If you love Sing Like No One’s Listening, and you’re looking for more heroes just like Nettie Delaney to root for, check out these readalikes for YA that give readers an opportunity to face bullying and bullies on the page. Books like these are the perfect example of how reading can teach empathy and build social/emotional learning skills before the reader has to face the issue at school or with friends.
Sing Like No One’s Listening
by Vanessa Jones
Nettie Delaney faces her fair share of opposition in Sing Like No One’s Listening. From classic school mean girls to her own grandmother, it seems like Nettie can’t catch a break. And with her singing voice MIA, dealing with bullies should be the last thing on her mind. However, despite every setback, Nettie just might find a way to overcome everyone trying to hold her back from delivering the show-stopping performance she knows she’s capable of.
Bright Burning Stars
by A. K. Small
Workman Publishing
Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained since childhood at the Paris Opera Ballet School, but how far they would go for the ultimate prize: to be named the one girl who will join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they risk everything, even each other? An action-packed story about two best friends fighting for their dreams in a cutthroat performing arts setting that even Cecile Duke would be proud of, Bright Burning Stars makes a satisfying companion to Sing Like No One’s Listening.
Finding Audrey
by Sophie Kinsella
Penguin Random House
Audrey does her best to avoid other people, that is, until she meets Linus. Linus is the first person she can truly talk to, and soon the two develop feelings for each other. But how can the couple be together when Audrey hasn’t dealt with her past? And is she sure Linus will love her no matter what he learns about her? A moving mix of recovery from mental illness, the negative effects of bullying, and a beautiful romance, Finding Audrey will surely touch fans of Nettie’s emotional journey and swoon-worthy love story.
Full Disclosure
by Camryn Garrett
Penguin Random House
Simone Garcia-Hampton is new at school, but as the student director of Rent, she’s determined not to fade into the background. However, things get a little tricky when she starts to fall for Miles. Keeping the fact that she’s HIV-positive under-wraps isn’t too difficult at first, but when she and Miles start to get serious and she finds a note in her locker that could expose her situation, Simone realizes she might have to face her anonymous haters head-on. Perfect for performing artists and fans of romance, bullies on the page, and self-discovery, Full Disclosure makes a solid match for Sing Like No One’s Listening.
Holding Up the Universe
by Jennifer Niven
Penguin Random House
Everyone thinks Libby Strout is nothing more than “America’s Fattest Teen.” High school is supposed to be Libby’s fresh start, full of new friends and maybe even a first love. Everyone thinks they have Jack Masselin figured out, too, but he’s hiding a newly acquired secret that’s got him wanting to keep his distance from all his peers. Together, they just might discover what it’s like to be with someone who sees you for who you truly are. Holding Up the Universe is a touching love story with its own doses of grief and healing and dealing with the harsh realities of bullies and body-shaming.
Tiny Pretty Things
by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
HarperCollins Publishers
Description
Gigi, Bette, and June are all top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, but the desire to be on top could cost each girl her dancing career forever. With the pressures of perfection and controlling family members at every turn, these dancers will do whatever it takes to be the best—even if that means sacrificing each other for the spotlight. With a competitive performing arts setting to rival even Duke’s Academy of the Performing Arts and back-stabbing “friends” who would do anything for fame, Tiny Pretty Things is an ideal readalike for fans of Sing Like No One’s Listening.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
by Jenny Han
Simon & Schuster
Lara Jean Song keeps all her love letters in a hatbox—one letter for every boy she’s every loved. These letters are supposed to be private, but when her secret letters are mailed, Lara Jean’s love life is suddenly anything but imaginary. A jealous ex-girlfriend, manipulative and vindictive cyber bullies, and plenty of romance make To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before a lighthearted companion to the bullies on the pages of Sing Like No One’s Listening.