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Realistic Fiction + Sports + Verse Narrative

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Leia has it right - middle grade fiction told in verse. It is wonderful poetry - but it is also exceptional in the broader category of middle grade fiLeia has it right - middle grade fiction told in verse. It is wonderful poetry - but it is also exceptional in the broader category of middle grade fiction, with many tags such as: sports, family, death of parent, basketball, rap, siblings, twins, coming of age... ...more (less)

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Leia has it right - middle grade fiction told in verse. It is wonderful poetry - but it is also exceptional in the broader category of middle grade fiLeia has it right - middle grade fiction told in verse.

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My son started reading this just after he turned 8 and he finished all of them (and the Brotherband Chronicles and the Early Years prequel) in about 2My son started reading this just after he turned 8 and he finished all of them (and the Brotherband Chronicles and the Early Years prequel) in about 2 months. He finished all of the Harry Potter books last year at 7, so if they can handle Potter, they can handle this. He's now reading The Summoner Trilogy. We ask him about it and he tells us the plot and how each books relates to another. In search of his next series. Michele Hane...more (less)

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The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice, #1)

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My son started reading this just after he turned 8 and he finished all of them (and the Brotherband Chronicles and the Early Years prequel) in about 2My son started reading this just after he turned 8 and he finished all of them (and the Brotherband Chronicles and the Early Years prequel) in about 2 months.

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A bit of a genre mashup: reads like realistic fiction; includes people and events from history; also a ghost story!

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For high schoolers, they might prefer 'The Hate U Give' or 'All American Boys', similar subject matter, but written for an older audience. If you haveFor high schoolers, they might prefer 'The Hate U Give' or 'All American Boys', similar subject matter, but written for an older audience. If you have students looking for a historical perspective, 'Dreamland Burning' is another phenomenal book. ...more (less)

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For high schoolers, they might prefer 'The Hate U Give' or 'All American Boys', similar subject matter, but written for an older audience. If you haveFor high schoolers, they might prefer 'The Hate U Give' or 'All American Boys', similar subject matter, but written for an older audience.

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Watch Mrs. Cramer's video and reserve your independent read! You have to log in to the catalog with your usual LMS username and password. Then you see a "put on hold" icon next to the book you've searched. Click on the icon to reserve the book.

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This is another great novel written by Linda Sue Park.

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A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story

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Read 10.8k reviews from the world’s largest community for readers. A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl i…

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We watched an interview with the author as we started the year. She wrote this book when she was just 15 years old. At the time she wrote it, this book was considered contemporary or new realistic fiction. It's considered a classic today.

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Read for the third time for my YA class in grad school! I've read it twice before - once on my own in 2014 and once for my undergrad YA lit class in 2017. Despite knowing what I was getting going in, the novel still holds up, and I can't wait to examine it more deeply in class!

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Read for the third time for my YA class in grad school! I've read it twice before - once on my own in 2014 and once for my undergrad YA lit class in 2017. Despite knowing what I was getting going in, the novel still holds up, and I can't wait to examine it more deeply in class!

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Daniel barely remembers leading a normal life before the Nazis came to power in 1933. He can still picture once being happy and safe, but...

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I bought dozens of books in grade school from the little Scholastic Books newsletter that was passed out in class every month (Mom had to have some serious budgetary talks with me to explain why no, I could not order ALL THE BOOKS). Of these, decades and many moves later, I still have five of them that I couldn't let go. This story of a young Japanese-American girl interned by the U.S. government during World War II is one. (If you're curious, the others include Freedom for a cheetah and Mr. Mys...more

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I bought dozens of books in grade school from the little Scholastic Books newsletter that was passed out in class every month (Mom had to have some serious budgetary talks with me to explain why no, I could not order ALL THE BOOKS).

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Per the author's notes:Per the author's notes:
The original idea of the "wings" came from black folklore where people in Africa were thought to fly and then lost their wings
The original idea of the "wings" came from black folklore where people in Africa were thought to fly and then lost their wings when captured as slaves.

Wings mean freedom. The Invention of...means how these characters came to find their personal freedom through abolition and women's rights.

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Per the author's notes:Per the author's notes:The original idea of the "wings" came from black folklore where people in Africa were thought to fly and then lost their wings The original idea of the "wings" came from black folklore where people in Africa were thought to fly and then lost their wings when captured as slaves.

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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Logans, #4)

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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry has 104,427 ratings and 4,460 reviews. Hannah said: Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Begi...

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There are several deaths, starting with Kit Tyler's parents when she was young and then her grandfather. Both of these deaths are prior to the start oThere are several deaths, starting with Kit Tyler's parents when she was young and then her grandfather. Both of these deaths are prior to the start of the story. Mercy and her older brother had caught an illness with the brother dying and Mercy being left an invalid. This also occurred before the start of the story. ...more

While the deaths of Kit's parents and grandfather, and to a lesser extent, Mercy's brother, laid the foundation for the story all of the deaths during the story itself were a minor part of the story.

There are no deaths in the bulk of the story until an illness strikes many people in town. On page 182 is "John Wetherell's boy died today. That makes three dead." The Wetherells are never mentioned in the story other than that sentence.

More seriously, is a group of 20 young men leave a nearby town as part of the militia. They are ambushed by indians with only eight of them returning. While none of the young men killed were from Wethersfield one of the men taken prisoner by the indians was.
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There are several deaths, starting with Kit Tyler's parents when she was young and then her grandfather. Both of these deaths are prior to the start oThere are several deaths, starting with Kit Tyler's parents when she was young and then her grandfather. Both of these deaths are prior to the start of the story.

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Fun fact: This book was actually written as the antithesis to the Chronicles of Narnia, which are very Christian. These books are quite antireligious,Fun fact: This book was actually written as the antithesis to the Chronicles of Narnia, which are very Christian. These books are quite antireligious, but you could still enjoy them regardless of your faith. The Golden Compass does not deal as much with religion, but the second and third books really delve into the topic. ...more (less)

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The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)

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Fun fact: This book was actually written as the antithesis to the Chronicles of Narnia, which are very Christian. These books are quite antireligious,Fun fact: This book was actually written as the antithesis to the Chronicles of Narnia, which are very Christian. These books are quite antireligious, but you could still enjoy them regardless of your faith.

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YES, yes it is. I found this out when I flirted with it then asked it out on a date and got shot down in flames. I'm hoping for better luck with PushiYES, yes it is. I found this out when I flirted with it then asked it out on a date and got shot down in flames. I'm hoping for better luck with Pushing Ice by Alastair REYNOLDS, but Shogun has shown some interest. .. 🍀 ...more

(by the way. I am in no way making fun of you, Caitlyn or anyone LGBTQ or straight. I just found the comment by Elias to be ROTFFLMFAO HILARIOUS and could not resist adding a comment of my own .... I at least hope SOMEONE got a laugh 😂 out of it!) (less)

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Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell

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Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1)

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YES, yes it is. I found this out when I flirted with it then asked it out on a date and got shot down in flames. I'm hoping for better luck with PushiYES, yes it is. I found this out when I flirted with it then asked it out on a date and got shot down in flames.

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Pashmina is heartfelt young adult graphic novel about an Indian-American teen's attempt to reconnect with her mother's homeland through a magical pashmina shawl. Follow Pri as she realizes that the India of her imagination is not like the real india, and as she learns the truth to he magical pashmina's origin.

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Pashmina is heartfelt young adult graphic novel about an Indian-American teen's attempt to reconnect with her mother's homeland through a magical pashmina shawl. Follow Pri as she realizes that the India of her imagination is not like the real india, and as she learns the truth to he magical pashmina's origin.

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Im pretty sure they actually are related. I think Scythe is far in the future. In Unwind series the "cloud" is referred to as the "nimbus" which is whIm pretty sure they actually are related. I think Scythe is far in the future. In Unwind series the "cloud" is referred to as the "nimbus" which is what the Thunderhead was before it was itself....so that's my theory... Leah (Jane Speare)...more (less)

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Im pretty sure they actually are related. I think Scythe is far in the future. In Unwind series the "cloud" is referred to as the "nimbus" which is whIm pretty sure they actually are related. I think Scythe is far in the future.

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Realistic Fiction + LGBT

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I think if your 7-year-old is already reading middle grade fiction, there's nothing in this book that would be too mature. There is one mention of FigI think if your 7-year-old is already reading middle grade fiction, there's nothing in this book that would be too mature. There is one mention of Fig catching her father kissing his new love interest, and an instance where she lashes out physically, but mostly the book deals with feelings more than anything else. They're not always happy feelings, but even the discussions of bipolar disorder tend to come down more to how the characters are reacting emotionally to it. Fig tells her her dad about her attraction to the girl who works at the library, and it's honestly adorable. Hope this helps. ...more (less)

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Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader

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I think if your 7-year-old is already reading middle grade fiction, there's nothing in this book that would be too mature. There is one mention of FigI think if your 7-year-old is already reading middle grade fiction, there's nothing in this book that would be too mature.

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Anthology of short, realistic fiction stories

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I feel like anthologies are so hard to rate, because there are stories you'll love and stories that you'll feel iffy about and that was the case for me and this book. It was nice to be able to read from authors I've never read before and see what their writing styles were like. I also love that this book is full of diverse stories, which is something that we still need more of.

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I feel like anthologies are so hard to rate, because there are stories you'll love and stories that you'll feel iffy about and that was the case for me and this book. It was nice to be able to read from authors I've never read before and see what their writing styles were like.

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Nonfiction + Memoir

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They are about 98% the same. The "regular version" has more profanity in it, and a few storylines are a bit longer. For instance, the chapter about TrThey are about 98% the same. The "regular version" has more profanity in it, and a few storylines are a bit longer. For instance, the chapter about Trevor's time in jail includes some details about the people he met while he was there that are eliminated from the YA version. But for the most part, it's the same book. ...more (less)

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They are about 98% the same. The "regular version" has more profanity in it, and a few storylines are a bit longer. For instance, the chapter about TrThey are about 98% the same. The "regular version" has more profanity in it, and a few storylines are a bit longer.

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For this review, I decided to borrow an idea from one of my favorite movie bloggers, Nathaniel Rogers. When new trailers debut, he groups his thoughts into three kinds of responses: yes, no, and maybe so. Now, the book that I am reviewing, Joseph Bruchac's Code Talkers, is not a movie, and I am not just now encountering it for the first time. But I am going to apply the yes/no/maybe so format anyway because it gives me something reasonably interesting to say about a book I respected but didn't r...more

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For this review, I decided to borrow an idea from one of my favorite movie bloggers, Nathaniel Rogers. When new trailers debut, he groups his thoughts into three kinds of responses: yes, no, and maybe so. Now, the book that I am reviewing, Joseph Bruchac's Code Talkers, is not a movie, and I am not just now encountering it for the first time.

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Fantasy + LGBT

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"When the leader of this kingdom treats women as property, it sets an awful precedent. People think it's okay to do the same."

4.25 stars
Oh my! An amazing debut! I can't believe how wrapped up in this story I got.
I loved Sophia from the start and I totally hated the ruler and the king. I cannot go into further detail without spoilers but this book is an awesome fairytale retelling. I can only recommend it.
(Also: the mc is poc and lesbian, just in case anyone was looking for a book like that....more

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Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell

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"When the leader of this kingdom treats women as property, it sets an awful precedent. People think it's okay to do the same." 4.25 starsOh my! An amazing debut! I can't believe how wrapped up in this story I got. I loved Sophia from the start and I totally hated the ruler and the king.

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Realistic Fiction

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I'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school. Even though there is some mature subject matter involving teen pI'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school. Even though there is some mature subject matter involving teen pregnancy, it is only the result of the pregnancy that is discussed in any detail in the book. There may be some sensitivity to the concluding chapters as well for some students, but I believe my seventh and eighth graders, as well as my mature sixth grade readers would be fine with the book. I do agree that "Children's" is a misleading label, however. ...more (less)

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I'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school. Even though there is some mature subject matter involving teen pI'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school.

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Realistic Fiction + Verse Narrative

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4.5
What a quietly poetical and soothing story.
Red Pencil tells the story in free verses of Amira, of her desire for more, her hunger to learn, to discover. Through her eyes we are told the story of her parents, her family, her village, Sudanese war.
I found myself more and more attracted to middle grade books written in verse, it conveys so much with little words. This one was no exception for me. The poetry was not breathtaking but always tender, sweet and heartbreaking at times.
I am so happy m...more

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4.5What a quietly poetical and soothing story. Red Pencil tells the story in free verses of Amira, of her desire for more, her hunger to learn, to discover. Through her eyes we are told the story of her parents, her family, her village, Sudanese war.I found myself more and more attracted to middle grade books written in verse, it conveys so much with little words.

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret book. Read 14,228 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the...

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Realistic Fiction + Verse Narrative

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Timothy is given a year of house arrest and required to keep a journal the entire time for stealing a wallet to pay for his younger brother's medication. This is that journal and if reading it doesn't give you all the emotions, then I don't know what to tell you.

This. was. just. beautiful. I laughed. I cried. I cried a little more. I didn't want to stop reading about Timothy and Levi. Easily, five stars. Now it's time to read Knockout, the sequel to House Arrest.

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Timothy is given a year of house arrest and required to keep a journal the entire time for stealing a wallet to pay for his younger brother's medication. This is that journal and if reading it doesn't give you all the emotions, then I don't know what to tell you.

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The Golden Compass Graphic Novel, Complete Edition

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Follow Lyra's story once again in a way you've never experienced it before, as the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her ...

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Realistic Fiction + Verse Narrative

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Nope, not difficult to follow at all! It's a 'verse novel', so you see a lot of the structure of a poem (stanzas, line breaks, rhythm, etc.) without aNope, not difficult to follow at all! It's a 'verse novel', so you see a lot of the structure of a poem (stanzas, line breaks, rhythm, etc.) without a meter (like good old iambic pentameter) or rhyming (which would have put me off). ...more

If you want to focus on the 'in verse' of it while reading you can (and I'm sure the audiobook is great for that), but I found myself reading it like it was a regular novel, then starting to appreciate the poetry once I found myself getting a feel for the rhythm of the page. I'm 25% of the way in now, so I'll include a sample of the page I'm on in a comment: (less)

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Nope, not difficult to follow at all! It's a 'verse novel', so you see a lot of the structure of a poem (stanzas, line breaks, rhythm, etc.) without aNope, not difficult to follow at all! It's a 'verse novel', so you see a lot of the structure of a poem (stanzas, line breaks, rhythm, etc.)

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So, apparently if women owned cities they would turn into benevolent dictators.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I think I'm officially turning into a GN snob. A really great friend and librarian colleague of mine recently read this and loved it. I just kept seeing the flaws.

I get that this came first. That it's a dystopian tale about all the adults dying and the kids having to figure out how to survive and it stars a GIRL and the original book came out in 1975. I totally like the feel of the art. And THE...more

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So, apparently if women owned cities they would turn into benevolent dictators. Sorry, couldn't resist. I think I'm officially turning into a GN snob. A really great friend and librarian colleague of mine recently read this and loved it. I just kept seeing the flaws. I get that this came first.

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Swipe is pretty obviously the same scenario as every other dystopian novel, but it took too long to get to the crux of the whole story. What is the point of the Mark? Why are the Dusters (or whatever they're called) so ruthless with their kidnapping? Why do they kidnap some and not others? Why do they want Logan specifically? They seem to have a lot of manpower despite being a bunch of ragtag group of kids, and they don't seem to have any game plan. They "rescue" kids and then.... what? They're ...more

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Swipe is pretty obviously the same scenario as every other dystopian novel, but it took too long to get to the crux of the whole story. What is the point of the Mark? Why are the Dusters (or whatever they're called) so ruthless with their kidnapping? Why do they kidnap some and not others?

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I read this book in one sitting. Three young men, from dysfunctional homes from the rough streets of Newark, NJ overcome the odds by making a pact to become dentists and then working hard and achieving their goal. With unflinching honesty and rawness the 3 doctors talk about the obstacles they faced, the people who gave them support and encouragement, and how they were able to persevere through legal troubles, poverty, and personal turmoil to achieve success. My only regret was that I was just n ...more

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I read this book in one sitting. Three young men, from dysfunctional homes from the rough streets of Newark, NJ overcome the odds by making a pact to become dentists and then working hard and achieving their goal.

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Fantasy

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It honestly seemed to me that the entire book was critically engaging with this question.It honestly seemed to me that the entire book was critically engaging with this question.

I was often uncomfortable during the first half of the book, because the xenophobic statements made by the main character are so much in line with what racist people in reality say (as opposed to what strawman racists in stories usually say). I think that's what makes the book so successful, though. When she starts to think more about the social forces in her world, it packs that much more of a punch. (less)
I was often uncomfortable during the first half of the book, ...more

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Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies

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The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)

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It honestly seemed to me that the entire book was critically engaging with this question.It honestly seemed to me that the entire book was critically engaging with this question. I was often uncomfortable during the first half of the book, because the xenophobic statements made by the main character are so much in line with what racist people in reality say (as opposed to what strawman racists in stories usually say).