Realistic Fiction

Playing through the Turnaround by Mylisa Larsen

From the publisher: "Fifth period is hands down the best time of day in Connor U. Eubanks Middle School, because that’s when Mr. Lewis teaches Jazz Lab. So his students are devastated when their beloved teacher quits abruptly. Once they make a connection between budget cuts and Mr. Lewis’s disappearance, they hatch a plan: stop the cuts, save their class. Soon, they become an unlikely band of crusaders, and their quest quickly snowballs into something much bigger—a movement involving the whole middle school. But the adults in charge seem determined to ignore their every protest. How can the kids make themselves heard?"

Roll for Initiative by Jaime Formato

for D&D fans!! From the publisher: "Riley Henderson has never taken a bus to school in her entire life. Or made an afterschool snack, or finished her homework on her own, or—ewww—done her own laundry. That’s what her older brother Devin was for.

But now Devin’s gone. He’s off in California attending a fancy college gaming program while Riley is stuck alone in Florida with her mom. That is, until a cool nerd named Lucy gives Riley no choice but to get over her shyness and fear of rejection and become friends. The best part is . . . both girls are into Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, playing D&D was something Riley and Devin used to do together, with Devin as the dungeon master, guiding Riley through his intricately planned campaigns. So, of course, Riley is more than a little nervous when Lucy suggests that she run a campaign for them. For the chance at a friend, though, she’s willing to give it a shot. Soon, their party grows and with the help of her new D&D friends, Riley discovers that not only can she function without Devin, she kind of likes it. 

But when Devin runs into trouble with his program and returns home, it's pretty clear, even to Riley, that since he can’t navigate his own life, he’s going to live Riley’s for her. Now she has to help Devin go back to college and prove to her mom that she can take care of herself . . . all before the upcoming Winter-Con."

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary Schmidt

From the publisher: "Herc Beal knows who he's named after—a mythical hero—but he's no superhero. He's the smallest kid in his class. So when his homeroom teacher at his new middle school gives him the assignment of duplicating the mythical Hercules's amazing feats in real life, he's skeptical. After all, there are no Nemean Lions on Cape Cod—and not a single Hydra in sight.

Missing his parents terribly and wishing his older brother wasn't working all the time, Herc figures out how to take his first steps along the road that the great Hercules himself once walked. Soon, new friends, human and animal, are helping him. And though his mythical role model performed his twelve labors by himself, Herc begins to see that he may not have to go it alone."

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

Addie is neurodivergent -- she's autistic. Most people at school don't understand, and aren't very accepting of her.  Her teacher, Miss Murphy, tells her her handwriting looks like a baby's, and rips up her work in front of everyone! She was mean to Addie's big sister, Keedie, too, who is also autistic.

Addie spends her lunch time eating in the library, which she loves, because she can read about sharks.  She loves to learn.  She is especially good at words, and carries a well-worn thesaurus. When Miss Murphy's class studies the witch trials held in their Scottish town, Addie is struck by the way the witches were misunderstood, and condemned because they were different.  Feeling a connection to these long ago women, Addie decides that they need a memorial, and to be exonerated. With the help of a new friend, and support from her family, Addie's courage and determination are an inspiration!

Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

Maizy's grandfather is very sick, so Maizy and her mom pack up and go to Last Chance, Minnesota. Maizy keeps grandfather company listening to his stories, while her mom and grandmother work in their family's restaurant.  It's been in their family for generations!  It's only supposed to be temporary, but her grandfather isn't getting well.  Her mom and grandma seem to argue all the time.  And since they're pretty much the only Asian family in town, some people say pretty ignorant things to them, and someone even leaves a racist note.  It's the same racism that Maizy's great-great-grandfather, Lucky Chen, faced in the 1860s when he came to America, and started the restaurant.  Then, a family heirloom goes missing.

It's about the power of family, friends, and neighbors, with a little mystery and humor thrown in.  Plus, your mouth will water and you will be hungry for Chinese food right now!  It's inspired by the author's family history.

This is Not a Drill by K.A. Holt

The worst day of Ava's life: her parents are getting divorced, she argues with her two best friends, and she forgot to charge her phone.  Then it goes from bad to worse: she's in the bathroom when there's a lockdown drill. Only, it's not a drill.  There's an intruder in the school.  Ava knows she needs to get to a classroom, but all the doors are locked!  Finally, she finds one, with a bunch of kids and no teacher.  Everyone is freaking out, and they can sometimes hear yelling in the hallway.  With her phone dying, Ava is frantically trying to reach her parents, her friends, anyone who might help.

The entire story is told in text messages and app 'announcements' from the school. For those who may be worried by the subject matter, nobody is harmed by the intruder, but it is a tense situation realistically portrayed.

Roll with it by Jamie Sumner

From the author's website: "Ellie’s a girl who tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she’s going to be all sunshine and cuddles. The thing is, Ellie has big dreams: She might be eating Stouffer’s for dinner, but one day she’s going to be a professional baker. If she’s not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she’s practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother.

But when Ellie and her mom move so they can help take care of her ailing grandpa, Ellie has to start all over again in a new town at a new school. Except she’s not just the new kid—she’s the new kid in the wheelchair who lives in the trailer park on the wrong side of town. It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie starts to make her first-ever friends. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might just be the best thing that ever happened to them!"

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Mia's family manages a motel.  It's a lot of hard work, and Mia has to help out by working the front desk.  They don't make much money, and the mean slumlord motel-owner, Mr. Yao, makes them pay for any repairs themselves, refuses to put in security cameras, and won't even let them use the pool. As Chinese immigrants, Mia's parents don't have a lot of choice, though they still think America is the land of freedom and opportunity.  But as Mia's best friend, Lupe, tells her -- if you're on the rich rollercoaster, you'll stay on it, and if you're on the poor rollercoaster, you can't get off.  Mia befriends Hank and the other 'weeklies', or people who live in the hotel all the time -- they become like family -- even though another local business puts him on the list of 'bad' customers just because he's black.  At school, the other kids make fun of Mia because of her hand-me-down clothes from Goodwill, and worst of all, mean Mr. Yao's mean son, Jason, is in her class!  One thing after another seems to threaten their livelihood, but then Mia finds an opportunity that just might be their ticket to the 'good rollercoaster'.  Can she change their lives forever?  The coolest thing is that this story is based on the author's experiences growing up. 

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

Jeremy is a quirky kid: he collects mutant candy, and he's never been more than four blocks from his city home.  On his 13th birthday, he receives a locked box.  No key.  The engraving on tops says "The Meaning of Life".  It's from his dad, who died five years ago. Jeremy's best friend, Lizzy, is his total opposite: she's a troublemaker, and she's not afraid of anything.  Together, Jeremy and Lizzy set off to find the keys that will unlock the box and give them the answer.  With lovable characters and a great story, it's easy to see why author Wendy Mass says this is her fave of all the books she's written. 

Rules by Cynthia Lord

12-year-old Catherine loves her brother, but is sometimes embarrassed by his behavior, and jealous of the attention her parents give him: David is autistic. To protect him (and to make her life less embarrassing) Catherine gives her brother rules – like “keep your pants on in public” and “if the bathroom door is closed – knock”, and tips on life – such as “sometimes things work out, but don’t count on it”, and “sometimes people laugh when they like you, but sometimes they laugh to hurt you.”   Budding artist Catherine wants to be “normal”. New, cool neighbor Kristi becomes a friend. Paraplegic Jason, a friend Catherine meets at David’s physical therapy office, can’t talk: he communicates with a binder of cards with words and pictures on them that his mother made for him. Catherine uses her drawing skills to make new cards for Jason with teenage-appropriate words (but how do you draw ‘unfair’???).  She keeps these friends in separate worlds because she's afraid they won't understand, or won't like her anymore, or it will ruin her reputation. But 'normal' isn't easy to define. Will she be able to bring them, and the two halves of herself, together?  This poignant story's author has an adult son who is also autistic. Also by this author: Half a Chance, Handful of Stars, 

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Georges and his parents have had to move to a smaller apartment in Brooklyn, since his father lost his job and his mother started working extra night shifts as a hospital nurse. Things at home are strained, and at school, bullies Dallas and Carter target George's for abuse. But in the new building, quirky new friend Safer draws Georges into intrigue spying on the mysterious Mr. X. A funny and poignant story of friends, family, and truths we cannot face alone. 

If you liked Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, you'll like this book. It's a terrific realistic tale of friendship, with the added bonus of an unexpected twist at the end. 

PS: The author was awarded the Newbery for her novel When You Reach Me; also check out Goodbye Stranger, First Light, or Bob, the adorable story she wrote with her friend, Wendy Mass.

Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper

From Simon & Schuster: “Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.”

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks

From the publisher's website: "Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL.

Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own.

Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in.

Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common — but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week. "

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Amal is living a perfectly happy life in her village in Pakistan, with a loving family, a best friend, and dreaming of being a teacher some day.  Amal stays home to help take care of her younger siblings when her mom has a baby.  But mom doesn't recover right away, and the days turn to weeks, to months of missing school and her friends.  One day, while running an errand, she has a chance encounter with the corrupt landlord of their village -- he basically owns the whole place, and everyone in town owes him, and he has all the power.  Everyone is a little afraid of his cruel punishments.  Because Amal accidentally insults him, he declares that she must come live in his house as his servant, to pay off the 'debt'.  When she gets there, another young girl on the staff, Nabila, immediately becomes an enemy.  Amal has to find a way to become a part of the staff, avoid mistakes, and try to do everything asked of her, in the hopes she can one day make it back to her family. 

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan

Amina and Soojin are besties who always take classes together, sit at lunch together, hang out...  and their families are close.  But once they got to middle school, things started to change.  Soojin wants to change her name to something more American-sounding, and suddenly wants to be friends with Emily, the mean girl who always made fun of them for their 'weird' food (Amina's family is from Pakistan, Soojin's from Korea). Amina starts to feel like she's being pushed out, and she is NOT happy.  Where and how does she fit in?  Plus, her strict uncle is on an extended visit, so her mom expects her and her brother Mustafa on their 'best behavior' all the time.  Everyone is pressuring her to do a solo in the concert, when they KNOW she gets terrible stage fright. And then, a tragedy strikes: their mosque is vandalized. Just when everything seems like it's spiraling out of control, Amina finds herself, and her voice. This is a perfect story of family, community, faith, and friendship. 

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

From the publisher's website: "Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this gawky teenager really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth? "

The First Rule of Punk by Celia Perez

From the publisher: "There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school—you can’t fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School’s queen bee, violates the school’s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.

The real Malú loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malú finally begins to feel at home. She'll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself!"

Faker by Gordon Korman

BRAND new book by fave author! From the publisher: "Trey knows how the trick works: His dad gets him into a school full of kids with rich parents. Trey makes friends, and his father makes connections. Soon, there’s the con, where Trey’s dad suckers the other parents into giving him money for one of his schemes. Once the money’s in the bank, Trey, his sister, and their dad go on the run … until they set up somewhere else and start again.

Trey believes his father when he says no one’s getting hurt. After all, these parents have money to spare.

Still, Trey’s getting tired of running … and lying … and never having a friend longer than a few months. But how do you get your family to stop lying when your lives depend on it?"

The Prettiest by Brigit Young

When a list appears online, ranking the top fifty prettiest girls in the 8th grade, everyone at the middle school sees it, talks about it, is affected by it.  Everyone thought Sophie would be number one, but she's not -- she's bumped down to #2.  And she's enduring a lot of bullying about it. The biggest surprise is #1 -- Eve, who certainly didn't think of herself that way, and doesn't like all the attention on her, and on her body.  Nessa isn't even on the list, and she didn't expect to be, since she doesn't fit the mold of the stereotypical 'pretty' girl. But she's tired of everyone telling her who she is. Each girl thinks she knows what the other is feeling. Until they open up to each other, and find they have more in common than they think. They pledge to get the list taken down, and make sure whoever put it up is punished. They must work together, and stand up for what's right, for themselves, for each other, and for every other girl out there who's ever been objectified.

For a similar themed book, try The List by Siobhan Vivian.

The Fort by Gordon Korman

Four best friends, Evan, Jason, Mitchell, and CJ, and Evan's new neighbor, Ricky, are exploring the local forest after a storm when they find an incredible hideout!  It's an old, abandoned bomb shelter, filled with canned food, VHS tapes, and everything they could need to make a secret fort.  The boys decide two rules: it must be a secret, and NO grownups or girls!   It starts out a lot of fun -- watching old movies, hanging out.  

But each of the boys has something in their lives to escape from, and one, especially, really NEEDS this hideaway to get away from home.  But the secret gets harder and harder to keep, especially from Evan's older brother and his dangerous friend, who know the boys are hiding something and are determined to find out what it is.

Be sure to check out his other books, too, including Mixed Up, about two boys slowly losing their own memories, and gaining each others... They have to figure out how to reverse it.

The Road to Wherever by John Ed Bradley

A quirky buddy/road trip story about Junior ("June" for short) Ball, who is not looking forward to a long summer with not much to do.  His dad took off, and his mom can't take him with her to the hair salon where she works. So, she packs him up and sends him off with his dad's cousins, Thomas and Cornell. They're mechanics who have a tradition: every summer they take off in their pickup and travel the country restoring old cars. But, not just any cars. They're "Ford men".  they'll ONLY touch Ford cars and trucks -- vintage ones that need a LOT of help.  And sometimes their owners need help, too.  June learns a lot about cars, people, and his cousins.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

Mac and his friends are reading The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen in class -- it's a Holocaust novel.  Mac is moved by the book, and learning a lot about the Holocaust. He's so engrossed in the story that he reads ahead, even though he's not supposed to.  And he finds pages with some of the words blacked out with marker.  The next day, he asks his friends to check, and sure enough, their books have blackouts in the same spots.  When they find another copy, and find out what the words are, they are concerned that someone is trying to hide the truth from them.  They take their concerns to the top -- but the principal doesn't do anything.

Mac's dad tells him it's only a book, don't be so 'emotional' about it.  But his mom and grandfather have always taught him to speak up when something is wrong.  Mac and his friends decide to protest the censorship, and fight for all kids' right to know the truth. 

Based on a real-life situation that happened in the class of the author's child, and with permission from Jane Yolen to use her book as the example.

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson is one of the best authors published over the last 20 years.  She has a way with words -- makes sense because she's a poet who also writes picture books, plus books for kids, teens, and adults.  She's the current Ambassador for Children's Literature, and has won numerous awards.  This story is about 6 kids: Haley, Holly, Tiago, Esteban, Amari, and Ashton, who are all in the same class.  One day their teacher, Ms. Laverne, takes them to the old art room, and tells them this is your room for the rest of the year -- the last period of the day, you'll come in here, no adults, no lessons, just talk.  And they do. They don't all know each other all that well at first, and each has stuff they don't like to talk about. Haley's dad is in prison. Esteban's dad was taken away by immigration authorities.  Ashton is getting bullied by bigger kids.  etc.  But as they talk, as they learn about each other, their relationship deepens, and they all have each other's backs.  They support each other -- they 'harbor' each other.  If this book doesn't give you all the feels, you are heartless. 

Restart by Gordon Korman

Chase Ambrose falls off the roof of his house and wakes up with amnesia. When he sees how people react to him, he realizes he used to be a big jerk. A nasty bully. So bad, one kid had to move to another school! His old friends want him back on the football team. They wonder why he wants to hang out with the 'video nerds'. His new friends (the video nerds), don't know if they can trust him. Can a conk on the head really change someone's personality? What would that person have to do to make up for past behavior? Could you ever really trust them? 

The Brave by James Bird

From the publisher:  Collin can't help himself—he has a unique condition that finds him counting every letter spoken to him. It's a quirk that makes him a prime target for bullies, and a continual frustration to the adults around him, including his father.

When Collin asked to leave yet another school, his dad decides to send him to live in Minnesota with the mother he's never met. She is Ojibwe, and lives on a reservation. Collin arrives in Duluth with his loyal dog, Seven, and quickly finds his mom and his new home to be warm, welcoming, and accepting of his condition.

Collin’s quirk is matched by that of his neighbor, Orenda, a girl who lives mostly in her treehouse and believes she is turning into a butterfly. With Orenda’s help, Collin works hard to overcome his challenges. His real test comes when he must step up for his new friend and trust his new family. 

Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins

From the publisher: "For the most part, Hannah’s life is just how she wants it. She has two supportive parents, she’s popular at school, and she’s been killing it at gymnastics. But when her cousin Cal moves in with her family, everything changes. Cal tells half-truths and tall tales, pranks Hannah constantly, and seems to be the reason her parents are fighting more and more. Nothing is how it used to be. She knows that Cal went through a lot after his mom died and she is trying to be patient, but most days Hannah just wishes Cal never moved in.

For his part, Cal is trying his hardest to fit in, but not everyone is as appreciative of his unique sense of humor and storytelling gifts as he is. Humor and stories might be his defense mechanism, but if Cal doesn’t let his walls down soon, he might push away the very people who are trying their best to love him.

Told in verse from the alternating perspectives of Hannah and Cal, this is a story of two cousins who are more alike than they realize and the family they both want to save."

To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer

From the publisher: "Avery Bloom, who’s bookish, intense, and afraid of many things, particularly deep water, lives in New York City. Bett Devlin, who’s fearless, outgoing, and loves all animals as well as the ocean, lives in California. What they have in common is that they are both twelve years old, and are both being raised by single, gay dads.

When their dads fall in love, Bett and Avery are sent, against their will, to the same sleepaway camp. Their dads hope that they will find common ground and become friends–and possibly, one day, even sisters. 

But things soon go off the rails for the girls (and for their dads too), and they find themselves on a summer adventure that neither of them could have predicted. Now that they can’t imagine life without each other, will the two girls (who sometimes call themselves Night Owl and Dogfish) figure out a way to be a family?" 

Sloan's other great books include the award-winning Counting by 7s, Short, and the YA I'll Be There series.

Tight by Torrey Maldonado

From the publisher: "Tight: Lately Bryan’s been feeling it in all kinds of ways. He knows what’s tight for him in a good way–reading comics, drawing superheroes, and hanging out with no drama. But drama’s hard to escape where he’s from, and that gets him wound up tight.

And now Bryan’s new friend Mike is challenging him to have fun in ways that are crazy risky. At first, it’s a rush following Mike, hopping turnstiles, subway surfing, and getting into all kinds of trouble. But Bryan never feels right acting wrong. So which way will he go when he understands that drama is so not his style? Fortunately his favorite comic heroes shed light on his dilemma, reminding him that he has power–the power to choose his friends and to stand up for what he believes is right . . . "

Slider by Pete Hautman

This is a funny and poignant story of a kid named David Miller.  His older sister, Bridgette, is miss perfect -- great grades, off at college, has a boyfriend, etc.  His younger brother, Mal, is, well, Mal.  His autism takes a lot of everyone's attention.  With two siblings like that, David is stuck in the middle.  The only thing he's good at? Eating. A LOT. FAST!!!  When he accidentally spends $2,000 on his mom's credit card for a half-eaten hot dog from the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, the only way David can pay her back is to win a pizza-eating contest.   

The World Ends in April by Stacy MacNulty

From the publisher's website: "Every day in middle school can feel like the end of the world.

Eleanor Dross knows a thing or two about the end of the world, thanks to a survivalist grandfather who stockpiles freeze-dried food and supplies–just in case. So when she reads about a Harvard scientist’s prediction that an asteroid will strike Earth in April, Eleanor knows her family will be prepared. Her classmates? They’re on their own!

Eleanor has just one friend she wants to keep safe: Mack. They’ve been best friends since kindergarten, even though he’s more of a smiley emoji and she’s more of an eye-roll emoji. They’ll survive the end of the world together . . . if Mack doesn’t go away to a special school for the blind.

But it’s hard to keep quiet about a life-destroying asteroid–especially at a crowded lunch table–and soon Eleanor is the president of the (secret) End of the World Club. It turns out that prepping for TEOTWAWKI (the End of the World as We Know It) is actually kind of fun. But you can’t really prepare for everything life drops on you. And one way or another, Eleanor’s world is about to change."

Summerlost by Ally Condie

A sweet story with a fab friendship, and a bit of mystery, besides. Cedar Lee, her mom, and her little brother are spending the summer in Iron Creek. Cedar's family is still grieving from the loss of her dad and other brother the year before. Day after day, she sees a boy ride by on a bike wearing weird, old peasant clothes. She follows him and finds he works at the town's annual Shakespeare Festival. Leo gets Cedar a job there, too. Leo is obsessed with the town's most famous resident, an actress who died under mysterious circumstances one summer at the festival. Leo and Cedar start a side business, giving tours of sites related to the legendary leading lady, but if their festival boss, Gary, gets wind of it, they'll be fired. This realistic, heart-warming story is by the author of the Matched series.

Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

Virgil, Valencia, Kaori, and Chet's stories are intertwined.  Virgil is a shy nerd with no friends, a pet guinea pig, and a family of jocks that makes him feel out of place.  Valencia is a nature-lover who happens to be deaf.  Kaori is a fortune-teller who enlists the help of her little sister, Gen, to run her psychic business. Chet is a bully whose prank on Virgil starts them all on a disastrous course.  Chet's prank leaves Virgil, and Gulliver the guinea pig, at the bottom of an abandoned well.  Will Valencia and Kaori figure out where he is? Would they be able to save him?

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mulally Hunt

Have you ever heard that saying "If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid"?  Ally is great at math, and a talented artist, but she thinks she's dumb because. she can't read.  The letters jump around on the page, and she just can't make sense of them.  She'd rather draw in her Sketchbook of Impossible Things. But she's so smart, she's managed to fool everyone into thinking she's just a trouble-maker, getting sent to the principal's office more times than she can count. Then the principal switches her into a different class. With the help of a kind and fun new teacher, Mr. Daniels, and two new friends, Keisha and Albert, Ally finally gets a chance to bloom. 

Also by this author, One for the Murphys, about a girl named Carley, a foster kid who doesn't trust anyone, and doesn't allow herself to care or get close to anyone.  Until she is placed in the home of the Murphys, who slowly break down her barriers and show her what it's like to have a family.  Then Carley's mom wants her back. 

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

From the publisher: "Only the living can make the world better. Live and make it better.

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.

Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father’s actions."

Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee

From the publisher's website: "For seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. A few days later, at recess, one of the boys (and fellow trumpet player) Callum tells Mila it’s his birthday, and asks her for a “birthday hug.” He’s just being friendly, isn’t he? And how can she say no? But Callum’s hug lasts a few seconds too long, and feels…weird. According to her friend, Zara, Mila is being immature and overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like?

But the boys don’t leave Mila alone. On the bus. In the halls. During band practice—the one place Mila could always escape.

It doesn’t feel like flirting—so what is it? Thanks to a chance meeting, Mila begins to find solace in a new place: karate class. Slowly, with the help of a fellow classmate, Mila learns how to stand her ground and how to respect others—and herself. "

Smart Cookie by Elly Swartz

Don't be surprised if you see this being made into a Disney movie.  Frankie and her Dad and Gram run a B&B known for its game-themed rooms and fresh-baked cookies.  Her best friend Elliot thinks it's haunted. Her former bestie, Jessica, hasn't spoken to her in two years and she doesn't know why.  What Frankie really wants is a 'real' family -- and for that she feels like she needs a mom.  So, she makes a fake dating profile for her Dad, and starts interviewing the "Possibles", without her Dad catching on until she finds the right one. 

Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

13-year-old Brady and his two best friends live on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake, in Maryland.  They know the water very well – sons of watermen/ crab fishermen. There are some hard times, and one of the friends’ families loses their house.  It is bought by a nice, well-to-do African-American couple with a toddler, and the friend harbors resentment and festering anger. Along with the house went a beautiful red kayak.  When the woman and the toddler go missing in the kayak, Brady is one of those called out to help with the search. He finds the boy, and does CPR, but the child dies anyway. Brady is hailed as a hero, but he doesn’t feel like one.  He knows something about what happened to that kayak – holes were drilled in the bottom -- something he might have been able to stop, but didn’t. Brady has to decide whether to rat out his friends (and take the consequences for his part, as well), or be loyal and stay quiet. 

Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos

14-year-old Nadira lives with her family in New York City in a neighborhood with other families originally from Bangladesh.  But their lives are changed forever with the horrible events of September 11, because the government is suspicious of anyone who looks like them, and their visas have expired.  Where can they go? What can they do? Will they ever get their lives back? When their parents decide to flee to Canada, their father is detained at the border, and their mother stays to try to help him. Nadira and her sister must go back to New York, back to school, and pretend everything is normal, when it's anything but.

Break to You by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young, and  Michelle Knowlden

A brand new book from our fave author, Neal Shusterman!!  From the publisher: "Adriana knows that if she can manage to keep her head down for the next seven months, she might be able to get through her sentence in the Compass juvenile detention center. Thankfully, she’s allowed to keep her journal, where she writes down her most private thoughts when her feelings get too big.

Until the day she opens her journal and discovers that her thoughts are no longer so private. Someone has read her writings—and has written back. A boy who lives on the other side of the gender-divided detention center. A boy who sparks a fire in her to write back.

Jon’s story is different than Adriana’s; he’s already been at Compass for years and will be in the system for years to come. Still, when he reads the words Adriana writes to him, it makes him feel like the walls that hold them in have melted away."

Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick

From the publisher: "Jesse Dienstag's favorite sweatshirt says, "The real world isn't real." That's the slogan of the vacation-home community in Pennsylvania where his family has always spent every vacation and weekend for as long as he can remember. In the summer of 2019, as Jesse is about to enter his junior year of high school in New York City, he desperately wants to believe the slogan is true. For one thing, the two girls he loves -- equally and desperately -- are in Pennsylvania, and all the stresses and pressures of his daily life and school are in New York.

But when his parents stop talking to each other, it gets harder and harder for Jesse to maintain his dream life in Pennsylvania. And when Covid shuts New York City down in March 2020 just days after Jesse's mother leaves his father, Jesse's worlds collide."

XL by Scott Brown

Will, a high school sophomore, is short. Like under 5 feet short. He's sort of resigned himself to always being that way, but he doesn't feel good about himself. His best friends are his stepbrother Drew (6'3"), and his long-time crush Monica (5'10"). They're like the three musketeers, until he finds out Drew and Monica are hooking up, leaving him as the third wheel.  Then, Will starts to grow. And doesn't stop. He starts to think of himself differently, and everyone else does, too. Girls start noticing him! He's better at sports. But it starts to affect his relationships with both Drew and Monica. He's got to come to terms with his new 'normal' and figure out who he really wants to be.

Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis

You might know this author from his middle grade books, like The Watsons Go to Birmingham, or Bud, Not Buddy. He's an award-winning author for a reason -- and you shouldn't miss this one. What a great character!  What a great story of standing up for yourself and what you believe is right!  Luther is stuck in the city of Flint, under the impressive and powerful thumb of his mother, a.k.a. The Sarge, a slumlord businesswoman who is always looking out for number one.  For her, Luther is free labor. Luther runs the Happy Neighbor Group Home for Men (which she owns).  His relationship to the elderly men that he takes care of is special.  Luther wants to be a philosopher, and dreams of going to college.  But he'll have to get away from The Sarge, first... 

Rayne and Delilah's Midnight Matinee by Jeff Zentner

This is a love story -- romantic love, family love (from the best to the worst), but most of all, the love of a best friend.

Like a best friend, this book will make you laugh until you cry, cry until you laugh, root for and resent each other, share inside jokes, grow closer and drift apart.

Delia and Josie, HS seniors, best friends, and horror hosts of Midnight Matinee (a public access show where they introduce really bad horror movies), experience it all.  I predict you will fall in love with these smart, goofy, oh-so-real characters.  I hope they make a movie out of it!

Read everything by this author -- he's awesome: The Serpent King, Goodbye Days, and his latest, In the Wild Light.

Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

From the publisher: Sometimes, the greatest comebacks take place far away from the ball field. Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls' swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class? In this novel, teen author Jordan Sonnenblick performs his usual miraculous feat: exploring deep themes of friendship, romance, family, and tragedy, while still managing to be hilariously funny."

Sonnenblick has many other great realistic fiction books: Falling Over Sideways; Zen and the Art of Faking It; Notes from the Midnight Driver; and Are You Experienced (which does involve time travel but is very realistic!). 

The Memory of Things by Gae Polisner

Kyle watches the towers come down from the window of his high school, worried about his Dad, a first responder, and his Mom, who is supposed to be on a plane to come home that day from a business trip. Struggling through the streets, he comes across a girl, covered in ash, crouched in a corner, and wearing wings. She has no memory of what happened, or even who she is. Kyle takes her home, trying to help her, while also caring for his disabled uncle (a former first responder), and waiting for days to hear from either of his parents. 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

This compact novel in verse won so many awards you can hardly see the cover for all the stickers!  A powerful story, it takes place in about 60 seconds of an elevator ride while a young man with a gun in his waistband decides whether to take revenge on the gangbangers who murdered his brother.  Various people get in and out on the way down and help him make that choice.

Also by this author: Look Both Ways, and many more.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Rashad and Quinn are two all-American boys: not really friends, but they are classmates and teammates -- varsity basketball players. One day, Rashad stops at the quick-mart for some chips. In a series of mistakes and misunderstandings, a cop thinks he's a shoplifter and ends up beating him up, badly. Rashad ends up in the hospital. Quinn is a witness, but he didn't see what started it, only the beat-down. Paul, the cop, is a family friend, and a father figure who has helped Quinn ever since his father died in Afghanistan. Quinn loves and trusts Paul, but is uncomfortable with the level of violence. 

The closed-circuit camera video goes viral, and everyone in town and at school is divided. Who's right? Who's wrong? Whose side are you on?  This relevant story isn't just ripped from the headlines: it's a complex story of truth, race, and media that won multiple awards.

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Stewart and Ashley couldn't be more different. Stewart is an odd duck, super smart and funny, but awkward socially. Ashley is gorgeous, popular, and more concerned with fashion and her place at the top of the social ladder than schoolwork and grades. Their parents end up moving in together, and let's just say this is NOT the Brady Bunch! Ashley doesn't want to be associated with "Spewart", is hiding the fact that her parents got divorced because her father came out, and is trying to get the new hot guy at school to notice her. Stewart is still grieving the death of his mother, avoiding the bully in the locker room (guess who?), and trying to make friends at his new school. To say they don't get along is putting it mildly. Stewart finds a way to defuse the bully AND get on Ashley's good side, but things take a bad turn... Written from alternating points of view, it's kind of like "Big Bang Theory" crossed with Define Normal, by a former TV writer who used to write for "Degrassi Junior High". 

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

If you liked the Hate U Give, you'll like this one, too.  Fabiola Toussaint was born in America, but raised by her mother in her home of Haiti. Now they are coming to Detroit to live with her mother's sister, Aunt (Matant) Jo, and her three daughters, Chantal, Primadonna (Donna), and Princess (Pri). But Fabiola's mother is detained at the border, and refused entry into the country. Fabiola has to go on without her, and try to adjust to a new home, new life, new school. She prays to the spirit guides -- the lwas -- and asks guidance from the homeless man (Bad Leg) who sings cryptic poetry messages outside the house, on the corner of American Street and Joy Road. Her cousins, the "Three Bees", are tough cookies with a fierce reputation they use to protect Fabiola so nobody steps up to her. Donna's boyfriend, Dray, is a drug dealer and a playa. His friend, Kasim, though, is a different story, and he and Fabiola fall for each other. When a detective asks Fabiola for information to get Dray arrested, Fabiola must make a decision -- what's right, what's wrong?  What happens next will reveal secrets, test loyalties, and have a devastating effect on all their lives. 

And don't miss Pride, a Haitian-American version of Pride and Prejudice, by the same author.

Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles

Has anyone ever flipped you the bird? Have you ever done it to someone else? It feels different, depending on which side you're on. And depending on the situation.  Twelve different characters tell their intertwined stories, and each one features that hand gesture in some way. But together, they tell one story, of one day, in one town. 

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier

Che's family has just moved to NYC, having lived in many countries since they left their native Australia. Che is not thrilled to leave his friends behind, but is kind of used to it. He's okay as long as finds a gym to train and take boxing lessons -- that's his thing.  The first time he walks into the new gym, he sees Sojourner, and is immediately drawn to her -- she's a fighter, and a good one.  She doesn't fall for him quite so fast -- but she does befriend him, and show him around the city. But Che has a secret... his sister, Rosa, is a 10-year-old psychopath.  A psychopath is someone who has no empathy, who simply does not care about others' feelings. It is a mental disorder that results in abnormal social relationships, and can even lead to violent behavior. Che's number one job is to keep Rosa under control, so she doesn't do anything bad. There is a lot of suspense, a few twists, and you're never sure what's going to happen next. But this is also a realistic portrayal of psychopathy, and what it does to a family.    HS

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

From the publisher: "

Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full-time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else. Can she handle the taunts of "towel head" and the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? "

Dig by A.S. King

From the publisher: "The Shoveler, the Freak, CanIHelpYou?, Loretta the Flea-Circus Ring Mistress, and First-Class Malcolm. These are the five teenagers lost in the Hemmings family's maze of tangled secrets. Only a generation removed from being Pennsylvania potato farmers, Gottfried and Marla Hemmings managed to trade digging spuds for developing subdivisions and now sit atop a seven-figure bank account--wealth they've declined to pass on to their adult children or their teenage grandchildren. "Because we want them to thrive," Marla always says. What does thriving look like? Like carrying a snow shovel everywhere. Like selling pot at the Arby's drive-thru window. Like a first-class ticket to Jamaica between cancer treatments. Like a flea-circus in a double-wide. Like the GPS coordinates to a mound of dirt in a New Jersey forest. As the rot just beneath the surface of the Hemmings' precious suburban respectability begins to spread, the far-flung grandchildren gradually find their ways back to one another, just in time to uncover the terrible cost of maintaining the family name. "

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

The new book by the author of The Hate U Give about 16-year-old rapper, Bri, hoping to live up to the legacy of her father, who was an underground rap legend in their neighborhood, but died tragically just as he was about to reach wider fame. Preparing for her first rap battle, her anger about some of her family's struggles comes out in the song, and it goes viral.  The media thinks she's a hoodlum, and everybody starts taking sides in the frenzy.  Bri hates the labels, but will she be something she's not in order to make it big?

Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee

Maybelline (Maybe) is not the daughter her mother wants her to be.  Chessy (mom) owns a charm school in Kissimmee, Florida, coaching pageant girls and marrying one guy after another.  She named her daughter for her favorite make-up company.  Maybe tried the pageant thing, but her mother's criticism was unrelenting. It's just not her thing. She'd rather dye her hair a rainbow of colors, dress in baggy clothes, and hang out with her two best friends, Hollywood and Ted. Maybe has one more year of high school, but she's not sure what to do with herself after graduating. When Chessy's latest fiance tries to mess around with Maybe, Maybe is horrified, but Chessy blames her.  Sick of her mother's criticism, her drinking, and her boyfriends, Maybelline runs away.  She takes off with Ted and Hollywood, in Hollywood's beat up old car, for California, to try to find her father.  This story is sad, and funny, and oh so real.