Realistic Fiction (High School)

Forgoing the fantastical and exaggerated elements of genre fare, the books in this realistic fiction collection emphasize the authentic and the true to life. The titles in this collection, including Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez, are geared toward high school readers.

Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Realistic Fiction

Acceleration (2003) is a young adult novel by Graham McNamee. Narrated in the first person, it tells the story of 17-year-old Duncan as he learns of a potential serial killer in his city and his attempt to stop him. It examines themes of guilt, forgiveness, mental health, poverty, and more. Plot SummaryThe story opens with 17-year-old Duncan working a two-month stint at a lost and found, his boss being a quiet man named Jacob. The... Read Acceleration Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Across a Hundred Mountains is a 2006 novel by Reyna Grande. It won the American Book Award. The novel tells the story of two women, Adelina and Juana. Every few pages, the novel alternates between each woman’s story. Adelina is an adult working at a woman’s shelter in Los Angeles and has devoted her life to searching for her father, who went missing many years ago. At the beginning of the novel, Adelina finally finds... Read Across A Hundred Mountains Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy

After by Anna Todd is a fan fiction romance novel with characters loosely based on the band members from One Direction. The novel principally features the band’s lead singer, Harry Styles, as the inspiration for main character Hardin, and Anna Todd herself as the inspiration behind the protagonist, Tessa. Todd originally wrote After on Wattpad, a social storytelling platform, but it was adapted as a published novel by Simon and Schuster in 2014. After is... Read After Summary


Publication year 1979Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, Education, Education, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction

After the First Death (1979) by Robert Cormier is a juvenile suspense/horror that examines the fragility of life through a terrorist hijacking of a bus full of children. The book in conjunction with Cormier’s two most famous teen titles, The Chocolate War (1974) and I Am the Cheese (1977), won him the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association in 1991. Cormier was born in 1925 and... Read After The First Death Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

A Heart in a Body in the World is a young adult novel by Deb Caletti, published in 2018. The novel is a work of contemporary realism and is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book.Plot SummaryThe novel follows the story of Annabelle Agnelli, a high school senior living with her mother Gina and her brother Malcolm in Seattle, Washington. Annabelle is a talented cross-country runner, a strong student, and popular at her school. One evening... Read A Heart in a Body in the World Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

A List of Cages is a 2017 young adult novel by Robin Roe. The story centers on the friendship between two teenagers, Adam Blake and Julian Harlow. Adam and Julian first become friends when Adam is Julian's reading buddy in grammar school. The friendship deepens when Julian's parents die, and he lives in Adam’s house as a foster child. Although they knew each other in grammar school, the main action of this story takes place... Read A List of Cages Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

All American Boys is a young-adult novel published in 2015. This modern-day narrative tells the story of an incident of police brutality through the alternating voices of two high school students: Rashad, whose chapters are written by author Jason Reynolds, and Quinn, whose chapters are written by author Brendan Kiely. While Rashad and Quinn never actually meet in the novel, their lives intersect in a powerful way after a violent act of racism rocks their... Read All American Boys Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Allegedly (2017), a young adult contemporary novel by Tiffany D. Jackson, tells the story of Mary Beth Addison, an African American teenager who has spent the last six of her 15 years in custody for allegedly murdering a white baby, Alyssa Richardson. Currently, Mary lives in a group home in Brooklyn with her foster mother and five roommates, who at times, endanger Mary’s life. Mary’s mother, Dawn Cooper—Momma—struggles with mental illness, but she visits Mary... Read Allegedly Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

All the Bright Places (2015) is a young adult novel with elements of romance written by Jennifer Niven that deals with the topic of teen suicide. The book was winner of the Goodreads Choice award and has become a popular read among the BookTok community. Niven tells the story from two different voices, those of high school students Theodore Finch (who goes by “Finch”) and Violet Markey. The characters first meet at the top of their... Read All The Bright Places Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Historical Fiction, September 11 Attacks, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Romance, Arts / Culture

All We Have Left is a historical novel written by Wendy Mills. The book was published in 2016, and was included on Best Book of the Year lists by Kirkus, Amazon and Bank Street. The work is based upon the impact of the terrorist bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, and is directed at a young-adult audience. The story is told from the perspective of two teenaged... Read All We Have Left Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: SexualityTags Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Romance, Drama / Tragedy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Food, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Jenny Han’s Always and Forever, Lara Jean is a young adult (YA) fiction/romance novel published in 2017. It is the third volume in a trilogy surrounding the high school experience of an Asian-American girl named Lara Jean. The first two novels have been adapted into Netflix films; the third book is also slated to be developed into a film. This guide references the e-book version of the novel.Plot SummaryThis novel opens on a typical high... Read Always and Forever, Lara Jean Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

In 2012, Ayad Akhtar wrote the novel American Dervish, a coming-of-age story about a Pakistani-American boy in 1980s Milwaukee. Akhtar, a Pakistani-American writer and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, explores love of God and love of others through the prisms of religion, family, and romantic love in this novel. This guide refers to the hardcover first edition. Plot SummaryThe Prologue introduces narrator Hayat Shah, a college student whose mother’s best friend Mina has just died of cancer. The... Read American Dervish Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance

American Street is a contemporary coming-of-age novel by Haitian American young adult author Ibi Zoboi. It was published in 2017 and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature the same year. Plot SummaryAmerican Street tells the story of a teenage Haitian immigrant named Fabiola who moves back home to the United States, her country of birth. As she and her mother are reentering the US, immigrant authorities seize Fabiola’s mother... Read American Street Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ

Mark Oshiro’s 2018 debut novel Anger Is a Gift is a work of contemporary fiction for young adults exploring the realities of police brutality and racist oppression people of color experience in America. This study guide uses the 2018 edition published by Tor (ISBN: 978-1-250-16702-6). Oshiro is a queer author of color, and this novel seeks to highlight the racial divide in America. He shows through this book that there is no universal American experience... Read Anger Is a Gift Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Relationships, Bullying, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz is a young adult fiction novel published in 2012. The novel won a Lambda Literary Award, a Pura Belpre Award, and a Stonewall Book Award. It was also named a Printz Honor Book and has achieved popularity on BookTok. Told from a first-person point of view, the book is a work of realistic fiction set in El Paso, Texas, in the late... Read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: EducationTags Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Education, Russian Literature, Literary Criticism, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: FriendshipTags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Race / Racism, September 11 Attacks, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi is a 2018 semi-autobiographical young adult novel set in America one year after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Sixteen-year-old Shirin, a Muslim girl born in America to Persian immigrant parents from Iran, experiences intolerance and hatred in her school and the outside world. Shirin tries to maintain emotional distance from peers to protect herself, but the hesitant romance that develops between Shirin and Ocean... Read A Very Large Expanse of Sea Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Military / War, Asian Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Class, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins is a young adult, coming-of-age, historical fiction novel about two boys—one Burmese, the other Karenni—growing up during an intense period of violence between the Burmese military and the Karenni people. The book was named an “ALA APALA Honor Book, Indies Choice Honor Book of the Year for Young Adults, ALA Top Ten Book in Best Fiction for Young Adults, [and] International Reading Association Notable Book for a Global Society [and... Read Bamboo People Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Humor, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Written by Fredrik Backman in 2017, Beartown is the first of a trilogy and is followed by the similarly hockey-themed novels, Us Against You (2017) and The Winners (2021). All three novels are set in the town of the same name, and Beartown focuses on the local junior hockey team, the in-game success or failure of which deeply impacts the economy of the town as a whole. As the town's intense focus on the sport... Read Beartown Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy

Before I Die is a young adult novel by Jenny Downham published in 2007. The narrator is Tessa, a 16-year-old British girl who has terminal leukemia. The novel’s title refers to the things that Tessa would like to experience and accomplish before she dies: having sex, taking drugs, and breaking the law.Plot SummaryTessa lives with her patient and devoted father and her younger brother Cal; her mother, who left the family when Tessa was twelve... Read Before I Die Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FateTags Bullying, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver is a young adult novel about redemption, written in 2010. Following her death in a car accident, high school senior Sam Kingston wakes the next morning to find that she’s reliving the same day—February 12, or Cupid Day. She juggles the complexities of bullying, blossoming sexuality, self-confidence, and self-sacrifice after reliving the same day seven times. Through this experience, she reconnects with her family and friends, but mostly with... Read Before I Fall Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Survival Fiction, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Lauren Wolk’s historical novel Beyond the Bright Sea (2017) takes place in 1925. Its narrator, 12-year-old Crow, was put to sea alone in a boat just hours after her birth. Now, she lives on the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts with the solitary painter who found her, Osh. As Crow searches for clues about her birth family and origins, she also strengthens bonds with Osh and the world she has grown up in... Read Beyond the Bright Sea Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is a young adult novel written by Joyce Carol Oates. Published in 2002 after the high-profile Columbine High School shooting and attempted bombing in Columbine, Colorado, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl recounts three months in the lives of two 16-year-old high school juniors, Matt “Big Mouth” Donaghy and Ursula “Ugly Girl” Riggs.Plot SummaryThe first protagonist introduced is Matt Donaghy, a high school junior accused of threatening to blow up the... Read Big Mouth & Ugly Girl Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Romance, LGBTQ, African American Literature, New Adult, Love / Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction

Boy21 tells the story of Finley McManus, the only white student on his high school’s varsity basketball team. Finley narrates this piece of young adult fiction that deals with the violence and, tangentially, the racism prevalent within American society.The novel begins in Finley’s memory: he is learning how to play basketball as an escape from the trauma within his Bellmont community. He meets a girl, Erin Quinn, who becomes his best friend, and they practice... Read Boy21 Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Breathing Underwater is a 2001 young adult novel by author Alex Flinn that tells the story of Nick Andreas, a wealthy teenage boy who struggles with his abusive father and abuses his girlfriend, Caitlin. When she files a restraining order and he must take a court-ordered family violence class, Nick begins to reevaluate his behavior and troubled past. As Nick is forced to face his emotional damage, he learns that change and growth are possible. Flinn’s... Read Breathing Underwater Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: The PastTags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Urban Development, Arts / Culture

Buried Onions (1996), by Gary Soto, is a heart-wrenching slice-of-life, stream-of-consciousness novel that allows us to peer into the lifestyles available to young men growing up on the poverty-stricken and predominately Mexican-American south side of Fresno, California.The novel guides us through several weeks in the life of Eddie, a nineteen-year-old Mexican American and the narrator of this first-person story. Eddie strives to be responsible, is mostly honest, and attempts gamely to understand the world around... Read Buried Onions Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: FamilyTags Bullying, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Bystander (2011) is a teen/young adult novel by James Preller that explores middle school bullying and the factors that enable it. Griffin Connelly, a two-faced bully, uses his charisma and good looks to keep members of his school clique in line as he perpetrates acts of cruelty against weaker classmates. No one stands up to Griffin until Eric Hayes, a newcomer, disrupts the status quo—questioning Griffin’s bullying and the silent complicity of the other students.The... Read Bystander Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Identity: LanguageTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Latin American Literature, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness

Challenger Deep, a 2015 novel by Neal Shusterman, offers an account of mental illness as experienced by a teenage boy. Shusterman’s son Brendan was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at age 16. His experience with the illness influenced Neal to write Challenger Deep. Brendan’s drawings appear throughout the book as Caden’s artwork. The book garnered the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.Plot SummaryWhen the novel begins, Caden is 15 years old. He is a... Read Challenger Deep Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: ClassTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Isabel Allende’s novel City of the Beasts tells the story of Alex Cold, a fifteen-year-old boy from California who accompanies his journalist grandmother on a life-altering journey through the Amazon.  The narrative opens with Alex at home in California, angry and frightened over the illness of his mother, who is undergoing cancer treatment. When his mother gets a chance at receiving a promising new treatment in Texas, Alex’s parents send him to stay with his paternal grandmother, the adventurer... Read City of the Beasts Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

Code of Honor is a 2015 young adult thriller by Alan Gratz, the author of the acclaimed Prisoner B-3087, among other novels. The book follows main character Kamran Smith after his brother, Army Ranger Darius Smith, is discovered cooperating with al-Qaeda. The novel deals with issues of Persian-American identity in the wake of 9/11, and the struggle of remaining loyal to the people one loves and trusts, even when the evidence is stacked up against... Read Code of Honor Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Realistic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure

Code Orange is a young adult novel published in 2005 by the best-selling author Caroline B. Cooney. The main character is Mitty Blake, a lackluster high school student living in Manhattan. When he is assigned to write a research project on an infectious disease for biology class, he does as little as possible for his assignment, as always. But in the process of learning about smallpox, the disease he finally chooses, he discovers two smallpox... Read Code Orange Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Society: ImmigrationTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Black Lives Matter, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Publication year 1986Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

Crabbe is the story of Franklin Crabbe, an eighteen-year old native of Toronto who struggles with the conventional expectations of his affluent parents and teachers. Highly intelligent but riddled with resentment and anxiety, Crabbe (as he prefers to be called) decides to run away to the Canadian wilderness. Once in the wilderness, the inexperienced Crabbe encounters a series of life-threatening challenges that he overcomes only with the help of another fugitive, Mary Pallas, and the lessons... Read Crabbe Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: GlobalizationTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture

Crossing the Wire tells the story of Victor Flores, a Mexican teenager who leaves his village of Los Árboles to illegally cross the border into the United States. Victor’s father died while working in the U.S. four years earlier, leaving Victor “the man of the family” (14). His family has been living off of the money Victor makes farming corn, but free trade agreements with the U.S. have made Mexican corn worthless. The only option... Read Crossing the Wire Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Darius the Great Is Not Okay is a coming-of-age novel by Iranian American writer Adib Khorram. Originally published in 2018 by Dial Books, the novel echoes Khorram’s experiences growing up in a multiethnic family with a history of mental illnesses. The book, which is Khorram’s first, won the William C. Morris YA Debut Award in 2019 and is a popular BookTok read. A sequel entitled Darius the Great Deserves Better was published in August 2020. Content... Read Darius the Great Is Not Okay Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Dear Evan Hansen is a novel published in 2018. It was written by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The authors adapted the novel from the original Broadway musical of the same name, which they also wrote. The musical premiered in July 2015 in Washington, DC, debuted on Broadway in 2016, and later won six Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Musical. This guide refers to the Poppy/Little, Brown, and Company edition... Read Dear Evan Hansen Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: RaceTags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

Dear Martin by Nic Stone was originally published in 2017. It is a work of realistic fiction that provides a frank depiction of identity, racism, and adolescence in contemporary America. The New York Times bestseller also gained attention when it was named as a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. Stone's other well-known works include Dear Justyce (2020) and Fast Pitch (2021).This guide uses the paperback version of the novel, published by the Ember... Read Dear Martin Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Does My Head Look Big in This? is a young adult debut novel by Randa Abdel-Fattah, an Australian writer of Palestinian and Egyptian origin, published in Australia in 2005. It is a story set in 2002, telling of 16-year-old Melbourne-born Amal, who decides to start wearing a hijab (religious veil) as a representation of her Muslim faith, and the reactions and repercussions that stem from her decision. The novel, which covers topics of Islamophobia (fear... Read Does My Head Look Big In This? Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

In Dreamland, a young adult novel by Sarah Dessen, a teenage girl named Caitlin O’Koren reacts to the disappearance of her sister by breaking away from the path that was set out for her. The novel is broken into three parts that focus on the core of the conflicts in each section. Part I, “Cass,” traces the O’Koren family after Cass, the eldest of two daughters, runs away instead of attending Yale. Part II, entitled... Read Dreamland Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham, published in 2017, is a young adult novel that melds historical fiction with mystery, connecting the history of racialized violence in Tulsa, Oklahoma to contemporary issues of racism. The novel has won several awards, including Amazon Editor’s Picks: Best Books of the Year for Young Adults (2017), Best Books for Teens (2017), and Best of the Best Books in Teen Fiction (2017).Plot Summary The novel is a dual narrative, told in... Read Dreamland Burning Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: ClimateTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Natural Disaster, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Daughters & SonsTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Dumplin’, a YA novel by author Julie Murphy, is about a small-town Texas teen named Willowdean “Will” Dixon. Will is the book’s main character and first-person narrator. Through Will’s narration, the book tells the story of Will’s weight and how it affects her relationships with her former beauty pageant winning mother, Rosie Dixon; with her pretty best friend, Ellen Dryver; and with her romantic interest and coworker, the heartthrob Bo Larson. However, Will thinks that... Read Dumplin Summary


Publication year 1952Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: FamilyTags American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Relationships, Class, Religion / Spirituality

John Steinbeck’s East of Eden is an American classic. A work of contemporary fiction, the novel was a popular success upon its 1952 publication, quickly rising to the top of the fiction bestseller list. It has remained in print ever since and is still a widely read and well-respected book. Steinbeck published 33 books, including nonfiction, and received the Nobel Prize in 1962 for his contribution to American letters. His most famous works are the... Read East of Eden Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

In Eleanor and Park, we introduced to the young teenager, Park, who is half-Korean and somewhat of an outcast at school. He would prefer to read comics or listen to music than make new friends, and he is bullied from time to time by his peers. One day, Park sees Eleanor Douglas get on his bus, and from that point forward, his life is changed forever.In many ways, Eleanor is a target for bullies. She... Read Eleanor and Park Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Natural World: AnimalsTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature, Military / War, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

IntroductionEliot Schrefer’s coming-of-age novel Endangered was published by Scholastic in 2012 and is the first book in The Ape Quartet. Set the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the story is written for a young adult audience and is a 2012 National Book Award finalist in Young People’s Literature. The novel follows Sophie Biyoya-Ciardulli’s journey as she navigates the perils of war-torn Congo in search of her mother, protecting a young, orphaned bonobo throughout her journey... Read Endangered Summary


Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality

Every Day is the 2012 young adult novel by David Levithan (Two Boys Kissing, Will Grayson, Will Grayson). The protagonist of this teen fantasy, who is referred to as “A,” is a 16-year old with a very strange life. Every day “he” wakes up in the body of a new person. One of the only things that remains consistent is that A is always A, no matter the body. A has their own thoughts and... Read Every Day Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Every Last Word, by Tamara Ireland Stone, is a young-adult novel published in 2015. Samantha McAllister, the book’s protagonist, is a junior in high school who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). While Samantha appears like any average teenage girl, underneath the surface she is different from the majority of her peers: dark thoughts, incessant worries, and an obsession with the number three plagues nearly all of her waking moments. Through Samantha’s struggle to navigate... Read Every Last Word Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: TeamsTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Every Soul a Star is a young adult novel by Wendy Mass that takes three clichés of adolescence—the Brainiac, the Pretty Girl, and the Antisocial Misfit—and develops them into psychologically nuanced characters who are at once sympathetic and believable. The novel was published in 2008, well after Mass had established her reputation as a foremost young adult fiction writer of the new millennium. Her prolific output—nearly 30 titles in just under 15 years—has secured a... Read Every Soul a Star Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Everything, Everything was published in 2015 and written by Jamaican American author Nicola Yoon. It is a contemporary young adult novel that focuses on family relationships, grief, and teenage romance. Told primarily through the first-person narration of protagonist Madeline Whittier, the novel also uses a nontraditional storytelling method that incorporates various “documents,” like drawings, emails, and book reviews. Everything, Everything was adapted into a feature film in 2017.Plot SummaryMadeline Whittier, an 18-year-old living in a... Read Everything, Everything Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Education, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: GrandparentsTags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, History: Middle Eastern, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: CommunityTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, Race / Racism, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Originally published in 2014, Fake ID is a mystery/thriller novel written by Lamar Giles and intended for young adults. The narrator and main character is Nick Pearson, a 15-year-old who has just moved to Stepton, Virginia, becoming a Black student in a predominantly white setting. Nick and his family are in the Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC). Unintentionally, he finds himself involved in a love triangle and a mysterious murder.As a Black author, Giles is... Read Fake ID Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: SiblingsTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Parenting, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: FoodTags Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature

Set in Canada, American author Will Hobbs’s young-adult novel Far North (1996) follows Gabe Rogers, who lives with his grandparents in Austin, Texas. When Gabe tells his father that he wants to live with him in Canada, his father tells him he may on two conditions. First, Gabe must travel up north to experience the severe cold of the Northwest Territories for one year. Second, he must attend boarding school. While flying through Canada with... Read Far North Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Rachael Lippincott’s 2018 novel Five Feet Apart portrays the intense relationship between meticulous Stella Grant and charming but rebellious Will Newman as they navigate life with cystic fibrosis. A genetic disease that affects both the respiratory and digestive system, cystic fibrosis significantly reduces the life span of those affected and limits their interactions with one another for fear of bacterial cross-infection. Alternating between the first-person point of view of both Stella and Will, the novel... Read Five Feet Apart Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: FamilyTags Romance, Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Flipped is a contemporary young adult novel by Wendelin Van Draanen. The main characters, Juli Baker and Bryce Loski, are neighbors in Mayfield, a fictional American town. Now in eighth grade, the two protagonists reveal the story of their relationship in a dual narrative of alternating first-person chapters that recount how Juli “flips” for Bryce at a young age but later decides she is not interested…right around the time Bryce finally “flips” for Juli. The... Read Flipped Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Sherri L. Smith's 2008 work of historical fiction, Flygirl, takes place in the United States during World War II. The novel begins in December 1941 and is told from the perspective Ida Mae Jones, a young black woman and recent high school graduate, who lives with her mother, grandfather, and two brothers in the town of Slidell, Louisiana. In addition to helping her family on their berry farm, Ida works full time as a housecleaner... Read Flygirl Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Action / Adventure

William Bell’s 1990 young adult fiction novel, Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China, dramatizes the story of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. The coming-of-age story is told in diary form, narrated from the point of view of a 17-year-old Canadian high school student, Alex Jackson. During the massacre, Alex comes very close to losing everything he holds dear, as he becomes separated from his reporter father, Ted Jackson, and has to trust to the... Read Forbidden City Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Depression / Suicide, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Diversity, Realism, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

The young adult novel Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock depicts the day 18-year-old Leonard Peacock plans to carry out a murder-suicide. Author Matthew Quick wrote this and other popular titles, including Silver Linings Playbook, adapted into the Oscar-winning film. This guide refers to the 2013 hardback first edition from Little, Brown and Company.Plot SummaryNarrator and protagonist Leonard Peacock sits alone in his home the morning of his birthday. Later that day, he plans to kill himself... Read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Frankly in Love is a coming-of-age novel written by David Yoon and published in 2019 by Penguin Young Readers, Putnam. The story revolves around Frank Li, a Korean American teenager torn between his American identity and the traditional expectations of his Korean parents. With its engaging storyline and exploration of cultural identity, Frankly in Love tackles themes of love, family expectations, and self-discovery. David Yoon’s writing skillfully portrays the complexities of Frank’s experiences as he... Read Frankly in Love Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Relationships

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Family, Identity: FemininityTags Romance, Sports, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Class, Latin American Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Survival Fiction, Natural Disaster, Science / Nature, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction

In Newbery medalist Louis Sachar’s sci-fi thriller Fuzzy Mud (2015), Tamaya and Marshall cut through the restricted woods behind their school to avoid a bully—but encounter a strange mud that has the potential to destroy nearly all life on Earth. While Marshall struggles with the emotional effects of being bullied, Tamaya develops an unusually aggressive rash from the mud and worries that in protecting Marshall she has gravely injured Chad. Each character faces difficult ethical... Read Fuzzy Mud Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: FamilyTags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Community, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Girl in Pieces is the New York Times bestselling young adult contemporary novel by Kathleen Glasgow originally published in 2016. It was a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens selection and Amelia Bloomer Project Award Selection. The novel explores a teen’s recovery journey from self-harm, exploring the roles of community, healthy patterns, and acceptance of dualities. Glasgow is also well-known for her other novels, including You'd Be Home Now (2021) and How to... Read Girl in Pieces Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction

Monica Hesse’s 2016 novel Girl in the Blue Coat was the winner of the Edgar Award for Best YA Mystery. Its events take place over two weeks in January 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. The narrator, Hanneke Bakker, is an 18-year-old girl who lost her boyfriend, Sebastian “Bas” Van de Kamp, two years before the events of the novel. As far as her parents know, Hanneke works as a receptionist for an undertaker... Read Girl in the Blue Coat Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Girl, Stolen (2010) is a young adult crime/thriller novel written by April Henry. It tells the story of Cheyenne Wilder, a blind 16-year-old girl who is abducted during a car theft, and of Griffin Sawyer, the teen who steals the car while unaware Cheyenne is inside it. The novel has received numerous awards since publication, including the Young Adult Library Services Association Best Fiction for Young Adults Award. The book was also selected as a... Read Girl, Stolen Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Goodbye Days is a young adult novel by Jeff Zentner. Published in 2017, it follows a teenage boy, Carver Briggs, who is grappling with the deaths of his three best friends. All three boys died in a car crash on their way to pick up Carver from work. Carver’s survivor’s guilt is exacerbated by the fact that he’s facing a possible criminal investigation for “negligent homicide” for his supposed role in the accident. Carver texted... Read Goodbye Days Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Yessenia Lopez—a 16-year-old, wheelchair-bound Puerto Rican girl from inner city Chicago—arrives at ILLC from juvie after violently assaulting her classmate in school. With absent parents and a recently deceased guardian (Tía Nene), she is explosive and struggles to get along with her peers. However, she develops friendships with a few of her roommates and caring adult employees, like Joanne and Jimmie. Though she hates ILLC and finds it to be demeaning, she has nowhere else... Read Good Kings Bad Kings Summary


Publication year 1898Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: NationTags Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Education, History: World, Social Justice, Russian Literature, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy

“Gooseberries,” by Russian author Anton Chekhov, is a short story that uses symbolism, subtlety, irony, and keen observation of human behavior to explore themes of the quest for happiness, the meaning of life, social expectations, privilege, and social equality. Written in mid-1898, the story is the second in what was later referred to as The Little Trilogy, together with “The Man in the Case” and “About Love.” All three stories explore the definitions of happiness... Read Gooseberries Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Teams, Society: WarTags September 11 Attacks, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Military / War, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction

When Gym Candy begins, Mick Johnson recalls the first time his father, Mike, took him out to play football. Mick was four years old and took to it instantly but was also driven to succeed because of his father’s legacy. Mike Johnson was drafted into the NFL by the San Diego Chargers, and as Mick progresses through Pop Warner football and up through the junior high leagues, his desire to be as good as his... Read Gym Candy Summary


Publication year 1987Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Hatchet, a Newbery Award-winning novel published in 1987 by author Gary Paulsen, is an esteemed story about a young boy’s struggle to survive after his airplane crashes in the Canadian wilderness. This work of young adult fiction appeals to readers of all ages for its descriptive prose and exciting plot. This guide refers to the 1999 First Aladdin Paperbacks edition.Plot SummaryThirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is in the middle of his parent’s divorce and struggling to contain... Read Hatchet Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Mental Illness

Jennifer Brown’s debut novel Hate List tackles the subject of a mass shooting at the fictional Garvin High School. The shooting leaves multiple students and a beloved teacher dead and culminates in the suicide of the shooter, troubled outsider Nick Levil. Nick’s final victim is his girlfriend, Valerie Leftman, an unintended target who survives the shooting. In one final attempt to stop the shooting, Valerie calls out to Nick, taking a shot meant for her... Read Hate List Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Sports, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1993, Heart of a Champion is a young adult novel written by award-winning author Carl Deuker, whose work is primarily about sports and intended for young adult readers. The novel is the first-person narrative of a California boy, Seth, whose father died prematurely, leaving a huge void. Seth befriends Jimmy, whose love of baseball quickly becomes Seth’s passion as well. After the death of his friend after an alcohol-induced car crash, Seth... Read Heart of a Champion Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Hearts Unbroken is a young adult contemporary novel by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith. Main character Louise Wolfe, a Native Muscogee (Creek) teen girl, breaks up with her boyfriend over his insensitive comments. Louise turns her focus to senior year, the school newspaper, and spending time with family, but she notices more and more instances of cultural insensitivity around her. When the newly-formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater group speaks out against cast... Read Hearts Unbroken Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Highly Illogical Behavior is the third Young Adult novel by John Corey Whaley, a former teacher turned full time YA novelist. Published in 2016, Highly Illogical Behavior was named an NPR Best Book of 2016, a Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction of 2016, among other accolades. Published by SPEAK, an imprint of Penguin Random House, this novel represents the Young Adult fiction genre often referred to as “Teen Fiction.” Like many YA novels, Highly... Read Highly Illogical Behavior Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness

Jennifer Niven’s 2016 book, Holding up the Universe, is a young adult novel that explores the love story between two teenagers living in Amos, Indiana. The story follows Jack Masselin, a 17-year-old popular boy who secretly has a neurological disorder called prosopagnosia that inhibits his ability to recognize faces, and Libby Strout, a 16-year-old overweight girl who had to be lifted from her home by crane after a panic attack. The experience led to Libby... Read Holding Up The Universe Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

House Arrest is K. A. Holt’s 2015 novel in free verse. Narrated in the first-person voice of 12-year-old Timothy, the novel is comprised of fifty-two weeks of journal entries that he is required to write as part of his probation for stealing a wallet to pay for his infant brother Levi’s medication. The novel is divided by seasons.During winter, Timothy begins his journal and weekly meetings with his probation officer, James, and his court-appointed psychologist... Read House Arrest Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: TeamsTags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

How it Went Down is a work of young adult fiction written in 2014 by award-winning author Kekla Magoon. Though a work of fiction, the pressing narrative deals with the “postmortem account of a tragic shooting” (Los Angeles Times), and as such, is a well-needed critique of social reform and racial bias.The narrative begins with the tragic death of a 16-year-old black male, Tariq Johnson. He’s shot and killed by Jack Franklin, a white male... Read How It Went Down Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is Erika L. Sánchez’s debut novel. Published in 2017, the book is a young adult coming-of-age story set in contemporary Chicago. It is told from the perspective of 15-year-old Julia Reyes as she navigates her grief and struggles with mental health, familial relationships, and cultural expectations after her older sister Olga’s unexpected death. The book has won several awards, including the Thomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award... Read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Arts / Culture, History: World, Historical Fiction, Music

If I Ever Get Out of Here (2013), by Eric Gansworth—a member of Onondaga Nation and Haudenosaunee—is a young adult, contemporary fiction novel about a teenage boy, Lewis “Shoe” Blake. Lewis narrates his struggles fitting into life in junior high and navigating the cultural differences between his life on the reservation, which he refers to as “the rez,” and that of his white classmates.Other work by this author includes Apple: Skin to the Core.Plot SummaryThe... Read If I Ever Get Out of Here Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Realistic Fiction, Music, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance

If I Stay is set in a small, contemporary Oregon town outside Portland and chronicles 17-year-old Mia’s struggle with life and death after a horrible automobile accident kills her parents and younger brother, and leaves her, the only survivor, in a coma.The narrative structure moves back and forth in time between her comatose present and her formative years growing up in a quirky musical family, developing into a gifted and dedicated cellist, meeting her best... Read If I Stay Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: FameTags Realistic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga is a YA thriller published in 2012. The novel’s central character is Jasper “Jazz” Dent, son of the nation’s most notorious serial killer, Billy Dent. The novel is told from a limited third-person point of view, mostly from the perspective of Jazz; however, at certain points in the novel, the perspective shifts to that of the Impressionist, a new serial killer who has descended upon the small town of... Read I Hunt Killers Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

I’ll Give You the Sun (2015) is an award-winning novel penned by Jandy Nelson about relationships, art, and destiny. It follows the story of twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine who once shared a close relationship but find themselves barely speaking to each other two years after their mother’s death.Jandy Nelson is an American author who writes young adult fiction. I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, which won numerous awards and honors, including... Read I'll Give You the Sun Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self DiscoveryTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1994Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: ClassTags Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Class, History: U.S., Poverty, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Vietnam War

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, American Literature

Publication year 1978Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Education, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Society: CommunityTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Music

Publication year 2017Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction

Long Way Down (2017) by Jason Reynolds is a young adult novel in free verse about Will Holloman, a young black boy struggling to make a decision after his brother Shawn is shot dead in the street. Will plans to seek revenge, but before he can leave the elevator of his building, he is greeted by a series of ghosts who confuse and complicate his perspective on Shawn’s death and the idea of revenge killing... Read Long Way Down Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Realistic Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Looking for Alaska is narrated by a sixteen-year-old boy, Miles Halter, who leaves behind his mundane life in Florida to attend a boarding school called Culver Creek. He is inspired by biographies detailing the adventures of notable figures during their days at boarding school. Most of all, he is motivated by the notion of a “Great Perhaps”. Miles has a fascination with famous last words, and particularly with the last words of the poet Francois... Read Looking for Alaska Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Looking for JJ is a young adult thriller by Anne Cassidy about a British teen struggling to piece together her life despite a dark secret: As a child, she murdered another child. First published in 2004, the novel was short-listed for the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Book Award and won the Booktrust Teenage Prize. Narrated from the offender’s perspective, the novel explores themes of guilt, justice, and forgiveness. Seventeen-year-old Alice Tully lives with her foster... Read Looking for JJ Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor, Bullying, Parenting, Relationships, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Loser is a young adult novel published in 2002 by American author and Newbury Medal winner Jerry Spinelli. It tells the story of Donald Zinkoff, an eccentric goofball of a kid who stumbles enthusiastically through his elementary school years, largely without friends, before becoming an accidental hero in middle school. Written entirely in the present tense, Loser garnering several awards and nominations.Plot SummaryAt first, the other kids don’t notice little Donald Zinkoff, except to see... Read Loser Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FamilyTags Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Travel Literature, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

Love, Hate and Other Filters is a young adult novel written by Samira Ahmed. Published in 2018, the novel tells the story of Maya Aziz, a 17-year-old Indian American teenager in Batavia, Illinois. The book, Ahmed’s first, was nominated for the 2018 Goodreads Choice Award. It received critical acclaim for its diversity and was popular among teenage readers.Maya is the daughter of Asif and Sofia, Muslim Indians who came to the United States from Hyderabad... Read Love, Hate and Other Filters Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Jerry Spinelli’s beloved free-spirited character from his eponymously titled 2000 young adult novel, Stargirl, returns in this companion work Love, Stargirl (2007). Writing the “World’s Longest Letter” to her ex-boyfriend, Leo, 16-year-old Stargirl chronicles her new life in Pennsylvania. Lonely and emotionally wounded by Leo’s rejection, Stargirl struggles to regain her confidence. Over the course of a year, Stargirl forms lasting friendships, falls for charismatic bad boy, Perry, and learns important lessons about self-worth and... Read Love, Stargirl Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self DiscoveryTags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1993Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: TeamsTags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty

First published in 1993, Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade is a young adult novel written in free verse. The novel received numerous awards, including the Golden Kite Award for Fiction and the Parents’ Choice Book Award, and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and School Library Journal Best Book. While Wolff herself defines her novel as “prose” with “stanzas” rather than poetry, she includes poetic imagery and innovative use of language and... Read Make Lemonade Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Lizet Ramirez comes home to Miami for Thanksgiving during her freshman year of college to find her family turned upside down: Her parents are divorced, her Papi has sold her childhood home in Hialeah, and her Mami, her sister Leidy, and her infant nephew Dante have moved into an apartment in Little Havana. Lizet feels isolated from her home community since leaving for college; no one understands her desire to leave southern Florida, and she... Read Make Your Home Among Strangers Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1990, Maniac Magee is a Newbery award–winning middle grade novel by renowned children’s author Jerry Spinelli. After his parents die, 11-year-old Jeffrey Lionel Magee runs away from his guardians and a year later ends up in the racially divided Pennsylvania town of Two Mills. Jeffrey, a white boy, finds a home with a Black family, but racial tension and threats send him back on the run. By accepting a host of challenges with... Read Maniac Magee Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: FateTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews, introduces us to Greg S. Gaines, 17-year-old senior at Benson High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Greg is also the narrator of the novel. Over the course of his educational career, he has diligently developed a system that allows him to survive the daily pandemonium of life in high school. He maintains a surface-level, friendly-but-not-too-friendly connection to every clique in school so that he can remain... Read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture

Danny Lopez arrives in National City, a suburb just south of San Diego. The area’s proximity to the border makes it heavily Hispanic. Danny has come to spend the summer with his father’s family while his mother and sister are in San Francisco with his mother’s new boyfriend.From the start, it’s clear Danny does not fit in. He is from a beach community in northern San Diego County,where he plays baseball and attends Leucadia Prep... Read Mexican WhiteBoy Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

Milkman is author Anna Burns’ third novel and the winner of the 2018 Man Booker Prize in Fiction (widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in literature). Burns was the first Northern Irish writer ever to receive the award, and Milkman’s subject matter is inseparable from its author’s nationality. Like Burns herself, the novel’s protagonist grows up in 1970s Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles: a 30-year political, ethnic, and religious... Read Milkman Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: FathersTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction

Chris Crowe’s Mississippi Trial, 1955 (2002) is a piece of historical fiction based on a true story about Emmett Till that took place in the Mississippi Delta right on the brink of Civil Rights Movement. Visiting family in Money, Mississippi, in the summer of 1955, Till was abducted and murdered for “allegedly whistling at a white woman in the Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market” (231). The all-white male jury acquitted the two men who were... Read Mississippi Trial, 1955 Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Disability, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Monday’s Not Coming (2018) is a young adult novel by Tiffany D. Jackson. She employs a nonlinear narrative to explore issues of race, mental illness, and media bias. Claudia Coleman narrates the story of how her best friend, Monday Charles, disappeared for a year, and no one but Claudia seemed to notice or care.Published by Harper Collins, Monday’s Not Coming earned Jackson the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe award for new talent. It was also nominated... Read Monday's Not Coming Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race, Relationships: FathersTags French Literature, Grief / Death, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Realistic Fiction, Parenting, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy

First published as a play in 2001, the novella Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran is part of Franco-Belgian author Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s Cycle of the Invisible series consisting of unrelated stories on the themes of human connection, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and spirituality. Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran has been performed on the stage and was adapted for the screen in 2003. This study guide refers to Marjolijn... Read Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Realistic Fiction, Travel Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

David Arnold’s 2015 debut novel, Mosquitoland, is a coming-of-age story that’s intended for a young adult audience. The novel was one of NPR’s and Amazon’s best books of 2015. This guide refers to the 2015 Penguin Random House edition. Plot SummaryThe story follows 16-year-old Mary Iris Malone, also referred to as Mim, as she travels alone from Jackson, Mississippi, to Cleveland, Ohio. Shortly before her journey, her parents divorced, and her father remarried and moved... Read Mosquitoland Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Humor, Magical Realism, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education

Publication year 1993Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: RaceTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Race / Racism

Nightjohn is a young adult historical fiction novel written by Gary Paulsen. The story is told from the perspective of a young slave girl, as she faces the cruelty of life as a slave and learns to read and write. It was published in 1993 and adapted into a Disney Channel TV film of the same name in 1996. The idea for the novel was born when Paulsen began to research Sally Hemings, a slave... Read Nightjohn Summary


Publication year 1984Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Natural Disaster, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

SummaryNight of the Twisters is a young adult realistic fiction novel written by award-winning author Ivy Ruckman. The book was the recipient of several awards, including the Golden Sower Award, the Iowa Children’s Choice Award, and the Sequoyah Children’s Book Award. It was also recommended as an Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association and Children’s Book Council. A movie of the same name based loosely on the book was... Read Night of the Twisters Summary


Publication year 1970Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Self DiscoveryTags Historical Fiction, Great Depression, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Food, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

No Promises in the Wind is a young-adult historical novel that takes place at the height of the Great Depression. The first-person narrative tells the coming-of-age story of a 15-year-old boy who leaves home with his younger brother because their family doesn’t have enough to eat. Josh and Joey Grondowski use their musical talents to survive on their own as they travel through a country of angry and impoverished people. First published in 1970, the... Read No Promises In The Wind Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Humor

The novel opens on Alex choosing to get drunk and drive to his father’s in order to get revenge. Alex’s parents are recently divorced after his father starts to date Alex’s third-grade teacher. After crashing his mother’s car into a garden gnome, a very drunk Alex is taken into the police station and then transferred to the hospital with a concussion and alcohol poisoning. Alex’s mother grounds him for a month, until a judge punishes... Read Notes From The Midnight Driver Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Nothing but the Truth is a Newbery-Award-winning documentary novel published by Avi in 1991. Set in the small New Hampshire town of Harrison, the novel is the story of how ninth-grader Philip Malloy’s efforts to get out of a class with Ms. Narwin, his English teacher, is transformed into a viral story that casts Philip as a patriotic hero and his teacher as a villain. In keeping with the documentary novel genre, Avi tells the... Read Nothing But The Truth Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance

November Blues is a 2007 young adult novel by American writer Sharon M. Draper. The second book in the Jericho Trilogy, it focuses on African-American students at Frederick Douglass High School. The novel’s events unfold in the aftermath of Josh Prescott’s death from a fall from a second-story window during a pledge stunt. As his friends and family begin to cope with their grief, they look for their own ways to overcome their emotional pain... Read November Blues Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: FamilyTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Parenting, Relationships, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s middle-grade (young adult) contemporary novel One for the Murphys was published in 2012. It earned a Kirkus starred review and was a Scholastic Book Clubs Editor’s Choice.This guide references the 2012 edition from Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. The novel explores the foster care system and the way that even its most positive experiences have a nuanced and complex effect on children in foster care. The story... Read One for the Murphys Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Jackson Hurd, who goes by Jack, lives with his parents on a farm in Maine. Jack learns that his parents plan to foster a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Brook. Joseph recently attacked a teacher at his juvenile detention home, and he has an infant daughter that he has never met. When Joseph arrives on the Hurd family farm, he is quiet and easily startled.The boys walk to school together the day after Joseph arrives to... Read Orbiting Jupiter Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: MasculinityTags Historical Fiction, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Love / Sexuality, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Class, History: World

Out of Darkness is a young adult historical novel written by Ashley Hope Pérez and published in 2015 by Holiday House of New York. Pérez holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Indiana University, where her research focused on Latin American literature. A professor of World Literatures at Ohio State University, she is also the author of What Can’t Wait (2011), The Knife and The Butterfly (2012), and Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions about... Read Out of Darkness Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Southern Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Romance

Out of the Easy, written by Ruta Sepetys and published in 2013, is a young adult historical fiction novel. Sepetys is an award-winning Lithuanian American writer of young adult historical fiction. Her honors include the Carnegie Medal, awarded to one work of children’s or young adult literature per year. Her novels are international best sellers and are widely translated. Out of the Easy is about Josie, a teenage girl living in the French Quarter of... Read Out of the Easy Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: MusicTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure

John Green’s Paper Towns is a coming-of-age story that follows the lives of two childhood friends, the reserved Quentin Jacobsen and the legendary Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin says that every human being is graced with one miracle in their lifetime. His miracle is living next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman. He has spent a lifetime obsessing over her, though their friendship has cooled over the years. At the start of the novel, they are in... Read Paper Towns Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

With the 2019 publication of his third novel Patron Saints of Nothing, Randy Ribay cemented his reputation as one of the new millennium’s most important and popular writers of young adult fiction. Ribay, a high school English teacher in San Francisco, was born in the Philippines but grew up in Michigan. His novels, coming-of-age stories praised for their hard-edged, street-hip lyricism, examine the implications of cultural identity and the problematic process of assimilation. In addition... Read Patron Saints of Nothing Summary


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Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Released in 2007, Roland Smith’s YA novel Peak is the story of Peak Marcello, a teenager and mountain climbing prodigy. The novel is the first of four books in the Peak Marcello Adventure series, followed by The Edge (2015), Ascent (2018), and Descent (2020). The story follows Peak as he reconnects with his estranged father, Josh, who takes him on a climbing expedition to Mt. Everest. Peak is set against the backdrop of the political... Read Peak Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Picture Us in the Light is a young adult novel written by Kelly Loy Gilbert and published in 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Gilbert is the author of three young adult novels, all of which focus on the young Asian American experience. Picture Us in the Light is written in the first-person perspective of protagonist Danny Cheng, but Gilbert includes flashbacks to China to connect Danny to a past his parents have... Read Picture Us in the Light Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Pretty Little Liars is a young adult fiction novel written by Sara Shepard. It is the first book in the Pretty Little Liars series, which features 16 books, along with seven companion novels. The highly successful series was featured on The New York Times best-seller list and adapted into a television show in 2010. The popular show lasted seven seasons and aired on the Freeform Network. Although Shepard had only written eight books in the... Read Pretty Little Liars Summary


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Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Romance, Class, Urban Development, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

P.S. I Still Love You is a young adult novel by Jenny Han, published by Scholastic in 2015. It is a sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, published in 2014. The two books share the same main character and narrator, Lara Jean Song Covey, a Korean-American teenaged girl. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before concerns Lara Jean’s habit of writing secret love letters to boys she’s had crushes on, and P.S. I... Read P.S. I Still Love You Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Realistic Fiction, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Purple Heart is a young adult novel by National Book Award Finalist Patricia McCormick, first published in 2009. The novel begins as 18-year-old Army Private Matt Duffy wakes up in a medical ward in Iraq and discovers he has a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. Matt doesn’t remember how he ended up in the hospital and recalls only the image of an Iraqi boy in an alley, a boy who is lifted off the ground... Read Purple Heart Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness

Reality Boy (2013) is a young adult novel by American writer A.S. King. Told through the first-person perspective of Gerald Faust, a teenage boy who grapples with trauma, the narrative explores Gerald’s childhood abuse and the public spotlight which facilitated it when his family is selected for a reality television series. Gerald’s account takes place during his teenage years and features chapters that flash back to the filming of the series.Plot SummaryWhen Gerald Faust was... Read Reality Boy Summary


Publication year 1957Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

Harold Keith published Rifles for Watie in 1957; the book earned a Newbery Medal in 1958. The novel mixes historical fact and fiction, and tells the story of Jefferson Davis Bussey, a 16-year-old Kansas boy who enlists in the Union army in 1861 and serves until the war ends. Jeff begins his service as an infantryman. He falls in love with a Confederate girl and eventually becomes a scout, infiltrating the rebel camp. He joins... Read Rifles for Watie Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction

The Road to Chlifa is a 1992 novel by Michèle Marineau, originally published in French. The short novel unfolds in three sections, telling the story of protagonist Karim Nakad’s journey from Beirut to Chlifa, Lebanon,and, finally, to Montreal. The novel is set during the height of the Lebanese Civil War. Through this progression, it confronts issues of violence and warfare, immigration and racism, and the power of storytelling.Section One, narrated from the perspective of an... Read Road to Chlifa Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Diversity, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Rules was the first novel published by Cynthia Lord. Rules is a book for middle-grade readers that has remained popular and in print from the time of its initial publication. The Scholastic paperback version summarized here first appeared in 2018. For a debut novel, Rules was immediately accepted by young readers and by the literary community. The book won a prestigious Newberry Honor Book award and received the Schneider Family Book Award. It was named... Read Rules Summary


Publication year 1975Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Relationships, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Susan Eloise Hinton was born in 1948 and lives in Oklahoma, where most of her novels are set. She wrote her first novel, The Outsiders, while still in high school. It was published in 1967 and earned Hinton her reputation as a pioneer of the young adult genre. The work “grew out of her dissatisfaction with the way teen-age life was being portrayed in the books she read” (Michaud, Jon. “S.E. Hinton and the Y.A... Read Rumble Fish Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Sadie is a young adult mystery novel published in 2018 by the Canadian author Courtney Summers. The book chronicles teenager Sadie Hunter’s quest to find the man who killed her sister. In alternating chapters, Sadie’s subsequent disappearance becomes the topic of West McCray’s podcast The Girls. Sadie won the 2018 Edgar Award and was chosen for many Best of 2018 book lists.Plot SummarySadie follows the journey of 19-year-old protagonist Sadie Hunter as she searches for... Read Sadie Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: MusicTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Published in 2009, Sag Harbor is the fourth novel by Colson Whitehead. Whitehead refers to this novel as “my autobiographical fourth novel,” as he used some of his childhood summer experiences at Sag Harbor, New York, to write this story. Sag Harbor was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Whitehead is also the author of The Underground Railroad, which won the Pulitzer Prize, as well as The Nickel Boys, The... Read Sag Harbor Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1988Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Arts / Culture

Scorpions is a young adult, coming-of-age novel written by best-selling children’s author Walter Dean Myers. Like many of Myers’s works, the book is based on his experience of growing up in New York City’s historically African American Harlem neighborhood. Exploring themes of brotherhood and masculinity, love and loyalty, race, class, and curtailed opportunity, the narrative follows 12-year-old Jamal Hicks as he is confronted with a life-changing dilemma: whether or not to step into the shoes... Read Scorpions Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Shattering Glass, by Gail Giles, is a 2002 young adult novel that tells the story of how high school senior Simon Glass went from school geek to popular kid to murdered over the course of a school year. The novel, which is told from fellow senior Young Steward’s point of view, follows a linear storyline, moving from the beginning of the school year to the end. However, from the beginning of the novel it’s clear... Read Shattering Glass Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Military / War, Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture

Shooting Kabul is a middle-grade novel published in 2010 by American author N. H. Senzai. In July 2001, 11-year-old Fadi Nurzai and his family flee Afghanistan, where the Taliban are taking power, to live in San Francisco. While boarding the truck in Kabul that will take them across the Pakistani border, Fadi loses his six-year-old sister, Mariam, in the melee, and she is left behind. The novel focuses on Fadi’s struggle with his conscience over losing... Read Shooting Kabul Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Romance, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Music, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FathersTags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor, British Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Slam (2007) is a young adult novel written by Nick Hornby. It tells the story of Sam Jones, a skateboarder who finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant when they are both 16 years old—his mother’s age when she had him. The novel explores themes such as Navigating Teenage Parenthood, How a Few Seconds Can Change Everything, and Relationships, Wisdom, and Growing Up.Nick Hornby is a renowned English writer known for his humorous fiction about... Read Slam Summary


Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: CommunityTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Sports, Education, Education

Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, New Adult

Publication year 1933Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Social Justice, African American Literature

“Slave on the Block” is a short story by Langston Hughes that originally appeared in the September 1933 issue of Scribner's Magazine. The story was later published in The Ways of White Folks, a 1934 collection of Hughes’s short stories.This study guide, based on the 1990 Vintage Classics print edition, quotes and obscures the author’s use of the n-word.Anne and Michael Carraway are affluent white bohemians who live in Greenwich Village—and often visit Harlem—during the... Read Slave on the Block Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction

First published in 1995, Solar Storms, a novel by Linda Hogan, tells the story of 17-year-old Angel Iron’s coming-of-age as a Native American woman in the early 1970s. During this time, the Native American way of life is increasingly coming under threat. Angel’s narrative is continually interspersed with those of her grandmothers, as a means of giving a fuller rendition of the Native American female experience during the 20th century.The dominant narrative begins when 17-year-old... Read Solar Storms Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Introduction Sold is a young adult novel published in 2006 by American author Patricia McCormick. The protagonist and first-person narrator is Lakshmi, a Nepali girl from a remote mountain village who is 13 when she is trafficked for sex to an illicit organization in a large city in India. Through a series of short, titled poems (or vignettes), Lakshmi chronicles her experiences in the brothel called the “Happiness House,” recording her experiences with the people... Read Sold Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Children's Literature, Inspirational, Disability, Relationships, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor

Son of the Mob is a young adult novel by Gordon Korman, published in 2002. It is a comedic adventure story that concerns a teenaged boy named Vince Luca, and his attempts to come to terms with his Mafia family.Vince’s life is a mixture of mundane teenaged concerns (girls, grades) and adult criminal activity. This is established in the first chapter of the book, when he takes a girl named Angela out on a date... Read Son of the Mob Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Stargirl is a young adult fiction novel published in 2000 by the American author Jerry Spinelli. In a coming of age narrative, shy eleventh-grader Leo falls in love with Stargirl, a free-spirited newcomer at Mica High. When his fellow students turn against Stargirl—and Leo—he pressures her to become ordinary like everyone else. Over the course of the novel, Leo learns the importance of staying true to yourself. Spinelli explores themes of individuality, kindness, and the... Read Stargirl Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Narrator Eric Calhoune, also known as Moby at his high school, is trying to figure out what’s wrong with his old partner in crime, Sarah Byrnes, who is suddenly catatonic and hospitalized. As to what has set her off, Eric isn’t sure, but he suspects that her silence may be prompted by what he feels qualifies as hisown callous betrayal of her. Throughout the space of the novel, Eric searches for the best way to... Read Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War, Relationships: FriendshipTags Historical Fiction, Bullying, History: World, Relationships, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, Realistic Fiction

Shy, 12-year-old Margaret and her high-spirited friend Elizabeth question their beliefs about WWII when they discover that the brother of their school nemesis is a deserter in Mary Downing Hahn’s middle grade historical fiction novel, Stepping on the Cracks (1991). The novel explores themes of moral ambiguity, war, friendship, and domestic abuse, drawing on Hahn’s childhood memories of growing up in College Park, Maryland. In a short biography at the end of the novel Hahn... Read Stepping on the Cracks Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction

Stuck in Neutral is a young adult (YA) fiction novel about Shawn McDaniel, a fourteen-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. To the outside world, Shawn is in a kind of vegetative state: his condition makes it so that he has no control over any of his motor function, from moving his lips to evacuating his bowels. Shawn cannot communicate with the outside world, and so people—including his family members—believe him to have the brain function and... Read Stuck In Neutral Summary


Publication year 1917Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

Summer, written by Edith Wharton, is a novel set in rural New England and was published in 1917. The work was unusual for Wharton, who usually set her novels in New York City and populated them with members of the privileged upper class. The author was born to wealthy New York socialites on January 24, 1862, and raised in luxurious style in Manhattan and Newport, Rhode Island. The family traveled through Europe during the years... Read Summer Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, LGBTQ, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Published in 2016, the young adult novel Symptoms of Being Human by musician and author Jeff Garvin focuses on the coming of age of gender-fluid teenager Riley. In addition to other awards, the book was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, was included on the 2017 Rainbow Book List, and was named the Nutmeg Book Award Winner.Note: Out of respect for the main character’s gender fluidity, Riley Cavanaugh is referred to with the singular pronouns they/them/theirs.Plot... Read Symptoms of Being Human Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: TeamsTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Sports, Gothic Literature, Natural Disaster, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

In Edward Bloor’s 1997 debut novel, Tangerine, Paul Fisher navigates the treacherous waters of attending middle school in a new town. In this young adult novel, the coming-of-age tale is complicated by the mystery of why Paul lost so much of his sight—the apocryphal story is that he looked at an eclipse too long—and by the presence of his violent older brother, Erik.Included in the ALA Top Ten Best Books of the Year, Tangerine teams... Read Tangerine Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Tell Me Three Things is Julie Buxbaum's first young adult novel, published in 2017. Sixteen-year-old Jessie Holmes narrates this contemporary story in real-time over the course of two months, as she navigates the daunting halls of a new high school, a life without her mother, and anonymous messages from a classmate. Buxbaum intersperses Jessie's narration with digital conversations in the forms of text messages, emails, and instant messages (IMs), adding a modern epistolary element to... Read Tell Me Three Things Summary


Publication year 1979Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: ClassTags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Animals

In small town Oklahoma during the 1970s, a rough-and-tumble teenager learns to navigate the world with his older brother and a mostly absent father in S. E. Hinton’s young adult fiction novel Tex. Published in 1979, the book was subsequently made into a popular movie starring young Matt Dillon in the title role. Hinton herself has written that Texas McCormick is the favorite of all her iconic characters, so good natured and even tempered that... Read Tex Summary


Publication year 1988Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Community, Self DiscoveryTags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Animals, Depression / Suicide, Diversity, Immigration / Refugee, Parenting, Poverty, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Bean Trees (first published in 1988) is the first novel by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist, and poet who holds degrees in ecology and evolutionary biology, and her work often addresses biodiversity, social justice, communities, and people’s interactions with their environment. The Bean Trees is a work of realistic adult fiction that follows Taylor Greer as she leaves her rural upbringing in Kentucky, drives across the country to Tucson, Arizona, and... Read The Bean Trees Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction

Tara Sullivan’s young adult novel, The Bitter Side of Sweet, provides an account of modern-day child slavery in Ivory Coast, Africa. Although fictional, the story highlights the dark reality of the cacao industry as Sullivan chronicles the journey of three children to freedom. Sullivan’s adventure-filled survival story was published in 2016, and this guide refers to the 2016 edition of the book. Plot SummaryFifteen-year-old Amadou and his little brother, eight-year-old Seydou, work without pay on... Read The Bitter Side of Sweet Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Poverty, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Class, Psychology, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FamilyTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Jason Reynolds’s 2015 young adult realistic contemporary novel, The Boy in the Black Suit, follows main character, Matt Miller, through several months of his senior year after the death of his mother. His grieving process is complicated by his father’s lengthy hospitalization after an accident, which leaves Matt to cope with his sadness alone. Matt discovers unexpected comfort, however, in his new job helping neighbor and funeral home director Mr. Ray. Matt meets Love, who... Read The Boy in the Black Suit Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self DiscoveryTags Survival Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Parenting, Natural Disaster, Science / Nature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature

Publication year 1987Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Action / Adventure, Immigration / Refugee, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Poverty, Military / War, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Gary Paulsen’s The Crossing is a young adult novel published in 1987. This realistic work of fiction highlights the hope and opportunity Manny, a Mexican teenager, envisions waiting for him in America, and the desperation that propels him to attempt the border crossing from Mexico into the United States.Paulsen (1939-2021) was a celebrated author of middle grade and young adult fiction, best known for writing the award-winning Hatchet series. His work often depicts wilderness settings... Read The Crossing Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: WarTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Class, History: European, Military / War, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World, Romance

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self DiscoveryTags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Asian Literature, History: World, Romance

Publication year 1990Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Caroline B. Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton is a work of young adult fiction originally published in 1990. The first of “The Janie Books,” it has sold over 4 million copies, spawned five sequels, and was adapted into a 1995 TV movie starring Kellie Martin. The novel was often challenged or banned after its publication due to its references to cults and sexual activity. This guide references the 2012 paperback edition.Plot SummaryFifteen-year-old Janie... Read The Face on the Milk Carton Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction

In writing The Fault in Our Stars, novelist John Green tells a story of young love with no sense of futurity, no belief in a happily ever after. On top of that, Green rejects the sentimental clichés that tend to structure cancer narratives, about the nobility of suffering and struggle, and the redemption that validates pain and loss. The result is a novel where love is inextricably bound up with fear, death, and merciless physical... Read The Fault in Our Stars Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Sports, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Final Four is a 2012 young adult novel by Paul Volponi. The book portrays the semifinal of a prestigious college basketball tournament, exploring the lives of four of the players.Plot SummaryThe Final Four tells the story of the Michigan State Spartans and the Trojans of Troy University, two college basketball teams who reach the semifinal of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, commonly known as March Madness. The Spartans are a prestigious, successful team led... Read The Final Four Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Girl I Used to Be, by April Henry, is a young adult mystery novel published in 2016. It takes place in a contemporary, small-town setting and taps into the current widespread interest in true crime narratives. The novel was named to the International Literacy Association’s Children’s Choice List and won the Anthony Award, in addition to being a finalist for several other awards.Plot SummaryOlivia Reinhart is an orphaned teenaged girl living in Portland. She... Read The Girl I Used to Be Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags LGBTQ, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

The Hate U Give is a young adult novel published in 2017 by the American author Angie Thomas. The book’s protagonist is a 16-year-old Black girl who witnesses a white police officer kill her friend. A New York Times bestseller, The Hate U Give won several awards, including the American Library Association’s William C. Morris Award for best debut novel and the Coretta Scott King Award for the best children’s novel by an African American... Read The Hate U Give Summary


Publication year 1984Genre Novella, FictionThemes Identity: FemininityTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Immigration / Refugee, American Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street is an internationally acclaimed novel, first published in 1984. The story of Esperanza Cordero is told through stunning vignettes that chronicle the life of a young Latina woman growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago. Heralded as an important voice in representing an underserved community, the novel won the American Book Award in 1985. It has since become an integral part of school curriculum across the country... Read The House on Mango Street Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Short Story, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

“The Lesson” is a short story by Toni Cade Bambara. It appears in her story collection Gorilla, My Love, first published in 1960. It was also anthologized in the 1972 edition of Best American Short Stories.“The Lesson” is narrated by an unnamed black girl who lives in a poor New York City neighborhood. She lives with her Aunt Gretchen, her cousin Sugar—who is also her best friend—and their younger cousin Junior. All of their mothers... Read The Lesson Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Written by Emily M. Danforth and published in 2012, The Miseducation of Cameron Post depicts lesbian teen Cameron Post’s coming of age in Miles City, Montana. The book, which comprises three parts—“Summer 1989,” “High School 1991-1992,” and “God’s Promise 1992-1993”—explores themes of homosexuality, grief, and religion. Danforth, who grew up in Miles City, draws from her own experiences of “growing up gay in the 1990s.” In 2018, LGBTQ culture advocate Desiree Akhavan directed the YA... Read The Miseducation of Cameron Post Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Education, Incarceration, African American Literature, Race / Racism, History: World, Historical Fiction

Like his 2016 bestseller, The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys (2019) won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (Whitehead is only the fourth writer in history to win two Pulitzers). The Nickel Boys describes life in a reform school from the point of view of young Black teenager. Whitehead based Nickel Academy on the real life Dozier School, a Florida facility that ran for over a century, until a university investigation publicized its racist... Read The Nickel Boys Summary


Publication year 1967Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Outsiders (1967) is S. E. Hinton’s first novel, which she wrote when she was a high school student. The novel addresses themes of violence, masculinity, and belonging, all of which Hinton witnessed first-hand with her childhood friends. In interviews, Hinton has explained that she saw a need for realistic books for teenage readers and decided to solve the problem herself. This coming-of-age story was inspired by her experiences growing up in Oklahoma and witnessing... Read The Outsiders Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Originally published in 2018, The Parker Inheritance is a fast-paced mystery novel with messages about identity and society. Varian Johnson presents a dynamic young protagonist, Candice, who teams up with her new friend Brandon to uncover the truth behind a mysterious letter that reveals the hidden history of Lambert, South Carolina.The Parker Inheritance is the recipient of a number of awards: it was named a 2019 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, a Publishers Weekly Best... Read The Parker Inheritance Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: AnimalsTags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Relationships, Class, Music, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1999Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky’s first novel and was published in 1999. It is young adult fiction and a coming-of-age tale told from the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school. The epistolary novel is comprised of a series of letters that Charlie writes to someone he calls “friend,” although he has never met this friend in person. He makes it immediately clear that he wants to remain anonymous with... Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Music, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ

Elizabeth Acevedo’s award-winning 2018 young adult novel, The Poet X, brings to life the inner world of protagonist Xiomara Batista. Xiomara is 15 years old, and from her bedroom in Harlem, she writes poetry in order to put on the page all the feelings and ideas she cannot seem to be able to say out loud. Xiomara resigns herself to writing in her notebook and sharing her thoughts with only a few trusted individuals until... Read The Poet X Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Raft, by S.A. Bodeen, tells the castaway story of Robie, a young woman who survives an airplane crash in the Pacific Ocean. The crash occurs as she attempts to return from a trip to visit her aunt in Honolulu.Other work by this author includes the novel, The Compound.The story is set in motion when Robie’s aunt is called away for workand allows Robie to remain at her apartment unsupervised. Robie is attacked on the... Read The Raft Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

The River by Gary Paulsen was published in 1991 as a sequel to Paulsen’s first story about Brian’s survival in the woods, Hatchet (1987). Paulsen wrote this young adult adventure novel in response to letters from fans asking to know what happened to Brian after his rescue in Hatchet. Later, Paulsen wrote more stories about Brian including Brian’s Winter (1996), Brian’s Return (1999), and Brian’s Hunt (2003). Paulsen drew from his own experiences in creating... Read The River Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism

The Rock and the River is a young adult historical fiction work that earned author Kekla Magoon the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award upon its publication in 2009. Set in the 1960s Civil Rights era, the story’s protagonist, Samuel Childs, is the son of a famous activist who worked alongside Dr. King and the brother of a teenager involved with a local Black Panther group. The tensions between the historical “passive resistance”... Read The Rock and The River Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Identity: DisabilityTags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction

The Running Dream, by Wendelin Van Draanen, features sixteen-year-old Jessica Carlisle as its protagonist and first-person narrator. After setting a personal record in the 400-meter dash at a track meet, Jessica’s team bus is struck by another vehicle, resulting in the death of one student and the loss of Jessica’s leg. The story encompasses Jessica’s coming-of-age as she learns to adapt to changes in her life and overcome the significant challenges of having a physical... Read The Running Dream Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Humor

Wise-cracking eighth-grader Anthony “Antsy” Bonano befriends Calvin Schwa, a nondescript boy who is virtually invisible to his classmates in Neal Shusterman’s humorous young adult novel, The Schwa Was Here (2004). As Antsy and the Schwa experiment on his invisibility, they meet the crotchety neighborhood recluse Old Man Crawley and fall for his granddaughter, Lexie, who is blind. Antsy learns about the Schwa’s challenging family life and makes discoveries about his own sense of self, his... Read The Schwa Was Here Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: FathersTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

The Serpent King is a young adult novel by American musician and novelist Jeff Zentner, originally published in the U.S. in 2016. This coming-of-age story about three youths growing up in a small town of Forrestville, Tennessee, explores individual, family, and social identity, along with love, loss, and religion. The novel won an American Library Association William C. Morris Award for Young Adult Literature, an International Literacy Association Young Adult Book Award, and it was... Read The Serpent King Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Disability, Realistic Fiction, History: World

The Silent Boy (2003) is a young adult historical fiction novel written by Lois Lowry. Lowry is most famous for writing The Giver, which won the Newberry Medal in 1994. A series of photos inspired Lowry to write The Silent Boy, and these grainy, somber images appear throughout the book at the beginning of each chapter, firmly rooting the novel in the early 1900s. The photos help frame the novel as a series of recollections... Read The Silent Boy Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Published in 2016, Nicola Yoon’s The Sun Is Also a Star is a young-adult novel and National Book Award Finalist. Told from multiple character perspectives, the novel tells the story of the romance that transpires over one day between two young people, Natasha Katherine Kingsley and Daniel Jae Ho Bae, and the impact they have on the people around them. Natasha and Daniel come from different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Natasha is an undocumented... Read The Sun Is Also a Star Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Self DiscoveryTags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Grief / Death

The Truth About Forever (2004) is a young adult contemporary romance by Sarah Dessen. The novel follows Macy Queen, a teen girl struggling to heal from the tragic death of her father, only to find that the answers lie not in chasing perfection and control but embracing the unpredictable and chaotic joys of life. The Truth About Forever is Sarah Dessen’s sixth published novel and won the 2004 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Urban... Read The Truth About Forever Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

The Way I Used to Be is a YA novel written by author Amber Smith. The book, published in 2016, is a New York Times bestseller. Smith, an advocate for spreading awareness about issues related to gendered violence, tackles themes of sexual and domestic abuse in her young adult novels. The Way I Used to Be follows Eden McCrorey, a teenager who is raped by her older brother’s best friend, Kevin. The novel is divided... Read The Way I Used to Be Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Social Justice, Race / Racism, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

This Is Where It Ends is the 2016 young adult novel by Marieke Nijkamp. As Principal Trenton concludes the annual first-day-of-spring-semester speech at Alabama’s Opportunity High School, Tyler Browne locks students inside the auditorium and commits a school shooting that leaves thirty-nine people dead. Narrated in four different first-person accounts, by seniors Autumn, Sylv, Tomas, and Claire, This Is Where It Ends traces the fifty-five minutes, from 10:00 to 10:55 a.m., that encompass moments before... Read This Is Where It Ends Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: MothersTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

This One Summer is a Canadian young adult graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin, Jillian Tamaki. Mariko Tamaki has written several graphic novels, and has worked for both Marvel and DC Comics. This One Summer was originally published in 2014 by Groundwood Books, and follows the summer experiences of two young girls approaching adolescence and watching their parents cope with the various pressures of adulthood. The novel has been the... Read This One Summer Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: SiblingsTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han is the first in a series of three novels; P.S. I Still Love You was published in 2015 and Always and Forever, Lara Jean in 2017. A movie adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was released on Netflix in 2018 and instantly became one of Netflix’s most-watched movies. Simon Schuster first published To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in 2014.To All... Read To All the Boys I've Loved Before Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Realistic Fiction, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction

Trampoline is an illustrated novel written by Robert Gipe. Ohio University Press published the novel in 2015. The story takes place in the fictional Canard County, located in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. The narrator, Dawn Jewell, tells the story of the holiday season when she was 15 years old. Dawn is intelligent, creative, and thoughtful. She lives with her grandmother, whom she calls Mamaw, because her own mother, Momma, is too addicted to drugs... Read Trampoline Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionTags Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Trapped opens an unspecified amount of time after the completion of the story’s events. Scotty Weems (nicknamed Weems) introduces himself as the narrator and details the severity of the nor’easter (a type of snowstorm specific to the New England region) around which the book centers. Chapter 2 returns to the day the storm began, and events work their way forward.Due to the storm, school will let out early. Weems is upset because his basketball game... Read Trapped Summary


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Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Poverty, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure

Published in 2010, Andy Mulligan’s dystopian young adult novel Trash examines themes of poverty, homelessness, corruption, and friendship. Set in the near future in an unnamed country, it follows the adventures of three boys who take turns narrating the story: Raphael, Gardo, and Jun-Jun (known as Rat throughout most of the book). The boys are poor, as are the majority of the people in their region. They live, as do most, by picking through trash... Read Trash Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Travel Team is a young adult novel by Mike Lupica published in 2004. Lupica is a former newspaper columnist with experience writing sports commentary for the New York Daily News. In addition to his young adult novels, Lupica has written several books for adults, including autobiographies co-written with Reggie Jackson and Bill Parcells. Lupica has also appeared on ESPN and on several sports-oriented radio shows. This guide refers to the 2006 edition published by Puffin... Read Travel Team Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Mental Illness, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Turtles All the Way Down (2017) is a young adult novel by John Green, author of the successful novel The Fault in Our Stars. The story is narrated in the first person by Aza Holmes, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, which greatly impact her daily life and her ability to maintain relationships. The story has been heralded as an accurate and personal depiction of OCD by the author, who has openly written... Read Turtles All the Way Down Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson, tells the story of Tyler Miller and his family as Tyler is about to begin his senior year of high school. Tyler has recently been punished with probation and community service after vandalizing school property. As part of his community service, he works with his high school’s maintenance crew to repair the very building he defaced. Due to the physical labor he’s been doing over the summer, Tyler’s put on... Read Twisted Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus is a middle-grade thriller that embraces the trappings of true crime and high school romance to create an engaging, knotty mystery. Published in January 2019, it is the New York Times bestselling follow-up to One of Us Is Lying and is McManus’s second book. Plot SummaryTwo Can Keep a Secret is a story of two high schoolers told in alternating first-person point of view. The first... Read Two Can Keep a Secret Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Immigration, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FamilyTags Drama / Tragedy, Immigration / Refugee, Poverty, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is a coming-of-age story about the importance of family, heritage, and perseverance. This young adult novel comes directly from McCall’s own experiences as a young Mexican immigrant, a writer with a dream, and a teenager who watches her mother die from cancer. Under the Mesquite infuses poetic form, free verse, imagery, and sprinkles of the Spanish language in order to portray a bildungsroman in which a young girl... Read Under The Mesquite Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

We Are Okay is the story of an 18-year-old girl, Marin’s, experience with grief, loss, and sadness. Marin’s mother dies in a surfing accident when she’s almost 3; she is raised near that same beach in San Francisco by her grandfather, Gramps. The narrative is divided between Marin’s present in New York and her past in California. The present-day events occur in December during the winter break of Marin’s first year in college; the past... Read We Are Okay Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture

We Were Here is a Newbury-Award-winning, young adult novel written by Matt De La Pena. Published in 2011, the first person narrative is written in diary form in the voice of the teenaged protagonist, Miguel Castaneda. The story begins with Miguel’s description of his admission to juvenile hall, a detention facility near his family home in Stockton, California. His father, a member of the US Army, was killed in action the preceding year. While the... Read We Were Here Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

We Were Liars is a 2014 young-adult novel by E. Lockhart, a pen name of writer Emily Jenkins. The book tells the story of Cady (short for Cadence), who is nearly 18, as she recounts the story of her life. She is a member of the wealthy New England Sinclair family whose patriarch and matriarch, Harris and Tipper, still dominate the family as the story begins. The Sinclair family is so wealthy that it owns... Read We Were Liars Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: TeamsTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Education, Education, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction

Whale Talk, a young adult novel by Chris Crutcher, is the story of events in the senior year of The Dao (T.J.) Jones, the adopted, multiracial son of white parents who live in the small town of Cutter, Washington. Narrated from a first-person perspective, the novel explores the impact of family, athletics, violence, and bullying on the lives of modern teens.The inciting incident of the novel occurs when T.J., a skilled swimmer who refuses to... Read Whale Talk Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Class, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction

When I Was the Greatest, published in 2014 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, is the debut novel by award-winning young adult fiction writer Jason Reynolds. It tells a nuanced and often emotional coming-of-age story in a low-income and predominantly Black New York borough. This is not a romanticized portrait but rather an earnest one that does not shy away from representing the harsher effects of poverty alongside heartfelt depictions of friendship, family, and community... Read When I Was the Greatest Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: FamilyTags Romance, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

When We Collided is a young adult novel written by Emery Lord and published in 2016. The novel explores themes of mental illness, grief, and familial bonds. Lord presents the story to her readers through alternating chapters between two characters: Vivi and Jonah. They are the main protagonists of the novel who find themselves in a summer romance that changes them forever. Through their bond, both Jonah and Vivi learn more about themselves, their families... Read When We Collided Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: FameTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Romance

Gayle Forman’s young adult novel Where She Went is the sequel to If I Stay and features the same characters: Mia Hall and Adam Wilde. Told in sparse prose from Adam’s point of view, it contains themes of loss, sacrifice, closure, family, and the aftermath of grief.As the novel begins, Adam’s band Shooting Star is one of the biggest rock acts in the world. However, on the eve of their new tour, Adam, the star... Read Where She Went Summary


Publication year 1961Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Wilson Rawls was born in 1913 in the Ozark Mountains in the Oklahoma/Arkansas region of the United States, where Rawls time spent roaming the hills with his dogs. His level of formal education left him unsure of his formal writing ability, and he disposed of his manuscripts. However, his wife encouraged him to start again, leading to the publication of Where the Red Fern Grows in 1961 and The Summer of the Monkeys 15 years... Read Where the Red Fern Grows Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: BirthTags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Whirligig, by Paul Fleischman, is a 1998 YA novel about a 17-year-old boy named Brent Bishop who goes on a cross-country journey of atonement. At the outset of the novel, Brent’s family has recently moved to Chicago following his father’s promotion at work—the fourth time the family has moved. Brent has struggled to fit in and make friends at each new school he’s attended. He tries to win approval from his classmates by wearing trendy... Read Whirligig Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Bullying, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Winger is a young adult novel written by American author Andrew Smith and first published in 2013. It belongs to the genre of contemporary early 21st century teen fiction and garnered recognition from the American Library Association (ALA), Publishers Weekly, and the Junior Library Guild. Because of Winger’s storyline involving LGBTQIA+ issues, it was also chosen as part of the ALA’s 2014 Rainbow List in 2014, made up of books for children and young adults... Read Winger Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Food, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction

Wintergirls is a young-adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson published in 2009 by Penguin Books. Wintergirls is the winner of the 2010 Milwaukee County Teen Book Award and has received several other award nominations. Wintergirls follows the mental health journey of Lia Overbrook as she attempts recovery from anorexia, depression, and other mental health issues. Lia spends the weeks during Thanksgiving and Christmas struggling to gain closure over her former best friend Cassie’s death. Lia... Read Wintergirls Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Food

With the Fire on High is a 2019 young adult coming-of-age novel by Dominican American author Elizabeth Acevedo, who won a National Book Award for her 2018 young adult novel, The Poet X. It tells the story of Emoni Santiago, a teenage mother of Puerto Rican descent, and her senior year at a Philadelphia high school. The novel focuses on Emoni’s enrollment in a culinary arts class and her subsequent journey of self-discovery. With the... Read With the Fire on High Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure

Wonderstruck (2011) by Brian Selznick is a graphic novel for children and young adults. The book follows the story of Ben, a deaf boy traveling to New York in 1977, and Rose, a deaf/mute girl traveling to New York in 1927. The stories overlap and weave together, as both Ben and Rose seek family and belonging. The book was adapted into a feature-length film, for which Brian Selznick wrote the screenplay. Plot SummaryThe novel has two... Read Wonderstruck Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Bullying, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton follows a 16-year-old boy with schizophrenia as he navigates mental illness, life at a new school, and a clinical drug trial. The book won the Yalsa Best Fiction for Young Adults award in 2018 and was a nominee for the Rhode Island Teen Book award. Roadside Attractions released a feature film of the same name based on the book in August 2020. This guide follows the 2017 Random... Read Words on Bathroom Walls Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

In the juvenile fiction novel Wrecked, Maria Padian portrays a timely narrative about sexual assault on college campuses. Her careful treatment of this subject earned the text several awards, including the Fall 2016 Kids’ Indie Next Pick, the Maine Lupine Honor Award, and the Maine Literary Award. Originally published in hardcover in 2017 by Algonquin Young Readers, Wrecked also received positive recognition from Booklist, Book Riot, Kirkus Reviews, and the School Library Journal, among others.Plot... Read Wrecked Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness