Contemporary Realistic Fiction books

 

Title: You Go First

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

Author: Erin Entrada Kelly

Award: Newbery Honor (2021)

Age Group: 10-12 years old

Teacher evaluation: I would definitely include this book in my library if I taught fifth or sixth grade. This book explores the topics of family, bullying, word games, art, and middle school friendships. I would encourage my students to read this book because they are similar to the age of the main characters and may relate to their troubles. 

Summary: Preteens Charlotte Lockard and Ben Boxer take turns being #1 on the leaderboard of their online Scrabble game, but things aren't going as well in the rest of their lives. Charlotte's father has had a heart attack and she overhears her best friend making mean comments about her to some new friends. Ben is being bullied at school and has a humiliating experience running for student council president. The two of them occasionally talk on the phone, creating better lives for themselves than they are actually experiencing. The entire story takes place over one week and by the end, Charlotte and Ben have survived their crises and have taken a step toward new friendships.

Title: Lola Levine Is Not Mean!

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

Author: Monica Brown

Illustrator: Angela Dominguez

Awards: N/A

Age Group: 6-8 years old

Teacher evaluation: I would include this book in my classroom library for a second to third-grade classroom. Although the sports aspect did drive the plot of the story, the real focus was not on playing soccer but on friendship. This is a story of friendship and getting along with your peers. Some students may also relate to Lola as a competitive sports player. This is also the first book in the Lola Levine series, so students may be compelled to read the other books to learn more about Lola. 

Summary: Lola is a second-grader who loves sports, especially soccer. One day, during a soccer game, she accidentally hurts her classmate Juan Gomez. As a result, everyone calls her "Mean Lola." She worries about how she will be treated in school and learns an important lesson about how words can hurt others. Lola feels horrible, but with the help of her family and her best friend, Josh Blot, she learns how to write apologies and becomes the "Soccer Queen."

Title: Clementine, Friend of the Week

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

Author: Sara Pennypacker

Illustrator: Marla Frazee

Awards: N/A

Age Group: 7-9 years old

Teacher evaluation: This book is an excellent addition, along with the other books in the Clementine series, to a third-grade class library. I actually read the Clementine series when I was younger and remember absolutely loving it. I think students would also be able to relate to Clementine as she is a typical third-grade student full of playfulness and youth. 

 

Summary: Clementine has been named Friend of the Week in her third-grade class. She gets to tell the class about her life, be the line leader, and collect the milk money. Everyone in class also has to write something special about Clementine in her Friend of the Week booklet. Clementine is excited but nervous about what her friends may say. Her best friend Margaret advises Clementine to begin a campaign of complementing every single classmate in hopes of inspiring them to write wonderful things about her. Unfortunately, her plans of flattering her classmates with free hand-drawn tattoos fall flat. Additionally, her kitten, Moisturizer goes missing. In the end, Clementine finds her kitten with the help of her classmates and realizes that it is a big responsibility to be Friend of the Week.