Realistic Fiction

Realistic Fiction genre

Under the Persimmon Tree

Najmah, a young Afghan girl whose name means “star,” finds herself alone when her father and older brother are conscripted by the Taliban and her mother and newborn brother are killed in an air raid. An American woman, Elaine, whose Islamic name is Nusrat, is also on her own. She waits out the war in Peshawar, Pakistan, teaching refugee children under the persimmon tree in her garden while her Afghan doctor husband runs a clinic in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. Najmah’s father had always assured her that the stars would take care of her, just as Nusrat’s husband had promised that they would tell Nusrat where he was and that he was safe. As the two look to the skies for answers, their fates entwine. Najmah, seeking refuge and hoping to find her father and brother, begins the perilous journey through the mountains to cross the border into Pakistan. And Nusrat’s persimmon-tree school awaits Najmah’s arrival. Together, they seek their way home.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume IV, Issue 4

Go and Come Back

Two female American anthropologists come to stay in a jungle village near the Amazon. The villagers are initially skeptical, especially teenaged Alicia. But as the months go on, Alicia finds herself drawn in, even becoming friends with one of the women.

The Remembering Stone

A surprising journey of self-discover. In early fall, the blackbirds creak like rusty wheels behind our apartment. “One day I will return like you,” my mother tells the birds. “But for now, you go. Que les vaya bien. Safe journey.” Ana doesn’t understand the pull of this faraway place until one night she puts her favorite thing, a stone spit from the volcanoes of Costa Rica, underneath her pillow. She imagines herself a blackbird flying to this country her mother longs to see again. This evocative picture book with its striking, bold art celebrates the importance of hope, dreams, and cultural roots, and will have special resonance for all thos who find themselves at the crossroads of two cultures.

Mama Rocks, Papa Sings

A little Haitian girl describes how her parents’ house fills up with babies as relatives drop off their children on their way to work.

At The Firefly Gate

Henry has always felt like an outsider and things are about to get worse when his family moves to the countryside and the prospect of a new school looms. He retreats more and more into his shell, until he meets Dottie, a frail old lady, who has tremendous spirit. He feels as though he knows her, as though they have been friends for many years. And as she tells him about her wartime romance with a Royal Air Force navigator also named Henry, our Henry is drawn into that world. In a series of mysterious, sometimes frightening events he re-enacts Henry’s life . . . and learns that despite being dreadfully afraid, Henry acted heroically at the cost of his own life. Only our Henry knows the true story and it shows him a way through his own self-doubts and misgivings.

Three Names of Me

Ada has three names. Wang Bin is what the caregivers called her at her Chinese orphanage. Ada is the name her American parents gave her as the three traveled home. And there is a third name, a name the infant Ada only heard whispered by her Chinese mother. That name, unknown but treasured, is someplace in Ada’s heart. Additonal pages based on Ada’s scrapbook will inspire readers to collect their own drawings, photos, and thoughts.

Cherry Time

A young boy hides under the table when his parents’ friends come over, and at school he’s too timid to make friends. But when he sees a mysterious girl who hides in the cherry tree every day after school, he wants to be brave enough not to be afraid of her. He gets himself a dog—the bravest dog he can find. And when his new pal takes a liking to the girl, the two become fast friends. She too is very bashful, but now they hang out together in the cherry tree and play every day after school. Though her family will be moving away at the end of the year, they promise to keep meeting at the tree whenever it’s cherry time.

The House of Djinn

It has been ten years since Shabanu staged her death to secure the safety of her daughter, Mumtaz, from her husband’s murderous brother. Mumtaz has been raised by her father’s family with the education and security her mother desired for her, but with little understanding and love. Only her American cousin Jameel, her closest confidant and friend, and the beloved family patriarch, Baba, understand the pain of her loneliness. When Baba unexpectedly dies, Jameel’s succession as the Amirzai tribal leader and the arrangement of his marriage to Mumtaz are revealed, causing both to question whether fulfilling their duty to the family is worth giving up their dreams for the future.

This is a sequel to the novels Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind and Haveli.

The Firefighters

Children will want to grab their coats and boots and rush straight to this winsome firefighting tale full of sound words and bright illustrations. Our fire engines are fast and noisy — just like the real ones.”From sounding the siren to speeding off in their fire engines, from finding the fire to expertly putting it out, the children love playing firefighters with Mrs. Iverson. They are brave and strong, just like real firefighters. And after a hard day of fighting fires, nothing is better than having two real live firefighters come to visit and getting to climb aboard their big, red, shiny fire engine!