Realistic Fiction
On All Other Nights, edited by Chris Baron, Joshua Levy, and Naomi Milliner
By Janie Cheaney |
On All Other Nights uses the perspective of 14 authors to detail every step of the Seder Meal observed by Jewish families during Passover (recipes ...
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Offsides by Lori Z. Scott
By Betsy Farquhar |
Dani just wants to play soccer and have the best senior year ever, but she's suddenly alert to the signs of a sex trafficking ring ...
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Olivetti by Allie Millington
By Janie Cheaney |
Olivetti features an uncommon protagonist—a manual typewriter—with the keys to unravel a mystery. Olivetti by Allie Millington. Feiwel and Friends, 2024, 246 pages. Reading Level: ...
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The Book Scavenger Series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertram
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Book Scavenger Series is an engaging middle grades mystery series for book lovers and puzzle aficionados. Book Scavenger Series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertram. Square ...
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*One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
By Janie Cheaney |
One Big Open Sky fills a history gap with the story of black settlers heading west in wagon trains. *One Big Open Sky by Lesa ...
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*Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
By Janie Cheaney |
Ferris, the latest novel by two-time Newbery author Kate DiCamillo, embraces a world full of sorrow but ruled by love. *Ferris by Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick, ...
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Something Like Home by Andrea Beatrix Arango
By Hayley Morell |
A poignant novel-in-verse explores the question: "What is home when your world turns upside-down?" Something Like Home, Andrea Beatrix Arango, Random House Books for Young ...
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Finding Normal by Stephanie Faris
By Janie Cheaney |
In Finding Normal, a 12-year-old girl must learn to make a new life when her home is made uninhabitable by a flood. Finding Normal by ...
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Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz
By Janie Cheaney |
Max in the House of Spies begins the story of an 11-year-old German boy who believes he has what it takes to be a secret ...
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Across so Many Seas by Ruth Behar
By Janie Cheaney |
Across So Many Seas tracks the destiny of a Jewish family exiled from Spain in 1492. Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar. Nancy Paulsen ...
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Yours from the Tower by Sally Nichols
By Janie Cheaney |
In Yours from the Tower, three young ladies overcome obstacles and find true love in late 19th-century England. Yours from the Tower by Sally Nichols. ...
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Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Raney Hopson
By Janie Cheaney |
The Newbery Honor novel Eagle Drums portrays the mythical origin of a cherished tradition of the Iñupiat people. Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Raney Hopson. Roaring ...
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Between Two Brothers by Crystal Allen
By Janie Cheaney |
In Between Two Brothers, a boy struggles for forgiveness and reconciliation after his older brother is seriously injured in a traffic accident. Between Two Brothers ...
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2024 Newbery Buzz #4: Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
By Hayley Morell |
Simon Sort of Says was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Could it win the Newbery? We're continuing our long-running Newbery ...
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Newbery Roundup 1: Jawbreaker, When Sea Becomes Sky, Duel
By Janie Cheaney |
Two weeks from now (January 22), the American Library Association will announce their Youth Media Award winners, including the Newbery and Caldecott. We’ve kept an ...
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Back to the Bright Before by Katherin Nolte
By Janie Cheaney |
Back to the Bright Before is a touching tale that mixes medieval imagery with a contemporary story of guilt and redemption. Back to the Bright ...
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Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson
By Janie Cheaney |
Remember Us is a quiet novel that ponders the conundrum of change and permanence. Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson. Nancy Paulsen Books (PRH), 2023, 192 ...
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The Winterton Deception 1: Final Word by Janet Sumner Johnson
By Janie Cheaney |
Final Word introduces the Winterton family, dictionary magnates with lots of money and plenty of secrets to hide. The Winterton Deception 1: Final Word by ...
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A Stubborn Sweetness by Katherine Paterson
By Betsy Farquhar |
"A Stubborn Sweetness" is one of 15 short stories that celebrate the truth, beauty, and goodness of the real meaning of Christmas. A Stubborn Sweetness ...
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Nothing Else but Miracles by Kate Albus
By Janie Cheaney |
Nothing Else but Miracles features a spunky and imaginative protagonist making the most of hardships on the WWII home front. Nothing Else but Miracles by ...
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*Enemies in the Orchard by Dana VanderLugt
By Janie Cheaney |
In Enemies in the Orchard, an American girl and a German POW discover a shared humanity among the tragedy of war. *Enemies in the Orchard ...
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*The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser
By Janie Cheaney |
The Vanderbeeker family faces their greatest challenge yet in this last volume of a beloved series. The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser. Clarion ...
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Code of Silence and Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker
By Betsy Farquhar |
A heart-pounding mystery series, with hidden twists and turns at every corner and a powerful message. Note: this is a guest review. See below for ...
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The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
By Janie Cheaney |
The Lost Library is thin on theme, but warm hearted and family-friendly. The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. Feiwel and Friends, 2023, ...
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Dust by Dusti Bowling
By Janie Cheaney |
Dust is the story of an asthma sufferer challenged to “use her breath” to fight a wrong. Dust by Dusti Bowling. Little, Brown, 2023, 328 ...
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The Switch by Roland Smith
By Janie Cheaney |
A 13-year-old boy must help his large family survive an ElectroMagnetic Pulse in The Switch. The Switch by Roland Smith. Scholastic, 2022, 303 pages. Reading ...
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Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan
By Janie Cheaney |
Sparrow Being Sparrow introduces a likeable heroine with some impulsive ways that are open to correction. Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan, illustrated by Elysia ...
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The Most of P. G. Wodehouse by P. G. Wodehouse
By Hayley Morell |
An excellent introduction to P. G. Wodehouse via his short stories and one delightful novella. The Most of P.G. Wodehouse by P. G. Wodehouse, Touchstone, 2000. ...
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How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd
By Janie Cheaney |
In How to Stay Invisible, an abandoned boy attempts to make it on his own and discovers he needs other people. How to Stay Invisible ...
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Ginny Off the Map by Caroline Hickey
By Janie Cheaney |
In Ginny off the Map, a geography-obsessed sixth-grader learns to meet people where they are and find “true north” in her own family. Ginny Off ...
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In the Tunnel by Julie Lee
By Janie Cheaney |
In the Tunnel takes readers into the savagery and family upheaval of the Korean War . In the Tunnel by Julie Lee. Holiday House, 2023, ...
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Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt
By Janie Cheaney |
Buffalo Flats takes readers to the Northwest Territory of Canada, for an unforgettable story of spiritual growth and romance. Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt. Margaret ...
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The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson
By Janie Cheaney |
Noting one important consideration, The Firefly Summer is an enjoyable light read with a theme of family solidarity. The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson. Simon ...
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Gladys Hunt on Diversity
By Janie Cheaney |
“Teacher, do you have any books with pictures of kids that look like me?” Originally published on the Tumblon website, October 10, 2009 Probably more ...
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*The Labors of Hercles Beal by Gary Schmidt
By Janie Cheaney |
The title character of The Labors of Hercules Beal works through his grief by duplicating, in contemporary terms, the 12 "labors" of his mythical namesake. ...
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*Bright April by Marguerite De Angeli
By Megan Saben |
Themes of loving nature, loving one's neighbor, and loving Truth are woven through Bright April, a story that gracefully handles racism and the dignity of ...
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Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
In Iceberg, a 12-year-old stowaway experiences history's worst maritime disaster. Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic, 2023, 339 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 ...
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School Trip by Jerry Craft
By Janie Cheaney |
School Trip, a companion novel to Newbery-winning New Kid, launches the Riverdale Academy students on a tour of Paris. School Trip by Jerry Craft. Quill ...
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Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles
By Janie Cheaney |
Not an Easy Win is the encouraging story of a displaced young man finding purpose and life lessons in the game of chess. Not an ...
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Honey and Me by Meira Drazin
By Janie Cheaney |
Honey and Me explores the fun and challenge of middle-grade friendship in the context of the Orthodox Jewish community. Honey and Me by Meira Drazin. ...
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All My Rage by Saaba Tahir
By Janie Cheaney |
All My Rage, winner of the 2023 Printz Award, follows a pair of Pakistani-American teens from uncertainty through trauma to stability and hope. All My ...
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Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
By Betsy Farquhar |
Spare and sensitive, Liar & Spy is a warm-hearted middle-grades story about two lonely boys who form a deep, abiding friendship. Liar & Spy by ...
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*Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan
By Janie Cheaney |
Dragonfly Eyes is a slowly-unfolding, beautiful picture of family love and loyalty during the stressful days of China’s Cultural Revolution. *Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan, ...
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In the Blue by Erin Hourigan
By Hayley Morell |
In the Blue gently explores what it is like for a child to experience the depression of a loved one. In the Blue by Erin ...
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2023 Newbery Winner: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
By Janie Cheaney |
Freewater, this year's Newbery Medal winner, is as much an adventure tale as little-known history. Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson. Little, Brown (James Patterson Presents), 2022, ...
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Like Me by Laura Wifler
By Betsy Farquhar |
A young boy recounts a typical day in the life of his family, which includes a younger brother who has physical and mental disabilities. Like ...
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When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods
By Hayley Morell |
History and a summer adventure combine in an engaging, slim, novel-in-verse for middle grade readers. When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods. Nancy Paulsen Books, ...
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The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
By Janie Cheaney |
The Lost Year uses multiple voices to narrate a sad chapter of history: Stalin’s deliberate starving of Ukraine. The Lost Year: A Survival Story of ...
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*My Brother Is Away by Sara Greenwood
By Betsy Farquhar |
My Brother Is Away offers an empathetic glimpse into what it's like, from the child's perspective, to have a brother (or sister) off in jail. ...
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A Place for Peter by Elizabeth Yates
By Megan Saben |
A Place for Peter is a good choice for boys who are avid readers and enjoy character-driven, literary coming-of-age stories, or families who are looking ...
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The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum
By Janie Cheaney |
“Hoodie Rosen” introduces teen readers to the Orthodox Jewish world and the reality of antisemitism. The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum. ...
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Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke
By Janie Cheaney |
"Too Small Tola" returns in a second volume of this warm-hearted series of Nigerian family life. Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by ...
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Love and Laughter Book List
By Janie Cheaney |
A Valentine's Day list of books that celebrate family love and wholesome romance. It’s the season of hearts and flowers and chocolate. Valentine’s Day is ...
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2023 Newbery Buzz Roundup #2: Frizzy, How to Build a Human, and Attack of the Black Rectangles
By Janie Cheaney |
The American Library Association will announce the winners of its very influential Youth Media Awards, headed by the Newbery and Caldecott. Since we can't help ...
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2023 Newbery Buzz #3: Northwind
By Janie Cheaney |
Might Gary Paulsen's last novel be a sentimental favorite for Newbery recognition? The State of Nature Betsy: Janie, this is only the second Paulsen book ...
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Newbery Roundup #1: Freestyle, Swim Team, and Maizy Chen’s Last Chance
By Janie Cheaney |
Three novels for middle-grades that may be under consideration for this year's top prize Freestyle by Gale Galligan. Graphix; (Scholastic), 2022, 322 pages. (Ages 10-14) ...
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2023 Newbery Buzz #2: The Door of No Return
By Janie Cheaney |
Back for our second buzz, Janie and Betsy talk over a troubling but moving verse novel. Out of Africa Janie: Kwame Alexander scored a gold ...
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The Lucky Ones by Linda Williams Jackson
By Janie Cheaney |
In The Lucky Ones, an impoverished family in the rural south takes a big step up during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s. The ...
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2023 Newbery Buzz #1: A Rover’s Story
By Janie Cheaney |
It's that time again, readers! The hour for selecting winners of the world's most prestigious children's book award draws near. Redeemed Reader has little (that ...
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Out of Range by Heidi Lang
By Janie Cheaney |
Out of Range puts three warring sisters into a life-or-death situation that will destroy their bond—and perhaps their lives—or restore it. Out of Range by ...
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Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet
By Janie Cheaney |
Belittled Woman features a contemporary Meg, Jo, and Amy reluctantly participating in their mother’s pet project: a tourist attraction reenacting scenes from a certain 19th-century ...
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Looking for True by Tricia Springstubb
By Janie Cheaney |
In Looking for True, A lonely boy and a frustrated girl find common cause in rescuing a dog from its neglectful owner. Looking for True ...
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*Berliners by Vesper Stamper
By Janie Cheaney |
Berliners is the story of a family scarred by war, politics, and false ideology in postwar Germany. *Berliners by Vesper Stamper. Knopf, 2022, 413 pages. ...
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Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd
By Janie Cheaney |
Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure is a realistic but heartwarming animal tale of loyalty and friendship. Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan ...
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*The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson
By Hayley Morell |
In a debut novel reminiscent of Maud Hart Lovelace and Laura Ingalls Wilder, a young girl discovers new friends, family, and hope. *The Star that ...
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The Rat Queen by Pete Hautman
By Janie Cheaney |
Though not for every reader, The Rat Queen effectively exposes the harm caused to individual souls by hiding or excusing their own sins. The Rat ...
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A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
By Janie Cheaney |
A Rover's Story employs an unusual protagonist to celebrate science, space exploration, and humanity. A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga. Balzer+Bray, 2022, 294 pages. Reading ...
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The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
By Janie Cheaney |
The Door of No Return uses beautifully modulated verse to communicate the humanity of the Ashanti people and the horrors of the African slave trade. ...
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Wildoak by C. C. Harrington
By Janie Cheaney |
Wildoak is a gentle story about a girl finding a voice and a cause in the natural world. Wildoak by C. C. Harrigan. Scholastic, 2022, ...
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Violet and Jobie in the Wild by Lynne Rae Perkins
By Janie Cheaney |
Mouse siblings Violet and Jobie must suddenly fend for themselves in a world both terrifying and lovely. Violet & Jobie in the Wild by Lynn ...
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The Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan Glaser
By Janie Cheaney |
The Vanderbeekrs, one of our favorite families, is on the road to discovery, opportunity, and possibly romance. The Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan ...
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Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks
By Janie Cheaney |
Ride On is an equestrian graphic novel that horse aficionados will devour. Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks. First Second, 2022, 218 pages. Reading Level: ...
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Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
By Janie Cheaney |
Hummingbird features a plucky protagonist with a debilitating bone disease—who doesn’t see herself as debilitated. Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd. Scholastic, 2022, 348 pages. Reading Level: ...
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Yonder by Ali Standish
By Janie Cheaney |
Yonder is a thoughtful and moving historical novel about the nature of heroism. Yonder by Ali Standish. Harper, 2022, 348 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...
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Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Lines of Courage follows five young protagonists through the epoch-making carnage of World War I. Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic Press, 2022, ...
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Brand New Kid by David Almond
By Janie Cheaney |
Brand New Boy explores the "humanity" of manufactured humans through the eyes of curious middle-school students. Brand New Boy by David Almond, with pictures by ...
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Quick Summer Reads: Treasure Tracks, High Score, and Wretched Waterpark
By Janie Cheaney |
Three entertaining novels for the adventure-seeker, the heist-lover, and the doom-aficionado. Treasure Tracks by S. A. Rodriguez. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2022, 214 pages. Reading Level: ...
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*Tree Street Kids: Lions to the Rescue! and Mystery in Crooked Creek Woods
By Megan Saben |
The Tree Street Kids series continues as Jack, Ellison, Roger, Ruthie and Midge develop new and better friendships, and also solve a mystery. Tree Street ...
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The Islanders: Search for Treasure by Mary Alice Monroe
By Janie Cheaney |
The Islanders Series features three friends spending enlightening and adventure-filled summers on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The Islanders: Search for Treasure ...
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*Love and Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean
By Janie Cheaney |
*Love and Other Great Expectations puts romance in its place as part of life’s great adventure (but not all of it). Love and Other Great ...
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New From Here by Kelly Yang
By Janie Cheaney |
New from Here looks at the recent pandemic through the perspective of an Asian-American family hoping to escape the virus in California. New from Here ...
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Cookies & Milk by Shawn Amos
By Janie Cheaney |
Cookies & Milk is an enjoyable fictionalized account of the world’s first chocolate-chip cookie store and the launch of a “famous” business. Cookies & Milk ...
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Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatramen
By Betsy Farquhar |
When Kabir leaves jail at age nine, he enters a world unknown to him: the free world. A delicate and sensitive novel for middle grades. ...
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My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk
By Janie Cheaney |
My Own Lightning follows the author’s previous Newbery-honored novel, Wolf Hollow, with a more hopeful conclusion. My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk. Dutton, 2022, 307 ...
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Rip to the Rescue
By Janie Cheaney |
Rip to the Rescue is a true-to-life World War II adventure featuring heroic teens and one heroic dog. Rip to the Rescue by Miriam Halahmy. ...
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Each of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
By Janie Cheaney |
Two girls with big problems draw resilience from each other and the "Magic" of the Universe. Each of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo ...
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Polly and the Screen Time Overload by Betsy Childs Howard
By Janie Cheaney |
Polly and the Screen Time Overload gently points young children away from electronic fascinations to the quieter joys of real life. Polly and the Screen ...
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Bestselling YA: A Look at the 2022 Market
By Janie Cheaney |
Aside from one graphic-novel romance series, novels about death and murder dominate the current YA scene. Where's hope? What are kids reading these days? As ...
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Polo Cowboy by G. Neri
By Betsy Farquhar |
Cole learns to be a polo cowboy despite bullying and prejudice in this interesting follow-up to Ghetto Cowboy. Polo Cowboy by G. Neri and illustrated ...
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The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix
By Janie Cheaney |
In The School for Whatnots, popular children's author Margaret Peterson Haddix explores how good intentions go awry. The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix. ...
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New Picture Books: Knight Owl, Hello Puddle!, All from a Walnut, Hundred Years of Happiness
By Janie Cheaney |
Four new picture books take a humorous look at knighthood, explore backyard science, and appreciate grandparents. Knight Owl by Christopher Denise. Little, Brown, 2022,40 pages ...
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Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire
By Janie Cheaney |
Cress Watercress, a young rabbit suddenly fatherless, finds strength and purpose in this beautifully written tale. Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire, illustrated by David Litchfield. ...
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Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner
By Betsy Farquhar |
Wake Up Missing mixes science with science fiction: DNA manipulation, nefarious plots, and excitement. Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner. Walker Childrens, 2013. 272 pages. ...
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Itch: the Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter by Simon Mayo
By Janie Cheaney |
Solid science adds heft to Itch, a present-day sci-fi novel with elements of an international spy thriller. Itch: the Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter, ...
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Troublemaker by John Cho
By Janie Cheaney |
Troublemaker honestly pictures generational, cultural, and racial conflict against the background of the Los Angeles riots of 1992. Troublemaker by John Cho. Little, Brown, 2022, ...
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*A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser
By Janie Cheaney |
A Duet for Home portrays the plight of the homeless as far from hopeless—or helpless. *A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser. Clarion Books, ...
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*Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart by Sharon Draper
By Janie Cheaney |
Out of My Mind and its sequel, Out of My Heart, welcome readers into the rich inner life of Melody Brooks, a bright pre-teen with ...
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A Cloud of Outrageous Blue by Vesper Stamper
By Janie Cheaney |
A peasant girl in pre-Plague England holds the key to key to healing and "outrageous blue" hope. *A Cloud of Outrageous Blue by Vesper Stamper. ...
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Northwind by Gary Paulsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Northwind follows a boy into the northern wilderness to be reborn in the harsh cradle of nature. Northwind by Gary Paulsen. Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2022, ...
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Printz Honor Books Roundup: Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Concrete Rose, Revolution in Our Time, Starfish
By Janie Cheaney |
The Michael L. Printz Award is given by the American Library Association for “Excellence in literature written for young adults.” Last year’s winner was Everything ...
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