LibraryAware TEEN MIDDLE: Realistic Fiction

Here are our favorite realistic fiction books for teens. These titles are classified as Teen Middle School (TM) and can be found in the Teen section of the library.

All of Me
by Chris Baron

Thirteen-year-old Ari faces what it is to be a man while dealing with a cross-country move, his parents' separation, being bullied for his weight, and belatedly starting bar mitzvah preparations.

Dream, Annie, Dream
by Waka T. Brown

When she lands a big role in the production of The King and I, Japanese American seventh grader Annie, belittled by her mostly white classmates, must rise above racism while chasing her dreams.

OCDaniel
by Wesley King

A thirteen-year-old boy's life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder until a girl at school, who is unkindly nicknamed Psycho Sara, notices him for the first time and he gets a mysterious note that changes everything.

Repairing the World
by Linda Epstein

With the help of a new perspective from Hebrew school and supportive new friends, 12-year-old Daisy grapples with her grief over the tragic loss of her best friend, in this heartfelt middle grade novel about learning to look forward.

Dear Student
by Elly D. Swartz

Starting middle school after her best friend moves away, Autumn, the secret voice of the “Dear Student” letters, doesn’t know what to do when she makes new friends who don’t like each other until the unthinkable happens.

Danny Constantino's First (and Maybe Last?) Date
by Paul Acampora

Surprised when a Hollywood star who was once his close friend accepts his invitation to the homecoming dance, Danny is surrounded by neighbors, television crews and fans who gossip about their romance before a pep rally goes terribly wrong. By the author of Defining Dulcie.

Rick
by Alex Gino

Eleven-year-old Rick Ramsey has generally gone along with everybody, just not making waves, even though he is increasingly uncomfortable with his father's jokes about girls, and his best friend's explicit talk about sex; but now in middle school he discovers the Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities can express themselves--and maybe among them he can find new friends and discover his own identity.

Everything Sad is Untrue : (A True Story)
by Daniel Nayeri

Twelve-year-old Iranian refugee Khosrou moves to Oklahoma where he goes by Daniel and models himself after the legendary storyteller Scheherazade as he weaves tales that reflect his perseverance and reinvention.

Half a World Away
by Cynthia Kadohata

Believing himself to be an "epic fail" when his family travels to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby he thinks will replace him in his parents' affections, 11-year-old Jaden witnesses their wrenching choice when they are offered six children to adopt, one of whom captures Jaden's heart.

Clean Getaway
by Nic Stone

An 11-year-old boy confronts the realities of race relations, past and present, and his unconventional grandmother’s mysterious agenda during an unplanned Spring Break road trip through the once-segregated American South.

The Day the World Stopped Turning
by Michael Morpurgo

After Lorenzo, a young autistic boy who loves flamingos, becomes friends with a Roma girl who teaches him to ride a carousel, their town is invaded by German soldiers and everything seems threatened, but Lorenzo comes to realize that there are people in the town he can trust.

Red Menace
by Lois Ruby

During the summer of 1953, thirteen-year-old Marty's parents are suspected of communist sympathies, upending his life and causing him to question what it really means to be a patriotic American.

The Only Black Girls in Town
by Brandy Colbert

Ecstatic to hear that another African American family has moved into town, surfer Alberta attempts to make friends with homesick newcomer Edie, who helps her uncover painful local secrets in a box of old journals.

Triple Threat
by Mike Lupica

Anticipating resistance when she tries out for her school’s all-male football team, 12-year-old Alex is bullied by teammates who would orchestrate her failure before discovering her potential as a quarterback.

The Other Half of Happy
by Rebecca Balcárcel

Twelve-year-old Quijana is a biracial girl who is desperately trying to understand the changes that are going on in her life. She is about to start seventh grade in a Texas town and is worried about fitting in.

The Dollar Kids
by Jennifer Jacobson

When his family participates in a former mill town's Dollar Program to acquire a run-down property, an aspiring comic book artist worries that the house's poor condition and the hostility of their new neighbors will compromise his mom's new business. This is a heart-tugging novel about guilt and grief, family and friendship, and, above all, community.

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
by Leslie Connor

As he grieves his best friend Benny's death, Mason and his friend Calvin, who are targeted by the neighborhood bullies, create an underground haven for themselves. When Calvin goes missing, Mason finds himself in trouble.

Just Like Jackie
by Lindsey Stoddard

Fifth grader Robbie is determined to stay out of trouble so that she does not worry her grandfather whose memory is failing. She must make sure that she and her grandfather stay together as he is the only family she has left.

The Line Tender
by Kate Allen

A twelve-year-old girl must pick up the work of her late marine-biologist mother when a tragedy strikes her sleepy Rockport community.

The Usual Suspects
by Maurice Broaddus

Tired of being labeled as a "Special Ed" kid, Thelonius Mitchell is wrongly implicated when a gun is found at his neighborhood hangout. This prompts his effort to clear his name with the help of his computer geek best friend.