Families who loved Blue Lipstick by John Grandits 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 feeling misunderstood, navigating the prickly transition to high school, or struggling to find their unique voice in a crowd. Blue Lipstick follows fifteen-year-old Jessie through a series of concrete poems that explore the everyday hurdles of adolescence: from the annoyance of a younger brother to the quiet defiance of wearing an unconventional lipstick shade. It captures the authentic, often sarcastic inner monologue of a teenager who is both self-conscious and fiercely independent. While the tone is humorous and relatable, it deeply validates the complex feelings of anger, loneliness, and creative spark that define the middle school and early high school years. Parents will appreciate how it uses art and poetry to normalize the emotional volatility of growing up, providing a safe space to discuss identity and self-expression.