and the unforgettable bond between a boy and a stray.
- 06
Eggs
Jerry Spinelli
A quirky, bittersweet exploration of how two broken pieces can sometimes fit together to make something whole.
- 07
Harris and Me
Gary Paulsen · 1993
A laugh-out-loud, mud-splattered ode to the wild freedom of a rural summer and the healing power of found family.
- 08
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
A sun-drenched, tender exploration of boyhood, identity, and the quiet miracles of first love.
- 09
Where the Red Fern Grows
Wilson Rawls
A rugged, deeply moving tribute to the unbreakable bond between a boy and his dogs, set against the unforgiving beauty of the Ozarks.
- 10
Tyrell
Coe Booth
A gritty, realistic portrait of a teenager fighting to break cycles of poverty and incarceration while carrying the weight of his family.
- 11
Miracle's Boys
Jacqueline Woodson
A tender, aching exploration of brotherhood and grief that finds hope in the spaces between fractured relationships.
- 12
Jake and Lily
Jerry Spinelli
A heartfelt exploration of the bittersweet growing pains that come when two deeply connected people must figure out who they are on their own.
