Tag Archives: Realistic Fiction

MG -Finally Seen

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Yang, Kelly. Finally Seen. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-534-48833-5. unpaged. $17.99. Grades 3-7.

When her parents emigrated to the United States with her young sister Millie, Lena Gao stayed behind in the “waiting city” of Beijing with her beloved lao lao (grandmother). In the opening pages of Finally Seen, Lena is on a flight to Los Angeles to be reunited with her family! But five years is a long time, and Lena has a lot to learn about her own family, not to mention the English language and American culture. Lena quickly realizes that nothing has been perfect for her parents in California either. Her dad works very long hours on an organic farm, back rent will be due in a few short months when COVID-19 rent relief expires, and their green cards are hung up in red tape. To make ends meet, Mom and Millie make bath bombs to sell on Etsy, and Lena happily joins in the family business. At school, Lena begins to learn English with the help of an empathetic ELL teacher and Flea Shop, a graphic novel that offers Lena a mirror of her own life. But Lena’s joy at being “finally seen” in a book also finds her caught in the midst of a culture war over what books are appropriate for students to read. 

THOUGHTS: Kelly Yang delivers another charming and relatable middle grade novel rooted in the real experiences of so many young people in the United States and beyond. Her Author’s Note describes the impact of attempts to ban her novel Front Desk, and her steadfast belief in the freedom to read books that offer windows, mirrors, and sliding doors.

Realistic Fiction

YA – Friday I’m in Love

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Garrett, Camryn. Friday I’m in Love. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-43510-6. 272 p. $18.99. Grades 8-12.

California teen Mahalia Harris missed out on the sweet sixteen party of her dreams due to finances; she and her single mom just couldn’t cover the cost. She decides on a coming out party instead, planning to reveal her queer identity to her closest friends and family at a big bash instead of one by one. Naturally the cake, invitations, and custom dress will reflect a rainbow theme! Despite Mahalia’s careful budgeting plans, everything is complicated by her mom’s unexpected medical needs, a landslide of schoolwork, tension with her bestie, and a flirty but unavailable new girl at school. Siobahn, who has recently relocated to San Diego from Ireland, seems interested in Mahalia but is currently dating another classmate, Danny. Although Mahalia’s crush is undeniable, she doesn’t know for certain if Siobahn is attracted to girls as well as boys … at first. Camryn Garrett’s third novel (and first romantic comedy) includes plenty of genuinely comedic moments to balance out the relationship angst. The author also realistically portrays the financial burdens that so many teens face. One criticism: throughout Friday I’m in Love, Mahalia references her curves. It’s unfortunate that the cover art, which depicts Mahalia’s fabulously proud 2custom dress, does not accurately reflect the character’s shape.

THOUGHTS: Fans of queer romantic comedies, especially readers of Leah Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown, will not want to miss this one! 

Realistic Fiction

YA – Four for the Road

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Reilly, K.J. Four for the Road. Simon & Schuster, 2022. 280 p. $18.99 978-1-665-90228-1. Grades 7-12.

One year ago, Asher Hunting’s mom was killed in a car accident by a drunken truck driver, who, due to a technicality, faced no penalties. For him, life continues. But for Asher, guilt over his part in the accident, along with revenge, consume his thoughts. He’s gone so far as to profile the drunk driver online and discover he has a teenage daughter Grace, who Asher ‘catfishes,’ planning to take her to her prom. Asher’s supportive father waits for him to process the grief, even taking him to multiple grief groups. In these groups, Asher meets Sloane, whose dad died of cancer; Will, whose little brother was in the minority of those to die from neuroblastoma; and eighty-year-old Henry, whose wife has died. The prom–and Asher’s revenge–is approaching, leading these four on a road trip from New Jersey to Graceland. Each person is seeking something different to heal their grief–and the success of each depends upon the unknowns of the trip and upon each other. By turns sarcastic and realistically grief-laden, this novel showcases grief and the things we need from each other. Asher’s voice rings true as the modern-day Holden Caulfield with a deep reason to voice his pain, confusion, and desperation. Although humorous at times, the novel does not downplay each character’s pain and growth. And when Asher arrives at Grace’s house, readers are treated to another unexpected character, and she is no shamed, wilting damsel.

THOUGHTS: This is a heart-wrenching and heart-healing book about grief, and readers will root for Asher, Sloane, Will, Henry, and Grace on their journey. It strikes just the right balance of humor, introspection, pain, and healing. Highly recommended.

Realistic Fiction          Melissa Scott, Shenango Area SD

MG – Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet

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Dee, Barbara. Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet. Aladdin, 2022. 978-1-534-48983-7. 286 p. $17.99. Grades 4-8. 

Haven spends a lot of time worrying about the climate crisis. When she begins to suspect that a local factory is polluting the river in her town, she jumps at the chance to organize her friends and family in an effort to expose a potential problem with the water supply and the corporate world that may be perpetuating the problem. What she learns, however, is that the situation is more complicated than it appears on the surface, and that the consequences of investigating environmental pollution may be more far-reaching than she anticipated. Still, the vivid characters and interesting plot help this book to end on a hopeful note, and the story may provide a helpful example for a new generation of climate activists.

THOUGHTS: This is a wonderful book for students who are worried about climate change and pollution but don’t know how they themselves fit into the larger picture of the world’s environmental problems. The factory that Haven fears is polluting her town also employs her father, and her activism sometimes creates additional tension in her friendships that the book explores with a refreshing, realistic voice. Once again, Barbara Dee tells a story in this book that many middle-grade readers will find relatable and thought-provoking.

Realistic Fiction          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

YA – We Are All We Have

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Budhos, Marina. We Are All We Have. Wendy Lamb Books, 2022. 978-0-593-12020-0. 241 p. $17.99. Grades 7-12.

Rania is looking forward to high school graduation, a job in a bookstore, and college. But those dreams dissolve in an instant when her mother is caught in an ICE raid on their Brooklyn apartment. The 17-year-old Muslim teen knows it’s all a mistake. Ammi has been working with a lawyer for years, seeking asylum for their family. Rania’s father had been a journalist in Pakistan when Rania was young, and when he was killed, Rania and her mother fled to the United States, where her younger brother, Kamal, was born. Fierce, determined Rania knows she can hold things together until her mother is released, but the siblings end up in a detention center for immigrant children, where they are befriended by Carlos, a teen from Mexico. Pursuing every lead to get out of the detention center, Rania, Carlos, and Kamal hit the road, like the Beat poets Rania idolizes. Their journey travels from joy to heartbreak to love, as Rania encounters myriad faces and stories of immigrants, individuals like Rania and her family and friends who are trying to follow the rules and live their lives in the shadow of border closures, family separations, and strangling red tape. We Are All We Have is an important look at the story of immigrants beyond the sensationalized headlines. Rania takes us through the immigrant experience, from day-to-day life with the ever-present fear of ICE, to government detention facilities, to sanctuaries and safe houses. 

THOUGHTS: An emotional ride through the world of immigrants, with feisty Rania as a guide, this book humanizes the immigrant experience. A first purchase for middle school and high school collections. 

Realistic Fiction          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD

MG – Small Town Pride

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Stamper, Phil.  Small Town Pride. Harper, 2023. 978-0-063-11878-2. 260 p. $16.99. Grades 5-8.

Jake is adjusting to being his school’s first openly gay kid, but it’s not easy. His family and friends have been accepting but not everyone in the small Ohio town he lives in feels the same. The book starts with Jake coming home to an obscenely large pride flag hanging outside his house…his house across the street from the mayor’s house. People in town begin to be concerned that this could lead to a pride parade. Which causes Jake to think…why not? The main problem is that they would have to get approval from the town council and the mayor. Will Jake and his friends be able to convince people that a Pride celebration is an awesome idea? Why is Brett, the mayor’s son, spending so much time with Jake and his friends?

THOUGHTS: This was a wonderful story about standing up for yourself and what that can look like for an individual person. Highly recommended for any middle school collection.

Realistic Fiction          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

MG – Wave

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Farid, Diane. Wave. Cameron Kids, 2022. 978-1-951-83658-0. 313 p. $18.99. Grades 4-6.

Wave is a middle grade novel in verse that follows Ava, a Persian girl who loves to surf and sing. Ava also loves spending time with her best friend, Phoenix, but the summer before 9th grade things are not going to plan. Her mom wants Ava to volunteer at the local hospital in the hopes that Ava will follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a doctor. One day Phoenix’s lymphoma is back, and there isn’t a lot that makes Ava feel better anymore. When she is with Phoenix she feels like she belongs, and as he goes through treatments Ava begins to feel lost. Will she be able to handle what life has in store for her? Or will she be thrown off and set adrift?

THOUGHTS: This a beautifully told middle grade novel in verse about a friendship and finding your own voice. This book does not shy away from the hard topics and the ending may have the reader in tears. Great read alike for fans of Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie.  

Realistic Fiction          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter School
Novel in Verse

Elem. – Just Harriet

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Arnold, Elana. Just Harriet. Walden Pond Press. 978-0-063-09204-4. 196 p. $16.99. Grades 3-5. 

Third grade just ended, but summer is not beginning the way Harriet plans. When her mother is put on bed rest until Harriet’s new baby brother arrives, her parents also decide to send Harriet to live with her grandmother for the summer. Nanu lives on Marble Island where she runs a bed and breakfast. Harriet always enjoys visiting Nanu with her parents, but staying alone with her for the whole summer is an entirely different story. As Harriet struggles with adjusting to her new surroundings, she finds a mysterious key in Nanu’s shed. This discovery leads her on an adventure involving an antique dollhouse, her 100-year-old neighbor, and some items from her father’s childhood on the island. Harriet is a boisterous, stubborn narrator with a penchant for lying, and she does not enjoy changes that are out of her control. But, readers will root for her as she copes in her own way with the many unexpected twists her summer takes. 

THOUGHTS: This summer adventure is perfect for readers who are just transitioning to chapter books. Short chapters include at least one black and white illustration. Readers will relate to Harriet’s conflicting emotions about being sent away for the summer but also her excitement about seeing her grandmother and trying to solve the mystery of what the old key opens. 

Mystery          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

YA – They’re Watching You

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Ichaso, Chelsea. They’re Watching You. Peachtree Teen, 2023. 978-1-728-25106-6. 352 p. $17.99. Grades 7-12.

Two weeks ago Polly St. James ran away from the stresses of life at Torrey-Wells Academy, an elite prep school. That’s what everyone except Polly’s best friend and roommate Maren believes. But things have been different for them this year. Polly was distant and because their last conversation left her with more questions than answers, Maren is determined to uncover why. Despite searching their room and Polly’s things for clues multiple times, Maren still doesn’t have any answers. Then she finds a hidden invitation to the Gamemaster’s Society among Polly’s things. Maren knows to uncover the truth about Polly’s disappearance she needs to learn more about this rumored society, including how to get an invitation herself. But secret societies are full of rules, and despite its name this one is more than fun and games. Maren has to figure out who she can trust while competing in high-stakes games that have deadly consequences. Will she uncover what happened to Polly (and rescue her), or is Maren the next victim of the game?

THOUGHTS: With a long history of boarding school and secret society books being popular, hand this one to fans of realistic mysteries like The Ivies, Truly Devious, or Looking for Alaska. Recommended for young adult collections.

Mystery

YA – Wrecked

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Henson, Heather. Wrecked. Atheneum, 2022. 978-1-442-45105-6. $18.99. 272 p. Grades 9-12.

In the knobs of rural Kentucky, life always has been just Miri and her dad Poe. Despite Miri’s mom’s death, they’ve lived a good life, off the grid and not glamorous by any means, away from everything. Known locally as the Wizard for his skills with fixing things, especially bikes, Miri understands there are other reasons that Poe is called the Wizard, but she doesn’t ask for any details. Miri’s only friend is Clay. Poe has looked out for Clay and given him odd jobs, since Clay’s mom was sent upstate for cooking crystal meth. Fen, whose mom wanted him away from bad influences in Detroit, just arrived in Paradise, Kentucky to live with his dad. When Miri runs into Fen – almost literally – she decides he may be her ticket out of Paradise. Clay, like Poe, doesn’t trust strangers and doesn’t appreciate Miri’s new interest in Fen. As the two spend more and more time together, Clay becomes more agitated. With an Appalachian town overrun by the opioid epidemic and teens trying to navigate their surroundings and futures, it seems like there may not be a happy ending for anyone.

THOUGHTS: The alternating perspectives with each chapter will draw readers into a story of teenage insecurities. With an underlying mystery, readers will be hooked as they race towards an explosive ending. Recommended for high school collections, especially for reluctant readers.

Realistic Fiction          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD