Realistic Fiction
A classification of literature containing stories that could happen in the real world, in a time and setting that is possible, and with characters that are true to life
Around the World by Matt Phelan
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This is a graphic novel with three stories, each of them relating to an adventurer that traveled around the world. The first story is of Thomas Stevens and his cycling-round-the-world journey. This was my second favorite. In the middle is the tale of how reporter Nellie Bly 'raced' around the world at a time when people did not give much credence to what women could accomplish.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
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Jess Aarons is an eleven-year-old boy living in a rural area of the South who loves to run. In addition, his family is stretched so tight by poverty that he has little chance to really explore his own identity during this crucial period of adolescence. A rather unpromising beginning, but Jess and Leslie become fast friends. They build a secret fantasyland across the creek in the woods, called Terabithia, where they play all the time. There they forget the rest of the world, such as the kids at school or Jess's less-than-satisfactory family. All this also strengthens Jess's artistic talent and ability, as Leslie supports his ambition and, through the stories she tells, provides him with great subject matter. One day the music teacher at school, Miss Edmunds, whom Jess has long had a crush on, invites him to spend a day with her touring the art galleries in Washington. Jess has a perfect day, but when he gets home he is told that Leslie drowned in the creek that morning trying to swing into Terabithia on the rope that they used for that purpose. Jess is completely devastated.He brings his little sister May Belle there and makes her its new queen, assuring that a part of Leslie will live on as well.
Come Back Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
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Amelia Bedelia was a maid in a family's home. One morning she was making cream puffs and when the wife came in and asked for breakfast. The woman thought the breakfast was terrible and told Amelia Bedelia she must go! So she started down the street. She first came to a beauty shop that was looking for help. She was doing a horrible job and the beauty shop owner told her to leave. She continued down the road when she came to a dress shop that was looking for help. She went in and said that she could sew and shorten the dresses that needed shortening. She had ruined the dresses and the owner told her to leave. Further down the road she came to an office that needed a file clerk. This was all wrong and the office manager told her to go. On down the road she came to a doctors office. The doctor gave her simple instructions to bring the patients in as they arrive. So when the first patient arrived she picked her up and carried her in to see the doctor. When the doctor asked for help Amelia Bedelia kept misunderstanding. The doctor told her to leave. Walking down the street she could not understand what she was doing wrong. She then forgot about her cream puffs and headed back to the Roger's house which she had left earlier that morning. When she arrived she finished her cream puffs and Mrs. Rogers came in and thought they were very good. She was not mad anymore and asked Amelia Bedelia to stay.
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
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Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown is a great story about a young bear and her new pet. Lucy, the bear, meets a little boy in the forest. Lucy thought the boy was the cutest thing she had ever seen, and she wanted to keep him as her pet. Lucy’s mom was hesitant but agreed to let Lucy keep the boy as long as she took care of him. At first, it was great having a pet to play, eat, and nap with. Eventually, the responsibilities of having a pet made it difficult for Lucy to have fun anymore. The little boy was difficult to potty train and caused many problems. Then the little boy disappeared. Lucy looked everywhere for her pet. She finally found the boy at his home with his family. She realized that he wasn’t meant to be a pet. So Lucy and the boy said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Flat Broke by Gary Paulsen
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After living a life filled with lies he thinks will never catch up with him, Kevin learns a painful lesson. Part of his punishment is to apologize to all those who suffered as a result of his lies. The other part of the punishment is the loss of his allowance. Kevin uses his creativity to create a series of business ventures he hopes will make him wealthy. His first scheme involves poker. In the past Kevin would have used his allowance to finance his own interest in poker. Instead, he decides to act as organizer by setting up games including convenient locations, cards, chips, and snacks for the guys on the hockey team as well as a group of guys from the college. His cut for organizing the games earns him the start of his future fortune. Next Kevin acts as business manager for his sister. He has noticed that she spends countless hours in their shared bathroom doing the hair and make-up of all her friends. With the help of some carefully selected supplies, he convinces her to start charging her clients. Kevin doesn't stop there. He gets involved in the tutoring business, garage cleaning and trash removal, and selling midnight munchies to the local college kids. Sure that he is on his way to financial fame, he isn't expecting the sudden crash of his business empire. One by one his business ideas slowly start to crash, and he gets in trouble. Luckily at the end of the book he finds a job with the garbage man and pays everyone pack who lost their money.
Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement
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Grandpa's teeth, handmade by the finest Swiss craftsman, are gone stolen from his bedside table! Grandpa suspects anyone who doesn't smile widely enough to prove that their teeth are their own. Soon everyone in town is smiling all the time and their ghastly grins are frightening the tourists away. The police and his whole family got involved, and no one could find the teeth anywhere. They sent out search parties, and also people donated teeth to him, but none were his. He finally gave up and got a new pair of teeth, but later the book showed the dog had them the whole time.
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
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Harry the dog loved to be dirty. He hated to get baths and be clean. When his family started getting his bath ready he grabbed the scrubber and ran away to bury it. After he buried it he kept walking and got even more dirty than he was before. He played in the street, railroad, with other dogs and slid down a coal shoot making him the dirtiest of all. Now instead of being a white dog with black spots, he was a black dog with white spots. After all the playing he felt tired and hungry and went straight home. He was so dirty when he got home his family didn’t recognize him at all. He did all of his tricks that they knew where his, but still did not recognize him and walked away. After this he ran to get the scrubby and ran right into the house into the tub. The family washed the poor dog and realized it was Harry. That was the best and soapiest bath he ever got. He was home now and the was the happiest place he would be.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Banks
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Omri is disappointed with his birthday gift. Frankly, a plastic Indian doesn’t hold much appeal to him. But everything changes when he gives the Indian a home inside a medicine cabinet and turns what appears to be a magic key. The Indian comes alive as Little Bull, a young brave with an exciting history. Omri is delighted with the new friendship the two strike up, and begins spending his free time gazing into the medicine cabinet and listening to Little Bull’s thrilling stories. Things only get more intriguing when Omri adds a toy cowboy to the cabinet, curious to see if a cowboy/Indian fight will ensue. As time goes on the boys decide that they cannot have these toys anymore, and they make them toys permanently and no longer have them alive.
Junie B Jones and the Stinky Smelly Bus by Barbara Park
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Starting kindergarten doesn't make Junie B. Jones nervous, but riding the bus is another story. She thinks the bus smells like egg salad and black smoke, has screechy brakes and no glove compartment for Kleenex, and is filled with pushy boys and girls. Rather than ride home in the bus, Junie decides to hide in a classroom closet. After that, she roams through several rooms trying out various school supplies and equipment in the nurse's office. Finally, her mom, teacher and others find her, and Junie's mother arranges for Junie to sit with a girl from her class on the next day's bus ride to make sure she is using the bus, and to get her accustomed to going to school on the bus and of course coming back home on the same bus, when they school day is over.
Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco
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An Amish family lives in Lancaster, and they have two children. The girls were going home one day and wondered why they don’t have anything fancy. Their father said because they live a simple live and that’s not how they were raised. Naomi the oldest daughter said she wanted something fancy, and she was too tired of being plain. That day she was going to her hen house that she took care of and found a fancy egg. She took the egg and put it in a nest to be hatched. The Eggs all finally hatched and all the chicks were yellow…except fancy. Once they were getting older they all lost their feathers and got white ones, except fancy. Once day the girls were talking to their mother and learned about being shunned, and only living a simple and plain life. The girls ran out with worry for fancy because he was not plain at all. They decided to put him in the hen house and lock it for when the elders came the next day so they would not see and shun him/them. The next day the men were building things and the women were sewing and gossiping with the girls close by. All of a sudden the hens get loose and fancy gets out. He started running around everywhere and Naomi chased him for she did not want them to shun him. Once he got to a place in front of everyone he proudly showed his feathers. Fancy was a peacock! The elders did not shun him or the girls; instead they accepted him because he was a beautiful creation of god, and congratulated Naomi on her hard work. Because of that she earned her white bonnet, and fancy stayed with them, making their life plain fancy.
The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco
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Traci and Marilyn were best friends. They were in the same class, and hung out all the time. They loved being with each other no matter what. They loved their teacher, and she tried hard to make it seem like school was their second home. Marilyn wanted to be a pianist, and Traci loved helping people, the one day the girls stayed after school to help their teacher put up posters for career day which is when they all started talking and found out their teacher wanted to become a doctor. When they were done they were walking home from school when mean girls started making fun of Marilyn for being fat. They tried not to listen to them and kept walking. As time went one Traci noticed that Marilyn looked great, she was so skinny, but while they were playing she collapsed and Traci got her mom. The next day the teacher told her class what is going on with Marilyn. She has leukemia and will be out of school for a while. The class was talking about this and what was going to happen. The teacher explained to them what she was going through and how she would look when she returned. Traci and their teacher made several visits to her home and would see and talk to her on a daily basis; they called it the lemonade club. She had good days and bad days, but they tried to keep her happy. One day they were talking and their teacher told them she was engaged and would like them to wear yellow like lemonade. As time passes Marilyn comes back to school where the class had a surprise, they all wore funny hats and scarfs like she had, and when they took them off they were bald just like her…even the teacher. She felt so happy and enjoyed everyone’s help. As time when on everyone’s hair was growing back except the teachers. The girls talked to her privately and she told them she had breast cancer. She would go through chemo and have surgery. The girls were with her the entire way. A couple years later the fifth grade class came to her wedding, with her two students wearing yellow dresses and her looking beautiful walking down the aisle being as healthy as ever.
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
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It was a snowy, still night and the moon was bright in the sky when a little girl and her father went towards the woods to look for owls. Across the snow they walk, one long shadow followed by a “short and round” one. They are very quiet until they reach the trees and then Pa cups his hands and makes the Great Horned Owl call. Nothing happens and the two quiet owlers walk on in amongst the trees. Then Pa calls again and this time they hear an answering echo. It is an owl, and as they wait the great bird come towards them until it lands just above their heads.
Romana the Brave by Beverly Cleary
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Summer is coming to an end. Ramona has spent most of it with her friend Howie Kemp, pounding old bricks into dust in a game called Brick Factory. Ramona longs to be brave and grown-up, so when some boys tease her older sister about her name Ramona sticks up for her and preaches a sermon. She's crushed to realize that instead of considering her a hero, Beezus is embarrassed and angrier at Ramona than the boys. Summer gets more interesting when Mother gets a part-time job and some workmen cut a hole in their house to add an extra bedroom. The good part about first grade is that Ramona is learning to read. The bad part is that Ramona is sure her teacher, Mrs. Griggs, doesn't like her. And as hard as she works on her self-control she just can't seem to stay out of trouble. One day when her class is making paper-bag owls for Parents' Night, Ramona sees Susan, her kindergarten nemesis, copying her owl. Mrs. Griggs sees Susan's owl first and shows it off to the class. Ramona is so angry that Susan copied so now her owl isn't special, that she destroys both of them. Later she is forced to apologize to Susan in front of the whole class, and things don't get better when the class is nice to her. One day on her way to school a big dog comes after her, so she takes off her shoe and throws it at him. The dog picks up her shoe and carries it away and Ramona limps off to school. That turns out to be the morning Mrs. Griggs finally chooses her to lead the morning flag salute, and she discovers that Ramona is only wearing one shoe. Ramona uses her ingenuity to deal with the situation, and when her shoe is returned the school secretary compliments her bravery.
The Relatives Came by Cythnia Rylant
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In the summer the relatives came from Virginia. The left at 4 in the morning and put food and drinks in their car for the long car ride ahead of them. They drove for a long time through unfamiliar areas, mountains, and long areas of houses. They thought about home, but also their family. They finally got to the house, and there was so much hugging, smiles, and tears. There was so much laughing in the house, and you couldn’t get to the door without hugs. The dinner table was crowed, they had to wait a while before they got their round of food. Not only was the table crowded, but so was the sleeping space. There was so much breathing, and people everywhere. They stayed for weeks, and had so much fun eating and talking and not thinking of Virginia. The relatives left early in the morning before the sun was up, and they drove off into the night. They looked at strange places and thought about their food and homes in Virginia, but they also thought about their family. They finally made it home, and went to bed in their house to dream of the next summer.
Secret Birthday Message by Eric Carle
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In the book, it is Tim's birthday. He gets the coded message telling him to go to certain places so that he can find his gift. It is a treasure hunt. Tim has to go "under" and "through" a lot of different things. I think this book is perfect for teaching prepositions. I also think at the end of the book the student can practice using their prepositions by creating their own coded message.
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
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Stellaluna is an award winning picture book that tells the story of a bat who loses her mother and grows up with a family of birds. Stellaluna begins to see how different she is from her new mother and brothers and sisters when they do weird things like eat worms, sleep right-side up, and sleep at night. Stellaluna finally meets her real mother and all the other bats and realizes why she felt like she didn’t belong with the bird family. She learns that she does in fact sleep upside down and that she is nocturnal. After this she spends the rest of her time with her mom and visits her bird family occasionally.
Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
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Patricia Polacco is now one of America's most loved children's book writers and illustrators, but once upon a time, she was a little girl named Trisha starting school. Trisha could paint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at words on a page, all she could see was jumble. It took a very special teacher to recognize little Trisha's dyslexia: Mr. Falker, who encouraged her to overcome her reading disability. Patricia Polacco will never forget him, and neither will we.
There's a Nightmare in my Closet by Mercer Meyer
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This book is about a boy being afraid of a nightmare living in his bedroom closet. Before going to sleep he would make sure his closet door was closed and was even afraid to turn around to see if it was tight closed. One night he decided to be brave and get through his fear and leave the door open. The images show step by step what the boys does and how he gets through his fear of the nightmare when his scary night is standing right next to his bed. The author tries to show kids being afraid at night can be accomplish.
100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison
Dad says because of the army he stood shoulder to shoulder with polar bears and watched the sun rise over the frozen fields of Alaska, which sounds really exciting. And because of the Army he slept in sludge, shoulder to shoulder with snakes and watched the sun set over the swamps of Alabama, which does not. In a timely, but not politically charged way, author Alan Madison looks at the way a family copes with having a parent away on a 100 day, 99 night military tour of duty through the eyes of the very loveable Esmerelda (Esme) Swishback McCarthur. Esme wants to be good while her dad is away. She feels like it's her duty to be good. But being good can be hard, especially if you have a little brother like Ike. By following Esme's story, as she awaits her father's return, readers will see how heroism can translate to every member of a family.