Families who loved Home Boy by Joyce Hansen 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 teenager is feeling displaced by a major move or is struggling with the heavy consequences of a peer-related mistake. Joyce Hansen provides a raw and honest look at Marcus, a Caribbean immigrant in the Bronx who feels like an outsider both at school and at home. As he hides from the law following a school stabbing, the story explores the internal pressure of maintaining an identity while navigating a harsh new environment. This book is an excellent tool for discussing accountability and the ripple effects of impulsive choices. It is most appropriate for readers aged 12 and up due to its mature themes of urban violence and legal trouble. Parents will appreciate how it humanizes a young person who has made a grave error, offering a path toward redemption and self-understanding without oversimplifying the struggle of the immigrant experience.