realistic fiction
Heidi: A Graphic Novel adapted by Mariah Marsden
By Janie Cheaney |
Heidi: A Graphic Novel introduces young readers to the classic story with gentle artwork and minimal text. Heidi: A Graphic Novel by Joanna Spiri, adapted ...
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Once for Yes by Allie Millington
By Janie Cheaney |
In Once for Yes, an apartment building forms relationships with its residents and faces threats of its own demolition. Once for Yes by Allie Millington. ...
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Old School by Gordon Korman
By Janie Cheaney |
A boy raised in a retirement village must give up his Old School for seventh grade with . . . actual seventh-graders. Old School by ...
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Max in the Land of Lies by Adam Gidwitz
By Janie Cheaney |
Max in the Land of Lies completes Adam Gidwitz’s “Operation Kinderspion” duo with a tale both thrilling and thought-provoking. Max in the Land of Lies ...
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The Enemy’s Daughter by Anne Blankman
By Janie Cheaney |
The Enemy’s Daughter traces a friendship born in adversity during World War I. The Enemy’s Daughter by Anne Blankman. Viking, 2025, 272 pages Reading Level: ...
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Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout
By Janie Cheaney |
Song of a Blackbird connects two generations of an Amsterdam family through the story of the Dutch Resistance during World War II. Song of a ...
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*Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes
By Janie Cheaney |
Will’s Race for Home is a classic coming-of-age story set during the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. *Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes. ...
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2025 Schneider Family Awards: A Little Like Magic and Popcorn
By Janie Cheaney |
In A Little Like Magic, a wheelchair-bound girl finds enchantment during the winter ice festival. A Little Like Magic by Sarah Kurpiel. Rocky Pond Books, ...
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Newbery Roundup #2: Plain Jane, Wrong Way Home, and The First State of Being
By Janie Cheaney |
Our second roundup of Newbery-buzzing books includes a graphic-novel fairy tale, an escape narrative, and a time-travel adventure. Plain Jane and the Mermaid mixes fairy-tale ...
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Newbery Buzz #2: One Big Open Sky
By Janie Cheaney |
Today Betsy, Janie, and Hayley discuss a verse novel we all loved. (See our starred review.) Janie: When we picture wagon trains moving west, we ...
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Newbery Buzz #1: Olivetti
By Janie Cheaney |
Here we go again: when ALA Award season approaches, we can’t help speculating about which high-profile children’s books will snatch the coveted Newbery medal. Sometimes ...
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Swimming with Spies by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
By Janie Cheaney |
Swimming with Spies is an animal rescue story that provides valuable background to the Russia/Ukraine conflict. Swimming with Spies by Chystyna Lucyk-Berger. Scholastic, 2024, 267 ...
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Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better by Mylisa Larsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Quagmire Tiarello is the appropriately-named hero of this story of a young man with a difficult mother. Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better by Mylisa Larsen. ...
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Fun Middle-Grade Reads for Winter Break: Library Girl, The Long Way Around, and We Do Not Welcome Our 10-Year-Old Overlord
By Janie Cheaney |
Library Girl is the whimsical story of a girl finding a home while her adoring caretakers find true love. Library Girl by Polly Horvath. Holiday ...
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Lost in the Empire City by Avi
By Janie Cheaney |
Lost in the Empire City takes readers to 19th century New York, where a young immigrant from Italy attempts to find his way. Lost in ...
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*Mishka by Edward van de Vendel
By Janie Cheaney |
Mishka is the gentle, heartwarming story of refugees and rabbits finding home. *Miskha by Edward van de Vendel and Anoush Elman, illustrated by Annet Schaap ...
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Light Comes to Shadow Mountain by Toni Buzzeo
By Janie Cheaney |
In Light Comes to Shadow Mountain, a young girl is determined to bring electricity to her Kentucky home through the Rural Electrification Project. Light Comes ...
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Frindle and The Frindle Files by Andrew Clements
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Frindle Files brings Nicholas Allen, from Frindle fame, back into the limelight in this lively follow-up for middle grade readers. Frindle by Andrew Clements. ...
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Answers to Dog by Pete Hautman
By Janie Cheaney |
In Answers to Dog, an abused border collie finds a home and a boy finds a friend--multiple friends. Answers to Dog by Pete Hautman. Candlewick, ...
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Two Cozy Chapter Books: Beti and the Little Round House and Stella & Marigold
By Janie Cheaney |
Two new Chapter Books about Beti, Stella, and Marigold celebrate the simple joys of seasons and siblings. Beti and the Little Round House by Atinuke, ...
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The Found Boys by S. D. Smith
By Janie Cheaney |
The “Found Boys” find trouble in their West Virginia small town, but also deepen their understanding of grace and forgiveness. The Found Boys by S. ...
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Rosa by Starlight by Hilary McKay
By Janie Cheaney |
Rosa by Starlight is a sweet story of an orphan finding her way home, with the help of a host of sympathetic cats. Rosa by ...
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Out of My Dreams by Sharon Draper
By Janie Cheaney |
Melody Brooks, a 13-year-old with cerebral palsy, concludes her trilogy by stepping onto a global stage in Out of My Dreams. Out of My Dreams ...
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The Best This World Can Do: Thoughts about “Not Nothing” by Gayle Forman
By Janie Cheaney |
Christian book reviewers face certain challenges. We could review only Christian books and be reasonably assured that we won’t run into glaring content problems like ...
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The Science of Friendship by Tanita S. Davis
By Janie Cheaney |
In The Science of Friendship, an 8th-grade girl takes an analytical approach to keeping friends and discovers some important truths about herself. The Science of ...
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Jupiter Rising by Gary Schmidt
By Janie Cheaney |
Gary Schmidt brings a sad story (Orbiting Jupiter) to a hopeful conclusion with Jupiter Rising. Jupiter Rising, by Gary D. Schmidt. HarperCollins, 2024, 201 pages. ...
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Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings by Dionna L. Mann
By Janie Cheaney |
Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings features a winsome protagonist trying her hand at parental matchmaking. Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings by Dionna L. Mann. Holiday House/Margaret Ferguson ...
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*Ben Washington Is the Newbie on the Block by Jasmine Mullen
By Janie Cheaney |
Young Ben Washington, the star of this new middle-grade series, is funny, flawed, and fully relatable. *Ben Washington Is . . . the Newbie on ...
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Faker by Gordon Korman
By Janie Cheaney |
In Faker, a boy faces critical ethical questions involving his own immediate family. Faker by Gordon Korman. Scholastic, 2024, 214 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...
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Uprising by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Uprising is the story of a Polish girl’s experience of World War II, based on the experiences of a real-life teenage resistance fighter. Uprising by ...
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New Chapter Book Series: Bibsy Cross and Detective Sweet Pea
By Janie Cheaney |
Bibsy Cross, an irrepressible third-grader, and Sweet Pea, a hound with a nose for mystery, are the loveable protagonists of two new series for early ...
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And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
By Janie Cheaney |
And Then, Boom! features a winsome protagonist who suddenly finds himself abandoned. And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps. Nancy Paulsen (PRH), 2024, 244 pages Readling ...
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With Just One Wing by Brenda Woods
By Janie Cheaney |
An adopted boy comes to identify with an orphaned mockingbird With Just One Wing. With Just One Wing by Brenda Woods. Nancy Paulsen Books (PRH), ...
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The Kid by Jeff Schill
By Janie Cheaney |
The Kid is an old-west legend about old-west legends, featuring a 13-year-old tale-spinner, a Philadelphia tenderfoot, and a vicious desperado. The Kid by Jeff Schill. ...
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Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell
By Janie Cheaney |
Light and Air follows its 11-year-old protagonist through a rocky path of tuberculosis and family upheaval. Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell. Holiday House, ...
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Kentucky Derby Book List: Books for Young Horse Lovers
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Kentucky Derby runs every first Saturday of May. Will there be another Triple Crown winner this year? Will an underdog horse come from nowhere ...
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Offsides by Lori Z. Scott
By Betsy Farquhar |
Dani just wants to play soccer and have the best senior year ever, but she's suddenly alert to the signs of a sex trafficking ring ...
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The Book Scavenger Series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Book Scavenger Series is an engaging middle grades mystery series for book lovers and puzzle aficionados. Book Scavenger Series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. Square ...
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Yours from the Tower by Sally Nichols
By Janie Cheaney |
In Yours from the Tower, three young ladies overcome obstacles and find true love in late 19th-century England. Yours from the Tower by Sally Nichols. ...
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Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Raney Hopson
By Janie Cheaney |
The Newbery Honor novel Eagle Drums portrays the mythical origin of a cherished tradition of the Iñupiat people. Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Raney Hopson. Roaring ...
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Between Two Brothers by Crystal Allen
By Janie Cheaney |
In Between Two Brothers, a boy struggles for forgiveness and reconciliation after his older brother is seriously injured in a traffic accident. Between Two Brothers ...
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2024 Newbery Buzz #4: Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
By Hayley Morell |
Simon Sort of Says was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Could it win the Newbery? We're continuing our long-running Newbery ...
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Newbery Roundup 1: Jawbreaker, When Sea Becomes Sky, Duel
By Janie Cheaney |
Two weeks from now (January 22), the American Library Association will announce their Youth Media Award winners, including the Newbery and Caldecott. We’ve kept an ...
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Back to the Bright Before by Katherin Nolte
By Janie Cheaney |
Back to the Bright Before is a touching tale that mixes medieval imagery with a contemporary story of guilt and redemption. Back to the Bright ...
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Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson
By Janie Cheaney |
Remember Us is a quiet novel that ponders the conundrum of change and permanence. Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson. Nancy Paulsen Books (PRH), 2023, 192 ...
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A Stubborn Sweetness by Katherine Paterson
By Betsy Farquhar |
"A Stubborn Sweetness" is one of 15 short stories that celebrate the truth, beauty, and goodness of the real meaning of Christmas. A Stubborn Sweetness ...
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Nothing Else but Miracles by Kate Albus
By Janie Cheaney |
Nothing Else but Miracles features a spunky and imaginative protagonist making the most of hardships on the WWII home front. Nothing Else but Miracles by ...
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*Enemies in the Orchard by Dana VanderLugt
By Janie Cheaney |
In Enemies in the Orchard, an American girl and a German POW discover a shared humanity among the tragedy of war. *Enemies in the Orchard ...
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Code of Silence and Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker
By Betsy Farquhar |
A heart-pounding mystery series, with hidden twists and turns at every corner and a powerful message. Note: this is a guest review. See below for ...
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The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
By Janie Cheaney |
The Lost Library is thin on theme, but warm hearted and family-friendly. The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. Feiwel and Friends, 2023, ...
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Dust by Dusti Bowling
By Janie Cheaney |
Dust is the story of an asthma sufferer challenged to “use her breath” to fight a wrong. Dust by Dusti Bowling. Little, Brown, 2023, 328 ...
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The Switch by Roland Smith
By Janie Cheaney |
A 13-year-old boy must help his large family survive an ElectroMagnetic Pulse in The Switch. The Switch by Roland Smith. Scholastic, 2022, 303 pages. Reading ...
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Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan
By Janie Cheaney |
Sparrow Being Sparrow introduces a likeable heroine with some impulsive ways that are open to correction. Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan, illustrated by Elysia ...
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How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd
By Janie Cheaney |
In How to Stay Invisible, an abandoned boy attempts to make it on his own and discovers he needs other people. How to Stay Invisible ...
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Ginny Off the Map by Caroline Hickey
By Janie Cheaney |
In Ginny off the Map, a geography-obsessed sixth-grader learns to meet people where they are and find “true north” in her own family. Ginny Off ...
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In the Tunnel by Julie Lee
By Janie Cheaney |
In the Tunnel takes readers into the savagery and family upheaval of the Korean War . In the Tunnel by Julie Lee. Holiday House, 2023, ...
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Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt
By Janie Cheaney |
Buffalo Flats takes readers to the Northwest Territory of Canada, for an unforgettable story of spiritual growth and romance. Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt. Margaret ...
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The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson
By Janie Cheaney |
Noting one important consideration, The Firefly Summer is an enjoyable light read with a theme of family solidarity. The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson. Simon ...
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Gladys Hunt on Diversity
By Janie Cheaney |
“Teacher, do you have any books with pictures of kids that look like me?” Originally published on the Tumblon website, October 10, 2009 Probably more ...
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*The Labors of Hercles Beal by Gary Schmidt
By Janie Cheaney |
The title character of The Labors of Hercules Beal works through his grief by duplicating, in contemporary terms, the 12 "labors" of his mythical namesake. ...
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*Bright April by Marguerite De Angeli
By Megan Saben |
Themes of loving nature, loving one's neighbor, and loving Truth are woven through Bright April, a story that gracefully handles racism and the dignity of ...
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School Trip by Jerry Craft
By Janie Cheaney |
School Trip, a companion novel to Newbery-winning New Kid, launches the Riverdale Academy students on a tour of Paris. School Trip by Jerry Craft. Quill ...
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Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles
By Janie Cheaney |
Not an Easy Win is the encouraging story of a displaced young man finding purpose and life lessons in the game of chess. Not an ...
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All My Rage by Saaba Tahir
By Janie Cheaney |
All My Rage, winner of the 2023 Printz Award, follows a pair of Pakistani-American teens from uncertainty through trauma to stability and hope. All My ...
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Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
By Betsy Farquhar |
Spare and sensitive, Liar & Spy is a warm-hearted middle-grades story about two lonely boys who form a deep, abiding friendship. Liar & Spy by ...
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*Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan
By Janie Cheaney |
Dragonfly Eyes is a slowly-unfolding, beautiful picture of family love and loyalty during the stressful days of China’s Cultural Revolution. *Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan, ...
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In the Blue by Erin Hourigan
By Hayley Morell |
In the Blue gently explores what it is like for a child to experience the depression of a loved one. In the Blue by Erin ...
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2023 Newbery Winner: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
By Janie Cheaney |
Freewater, this year's Newbery Medal winner, is as much an adventure tale as little-known history. Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson. Little, Brown (James Patterson Presents), 2022, ...
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*My Brother Is Away by Sara Greenwood
By Betsy Farquhar |
My Brother Is Away offers an empathetic glimpse into what it's like, from the child's perspective, to have a brother (or sister) off in jail. ...
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*A Place for Peter by Elizabeth Yates
By Megan Saben |
A Place for Peter is a good choice for boys who are avid readers and enjoy character-driven, literary coming-of-age stories, or families who are looking ...
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The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum
By Janie Cheaney |
“Hoodie Rosen” introduces teen readers to the Orthodox Jewish world and the reality of antisemitism. The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum. ...
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Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke
By Janie Cheaney |
"Too Small Tola" returns in a second volume of this warm-hearted series of Nigerian family life. Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by ...
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Love and Laughter Book List
By Janie Cheaney |
A Valentine's Day list of books that celebrate family love and wholesome romance. It’s the season of hearts and flowers and chocolate. Valentine’s Day is ...
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Newbery Roundup #1: Freestyle, Swim Team, and Maizy Chen’s Last Chance
By Janie Cheaney |
Three novels for middle-grades that may be under consideration for this year's top prize Freestyle by Gale Galligan. Graphix; (Scholastic), 2022, 322 pages. (Ages 10-14) ...
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2023 Newbery Buzz #2: The Door of No Return
By Janie Cheaney |
Back for our second buzz, Janie and Betsy talk over a troubling but moving verse novel. Out of Africa Janie: Kwame Alexander scored a gold ...
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The Lucky Ones by Linda Williams Jackson
By Janie Cheaney |
In The Lucky Ones, an impoverished family in the rural south takes a big step up during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s. The ...
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Out of Range by Heidi Lang
By Janie Cheaney |
Out of Range puts three warring sisters into a life-or-death situation that will destroy their bond—and perhaps their lives—or restore it. Out of Range by ...
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Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet
By Janie Cheaney |
Belittled Woman features a contemporary Meg, Jo, and Amy reluctantly participating in their mother’s pet project: a tourist attraction reenacting scenes from a certain 19th-century ...
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*Berliners by Vesper Stamper
By Janie Cheaney |
Berliners is the story of a family scarred by war, politics, and false ideology in postwar Germany. *Berliners by Vesper Stamper. Knopf, 2022, 413 pages. ...
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Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd
By Janie Cheaney |
Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure is a realistic but heartwarming animal tale of loyalty and friendship. Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan ...
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The Rat Queen by Pete Hautman
By Janie Cheaney |
Though not for every reader, The Rat Queen effectively exposes the harm caused to individual souls by hiding or excusing their own sins. The Rat ...
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A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
By Janie Cheaney |
A Rover's Story employs an unusual protagonist to celebrate science, space exploration, and humanity. A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga. Balzer+Bray, 2022, 294 pages. Reading ...
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The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
By Janie Cheaney |
The Door of No Return uses beautifully modulated verse to communicate the humanity of the Ashanti people and the horrors of the African slave trade. ...
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Wildoak by C. C. Harrington
By Janie Cheaney |
Wildoak is a gentle story about a girl finding a voice and a cause in the natural world. Wildoak by C. C. Harrigan. Scholastic, 2022, ...
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Violet and Jobie in the Wild by Lynne Rae Perkins
By Janie Cheaney |
Mouse siblings Violet and Jobie must suddenly fend for themselves in a world both terrifying and lovely. Violet & Jobie in the Wild by Lynn ...
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The Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan Glaser
By Janie Cheaney |
The Vanderbeekrs, one of our favorite families, is on the road to discovery, opportunity, and possibly romance. The Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan ...
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Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks
By Janie Cheaney |
Ride On is an equestrian graphic novel that horse aficionados will devour. Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks. First Second, 2022, 218 pages. Reading Level: ...
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Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
By Janie Cheaney |
Hummingbird features a plucky protagonist with a debilitating bone disease—who doesn’t see herself as debilitated. Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd. Scholastic, 2022, 348 pages. Reading Level: ...
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Yonder by Ali Standish
By Janie Cheaney |
Yonder is a thoughtful and moving historical novel about the nature of heroism. Yonder by Ali Standish. Harper, 2022, 348 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...
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Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Lines of Courage follows five young protagonists through the epoch-making carnage of World War I. Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic Press, 2022, ...
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Brand New Kid by David Almond
By Janie Cheaney |
Brand New Boy explores the "humanity" of manufactured humans through the eyes of curious middle-school students. Brand New Boy by David Almond, with pictures by ...
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Quick Summer Reads: Treasure Tracks, High Score, and Wretched Waterpark
By Janie Cheaney |
Three entertaining novels for the adventure-seeker, the heist-lover, and the doom-aficionado. Treasure Tracks by S. A. Rodriguez. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2022, 214 pages. Reading Level: ...
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*Tree Street Kids: Lions to the Rescue! and Mystery in Crooked Creek Woods
By Megan Saben |
The Tree Street Kids series continues as Jack, Ellison, Roger, Ruthie and Midge develop new and better friendships, and also solve a mystery. Tree Street ...
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The Islanders: Search for Treasure by Mary Alice Monroe
By Janie Cheaney |
The Islanders Series features three friends spending enlightening and adventure-filled summers on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The Islanders: Search for Treasure ...
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*Love and Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean
By Janie Cheaney |
*Love and Other Great Expectations puts romance in its place as part of life’s great adventure (but not all of it). Love and Other Great ...
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Cookies & Milk by Shawn Amos
By Janie Cheaney |
Cookies & Milk is an enjoyable fictionalized account of the world’s first chocolate-chip cookie store and the launch of a “famous” business. Cookies & Milk ...
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Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatramen
By Betsy Farquhar |
When Kabir leaves jail at age nine, he enters a world unknown to him: the free world. A delicate and sensitive novel for middle grades. ...
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My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk
By Janie Cheaney |
My Own Lightning follows the author’s previous Newbery-honored novel, Wolf Hollow, with a more hopeful conclusion. My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk. Dutton, 2022, 307 ...
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Each of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
By Janie Cheaney |
Two girls with big problems draw resilience from each other and the "Magic" of the Universe. Each of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo ...
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Polly and the Screen Time Overload by Betsy Childs Howard
By Janie Cheaney |
Polly and the Screen Time Overload gently points young children away from electronic fascinations to the quieter joys of real life. Polly and the Screen ...
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