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
D
Dana Hall School Librarians
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
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 who were never meant to be friends, this page-turner transports readers to a bustling market in Ghana's capital city where one friendship transforms two lives. When Faiza, a migrant girl from northern Ghana, and Abena, a wealthy doctor's...

RTW Africa (Ghana)

Blessings
Ibeh, Chukwuebuka
Paper Book
When Obiefuna's father witnesses an intimate moment between his teenage son and the family's apprentice, newly arrived from the nearby village, he banishes Obiefuna to a Christian boarding school. Surrounded by unknown faces that soon become friends, lovers and enemies, Obiefuna finds and hides who...

RTW Africa (Nigeria)

The girl with the louding voice
Dare?, 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)

Welcome to Lagos
Onuzo, Chibundu
Paper Book
When army officer Chike Ameobi is ordered to kill innocent civilians, he knows that it is time to leave. As he travels towards Lagos, he becomes the leader of a new platoon, a band of runaways who share his desire for a better life. Their arrival in the city coincides with the eruption of a...

RTW Africa (Nigeria)

A good day for climbing trees
Jacobs, Jaco; Geldenhuys, Kobus
Paper Book
*Nominated for the 2019 CILIP Carnegie Medal* *Spectator Best Books of the Year selection* Two unlikely heroes inspire a whole town by fighting to save a tree Sometimes, in the blink of an eye, you do something that changes your life forever. Like climbing a tree...

RTW Africa (South Africa)

A girl is a body of water
Makumbi, Jennifer Nansubuga
Paper Book
"Makumbi is such an honest, truthful writer. . . . I loved every single page." --Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage A Best Book of the Year at TIME; The Washington Post; O, the Oprah Magazine; BBC Winner of the Jhalak Prize

RTW Africa (Uganda)

We need new names
Bulawayo, NoViolet
Paper Book
A remarkable literary debut shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize: the unflinching and powerful story of a young girl's journey out of Zimbabwe and to America. Darling is only ten years old, and yet she must navigate a fragile and violent world. In Zimbabwe, Darling and her...

RTW Africa (Zimbabwe)

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
Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut. Life is harsh in Chennai's teeming streets, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how...

RTW Asia (India)

Selection day
Adiga, Aravind
Paper Book
"The most exciting novelist writing in English today" A. N. WilsonManjunath Kumar is fourteen. He knows he is good at cricket - if not as good as his elder brother Radha. He knows that he fears and resents his domineering and cricket-obsessed father, admires his brilliantly talented sibling and is...

RTW Asia (India)

The space between us : a novel
Umrigar, Thrity N.
Paper Book
In this beautifully crafted novel about the interlinked lives of two women, Thrity Umrigar explores the complex relationships between the classes in India, rarely addressed in contemporary fiction. 'Bhima is real. She worked in the house I grew up in, year after year, a...

RTW Asia (India)

Thirst
Bajaj, Varsha
Paper Book
This New York Times Bestseller features 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. Lately, though, even...

RTW Asia (India)

Idol, burning
Usami, Rin
Paper Book
A bestselling and award-winning Japanese phenomenon - about obsession, pop culture and fandom. Winner of the 2021 Akutagawa Prize and 500,000 copies sold!

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)

One bird
Mori, Kyoko
Paper Book
"STUNNING, EVOCATIVE . . . [A] well-crafted coming-of-age novel." --School Library Journal Fifteen-year-old Megumi was very sad when her parents broke up. But now, with her mother running off on a "trip" to her own childhood home, Megumi is left to stay with her father (who is never...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Sweet bean paste
Sukegawa, Dorian
Paper Book
  'I'm in story heaven with this book.' Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You A charming tale of friendship, love and loneliness in contemporary Japan If you enjoyed We'll Prescribe You a Cat or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, you'll love Sweet Bean Paste ...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Unmarriageable
Kamal, Soniah
Paper Book
A scandal and vicious rumor concerning the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages. Alys, the second of five daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature. As schoolgirls learn about her literary heroes, she hopes they will dream of more. When the...

RTW Asia (Pakistan)

Everlasting Nora
Cruz, Marie Miranda
Paper Book
An uplifting young reader debut about perseverance against all odds, Marie Miranda Cruz's debut Everlasting Nora follows the story of a young girl living in the real-life shantytown inside the Philippines' Manila North Cemetery. After a family tragedy results in the...

RTW Asia (Philippines)

A girl like that
Bhathena, Tanaz
Paper Book
A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2018 A Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book of 2018 An Ontario Library Association White Pine Award Shortlist Pick A Globe and Mail Top 100 Book A Quill...

RTW Asia (Saudi Arabia)

If I had your face : a novel
Cha, Frances
Paper Book
A riveting debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossible standards of beauty, after-hours room salons catering to wealthy men, ruthless social hierarchies, and K-pop mania   "Powerful and...

RTW Asia (South Korea)

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, Kyŏng-suk
Paper Book

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)

Just like tomorrow
Guène, Faïza.
Paper Book
Life isn't as sweet as it should be for 15 year-old Doria. Living on the sadly misnamed Paradise Estate on the outskirts of Paris, she is acutely aware of her fate - yet she is powerless to change it.

RTW Europe (France)

Layers : a memoir
Bagieu, Pe?ne?lope; Kane, Montana
Paper Book
Following the Eisner-award winning Brazen, Pénélope Bagieu pens her first autobiographical work in this hilarious and bitter sweet graphic memoir. Pénélope Bagieu never thought she'd publish a graphic memoir. But when she dusted off her old diaries (no, really--this...

RTW Europe (France)

The love report. 1
Béka
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
Lou Bertignac has an IQ of 160 and a good friend in class rebel Lucas. At home her father puts a brave face on things but cries in secret in the bathroom, while her mother rarely speaks and hardly ever leaves the house. To escape this desolate world, Lou goes often to Gare d'Austerlitz to see the...

RTW Europe (France)

You can't see the elephants
Kreller, Susan
Paper Book
When thirteen-year-old Mascha is sent to her grandparents' for the summer, she spends her days bored and lonely at a nearby playground. There she meets Julia and Max, two young siblings who are incredibly shy and withdrawn. Mascha soon begins to suspect that they are being physically abused by their...

RTW Europe (Germany)

Conversations with friends
Rooney, Sally
Paper Book
A sharply intelligent novel about friendship, lust, jealousy, and the unexpected complications of adulthood in the 21st century.

RTW Europe (Ireland)

Cross my heart and never lie
Dåsnes, Nora
Paper Book
A gorgeous full-colour coming-of-age novel, perfect for fans of Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Katie Kirby's The Mega Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks and The Babysitters Club graphic novels 'READING THIS WAS LIKE A WARM HUG' - ALICE OSEMAN SELECTED BY THE...

RTW Europe (Norway)

Pardalita
Estrela, Joana
Paper Book
MILDRED L. BATCHELDER HONOR WINNER School Library Journal Best of the Year BCCB Best of the Year (Blue Ribbon Selection) A beautiful slice-of-life story that is This One Summer meets Ursula K. Le Guin's Very Far...

RTW Europe (Portugal)

Beartown
Backman, Fredrik
Paper Book
"You'll love this engrossing novel." --People From the bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Anxious People, Fredrik Backman captivates readers with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream--and the price required to make it come...

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 : a novel
Backman, Fredrik
Paper Book

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Stolen : a novel
Laestadius, Ann-Helén
Paper Book
**NOW A MAJOR GLOBAL NETFLIX ADAPTATION** **THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER** 'Written with heart and great appeal' FINANCIAL TIMES 'A coming-of-age-story to be loved everywhere in the world' FREDRIK BACKMAN, author of A MAN CALLED OVE<...

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Across the pond
McCullough, Joy
Paper Book
From the author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost comes a heartwarming, "emotionally perceptive" (Kirkus Reviews) story about new beginnings, burgeoning friendships, and finding your flock. Callie can't wait for her new life to start. After a major friendship breakup...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

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.)

My sister lives on the mantelpiece
Pitcher, Annabel
Paper Book
Winner of the 2012 Branford Boase Award, this is Annabel Pitcher's stunning debut about ten-year-old Jamie, and the way his life and his family are shaped by the sister in an urn on the mantelpiece. Five years ago, Jamie's sister, Rose, was blown up by a terrorist bomb. His...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Slam
Hornby, Nick
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestseller from the beloved, award-winning author of Dickens and Prince, High Fidelity, and About A Boy. For 16-year-old Sam, life is about to get extremely complicated. He and his girlfriend--make that ex-girlfriend-- Alicia have gotten...

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)

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)

A possibility of whales
Rivers, Karen
Paper Book
The story of a girl who--thanks to her friends, her famous dad, and a chance encounter with a whale--learns the true meaning of family.   Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she'll see whales on the beach...

RTW North America (Canada)

On the Jellicoe road
Marchetta, Melina
Paper Book
Taylor Markham is not a popular choice. She is erratic, has no people skills and never turns up to meetings. Not to mention the incident when she ran off in search of her mother and only got halfway there. But she's lived at Jellicoe School most of her life and as leader of the boarders that's her...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Laurinda
Pung, Alice
Paper Book
When my dad dropped us off at the front gate, the first things I saw were the rose garden spreading out on either side of the main driveway and the enormous sign in iron cursive letters spelling out LAURINDA. No 'Ladies College' after it, of course; the name was meant to speak for itself.

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Stars in their eyes
Walton, Jessica
Paper Book
A Stonewall Honor Book In this lighthearted YA romance, Maisie and Ollie discover that nothing beats the feeling of falling in love for the first time. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Tiger daughter
Lim, Rebecca
Paper Book
Wen Zhou is determined to create a future for herself that is more satisfying than the life her parents expect her to lead. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, the CBCA winner Tiger Daughter is a wonderfully compelling and authentic Own Voices novel about growing up Asian in Australia.

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Wildlife
Wood, Fiona Anna
Paper Book
Life? It's simple: be true to yourself.The tricky part is finding out exactly who you are... "In the holidays before the dreaded term at Crowthorne Grammar's outdoor education camp two things out of the ordinary happened.A picture of me was plastered all over a twenty-metre billboard. And I kissed...

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)

This is our place
Martins, Vitor
Paper Book
Three teens -- in three different decades -- navigate life, love, and family in Vitor Martinss heartfelt new novel that spans generations. Perfect for fans of Tales from the City and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. If the walls of Number 8 Sunflower Street could...

RTW South America (Brazil)


Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.