Families who loved Alex Ko: From Iowa to Broadway, My Billy Elliot Story by Alex Ko often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is deeply committed to a passion but feels the weight of sacrifice or wonders if their hard work will ever pay off. This memoir follows Alex Ko's journey from a small town in Iowa to the bright lights of Broadway as he auditions for and stars in Billy Elliot the Musical. It is a story about grit, the technical demands of elite dance, and the unwavering support of a family navigating both triumph and tragedy. While it celebrates the joy of performance, it also tackles the realities of financial strain and the loss of a parent with grace and honesty. It is a perfect choice for middle grade readers who need to see that success is a marathon, not a sprint, and that vulnerability is part of being a strong performer.
