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
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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)

Hope and other dangerous pursuits
Lalami, Laila
Paper Book
"A dream of a debut, by turns troubling and glorious, angry and wise." --Junot Diaz​ Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, the debut of Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Laila Lalami, evokes the grit and enduring grace that is modern...

RTW Africa (Morocco)

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
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
"Storylines and twists abound. But action is secondary to atmosphere: Onuzo excels at evoking a stratified city, where society weddings feature 'ice sculptures as cold as the unmarried belles' and thugs write tidy receipts for kickbacks extorted from homeless travelers." --The New Yorker<...

RTW Africa (Nigeria)

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)

Up to this pointe
Longo, Jennifer
Paper Book
A refreshingly original contemporary YA, unlike anything readers have seen before. Perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, John Corey Whaley, and Libba Bray. She had a plan. It went south. Harper is a dancer. She and her best friend, Kate, have one goal- becoming...

RTW Antarctica

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)

Selection day : a novel
Adiga, Aravind
Paper Book
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES and WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK From Aravind Adiga, the bestselling, Booker Prize­-winning author of The White Tiger, a dazzling new novel about two brothers in a Mumbai slum who are raised by their...

RTW Asia (India)

The space between us
Umrigar, Thrity N.
Paper Book
"This is a story intimately and compassionately toldagainst the sensuous background of everyday life in Bombay." --Washington Post Book World   "Bracingly honest." --New York Times Book Review   The author of Bombay Time,If Today Be Sweet...

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)

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
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)

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, Kyo?ng-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
The phenomenal New York Times bestseller that "explores the upstairs-downstairs goings-on of a posh Parisian apartment building" (Publishers Weekly). In an elegant hôtel particulier in Paris, Renée, the concierge, is all but invisible--short, plump, middle...

RTW Europe (France)

Kiffe kiffe tomorrow
Guene, Faiza
Paper Book

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. 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
Ebook
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)

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
NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES * From the New York Times bestselling author of Normal People . . . "[A] cult-hit . . . [a] sharply realistic comedy of adultery and friendship."--Entertainment Weekly SALLY ROONEY NAMED TO THE TIME 100 NEXT LIST * WINNER OF THE...

RTW Europe (Ireland)

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)

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
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)

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
Ebook
My sister Rose lives on the mantelpiece. Well, some of her does. A collarbone, two ribs, a bit of skull, and a little toe. To ten-year-old Jamie, his family has fallen apart because of the loss of someone he barely remembers: his...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Slam
Hornby, Nick
Ebook

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Swing time
Smith, Zadie
Paper Book
"Smith's thrilling cultural insights never overshadow the wholeness of her characters, who are so keenly observed that one feels witness to their lives." --O, The Oprah Magazine "A sweeping meditation on art, race, and identity that may be [Smith's] most ambitious work...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Facing the sun
Mather, Janice Lynn
Paper Book
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets The Education of Margot Sanchez in this Caribbean-set story about four friends who experience unexpected changes in their lives during the summer when a hotel developer purchases their community's beloved beach. Change...

RTW North America (Bahamas)

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
Audiobook
The heartfelt story of a girl who-thanks to her friends, her famous single dad, and an unexpected 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 near her new home, the...

RTW North America (Canada)

Suck it in and smile
Beaudoin-Masse, Laurence
Paper Book
A funny, touching look at the life of a social media influencer who starts to question the #goals life she has created for herself. Every day, Ellie motivates her hundreds of thousands of followers to become the best versions of themselves by posting videos of exercise routines and high...

RTW North America (Canada)

Across a hundred mountains : novela
Grande, Reyna
Paper Book
Across a Hundred Mountainsis a stunning and poignant story of migration, loss, and discovery as two women -- one born in Mexico, one in the United States -- find their lives joined in the most unlikely way. After a tragedy separates her from her mother, Juana García leaves her small town in Mexico...

RTW North America (Mexico)

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)

Lucy and Linh
Pung, Alice
Paper Book
From an author Amy Tan calls "a gem," this is a witty, highly acclaimed novel that's "part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies" (The Bulletin, Starred review) about navigating life in private school while remaining true to yourself. ...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Stars in their eyes
Walton, Jessica; As?ka, (Illustrator); Graphix (Firm)
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
★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)

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)


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