Realistic Fiction
Wink by Rob Harrell
By Janie Cheaney |
Wink, a highly-praised novel for middle-graders, offers a realistic yet engaging look at coping with cancer. Wink by Rob Harrell. Dial, 2020, 314 pages Reading ...
Read More The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
By Janie Cheaney |
The One and Only Bob stars the cynical, lovable mutt from Katherine Applegate's 2012 Newbery-award-winning novel. The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate. Harper, ...
Read More Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim
By Janie Cheaney |
Yumi Chung faces the classic teen dilemma: honor your parents or follow your dream? Stand Up, Yumi Chung! By Jessica Kim. Penguin Random House, 2020, ...
Read More The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman
By Janie Cheaney |
The Blackbird Girls takes readers to the shadow of Chernobyl and the world's worst nuclear disaster. The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. Viking, 2020, 334 ...
Read More Gold Rush Girl by Avi
By Janie Cheaney |
An independent-minded young teen seeks adventure and finds maturity in Gold Rush Girl. Gold Rush Girl by Avi. Candlewick, 2020, 306 pages Reading Level: Middle ...
Read More We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan
By Janie Cheaney |
We Could Be Heroes puts together two "neurodiverse" youngsters in a misguided quest that results in real friendship. We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan. ...
Read More Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri
By Betsy Farquhar |
Ghetto Cowboy tells a heartwarming story of family, hard work, and horses in the midst of urban Philly. Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri and illustrated ...
Read More Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson
By Janie Cheaney |
Ryan Hart, a next-generation Ramona Quimby, makes sunshine out of challenges in this warm-hearted series opener. Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson. Bloomsbury, 2020, ...
Read More Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices, edited by Mitali Perkins
By Betsy Farquhar |
In Open Mic, ten writers of color team up to offer their experiences (or stories based on their experiences) in this frank, humorous collection for ...
Read More Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
By Janie Cheaney |
Prairie Lotus, by Newbery author Linda Sue Park, offers a hopeful look at overcoming racism in the 19th-century American west. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue ...
Read More Lois Lenski Books: A Sampling
By Megan Saben |
Lois Lenski books continue to be enjoyable and insightful reading for all ages. Lois Lenski Books Yesterday I shared a long-overdue introduction to an author ...
Read More Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
By Janie Cheaney |
Mañanaland presents a dreamlike Latin-American landscape and a young boy taking a giant step toward adulthood. Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Scholastic, 2020, 247 pages. ...
Read More Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker
By Janie Cheaney |
"The Real World" poses a creative challenge to a pair of enterprising middle-graders with conflicting motives. Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker. HarperCollins, ...
Read More The Unteachables by Gordon Korman
By Janie Cheaney |
The Unteachables rounds up a class full of misfits and molds them into a prize-winning team. The Unteachables by Gordon Korman. Balzer + Bray (HarperColins), ...
Read More Sunnyside Plaza by Scott Simon
By Janie Cheaney |
The mentally-challenged adults of Sunnyside Plaza step out of their comfort zone to solve a mystery. Sunnyside Plaza by Scott Simon. Little, Brown, 2020, 192 ...
Read More Leaving Lymon by Lesa Cline-Ransome
By Janie Cheaney |
Leaving Lymon is the heartfelt story of a child who feels abandoned by irresponsible parents. Leaving Lymon by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Holiday House, 2020, 193 pages ...
Read More All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey
By Janie Cheaney |
A foster child with a troubled past dares to hope for "Impossible Things" to change her course. All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey. Roaring ...
Read More Allies by Alan Gratz
By Janie Cheaney |
Allies is a fast, riveting read that communicates the urgency, complexity, and drama of D-Day, the turning point of World War II. Allies by Alan ...
Read More Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
By Janie Cheaney |
Genesis, a black girl, struggles with self-image, much of which is fostered by her own family. Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams. Caitlyn Dlough ...
Read More Someplace to Call Home by Sandra Dallas
By Janie Cheaney |
Three motherless siblings seek "someplace to call home" in Depression-era Kansas. Someplace to Call Home by Sandra Dallas. Sleeping Bear Press, 2019, 222 pages Reading ...
Read More 2020 Newbery Buzz #5: Look Both Ways
By Janie Cheaney |
Since his first novel was published in 2014, Jason Reynolds has been on an upward trajectory—deservedly so, for the most part. He was just named ...
Read More 2020 Newbery Buzz #4: My Jasper June and Pay Attention, Carter Jones
By Janie Cheaney |
The American Library Association Youth Media awards will be announced in two weeks, and you can be sure the conversation is hot and heavy among ...
Read More Newbery Roundup #2: All the Greys, This Was Our Pact, A Good Kind of Trouble, To Night Owl from Dogfish
By Janie Cheaney |
Continuing our roundup of possible contender for the 2020 Newbery Medal All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker. Viking, 320 pages. Olympia’s artist ...
Read More 2020 Newbery Buzz #1: Beverly, Right Here and Coyote Sunrise
By Janie Cheaney |
Every year at this time, children's book websites brim with speculation about what books will win or place in the American Library Association's Youth Media ...
Read More Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
By Janie Cheaney |
Song for a Whale takes us into the world of a Deaf girl on a life-defining mission. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. Delacorte, ...
Read More More to the Story by Hena Khan
By Janie Cheaney |
More to the Story closely follows Little Women, but with contemporary Muslim-American girls. More to the Story by Hena Khan. Simon and Shuster (Salaam Reads), ...
Read More Between Us and Abuela by Mitali Perkins
By Janie Cheaney |
Mitali Pekins offers a touching tribute to generational attachment across years and borders. Between Us and Abuela: a Family Story from the Border by Mitali ...
Read More *Nya's Long Walk: A Step at a Time
By Megan Saben |
Nya faces tough choices when her little sister falls ill near the remote water hole. Nya's Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Linda ...
Read More Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick
By Janie Cheaney |
Wildfire is a fast read that will take even reluctant readers into the heart of a fast-moving catastrophe. Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick. Blue Sky (Scholastic), ...
Read More Skyjacked by Paul Griffin
By Janie Cheaney |
Five high school students and one air-traffic intern will be severely tested as their private plane is Skyjacked. Skyjacked by Paul Griffin. Scholastic, 2019, 227 ...
Read More The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
By Janie Cheaney |
The Downstairs Girl explores the social mores and prejudices of late-19th-century Atlanta through the eyes of a resourceful and gifted Chinese teen. The Downstairs Girl ...
Read More *Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
By Janie Cheaney |
The “insignificant events” befalling a girl without arms throw the rough transitions of middle school into sharp, yet humorous, relief. *Insignificant Events in the Life ...
Read More Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
By Janie Cheaney |
The “momentous event" of transitioning to high school presents Aven Green, the armless girl-wonder, with new challenges. Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus ...
Read More White Bird by R. J. Palacio
By Janie Cheaney |
In White Bird, a graphic novel, the best-selling author of Wonder traces the holocaust history of a Wonder character's grandmother. White Bird (a Wonder Story) ...
Read More Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Words on Fire explores a little-known chapter of European history to make a case for the necessity of words, literature, and language to a culture. ...
Read More Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo
By Janie Cheaney |
Beverly Tapinski, the sharp-edged friend of Raymie Nightingale, overcomes a rough upbringing in the final volume of DiCamillo's series. Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo. ...
Read More Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
By Janie Cheaney |
A displaced Muslim girl adjusts to America as a second, "Other Home" in this well-written verse novel. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. Balzer ...
Read More Fenway and Hattie by Victoria Coe
By Janie Cheaney |
The Fenway and Hattie series pits an excitable Jack Russell terrier against delivery men and treacherous flooring. Fenway and Hattie by Victoria J. Coe. Putnam, ...
Read More A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry
By Janie Cheaney |
A Wolf Called Wander sensitively traces the journey of a young wolf in his quest for a new home and pack. A Wolf Called Wander ...
Read More Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
By Janie Cheaney |
An unlikely romance tinged by tragedy makes Butterfly Yellow a winning read for mature teens. Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai. Harper, 2019, 284 pages. Reading ...
Read More Some Places More than Others by Renee Watson
By Janie Cheaney |
In Some Places More than Others, a pre-teen girl tries to fill the gaps in her sense of place and family. Some Places More than ...
Read More For Black Girls Like Me
By Janie Cheaney |
A black girl adopted into a white family struggles with her own disability and her mother's instability. For Black Girls like Me by Mariama J. ...
Read More The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
By Janie Cheaney |
This engaging historical novel reflects on the plight of Unsung Heroes—black service men in the years immediately following World War II. The Unsung Hero of ...
Read More The Friendship War by Andrew Clements
By Janie Cheaney |
The Friendship War puts a unique spin on a timeless theme for middle-grade fiction. The Friendship War by Andrew Clements. Random House, 2019, 208 pages ...
Read More Stay by Bobbie Pyron
By Janie Cheaney |
Stay, a heart-tugging dog story. also introduces young readers (in a limited way) to the plight of the homeless. Stay by Bobbie Pyron, Katherine Tegan/Harper ...
Read More Last in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre
By Janie Cheaney |
In this light-hearted middle-grade novel, a southern "Rebel" digs into her heritage with surprising and enlightening results. Last in a Long Line of Rebels by ...
Read More When We Were Lost by Kevin Wignall
By Janie Cheaney |
This tense survival tale illustrates contrasting forms of leadership as teens struggle to find their way out of the Brazilian jungle. When We Were Lost ...
Read More The Mysterious Benedict Society Series by Trenton Lee Stewart
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Mysterious Benedict Society is a clever middle grades mystery series perfect for puzzle-loving tween and young teen readers. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton ...
Read More *Super Jake and the King of Chaos by Naomi Milliner
By Janie Cheaney |
An aspiring magician discovers the real magic in "Super Jake," his special-needs little brother. *Super Jake and the King of Chaos by Naomi Milliner. Running ...
Read More Finding Orion by John David Anderson
By Janie Cheaney |
Beneath its crazy premise, Finding Orion is a touching look at family reconciliation. Finding Orion by John David Anderson. HarperCollins (Walden Pond), 2019, 352 pages. ...
Read More Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
By Janie Cheaney |
With humor and heart, Pie in the Sky explores the experience of a young Asian immigrant with much more than assimilation on his mind. Pie ...
Read More Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen
By Betsy Farquhar |
Wren Clemmons learns much about herself, the desert, and true friendship during wilderness therapy camp in this engaging teen read about drug use. Wild Bird ...
Read More Swing and Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess
By Betsy Farquhar |
Swing and Solo: two novels-in-verse for teens that grapple with music (jazz and rock and roll), baseball, young love, and what's really important in life. ...
Read More Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught
By Janie Cheaney |
An autistic girl and socially-awkward boy team up to solve a crime and absolve an innocent man. Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan ...
Read More Last of the Name by Rosanne Parry
By Janie Cheaney |
The New York City draft riots of 1863 form a dramatic background to this engaging tale of two young Irish immigrants. Last of the Name ...
Read More Quiet Family Dramas: Four Recent Middle-grade novels
By Janie Cheaney |
A roundup of recent middle-grade novels about family formation and dissolution. Stories, like people, begin at home, and no matter how fanciful or adventurous middle-grade ...
Read More Caterpillar Summer by Gullian McDunn
By Janie Cheaney |
Biracial siblings connect with their estranged grandparents in Caterpillar Summer. Caterpillar Summer by Gullian McDunn. Bloomsbury, 2019, 291 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 ...
Read More Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord
By Janie Cheaney |
Home-schooled Emma learns a lot about classrooms and friendship "Because of the Rabbit." Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic, 2019, 183 pages. Reading ...
Read More Beast Rider by Tony Johnson
By Janie Cheaney |
Beast Rider offers a sympathetic take on the immigration issue through the experience of one Mexican boy. Beast Rider by Tony Johnson and Maria de ...
Read More Eventown by Corey Ann Haydn
By Janie Cheaney |
Eventown is a place of forgetting, but how much forgetting does that take before you forget yourself? Eventown by Corey Ann Haydn. HarperCollins, 2019, 326 ...
Read More *Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins
By Janie Cheaney |
Mitali Perkins' latest novel takes two conflicted teens to India to confront human trafficking and challenges to their Christian faith. *Forward Me Back to You ...
Read More Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins
By Betsy Farquhar |
Naima loves to draw, but how can she use that gift to help her poor Bangladeshi family earn some much needed income? Rickshaw Girl by ...
Read More *Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
By Betsy Farquhar |
Chiko and Tu Reh learn to face challenges and love their enemies in modern day, war-torn Burma in this realistic fiction novel for teens. Starred ...
Read More *Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt
By Janie Cheaney |
To "pay attention" to the world around you is rule #1 of a life well lived, as this winning middle-grade novel shows. *Pay Attention, Carter ...
Read More Roundup: Three Novels That Address Mental Illness
By Janie Cheaney |
Three recent novels for middle-grade through YA feature characters with schizophrenia or depression. Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin. HarperCollins, 2018, 245 pages. Reading ...
Read More Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh
By Janie Cheaney |
A teenage Syrian refugee is the “Nowhere Boy” whose fate falls into the hands of an American 13-year-old. Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh. Roaring Brook, ...
Read More *Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr
By Betsy Farquhar |
Astrid, the thunderbolt of Glimmerdal, charms readers as easily as she charms those around her in this delightful middle grades novel. *Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr. Candlewick, 2018 (English language version). 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10Recommended For: Family read aloud, ages 6 and up "Blistering badgers!" She's managed to sled —with speed and self ...
Read More Jason Reynolds’s Track Series: A Winner for Middle Grades
By Betsy Farquhar |
Jason Reynolds is an author we've kept an eye on ever since his debut in 2015 with When I Was the Greatest. That novel, and ...
Read More 2019 Newbery Buzz #6: Cardboard Kingdom
By Janie Cheaney |
Cardboard Kingdom (Knopf, 2018) bounced to the top of the book-review radar the moment it was released, and soon after tallied an impressive 5 starred ...
Read More 2019 Newbery Buzz #5: The Parker Inheritance
By Janie Cheaney |
The Parker Inheritance, the latest by Varian Johnson, is a different sort of book from his light-hearted, fun middle grades heist novels (see The Great ...
Read More Newbery Roundup – The Books We Didn’t Love (Part Two)
By Janie Cheaney |
Continuing our series from last Friday about children's books seen as contenders for the ALA's coveted Newbery medal. The Truth As Told by Mason Buttle ...
Read More Newbery Roundup – The Books We Didn’t Love (Part One)
By Janie Cheaney |
Then end of the year is the beginning of buildup to the annual American Library Association (ALA) “Youth Media Awards,” culminating in the announcement of ...
Read More 2019 Newbery Buzz #1: The Season of Styx Malone
By Janie Cheaney |
It’s that time again! Children’s book titles are pouring into every librarians’ website as the kidlit community speculates on who will win Newbery gold this ...
Read More The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matt Landis
By Betsy Farquhar |
Oliver realizes he doesn't yet know everything about the Civil War in this engaging middle grades novel. The Not-so-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matt ...
Read More The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
By Janie Cheaney |
An instant friendship leads to potential trouble in this engaging, character-driven story for middle grades and early teens. The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla ...
Read More Tangerine: Love Your Neighbor Book Club Edition
By Betsy Farquhar |
To date this school year, our Love Your Neighbor Book Club has read Save Me a Seat and A Long Walk to Water, both of ...
Read More Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
By Janie Cheaney |
In this sequel to an earlier book, Louisiana Elephante, all of ten years old, finds herself abandoned in a small Georgia town. Lousiana’s Way Home ...
Read More The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
By Betsy Farquhar |
Natalie is desperate to win an egg drop contest so she can use the prize money to help cure her mom's depression in this sweet middle ...
Read More Amal Unbound by Alisha Saeed
By Janie Cheaney |
Amal, a Pakistani girl with dreams of an education, finds her dreams derailed in this engaging story for middle graders. Amal Unbound by Alisha Saeed. ...
Read More Buried beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
By Janie Cheaney |
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree is a tough but vital read for thoughtful Christian teens. Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. HarperCollins, ...
Read More Black Rock Brothers by S. J. Dahlstrom
By Janie Cheaney |
Wilder Good, now thirteen, continues his outdoor adventures with his biggest challenge yet. Black Rock Brothers (Wilder Good #5) by S. J. Dahlstrom. Paul Dry ...
Read More The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
By Janie Cheaney |
How a sensitive boy handles death and guilt is the subject of The Dollar Kids: one of our “discussion starter” titles. Ages 10-15 The Dollar ...
Read More The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie
By Janie Cheaney |
A girl struggles to reconcile her needs with her mother's severe mental illness, in this winsome story with some unforgettable characters. Ages 10-15 The Unforgettable ...
Read More A Stitch in Time by Dalphne Kalmer
By Janie Cheaney |
A Stitch in time, a quiet story about death, grieving, and change, takes place in the Vermont countryside of 1920. Ages 10-15 A Stitch in ...
Read More Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
By Janie Cheaney |
Illegal, a graphic novel, puts readers into the perils of a refugee from Africa while stimulating important questions about refugees worldwide. Ages 12-15 Illegal by ...
Read More *The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina van Glaser
By Janie Cheaney |
The five Vanderbeeker children are back, with irrepressible high spirits, good intentions and miscalculations intact. *The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina van Glaser. ...
Read More Multicultural Graphic Novels: Akissi and the Dragon Slayer
By Janie Cheaney |
Two graphic novels give readers a glimpse of life and culture in Africa and South America. Ages 7-12 Akissi: Tales of Mischief by Marguerite Abouet ...
Read More Back to School with Babymouse and Og the Frog
By Janie Cheaney |
Two back-to-school series for different ages tickle the funny bone, satirize social conventions, and even stimulate sympathy for others. Ages 6-12 Life According to Og ...
Read More Al Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko
By Janie Cheaney |
The latest installment in the "Tales from Alcatraz" series deals with mature themes in a sympathetic, engaging way. Ages 12-15 Al Capone Throws Me a ...
Read More *The Sky at Our Feet by Nadia Hashimi
By Janie Cheaney |
The Sky at Our Feet treats the immigration issue fairly and compassionately, through the perspective of an Afghan-American boy on the run. Ages 10-15 *The ...
Read More *Hope in the Holler by Lisa Lewis Tyre
By Janie Cheaney |
In this lively novel, a recently-orphaned girl finds "hope and a future" in the midst of poverty and bereavement. Ages 10-14. *Hope in the Holler ...
Read More Power Forward by Hena Khan
By Janie Cheaney |
Zayd's dream of playing basketball on his school's A-team clashes with his Muslim family's goals for him. Ages 6-10 Power Forward (Zayd Saleem, Chasing the ...
Read More The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
By Janie Cheaney |
A lightning strike turns a 13-year-old girl into a math genius, but she has a lot to learn about human relationships and living in the ...
Read More *Sunny by Jason Reynolds
By Janie Cheaney |
Sunny takes us into the interior life of a track runner who doesn't want to run--so how can he stay on the team? Ages 10-14 ...
Read More *Tangerine by Edward Bloor
By Betsy Farquhar |
A realistic sports story that is so much more than a sports story, Tangerine blends soccer, environmentalism, bullying, racism, and physical disability into a well-written, ...
Read More The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall
By Betsy Farquhar |
Longtime readers will enjoy Birdsall's Penderwicks at Last, a charming finale to this beloved middle grades series. The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall. Knopf, 2018. ...
Read More SuperGifted by Gordon Korman
By Janie Cheaney |
A “super-gifted” boy genius bites off more than he can chew in this middle school story told from multiple perspectives. Ages 10-15 SuperGifted by Gordon ...
Read More The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
By Betsy Farquhar |
Matthew, housebound because of his OCD, uses his detailed observations of his neighbors to help solve the disappearance of a toddler in this middle grades ...
Read More Rebound by Kwame Alexander
By Betsy Farquhar |
Charlie is struggling to rebound after his dad's death in this well crafted, middle grades verse novel full of comics, basketball, and a strong family ...
Read More *Sled Dog School by Terry Lynn Johnson
By Janie Cheaney |
An academically-challenged boy gains confidence and learns responsibility when he opens a sled dog school. *Sled Dog School by Terry Lynn Johnson. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ...
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