Read after

What to read after
"Criss Cross"

Your kid finished Criss Cross. Here are 8 books matched across 30 dimensions — not by what other people bought.

The book they finished

Criss Cross

by Lynne Rae Perkins

Quiet Newbery winner about the ordinary becoming extraordinary

Kid 49 Parent 55 Teacher 56 Ages 10-12

8 books matched on the same reader profile

Each pick scored its match using the 30-dimension data we record on every book — interest hooks (e.g. epic worldbuilding, friendship arcs), character appeal, emotional core, tone, pacing. The "why it matches" line under each book tells you exactly why it should land.

1
Different Kinds of Fruit

by Kyle Lukoff

Kid 67 Parent 75 Teacher 67 Ages 11-13
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same tension source (identity crisis)
Full review →
2
Rick

by Alex Gino

Kid 57 Parent 65 Teacher 60 Ages 10-12
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
Full review →
3
Darth Paper Strikes Back

by Tom Angleberger

Kid 70 Parent 66 Teacher 61 Ages 9-11
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
Full review →
4
The Cardboard Kingdom

by Chad Sell

Kid 67 Parent 72 Teacher 75 Ages Ages 8-11
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
- • Same tension source (identity crisis)
Full review →
5
The Moon Within

by Aida Salazar

Kid 66 Parent 76 Teacher 72 Ages 10-12
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same tension source (identity crisis)
- • Shared humor: gentle wit, situational
Full review →
6
Be Prepared

by Vera Brosgol

Kid 74 Parent 77 Teacher 78 Ages Ages 10-13
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
Full review →
7
Emmy in the Key of Code

by Aimee Lucido

Kid 66 Parent 75 Teacher 76 Ages 10-12
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
- • Same tension source (identity crisis)
Full review →
8
Ana on the Edge

by A. J. Sass

Kid 58 Parent 69 Teacher 69 Ages 10-12
Why it matches "Criss Cross"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Same pacing (measured)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
- • Same tension source (identity crisis)
Full review →

Want a match made for YOUR kid specifically?

These matches are profile-against-profile. Take the 2-minute SPARK quiz and we'll match a book to your kid's actual reading personality — interest, habits, what holds them.

Take the SPARK quiz →

How these matches are scored

We score every children's book on KidsBookCheck across 30 dimensions — kid-side (laugh-out-loud, plot twists, mental movie, heart-punch, character voice, etc.), parent-side (writing quality, moral reasoning, vocabulary, age-fit), and teacher-side (read-aloud power, discussion fuel, empathy building). Plus rich metadata: tone, pacing, emotional weight, interest hooks, character appeal, emotional core, tension source, humor style.

For every book, our profile-match algorithm finds others where the most heavily-weighted dimensions overlap. That's why these matches feel different from "readers also enjoyed" — we're matching by what hooks the same reader, not by who else bought it. More about our scoring →