Genre Mash: RTW x Realistic

Looking for a grounded, contemporary story to read for Read the World? This list has you covered.

Updated April 14, 2026
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Dana Hall School Dana Hall School Librarians
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Genre Mash: RTW x Realistic

Looking for a grounded, contemporary story to read for Read the World? This list has you covered.

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Flying through water
Wolo, Mamle
Paper Book
An NPR Best Book of the Year "A must-read!"--Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee For fans of A Long Walk to Water and Hatchet, this boy's...

RTW Africa (Ghana)

The kaya girl
Wolo, Mamle
Paper Book
An extraordinary tale of two teenagers from vastly different walks of life, this page-turner transports readers to a bustling market in Ghana's capital city where one friendship transforms two lives.  Writing with effortlessly engaging prose, Wolo showcases the...

RTW Africa (Ghana)

Blessings
Ibeh, Chukwuebuka
Paper Book
A BBC BEST BOOK OF 2024 * A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK * Moonlight meets Purple Hibiscus in this coming of age novel about self-acceptance, sexual awakening, and first love set in a Nigeria on the verge of criminalizing same-sex relationships "Chukwuebuka Ibeh...

RTW Africa (Nigeria)

The girl with the louding voice
Daré, Abi
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK!  "Brave, fresh . . . unforgettable."--The New York Times Book Review "A celebration of girls who dare to...

RTW Africa (Nigeria)

One half from the east
Hashimi, Nadia
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia, Thanhha Lai, and Rebecca Stead, internationally bestselling author Nadia Hashimi's first novel for young readers is a coming-of-age journey set in modern-day Afghanistan that explores life as a bacha posh--a preteen girl dressed as a boy. Obayda's...

RTW Asia (Afghanistan)

The bridge home
Venkatraman, Padma
Paper Book
"Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma shares with us an unflinching peek into the reality millions of homeless children live every day but also infuses her story with hope and bravery that will...

RTW Asia (India)

Thirst
Bajaj, Varsha
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines....

RTW Asia (India)

Idol, burning : a novel
Usami, Rin
Paper Book
"Akari's obsession is fatalistic and intense, and Usami's prose (translated by Asa Yoneda) renders it and the hold it has on her tenuous life ably and affectingly. . . . it will especially resonate with readers familiar with real-life superfandoms such as One Direction's at the height of its fame...

RTW Asia (Japan)

My brother's husband
Tagame, Gengoroh
Paper Book
"When a cuddly Canadian comes to call, Yaichi-a single Japanese dad-is forced to confront his painful past. With his young daughter Kana leading the way, he gradually rethinks his assumptions about what makes a family. Renowned manga artist Gengoroh Tagame turns his stunning draftsmanship to a...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Unmarriageable
Soniah Kamal
Paper Book
"This inventive retelling of Pride and Prejudice charms."--People   "A fun, page-turning romp and a thought-provoking look at the class-obsessed strata of Pakistani society."--NPR Alys Binat has sworn never to marry--until an encounter...

RTW Asia (Pakistan)

Please look after mom : a novel
Sin, Kyŏng-suk.
Paper Book
A million-plus-copy best seller in Korea—a magnificent English-language debut poised to become an international sensation—this is the stunning, deeply moving story of a family’s search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway.

RTW Asia (South Korea)

Violets
Sin, Kyo?ng-suk
Paper Book
Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Barrios Book in Translation Prize By Man Asian Literary Prize winner Kyung-Sook Shin, "a moving delve into a lonely psyche" that follows a neglected young woman's search for human connection...

RTW Asia (South Korea)

The elegance of the hedgehog
Barbery, Muriel
Paper Book
"""An exquisite book in the form of a philosophical fable that has enchanted hundreds of thousands of readers.""-Elle (Italy)"

RTW Europe (France)

The love report. Vol. 1
Be?ka
Paper Book
BFFs Grace and Lola try to unravel the mystery of romance with a plan to observe, study, and analyze the ways of love at their middle school in the first book in this addictive graphic novel series. BFFs Grace and Lola talk about everything related to romance-and have lots of...

RTW Europe (France)

No and me
Vigan, Delphine de
Paper Book
Parisian teenager Lou has an IQ of 160, OCD tendencies, and a mother who has suffered from depression for years. But Lou is about to change her life-and that of her parents-all because of a school project about homeless teens. While doing research, Lou meets No, a teenage girl living on the...

RTW Europe (France)

Cross my heart and never lie
Da?snes, Nora
Paper Book
★ WINNER of the 2024 Stonewall Book Award, American Library Association Perfect for fans of The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag, HeartStopper by Alice Oseman, and Jen Wang's The Dressmaker and the Prince. In this fresh, sensitive,...

RTW Europe (Norway)

Beartown : a novel
Backman, Fredrik
Paper Book
Now an HBO Original Series "You'll love this engrossing novel." --People Named a Best Book of the Year by LibraryReads, BookBrowse, and Goodreads From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of...

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Fire from the sky
A?stot, Moa Backe
Paper Book
MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR WINNER KIRKUS BEST OF THE YEAR From 23-year-old Sámi debut novelist and reindeer owner Moa Backe Åstot, Fire From the Sky is a queer coming-of-age story about heritage, family ties and age-old commitments to the past....

RTW Europe (Sweden)

My friends
Backman, Fredrik; Smith, Neil
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller, more than 1 million copies sold! Winner of the 2025 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction * A Fallon Book Club Pick * USA TODAY Best Books of the Year * NPR Best Books of the Year * Marie Claire 25 Best Novels of the Year *...

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Stolen
Laestadius, Ann-Hele?n
Paper Book
* NOW A NETFLIX FILM * AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * A spellbinding Swedish novel that follows a young indigenous woman as she struggles to defend her family's reindeer herd and culture amidst xenophobia, climate change, and a devious hunter whose targeted kills are considered mere...

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Gingerbread
Oyeyemi, Helen
Paper Book
"Exhilarating...A wildly imagined, head-spinning, deeply intelligent novel." - The New York Times Book Review "[W]ildly inventive...[Helen Oyeyemi's] prose is not without its playful bite." -Vogue  The prize-winning, bestselling author of ...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Swing time
Smith, Zadie
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller  Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction Finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize for Fiction 2017 Man Booker Prize Longlist An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from northwest London to...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Girl mans up
Girard, M-E
Paper Book
Lambda Literary Award Winner! "Pen is an inspiration to anyone who's struggled to be understood, and a vital addition to the growing world of genderqueer protagonists." --New York Times Book Review All Pen wants is to be the kind of girl she's always been. So why does...

RTW North America (Canada)

Tegan and Sara : junior high
Quin, Tegan
Paper Book
From indie-pop twin-sister duo Tegan and Sara comes their bestselling contemporary middle grade graphic novel about growing up, coming out, and finding yourself through music and sisterhood--perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Sisters and Sweet Valley Twins. ...

RTW North America (Canada)

No fixed address
Nielsen-Fernlund, Susin
Paper Book
For fans of Wendelin van Draanen and Cynthia Lord, a touching and funny middle-grade story about family, friendship, and growing up when you're one step away from homelessness. Twelve-and-three-quarter-year-old Felix Knutsson has a knack for trivia. His favorite game show is...

RTW North America (Canada)

Jellicoe Road
Marchetta, Melina
Paper Book
Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * Kirkus Best Book Jellicoe Road is a dazzling tale that is part love story, part family drama, and part coming-of-age novel. Described by Kirkus as "a beautifully rendered mystery" and by VOYA as "a great choice for...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Tiger daughter
Lim, Rebecca
Paper Book
★FIVE STARRED REVIEWS★ NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWS, BOOKLIST AND MORE! Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, Tiger Daughter is an award-winning novel about finding your voice amidst the pressures of growing up in an immigrant...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Wildlife
Wood, Fiona
Paper Book
During a semester in the wilderness, sixteen year- old Sib expects the tough outdoor education program and the horrors of dorm life, but friendship drama and love that gets complicated? That will take some navigating. New girl Lou has zero interest in fitting in, or...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Furia
Maendez, Yamile Saied
Paper Book
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK Recipient of the 2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Medal One of BuzzFeed's Must-Read YA Books of 2020 A Best Book of the Year: Cosmopolitan * Kirkus...

RTW South America (Argentina)

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https://librarian.syndetics.com/syndeticsunbound/lp/2069.2567/list/7729

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