Realistic Fiction Books
Realistic fiction is a fantastic genre for children to read. Characters exist in the real world. The characters, the plot, and the world are all things that could truly happen. Below are several realistic fiction books for different ages. These books are fantastic because children can see representations of themselves in the novels. Thanks for reading!
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
Author: Jack Gantos
Genre: Realistic Fiction Reading Level: 3rd-5th grade Personal Rating: 3.5 out 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: “You gotta face the hand you're dealt with and deal with it, and make your problems be the smallest part of who you are.” Summary: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a story about a ten-year-old boy named Joey who appears to have ADHD or some sort of hyperactivity disorder. The story follows Joey as he accidentally injures another classmate and is made to go to a special education classroom, and school, to learn to manage his behavior. The story is told from Joey’s perspective, giving readers a unique insight to how Joey is feeling throughout the process. The story also follows Joey’s personal life outside of school with his mother returning after leaving him with his rather abusive grandmother, and with his teachers and doctors who want Joey to get better. After Joey is placed on new medication, he is more manageable in the classroom and the future begins to seem brighter for Joey. This is the first book in a series, and was a very good introduction to Joey Pigza. Evaluation: Overall I really enjoyed the story. I would say this story is perfect for children in grades three through five because it revolves around a ten-year-old boy and would be relatable to that age group. The writing style is also fairly close to what I would expect third to fifth graders would be able to comprehend. With Joey being the narrator of the story, children would be able to strongly relate and sympathize with Joey. He is the type of character that is both humorous and complex. His life hasn’t been very easy. His mother and father left him with his grandmother, who forces Joey to sit still and wait for his mother. When Joey moves, his grandmother says his mother witnessed his misbehavior and has left. This is especially cruel to Joey, who has a great amount of difficulty sitting still. Children reading this book would be able to see how this treatment of Joey affected him throughout the story. This book would be good to use in the classroom because it could generate questions and responses to disabilities and differences between students. Joey is bullied by classmates and by neighborhood kids—so bullied in fact that he felt the need to lie still outside his house in hopes of not being noticed. These concepts of bullying, disabilities, and differences, would be wonderful topics to discuss in the classroom. I really enjoyed that relatable aspect of the characters. Joey wasn’t the type of character who’s shoes I couldn’t step into. Most if not everyone has felt out of place in the classroom before, and Joey definitely feels that way. This book is classified as realistic fiction because it has these relatable characters, it takes place in the United States, and doesn’t contain any magical elements or break any of our natural laws. I gave this story 3.5 out of 5 stars because while I loved Joey, I had a hard time loving the other characters in the story, and I would have liked to see other perspectives. I also thought the plot was difficult to swallow at times because it felt as though the adults in Joey’s life wanted to change him and blame him for his problems rather than help him. I didn’t like how Joey’s disability was handled and thought this sensitive topic could have been written a bit better. Despite that, the pace was quick and entertaining as Joey was always getting into some kind of trouble, Joey was relatable and worth loving, and the overall themes of the story and content of disabilities and differences made this book worth reading—and worth using in the classroom. |
Fancy Nancy: Halloween or Bust!
Author: Jane O’Connor
Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser Genre: Realistic Fiction Reading Level: Kindergarten-3rd grade Personal Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: One thing I love very much about the Fancy Nancy series is the “fancy” words. These fancy words promote literacy and new vocabulary that children may not often be exposed to. It’s a wonderful concept, and I think O’Connor does a fantastic job incorporating the words in the story. She also provides a glossary to help the children understand the definitions of the words as well. The illustrations in this book are also fantastic. Nancy is such an adorable character, and I think the details, the sparkles, the overabundance of colors, all compliment the idea of being “fancy” without taking over the story or becoming too distracting. Summary: Fancy Nancy is ready to celebrate Halloween in this story. She is going to a Halloween party and wants to find the fanciest costume to wear. Nancy loves Halloween because of the many different costumes people can wear. She tells readers they can dress up as anything, from glittery snowflakes to Hollywood movie stars, to butterflies, and even her completely unique idea of being a “plume-asaurus.” Nancy herself decides to go to the Halloween party dressed as a bunch of grapes. Her friend is going as a strawberry. When Nancy gets to the party, she points out even more wonderful costumes. Some friends have gone as robots, ghosts, and even a lion tamer. Nancy wants to have a great time. She tries bobbing for apples, when some of her grapes pop. She had used balloons, so when she bent over the bucket, the balloons popped. Even more balloons pop as she plays the other games, until eventually all of Nancy’s grapes have popped and she’s left in her leotard and tights. Nancy is very upset, as now she’s just a plain brown stalk. She quickly feels better when she has tea and bonbons with her friends. The reader is also welcomed to add to Nancy’s costume and make her an even better one with stickers provided with the book. Evaluation: This story was very entertaining. Nancy is a relatable young girl. She likes fancy things, dresses, candy, and of course, having fun costumes. As Nancy’s balloons pop and she’s disappointed, Nancy remembers spending time with friends and just having fun is even more fun than having the best Halloween costume. This is a great theme for children to remember. My favorite aspect of the book though, is the fancy words. Encouraging new vocabulary for children is a wonderful thing to do. In this story, some of the fancy words include “disastrous” which is used when Nancy’s balloons are all popped, “bonbons” which is her favorite word for candy, and “unique” which describes her one-of-a-kind “plume-asaurus” costume. These words are great, as they are words children may not yet know, but could use. The author also provides a glossary explaining what the words mean, and Nancy herself explains the words in the story. Her signature line is, “That’s fancy for____.” I thought that was fantastic. This book would be great for reading out loud, but also only contains a few words on each page and has short sentences. Because of this, children could read the story on their own as well. The illustrations really help in this case because they help show children what some of the fancy words mean, as well as relating to the story and what’s going on. Each of the costumes are shown, for example, so even though children may not know what a “plume-asaurus” is, they are able to see Nancy in a dinosaur costume with feather boas and understand. Overall, this is a strong story, and is very well-told. |
Fancy Nancy: Apples Galore
Author: Jane O’Connor
Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser Genre: Realistic Fiction Reading Level: Kindergarten-3rd grade Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: Like before, I adore O’Connor’s use of “fancy” words to encourage literacy and new vocabulary. In this book in particular, I love the setting. I love the autumnal setting, and the apple picking. It brings back positive childhood memories, and I think can be very relatable to most children, especially those living in Michigan with loads of apples everywhere. Summary: This Fancy Nancy story is all about apples, as the title suggests. Readers join Nancy as she joins her class on a trip to an apple orchard. The book itself is also about autumn, with a lot of the “fancy words” being autumn related. One example of this is the word “foliage.” Nancy goes with her class to the orchard to pick apples, something she is very excited to do. During the trip, Nancy’s classmate Lionel causes quite the stir. First he pretends to be carsick on the bus, then he doesn’t listen to the teachers warning and picks apples off the ground and pretends that he’s been stung by bees, each time claiming to just be joking. Each time, Mrs. Glass, the teacher, tells Lionel that those aren’t funny jokes, and aren’t jokes at all. After the bee stinging “joke,” Nancy and her classmates continue to pick apples. Nancy tells the reader about all sorts of apples that they can pick, until Lionel is at it again. Lionel decides to go further away from the group in search of Gala apples, and Nancy goes after him, because Lionel is her trip buddy, and they must stay together. They find a tree with the Gala apples Nancy wanted, but the apples are too high to reach. Lionel once again breaks the rules and starts climbing the tree to get the apples, when he moves too far out and the branch begins to crack. Children nearby think Lionel is joking because he was joking before, and Mrs. Glass doesn’t hear them. Nancy goes to get a ladder to help, and eventually Mrs. Glass comes to help as well. Lionel is able to get down to safety, but he isn’t allowed to do some of the fun things like make applesauce, or go on the hayride. In the end, Nancy shares her applesauce with Lionel on the bus, and returns home with apples galore. Evaluation: I thought this was a very strong Fancy Nancy book. I loved the plot of the story most. Lionel kept making “jokes” that weren’t funny, and then when he really was in trouble, some of the kids thought he was joking still. This is of course a good lesson to teach children. Being safe is important, and I could definitely use this in the classroom to talk about honest, similarly to the little boy who cried wolf. What I like about this version of the story is that Lionel says he’s joking over and over again. In my placements I’ve heard this phrase a lot. When children do not want to get in trouble, they say they’re “just joking” but sometimes we must be serious. This book would be good to use to discuss those sort of issues. I also love that the fancy words were still included, as well as the glossary, and thought the words would be good for an autumnal unit. Like the other Fancy Nancy book, I think that children will really enjoy the silly stories Nancy and her classmates tell, and will relate to some of the issues that happen as well. In general, this is a guided reader level book. There aren’t too many words on the page, and the font is big and easy to read. I didn’t like this story quite as much as the Halloween story, but I do think the message is a bit clearer in this story. Despite not liking it as much as the other Fancy Nancy story, it’s still fantastically written, definitely appropriate for the classroom, and has a great message. |
Karen's Roller Skates
Author: Ann M. Martin
Genre: Realistic Fiction Reading Level: 1st-4th grade Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: I’ve always loved the Baby Sitter’s Club, and I was so excited to find out Martin had written a younger siblings spin-off series. I actually found myself loving the “Little Sister” series more than the original series. Something I love about the series is the main character, Karen. She is such a relatable little girl. She’s dealing with divorced parents, growing up, school and friend drama, etc. These things were all relatable, and really helped me to feel connected when I was younger. I love that Karen goes through so many different adventures and situations throughout her childhood, as it enables more and more children to relate to her. In this particular story, Karen deals with a broken bone, for instance. Most children know how hard it can be to deal with a broken bone while everyone else gets to have fun. I love this relatable aspect the most. Summary: This story follows the character Karen as she learns to roller skate. Unfortunately, Karen falls while practicing and breaks her arm. Karen has to go to the hospital and get a cast put on which is very scary. She also realizes that having a cast is no fun. She’s not able to do some of the things she wants to do, it’s difficult to take a shower and even tie her shoes, but she learns that there are still some positive things too. Karen learns about x-rays, and gets to have her cast signed by all of her friends and family. When the cast finally comes off, Karen is excited to get back to normal and finally get to scratch her itches. Evaluation: I’ve always loved the Little Sister series because of its relatable plots. I’ve never broken a bone myself, but most people have. It’s never fun to have a cast on, and Karen shows that as she has to sit out of games, and struggles to do even some of the most basic tasks. Children would be able to relate to this if they’ve ever broken a bone, or sympathize with those who have if they themselves have not. Beyond just breaking a bone, Karen herself is relatable. She has divorced parents, wears glasses, and has to learn to balance two different homes. She has friends and siblings and pets, and does lots of fun things. She’s always eager to try new things—liking jumping on roller skates, and learns that sometimes accidents happen. Since Karen is so relatable, she is a great character for children to read about, and the Little Sister series offers lots of stories surrounding Karen. I really enjoyed this book because it was fast paced, easy to read, and enjoyable. I loved Karen and her family, and have read many other Little Sister books. This book would be good for the first grade reading level and up because it is a chapter book. However, the vocabulary is not too difficult and the font is rather large. The author also keeps the chapters shorter so that children can read the book at an easier pace. The book would also make for a good read aloud book (reading a chapter each time) as it’s entertaining and told from Karen’s point of view. I would definitely use this book in the classroom to talk about broken bones, hospital visits, and being sensitive to those who aren’t able to do things as easily as we might be able to. Karen learns to sympathize with people who have disabilities because of her cast. This would be a great lesson to talk about in the classroom, and is not controversial. Overall, I thought this was a sweet book and would definitely recommend it. |
Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Realistic Fiction Reading Level: 7th-12th grade Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: “For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.” Summary: Anna and the French Kiss is the adorable story of a girl named Anna, who attends a boarding school in Paris, France. Anna is from the United States, and travels abroad to an English school in France to study. There, she meets a group of friends who she grows very close to. One of the people in the friend group is a boy named Etienne St. Clair. Unfortunately for Anna, Etienne has a girlfriend. As the school year progresses, Anna finds it more and more difficult to remain just friends with Etienne, but doesn’t want to betray her friend and say anything. Anna finds it more and more difficult to be away from home, struggles with losing friends back home, and makes a poor decision that effects how she’s seen at school. After making the wrong choice, Anna struggles to restore her reputation and her friendships, and eventually manages to do just that. Evaluation: This book was just adorable. It’s the type of story that’s squeal-worthy, and will definitely relate to anyone who’s ever had a crush on someone who was already taken. Anna herself is such a unique character. She’s very into film and movies. She knows all about many directors, classic movies, and enjoys attending the tiny French theater near her boarding school. Anna is very realistic. She crushes on someone and tries to make the right decisions, but is young, and makes mistakes. When she’s dealing with a tarnished reputation, she’s angry, and devastated, and thinks there’s nothing she can do to fix her reputation. It takes time and effort for her to restore her image, and it was nice to see her portrayed as someone with flaws. Anna makes a bad decision and she has to deal with the consequences. Too often, young adult authors give their main characters a break. They make bad decisions and nothing really happens to them. Stephanie Perkins made the consequences for Anna’s actions realistic, which made the plot far more interesting. I really fell in love with Perkins writing style throughout the book as well. There are very humorous sections, and very deep and touching sections, and her writing style is consistent throughout the entire novel. The story is the type of book you want to pick up and read straight through because she keeps the readers engaged. Despite giving this book five out of five stars, I would not use it in the classroom. There are a few instances of profanity throughout the book, and some more mature themes, but it is a young adult novel and there’s nothing truly inappropriate in the book. I just wouldn’t want to bring that to the classroom. However, I think the book is great for teenagers because it addresses the idea of feeling like one bad choice has ruined your life forever. Anna is persistent and diligent, and even when dealing with bullying and isolation, she keeps moving forward. That message of perseverance and getting through everything one day at a time is a good message for teenagers who may be feeling similarly to Anna. I also thought the characters were very well rounded and developed. I knew a lot about Etienne, and Anna, and her friends. I learned that Josh was fantastic at drawing comics, learned the Isla wasn’t very good at math, and that Etienne very rarely went by his first name, but rather “St. Pierre.” These details made all of the characters relatable, realistic, and interesting. None of Perkins characters were completely good or completely bad, and that made them genuine and complex. I would say Stephanie Perkins greatest strength in this book is her characters and how well she’s developed them. This book definitely deserves the praise it receives. |
Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Realistic Fiction Reading Level: 9th-12th grade Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: I loved the diversity in this book. This book includes a girl who has gay fathers. I haven’t yet read any young adult fiction with gay parents. I also loved Lola’s quirky attitude, her willingness to be herself, and the way she handled things. I also had a lot of favorite quotes, including: “Because that’s the thing about depression. When I feel it deeply, I don’t want to let it go. It becomes a comfort. I want to cloak myself under its heavy weight and breathe it into my lungs. I want to nurture it, grow it, cultivate it. It’s mine. I want to check out with it, drift asleep wrapped in its arms and not wake up for a long, long time.” This quote shows just how diverse this book is. It’s LGBTQ inclusive, discusses mental illness, among other things. Summary: Lola and the Boy Next Door follows the story of a girl named Lola, living in California. Lola lives with her uncle and his boyfriend, as her own mother was not able to take care of her. Lola is an extremely eccentric girl, who wants to make a Marie Antoinette style dress for prom. Lola lives next to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, who she’s grown up knowing. The girl living next door is a champion figure skater who is very close to her brother and causes problems between Lola and the boy she likes. Throughout the story, Lola learns to respect herself, be herself, and make wiser decisions when it comes to love. In essence, the story is about friendship, young love, and the differences that set us apart and ultimately bring us together. Evaluation: I loved this book. Lola is such a wonderful character, and the inclusion of gay parents was so nice to see. What I loved most about this book was just how relatable Lola is. She has unique interests, wants to date a boy she can’t date, and battles depression. As someone who’s been depressed, it was nice to see Lola portrayed not as this person who was crazy or useless, but as someone intelligent, creative, clever, and still depressed. Lola is fantastic. She’s an excellent designer, can sew amazing clothes, and despite being bullied by the girl next door, even comes to the rescue to sew a new skating costume for her. All Lola wants is for people to be genuine, and to go to prom with her childhood crush in a Marie Antoinette dress. Lola even selflessly gives up last minute time to complete her dress to help someone in need. Lola is such an admirable character, and yet she still has flaws, which makes her all the more realistic. She’s naïve, she is impulsive, she makes bad choices, and those things make readers understand her. I wouldn’t use this book in school simply for the fact that there may be controversy, but I am so glad that topics such as depression and the LGBTQ community were brought up in the story. People with mental diseases, LGBTQ youth, and people who just feel like outsiders need to have representation and see that who they are is still important. Another aspect of the story I really loved was that characters from the companion novel Anna and the French Kiss were featured in the story. Etienne St. Clair and Anna Oliphant are in this novel and are friendly to Lola and help her. I thought this was a neat addition, as you don’t have to read the books in order but get to see cameos of favorite characters from the past. Lastly, the writing style is fantastic. Stephanie Perkins has a quick paced, humorous, style that evokes laughter and smiles, and yet throughout the book the pace will slow some as more heartbreaking and hurtful scenes appear—they seem to come in time with Lola’s depression, which is a really cool stylistic choice. Lola’s world is still moving on around her, but Lola feels a bit like she’s in slow-motion, and the pace matches perfectly. I gave this book four out of five stars because I didn’t think the plot was quite as strong as the Anna book, but I still adored the characters, the writing style, and the theme. The theme was quite simple. I would say the theme is that being yourself isn’t easy, but you don’t get to be anyone else, so you’d might as well learn to love yourself. I think this is a powerful and strong message to teenagers, especially those struggling with self-identity and belonging. Not everyone is going to like you, but that doesn’t mean you have to hate yourself. |