Children's Book Suggestions | Realistic Fiction

Not interested in dragons, aliens, or ghosts? These realistic fiction stories for readers in Grades 3-7 feature no supernatural elements--just kids like you dealing with the everyday challenges of school, friendship, and family in their everyday lives.

Updated August 30, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Best friend!
Fang, Vicky
Paper Book
Brand-new first grader Ava Lin is determined to find a best friend--even if she's a bit unclear on how to go about it--in this launch of a funny, super relatable chapter-book series. Ava Lin is six and a half years old, and she loves bubble tea, finding treasures, and animals...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Stink : the incredible shrinking kid
McDonald, Megan.
Paper Book
By popular demand -- Judy Moody's brother, Stink, gets his chance to star! Shrink, shrank, shrunk! Every morning, Judy Moody measures Stink and it's always the same: three feet, eight inches tall. Stink feels like even the class newt is growing faster than he is. Then...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

The used-to-be best friend
Quigley, Dawn
Paper Book
American Indian Youth Literature Award: Middle Grade Honor Book! Hello/Boozhoo--meet Jo Jo Makoons! Full of pride, joy, and plenty of humor, this first book in an all-new chapter book series by Dawn Quigley celebrates a spunky young Ojibwe girl who loves who she is. Jo Jo...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Ivy and Bean
Barrows, Annie.
CD
Ivy and Bean

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Stella Diaz has something to say
Dominguez, Angela
Paper Book
In her first middle-grade novel, award-winning picture book author and illustrator Angela Dominguez tells a heartwarming story based on her own experiences growing up Mexican-American. Stella Díaz loves marine animals, especially her betta fish, Pancho. But Stella Díaz is not a...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Dory Fantasmagory
Hanlon, Abby
Paper Book
Move over, Junie B. Jones and Ivy & Bean! Here comes a lovably energetic little sister with a BIG personality--and an imagination to match! As the youngest in her family, Dory really wants attention, and more than anything she wants her brother and sister to play with her. But...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Squished
Lloyd, Megan Wagner
Paper Book
From the Eisner-nominated duo behind the instant bestseller Allergic comes a fun new graphic novel about finding your own space... especially when you're in a family of nine! Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood,...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Kenzie kickstarts a team
Rosewater, Kit
Paper Book
A highly illustrated middle-grade series that celebrates new friendships, first crushes, and getting out of your comfort zone Ever since they can remember, fifth-graders Kenzie (aka Kenzilla) and Shelly (aka Bomb Shell) have dreamed of becoming roller derby superstars. When Austin's city league...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Ellen outside the lines
Sass, A. J.
Paper Book
Winner of a Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor! A heartfelt novel about a neurodivergent thirteen-year-old navigating changing friendships, a school trip, and expanding horizons for fans of Rain Reign and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World. ...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Grounded : a novel
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he'd rather be writing a poem that's good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Ways to make sunshine
Watson, Renée
Paper Book
From Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson, the first book in a young middle grade series about Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit, kindness, and sunshine. Ryan Hart can be and do anything. Her name means "king", that she is a leader, and she...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Gabby gets it together
Fairbairn, Nathan
Paper Book
Are you a fan of Raina Telgemeier or Shannon Hale? Then don't miss PAWS, a new graphic novel series about best friends, cute dogs, and all the fun (and trouble) that comes with them. Perfect for fans of Real Friends, Roller Girl, and Allergic, this funny and heartwarming...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

The new girl
Calin, Cassandra
Paper Book
Instagram sensation and Tapas webcomic superstar Cassandra Calin makes her long-form debut with this funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic novel about change. Goodbye, old life... Lia and her family are waiting to board a flight across the Atlantic, leaving behind family,...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Amber Brown is not a crayon
Danziger, Paula
Paper Book
Amber Brown. Justin Daniels. Best friends...a team that really knows how to have fun, that knows how to help each other out. When Amber has trouble with fractions, Justin is there with the answers. When Justin writes a messy report, it's Amber to the...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Grow up, Luchy Zapata
Alessandri, Alexandra
Paper Book
A funny, relatable middle school drama about two Colombian American girls who have always been BFFs--until sixth grade turns everything upside down. Luchy Zapata is starting middle school, and she's muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Falling short
Cisneros, Ernesto
Paper Book
Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided, is back with a hilarious and heartfelt novel about two best friends who must rely on each other in unexpected ways. A great next pick for readers who loved Ghost by Jason Reynolds or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez. ...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Keep it together, Keiko Carter
Florence, Debbi Michiko
Paper Book
Fans of Wendy Mass and Lisa Greenwald are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sweet story about first crushes, friendship drama, and finding the courage to stand up for yourself.Seventh grade is supposed to be a game changer. And Keiko thinks she's got it covered, especially with Audrey and Jenna...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Truly Tyler
Libenson, Terri
Paper Book
A story about being your truest self--and trusting your truest friends--from bestselling author Terri Libenson. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale. Cliques. Crushes. Comics. Middle school! Emmie is psyched that she gets to work on a comics project...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The labors of Hercules Beal
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules in real life--and makes discoveries about friendship, community...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The language of seabirds
Taylor, Will (Children's literature author)
Paper Book
A sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer. Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It's the first summer after his parents' divorce, and he hasn't...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Click
Miller, Kayla
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller comes a graphic novel about friendship and finding where you "click" in middle school, perfect for fans of Smile and Real Friends. Olive wants to get in on the act . . . . . . Any act! Olive "clicks"...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Picture day
Sax, Sarah
Paper Book
Everyone knows the most stressful day of middle school is picture day! And that's exactly where thisyearbook-worthy graphic novel series opener begins- with reinventing yourself, drama, popularity, and the friends who see you through. Seventh-grader Viv never looks forward...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)


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