For more books by Jerry Spinelli, students should read Stargirl (2000) or Wringer (1996).
For books that also deal with race and racism, students should read Bud Not Buddy (1999) by Christopher Paul Curtis or Esperanza Rising (2000) by Pam Munoz Ryan.
For books related to family and belonging, students should read Walk Two Moons (1994) by Sharon Creech.