Category Archives: realistic fiction
Happy Families – Tanita S. Davis
This captivating book was read in one night. It is one of those stories that grabs hold and is difficult to put down until I knew everything would work out with the characters. It is a story of self-discovery and … Continue reading
Dying to Know You – Aidan Chambers
This story hit me like a breath of fresh air right from the beginning. A stream of back and forth dialogue is used at the start of the book and is employed heavily throughout the novel. This approach made me … Continue reading
The Fairy Ring: or Elsie and Frances Fool the World – Mary Losure
Frances is lonely. She and her mother have come from South Africa to stay with her aunt and uncle in England while her father is away fighting in the Big War. Her only friend is her older cousin who has … Continue reading
Wonder – R. J. Palacio
Wow. I’ve been sorting through everything I’ve read lately, trying to narrow down the reading list for my school next year. Wonder will be on the list. Auggie was born with severe craniofacial deformities. He’s had twenty seven surgeries. He … Continue reading
Someone Else’s Life – Katie Dale
Someone Else’s Life is a thoughtful story designed to keep the reader intrigued. Rosie, a British teen, loses her mother to Huntington’s Disease, a degenerative genetic disease that affects cognition and motor skills. Rosie begins the genetic testing that will … Continue reading
In Darkness – Nick Lake
I finished this book several days ago and it still lingers with me and will for some time. More than lingers, it haunts me. In Darkness weaves together two time periods in Haiti’s tumultuous history and is told through two … Continue reading
Blank Confession – Pete Hautman
This quick read packs a punch. I can see needing an extra copy or two for the library to meet demand. Shayne Blank has attended several different high schools. He meets Mikey, a small-in-stature yet smart mouthed, quirky classmate. Mikey … Continue reading
Hidden – Helen Frost
Another beautifully written lyrical book by Helen Frost. Told in two voices with different formats. When Wren was 8, she stayed in the back seat of the car while her mom went into the store for a moment. She heard … Continue reading
You Are My Only – Beth Kephart
Beth Kephart immediately immerses the reader into the story from the characters’ points of view, without pause for detailed explanations or backstories. The chapters alternate between two stories, that of Sophie, 14, on the run with her mother from the “No … Continue reading
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