Overcoming Social Challenges
We read these realistic fiction titles to build empathy, create deeper understanding of the social challenge, and sometimes cope with challenges in our own lives. “Bibliotherapy” is a great way to cope! If there are topics you're passionate about or sensitive to, talk to Ms. Rieger or a teacher for a personalized recommendation.
Bullies & Upstanders
Protagonist is perpetually bullied, or takes action against peer bullying. Choose to be an Upstander!
Alabama Moon - Watt Key*
Better Nate Than Ever - Tim Federle
Better Than Weird - Anna Kerz
Bystander - James Preller*
Calli Be Gold - Michele Weber Hurwitz
Eight Keys - Suzanne LaFleur
The First Rule of Punk - Celia C. Perez
The Girl in the Well is Me - Karen Rivers
The Girls - Amy Goldman Koss
Just Like Jackie - Amy Stoddard
The Misfits - James Howe
My Cousin’s Keeper - Simon French*
Poison Ivy - Amy Goldman Koss
Posted - John David Anderson
Rhyme Schemer - K.A. Holt
The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade - Jordan Sonnenblick
The 6th Grade Nickname Game - Gordon Korman
Tangerine - Edward Bloor*
The Truth about Truman School - Dori Hillestad Butler
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle - Leslie Connor
33 Minutes… Until Morgan Sturtz Kicks My Butt - Todd Hasak-Lowy
Ungifted - Gordon Korman
Conflict Between Friends & Social Anxiety
Protagonist struggles with making friends, or resolves a serious conflict with a friend.
Allie, First at Last - Angela Cervantes
Awkward - Svetlana Chmakova [graphic novel]
Blackbird Fly - Erin Entrada Kelly
Connect the Stars - Marisa de los Santos & David Teague
Counting By 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan
The First Rule of Punk - Celia C. Perez
Granny Torelli Makes Soup - Sharon Creech
The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley - April Stevens
I Emma Freke - Elizabeth Atkinson
Ida B - Katherine Hannigan
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth - E.L. Konigsburg
Nothing But Trouble - Jacqueline Davies
Posted - John David Anderson
Real Friends - Shannon Hale [graphic novel]
Roller Girl - Victoria Jamieson [graphic novel]
Shug - Jenny Han
The Swift Boys & Me - Kody Keplinger
33 Minutes… Until Morgan Sturtz Kicks My Butt - Todd Hasak-Lowy
Well, That Was Awkward - Rachel Vail
Crime, Punishment, & Incarceration
Protagonist copes with consequences of a crime - or with parent, peer, or self in prison.
All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook - Leslie Connor
Do Not Pass Go - Kirkpatrick Hill*
House Arrest - K.A. Holt
Scar Island - Dan Gemeinhart*
The Seventh Most Important Thing - Shelley Pearsall
Silent to the Bone - E.L. Konigsburg
Touching Spirit Bear - Ben Mikkelson
With a Name Like Love - Tess Hilmo
Cultural Conflict & Understanding
Protagonist(s) learn to appreciate their own identity, or a culture they previously misunderstood.
Benny & Omar - Eoin Colfer
Blackbird Fly - Erin Entrada Kelly
Born Confused - Tanuja Desai Hidier
Dancing Home - Alma Flor Ada
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora - Pabla Cartaya
Full Cicada Moon - Marilyn Hilton
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu - Wendy Wan-Long Shang
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel - Firoozeh Dumas
It All Comes Down to This - Karen English
Kimchi & Calamari - Rose Kent
Kira-Kira - Cynthia Kadohata
Lily and Dunkin - Donna Gephart*
Listen, Slowly - Thanhha Lai
My Basmati Bat Mitzvah - Paula J. Freedman
My Name is Not Easy - Debby Dahl Edwardson
Same Sun Here - Silas House & Neela Vaswani
So Much for Democracy - Kari Jones
For a historical perspective on these issues, visit our Historical Fiction list!
Subtopic: Migrants & Refugees
Titles showing migrant worker struggles, refugees from war-torn countries, or adapting to a new life after migrating.
Crossing the Wire - Will Hobbs
Dancing Home - Alma Flor Ada
Gaby, Lost and Found - Angela Cervantes
Hidden - Miriam Halahmy*
Home of the Brave - Katherine Applegate
The Night Diary - Veera Hiranandani
For more ideas, try our Multicultural Fiction list!
Death & Grief
Protagonist copes with illness, traumatic injury, or death of a loved one.
Alabama Moon - Watt Key*
Another Kind of Hurricane - Tamara Ellis Smith
Ashes to Asheville - Sarah Dooley
Counting By 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan
Death By Toilet Paper - Donna Gephart
The Ethan I Was Before - Ali Standish
The Great Wide Sea - M.H. Herlong
The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley - April Stevens
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life - Wendy Mass
Keeper of the Night - Kimberly Willis Holt [parent suicide]*
Laugh with the Moon - Shana Burg
Lost in the Sun - Lisa Graff
Love, Aubrey - Suzanne LaFleur
Ms. Bixby’s Last Day - John David Anderson
A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness
The Other Side of Summer - Emily Gale
Paper Things - Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Silent to the Bone - E.L. Konigsburg
Speed of Life - Carol Weston
The Stars Beneath Our Feet - David Barclay Moore*
Train I Ride - Paul Mosier
Waiting for Augusta - Jessica Lawson
Disability & Illness Challenges
Check out our Dis/Ability list for a detailed perspective!
Establishing Identity
Protagonist struggles with establishing their identity, or sharing their identity with others. Features characters who are LGBTQ, nonconforming gender, multiracial, etc. Some are humorous, some are serious.
Born Confused - Tanuja Desai Hidier
The First Rule of Punk - Celia C. Perez
Full Cicada Moon - Marilyn Hilton
Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World - Ashley Herring Blake
Lily and Dunkin - Donna Gephart
Family Conflict & Divorce
Protagonist copes with difficult family member or changes at home.
The Amazing Adventures of John Smith, Jr. AKA Houdini - Peter Johnson
Courage for Beginners - Karen Harrington
Eggs Over Evie - Alison Jackson
Forget Me Not - Ellie Terry
The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley - April Stevens
The Normal Kid - Elizabeth Holmes
Once You Know This - Emily Blejwas
Pop - Gordon Korman
Raymie Nightingale - Kate DiCamillo
Searching for Candlestick Park - Peg Kehret
The Swift Boys & Me - Kody Keplinger
Tangerine - Edward Bloor*
Watch the Sky - Kirsten Hubbard [abuse]*
Subtopic: Addiction
Protagonist copes with family member or peer with addiction.
Do Not Pass Go - Kirkpatrick Hill [drug addiction + incarceration]*
Rules for Stealing Stars - Corey Ann Haydu [alcohol addiction]
Foster Living & Adoption
Protagonist navigates foster system after being abandoned by, taken from, or losing a parent.
Alabama Moon - Watt Key*
Almost Home - Joan Bauer
Counting by 7’s - Holly Goldberg Sloan
Forever, or a Long, Long Time - Caela Carter
The Great Gilly Hopkins - Katherine Paterson
Half a World Away - Cynthia Kadohata
Just Like Jackie - Lindsey Stoddard
The Land of Forgotten Girls - Erin Entrada Kelly
One for the Murphys - Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Orphan Train Girl - Christina Baker Kline
Paper Things - Jennifer Richard Jacobson*
Soar - Joan Bauer
Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth - Frank Cottrell Boyce
Homelessness & Poverty
Protagonist struggles with poverty or wants to help.
Alabama Moon - Watt Key*
Almost Home - Joan Bauer
Crenshaw - Katherine Applegate
Crossing the Wire - Will Hobbs
Death By Toilet Paper - Donna Gephart
Deliver Us From Normal - Kate Klise
Hold Fast - Blue Balliett
The Land of Forgotten Girls - Erin Entrada Kelly
Ninth Ward - Jewell Parker Rhodes
Once You Know This - Emily Blejwas
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton*
Paper Things - Jennifer Richard Jacobson*
The Perfect Place - Teresa E. Harris
Train I Ride - Paul Mosier
Upstanders Who Pay it Forward
Protagonist leads the way in social change!
Better Nate Than Ever - Tim Federle
Calli Be Gold - Michele Weber Hurwitz
The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee - Barry Jonsberg
Midnight Without a Moon - Linda Williams Jackson
Once You Know This - Emily Blejwas
Pay It Forward - Catherine Ryan Hyde
Soar - Joan Bauer
Train I Ride - Paul Mosier