Picture story for early primary school children about Grandpa Bill’s reminiscence of childhood. He regrets that his old school is closing, and that his grandson will have to move to another school.
Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction genre
Out of Nowhere
Performing community service for pulling a stupid prank against a rival high school, soccer star Tom tutors a Somali refugee with soccer dreams of his own.
Smokescreen
Kerry’s first summer job away from Toronto takes her into the forests of northwestern Ontario, where danger in the form of widespread fires of suspicious origin lead her to uncover a crime of international scale that threatens her life.
The Mealworm Diaries
Loss, grief and an annoying classmate make Jeremy’s adjustment to life in a new city particularly difficult.
Kate (Harper Trophy Paperback)
Product of a Jewish-Protestant marriage, Kate finds her dilemma over her religious leanings threatening her relationship with her best friend.
Seaside Dream
At a beachside birthday party, a young girl finds a way to give her grandmother the perfect present plus the courage to plan a trip to her home country, Cape Verde.
The No 1 Car Spotter And The Firebird
Oluwalase Babatunde Benson, the No. 1 car spotter in his community, must find a way to make the fabulous Firebird pass through his village.
Torn
Only eighteen when she is sent to Afghanistan, British army medic Elinor Nielson is continually at odds with her hardnosed bunkmate, Heidi Larson, but connects with a mysterious Afghan girl and local children, as well as an American lieutenant.
The Language Inside
Raised in Japan, American-born tenth-grader Emma is disconcerted by a move to Massachusetts for her mother’s breast cancer treatment, because half of Emma’s heart remains with her friends recovering from the tsunami.
This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
Featured in Volume VI, Issue 1 of WOW Review.
Bluefish
Thirteen-year-old Travis has a secret: he can’t read. But a shrewd teacher and a sassy girl are about to change everything in this witty and deeply moving novel. Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he’s called on to read out loud. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take “pass” for an answer—a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters—and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.