Realistic Fiction

Realistic fiction is a genre consisting of stories that could have actually occurred to people or animals in a believable setting. These stories resemble real life, and fictional characters within these stories react similarly to real people.

Eleven
By Tom Rogers

This is a story about bullies and heroes. About tragedy and hope. About enemies with two legs and friends with four, and pesky little sisters and cranky old men, and an unexpected lesson in kindness delivered with a slice of pizza. This is Eleven: the journey of a boy turning eleven on 9/11.

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The Thing About Jellyfish
by Ali Benjamin

After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting–things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory–even if it means traveling the globe, alone.

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The Benefits of Being an Octopus
By Ann Braden

The Benefits of Being an Octopus follows Zoey, a 7th grader who is trying to survive Middle School but has more responsibilities than most adults. She tries to be invisible but when a teacher, Ms. Rochambeau, recognises part of herself in Zoey everything changes.

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All Four Stars
by Tara Dairman

After being banned from cooking because she accidentally set the kitchen curtains on fire with a blowtorch—her parents really should have given her the minitorch she wanted for her birthday—a misdirected letter gets Gladys Gatsby, a girl with a serious passion for food, a freelance assignment reviewing a restaurant for the New York Standard.

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The Great Unexpected
by Sharon Creech

In the little town of Blackbird Tree, friends and fellow orphans Naomi and Lizzie are startled when a strange boy, Finn, falls out of a tree. Meanwhile, far across the ocean in Ireland, an elderly lady plots her final revenge on the man who broke her heart.

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As Brave As You
by Jayson REYNOLDS

Genie and Ernie are two Brooklyn brothers that get stuck with their country grandparents for a month while their parents iron out some issues. Though Ernie is fourteen and Genie is eleven, they get along pretty well. As they get to know their grandparents, they start to learn about the importance of telling the truth.

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Believe
by Julie Mathison

Using her powerful imagination, her gift for reading people, and her new friend's confidence, Melanie sets out to find the truth about her Mom. Her journey brings mystery and heartache. This is a tender story of grief and the power of the human spirit.

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Summer of a Thousand Pies
by Margaret Dilloway

A heartfelt contemporary middle grade novel about a girl who must try to save her aunt's failing pie shop, perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish, Fish in a Tree—and The Great British Baking Show.

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The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
By Dan Gemeinhart

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is a book about a girl who sets off on a journey to save a buried time capsule in a park that will soon be demolished. Along the way, she meets many people and has exciting adventures. The book is full of suspense and excitement.

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The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh
by Hellen Rutter

Billy Plimpton has a big dream: to become a famous comedian when he grows up. He already knows a lot of jokes, but thinks he has one big problem standing in his way: his stutter. At first, Billy thinks the best way to deal with this is to . . . never say a word. That way, the kids in his new school won’t hear him stammer. But soon he finds out this is NOT the best way to deal with things. (For one thing, it’s very hard to tell a joke without getting a word out.)

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Ban This Book: A Novel
by Alan Gratz

Amy Anne and her lieutenants wage a battle for the books when they start a secret banned-books locker library, make up ridiculous reasons to ban every single book in the library to make a point, and make a real difference in their community.

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