Realistic+Fiction

= For real? Realistic fiction for middle grades = by Michal Hope Brandon


 * Click here for Storify Chat Archive from January 27, 2014 #bookbootcamp **

Genre Definition
//**Short**// // **version: Real kids with real problems solved in real world time.** // Realistic fiction is writing that depicts characters and situations from today's world and society. The story could indeed happen now, at this moment. Every realistic fiction story could conceivably happen to real people living in today’s natural physical world. It focuses on real world issues and confronts the personal and social problems of growing up. Realistic fiction helps children/tweens/teens move toward a fuller understanding of themselves and others.

** Read 3 titles from the following list ** (//loosely categorized by subject*//) :
//***Realistic titles often overlap with other genres (ex. humor, romance, mystery,) so you might see some duplication from previous months' reading lists.**//


 * < **School and Family**
 * //101 Ways to Bug Your Friends and Enemies// by Lee Wardlaw
 * //Access Denied (and other error messages)// by Denise Vega
 * //Almost Home// by Joan Bauer
 * //Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel// by Diana Lopez
 * //Bessica Lefter Fights Back// by Kristen Tracy
 * //Better Nate Than Ever// by Tim Federle
 * //Blogtastic// series by Rose Cooper
 * //Bluefish// by Pat Schmatz
 * //The Bully (Bluford series)// by Paul Langan
 * //The Bully Book// by Eric Kahn Gale
 * //Bystander// by James Preller
 * //Camo Girl// by Kekla Magoon
 * //Center of Everything// by Linda Urban
 * //Charlie Joe Jackson (any title in series)// by Tommy Greenwald
 * //Counting by 7s// by Holly Goldberg Sloan
 * //Destiny Rewritten// by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
 * //Fourmile// by Watt Key
 * //Girl Stolen// by April Henry
 * //Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol// by Jim Krieg
 * //Hound Dog True// by Linda Urban (upper elem/middle)
 * //The Humming Room// by Ellen Potter
 * //Kepler's Dream by Juliet Bell//
 * //Laugh with the Moon// by Shana Burg
 * //Losing It// by Erin Fry
 * //Monica (any title in series)// by Diana Gallagher
 * //Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine//
 * //My Basmati Bat Mitzvah// by Paula Freedman
 * //One for the Murphys// by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
 * //Popularity Papers (any title in series)// by Amy Ignatow
 * //Runaway Twin or Stolen Children// by Peg Kehret
 * //See You at Harry's// by Jo Knowles
 * //Silhouetted by the Blue// by Traci Jones
 * //Skinny// by Donna Cooner
 * //Summer of the Gypsy Moths// by Sara Pennypacker
 * //Too Cool For This School// by Kristen Tracy
 * //The Thing About Luck// by Cynthia Kadohata
 * //This Journal Belongs to Ratchet// by Nancy Cavanaugh
 * //Tracing Stars// by Erin Moulton
 * //Unchained// by L.B. Tillit
 * //Waiting for Normal// by Leslie Connor
 * //Wonder// by R.J. Palacio ||< **Hunting & Fishing**
 * //Wild Life// by Cynthia DeFelice


 * Middle East Conflict(s)**
 * //Dear Blue Sky// by Mary Sullivan
 * //Thunder Over Kandahar// by Sharon McKay
 * //Shooting Kabul// by N.H. Senzai


 * Music & Arts**
 * //Audition & Subtraction// by Amy Fellner Dominy
 * //Guitar Notes// by Mary Amato
 * //How to Rock Braces & Glasses// by Meg Haston
 * //Notes From an Accidental Band Geek// by Erin Dionne


 * Science**
 * //Code Orange// by Caroline Cooney
 * //Heaven is Paved with Oreos// by Catherine Murdock
 * //The Boy Project// by Kami Kinard
 * //Brendan Buckley's Sixth Grade Experiment// by Sundee Frazier


 * Sports**
 * //The Contender// by Robert Lipsyte
 * //Curveball The Year I Lost My Grip// by Jordan Sonnenblick
 * //Game Changers// #1 or //Game Changes: Play Makers by Lupica//
 * //Hoops// by Walter Dean Myers
 * //Pinned// by Sharon Flake
 * //QB 1// by Lupica
 * //The Running Dream// by Wendelin Van Draanen
 * // True Legend // by Mike Lupica


 * Spy Stories, Survival, and Thrillers**
 * //Code of Silence// or //Back Before Dark// by Tim Shoemaker
 * //Nine Days// by Fred Hiatt
 * //The Raft// by S.A. Bodeen
 * //Spy School (2012) or Spy Camp (2013)// by Stuart Gibbs
 * //Stranded// by Jeff Probst


 * Written in Verse**
 * //Hidden// by Helen Frost
 * //Planet Middle School// by Nikki Grimes ||

** Official Book Lists: **
[|SLJ Best Books 2013 Fiction] [|SLJ Best Books 2013 Adult Books 4 Teens] [] [|YALSA's Teens Top Ten Page] [] //(YA and middle level books here)// [] //(not so official but a good list)//

[|Amity Middle School blog] [|Books in the Middle: Reading for Middle School] [|Librarian in the Middle] [|Marvelous Middle Grade Monday picks] Mrs. Readerpants blog Ms. Yingling Reads blog [|Pinterest book displays] [|Realistic Fiction: Bringing Words to Life] [|Realistic Fiction for Middle Grades] (older titles but has good content) [|Realistic Fiction in Children's Literature] (dated 2010 but good content) StorySnoops: Children's Book Reviews and Suggested Reading Lists
 * Resources: **

Book & Movie Trailers:
//[|Almost Home]// by Joan Bauer [|Game Changers] by Mike Lupica // [|Guitar Notes] // by Mary Amato //[|How to Rock Braces & Glasses]// by Meg Haston // [|Mockingbird] // by Kathryn Erskine // [|One for the Murphys] // by Lynda Mullaly Hunt //[|The Raft]// by S.A. Bodeen //[|The Running Dream]// by Wendelin Van Draanen //[|See You at Harry's]// by Jo Knowles //[|Wild Life]// by Cynthia DeFelice

//Picture Source:// //[]//