One True Way Shannon Hitchcock Historical Fiction (1977) LGBTQ Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When Allie Drake and her mom move from New Jersey to North Carolina, Allie makes a friend – Sam – at her new middle school almost immediately. Sam introduces her to all the other kids, facilitates her getting onto the newspaper staff (Allie Drake, Staff Reporter!), and promises to teach her how to ride her horse. They quickly … Read more
Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Michelle Mee Nutter Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Avery Lee is one of seven kids in her family and she’s kind of tired of having to share space with her younger siblings. She comes up with a plan to have her own room, but when she shares it with her folks, she learns they have already decided to give that honor to her older … Read more
Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki Realistic Fiction (modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables) * * * Stars (Pretty good) Anne and her two moms (Lucy & Millie) move to small town Greenville when Lucy gets what she hopes will be her dream job at the local high school (assistant principal). Unfortunately, a lot of the people in Greenville are small-minded and they object to newcomers of any stripe. Some are particularly vehement and … Read more
My Summer of Love and Misfortune by Lindsay Wong Realistic Fiction * * Stars (Just Ok) Iris Wang is a spoiled, frivolous party girl who creates all kinds of problems for herself with the poor choices she makes. Her emergency credit card is maxed out, her best friend and her boyfriend have been not-so-secretly dating/hooking up behind her back, she’s failing her classes, and she’s been rejected by all of the colleges she’s applied to. … Read more
Front Country by Sara St. Antoine Adventure Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Ginny Shepard’s world comes squealing to a halt when her science teacher starts a unit on climate change. Unlike her classmates, Ginny can’t seem to stop thinking about all the animals going extinct and the planet dying. Her friends and family don’t understand why it’s hard for her to care about anything else. When Ginny starts ignoring her grades in … Read more
Believarexic by JJ Johnson Realistic Fiction Novel in Verse (partly) * * * Stars (Pretty good) Jennifer (15) is an alcoholic and has an eating disorder that she’s been hiding for some time. She realizes that she’s sick, and that she will need help to heal, but her family is skeptical – is this just another case of Jennifer seeking attention and being dramatic? Still, her mother makes an appointment for her to be evaluated … Read more
Odder by Katherine Applegate Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) What is life like for a wild otter? Living off the coast of California, near the Monterey Bay Aquarium (though it is called Highwater in her world), Odder delights in play. “Water means play, and play is their purpose.” When she was a child, barely a few months old (though otters grow much faster than human children) a storm swept … Read more
Auggie & Me (sequel to Wonder) by R.J. Palacio Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) “Auggie & Me” consists of three new chapters from three different characters that were in the book, “Wonder.” It takes place after the book and follows bully Julian, Auggie’s oldest friend Christopher, and his classmate Charlotte. It gives an insight into how Auggie has touched their own lives and where they go and what they … Read more
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Marlene comes from a long line of women with beautiful kinky hair and, alas, a tradition of straightening it to keep it under control. When her mom starts taking her to the salon, Marlene is initially excited about the attention and time they get to spend together, but that’s quickly overshadowed by the pain she experiences during the procedure, the … Read more
Real by Carol Cujec & Peyton Goddard Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Charity is an intelligent thirteen-year-old, but no one knows that because she is autistic and has difficulty communicating and controlling her body. Her parents love and support her, but have no more idea than anyone else how smart she really is. Forced to attend a special “school” that’s basically just a holding cell for kids with disabilities, Charity is regularly … Read more