The Summer of the Wolves

by Polly Carlson-Voiles
Lexile:  790
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Nika and her brother Randall are trying to find a permanent home.  Their parents have died so that has meant a series of foster homes.  Nika and Randall are happy with Meg, their foster mother of eleven months until the day that their social worker calls with the good news that their uncle in Northern Minnesota has offered to have them come to visit.  Nika is less than excited about the idea of leaving her friends in sunny California to move to the wilderness, but it turns out, she does not have a choice.  Shortly after she arrives, she and her uncle rescue an abandoned wolf pup and Nika starts to think that maybe this strange new place could be a new beginning for her and her brother.

Orbiting Jupiter

by Gary D. Schmidt
Lexile: 740
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Jack is about to meet his new foster brother, Joseph.  He doesn't know much about him other then these three things:
    1) Joseph almost killed a teacher.
    2) Joseph has been locked up in a juvenile detention center.
    3) Joseph has a daughter who he has never seen.
Jack doesn't know what it is going to be like to live with Joseph and at first it is difficult.  But over time, Joseph begins to trust Jack and as he starts to feel more comfortable, Joseph begins to open up about his life.  Jack is determined to show Joseph that their are good people in the world that will have his back, no matter what...

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Old School

by Jeff Kinney
Lexile:  1020
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Is life better now or was it better in the "olden days"?  Greg Heffley is trying to figure out that question as his mother has embarked on a quest to get their town to eliminate modern technology for one weekend.  As if that wasn't enough, Greg's grandpa has moved into the family and displaced him from his room.  Having to share with Manny is hard enough, and now Greg's dad is harder on him them ever because he wants his father to approve of the way he is raising his boys.  After an incident with Grandpa and the car, Greg opts to go on a class trip to Hardscrabble Farm where boys and girls are taught to exist without modern conveniences.  Will Greg survive his "old school" experience?

Booked

by Kwame Alexander
Lexile:  660
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse

Nick Hall is unstoppable on the soccer field so don't even bother to try.  He and his friend Coby have big plans to get to the World Cup and show the world what awesome soccer players they are.  But then Nick's world is shattered when his parents announce that they are separating.  His mom moves to Kentucky to continue a career she had put on hold, and now nothing is the same.  Can he figure out how to successfully navigate this change in his life?

Fish in a Tree

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Lexile:  550
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Ally has become an expert at fooling people.  Her extreme behaviors have helped her mask the fact from her teachers that she can't read.  She prefers to have people think that she is a troublemaker, rather than "slow" or "dumb."  In reality, Ally is a very bright girl who has creatively managed to fool all of her teachers for the last seven years, until Mr. Daniels takes over for Mrs. Hall midyear.  Mr. Daniels isn't falling for Ally's old tricks.  He actually expects her to stay in class and do all of the reading and writing assignments.  He tells Ally that she can trust him, but will Ally be willing to reveal her biggest secret?

I Will Save You

by Matt De La Pena
Lexile:  770
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Kidd has had a rough life...no mom or dad and no real friends.  He has recently left a therapy program at a group home and is now trying to make a start at his new life work.  He has a job at a beach campsite doing maintenance, but Devon, an old sort of friend/enemy has appeared.  Kidd fears that Devon is going to destroy the progress he is making with his boss, Mr. Red and his new friend Olivia.  Kidd will have to resist Devon's influence if he wants a chance at a normal life.

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments Book Six)

by Cassandra Clare
Lexile: 770
Genre:  Fantasy

Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, and Alec have one last chance to defeat Sebastian and his evil empire. Are they up for the challenge?  Sebastian has taken hostages and delivered ultimatums.  Sebastian is demanding the Clave give up Jace and Clary in exchange for the hostages.  Before the Clave can make a decision, Jace and Clary decide to head underground and fight Sebastian on his own turf. Only one team is going to survive...will the Shadowhunters survive or will life as they know it change forever?  This is the final book in The Mortal Instruments Series.

Just Another Hero

by Sharon Draper
Lexile:  660
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

This is the third book in the Battle of Jericho series so the adventures of Arielle, November, and Jericho continue.  Douglass high school is still recovering from the tragedy that occurred form the hazing incidents during the Warriors of Distinction pledging week.  November is trying to move on as she rebuilds her life with her daughter, Jericho still misses his cousin, and Arielle is happy that her former circle of friends are willing to give her another chance.  But strange things are happening at school.  The fire alarms are being pulled, someone is stealing items out of people's backpacks, and one student is being severely bullied.  Arielle, November, and Jericho will have to step up and help get their school back on track.

November Blues

by Sharon Draper
Lexile:  770
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Jericho and November are two teenagers struggling with grief after the death of their cousin and boyfriend, Josh.  Jericho used to love the trumpet, but can no longer play so instead turns to football as a way to work out his anger.  November has learned that in addition to the loss of Josh, her life is going to change forever, as she is pregnant and has to face the fact that she will be raising her child alone, without Josh.  Jericho has promised to be there for her in every way he can.  But will he be ready for this challenge?

Mexican WhiteBoy

by Matt de la Pena
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Danny is an amazing pitcher.  He can throw a fast ball faster than anyone around.  The problem is his accuracy.  He never knows where his pitches are going to end up.  His mom took him to a doctor and physically he is fine.  The issue seems to be in his head and he can't figure out how to fix it.  Until he spends the summer with his dad's family and learns the truth about why his parents are divorced. During the summer he has to confront some hard truths about his dad and with the help of an unlikely friend, will be able to get his baseball career, and his life, back on track.

Necessary Roughness

by Marie G. Lee
Lexile:  750
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Chan Kim and his twin sister Young are growing up in a strict Korean household.  The only problem is that they have to try to fit in with the students at an American high school.  Their parents don't understand things like staying after school for soccer practice or wanting to date people before they turn 18.  Chan and Young are successfully navigating their dual lives until their parents announce that they are moving the family from Los Angeles to a small town in northern Minnesota.  When Chan and Young arrive at their new school, all they see is blond hair.  Nobody plays soccer and there is no orchestra. Chan and Young will have to stick together if they hope to excel in their new environment.

Hush

by Jacqueline Woodson
Lexile:  640
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Toswiah Green doesn’t know who she is anymore.  Is she Evie Thomas?  Or is she a combination of the two?  When Toswiah’s father, a police officer, witnesses a murder and decides to testify about the truth of what he saw, she and her family must assume new identities and move on to an uncertain future.  Now she is Evie and has to live in a strange new city, make new friends, and watch her father fight the loss of a career that he loved second only to his family.  Toswiah misses her old life and can only hope that her family can figure out who they are in their new life.

One for the Murphy's

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Lexile:  520
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Carley Connors has been through a lot.  She has grown up in Las Vegas with her mother where she has sometimes had to be the parent.  When her mother remarries and they move across the country, Carly's life changes in ways she never expects.  A terrible incident occurs and suddenly Carley finds herself in foster care living with the Murphy family.  They are a family that Carley has only ever dreamed of having.  Would she choose a life with a perfect family over life with her unpredictable mother?

Rain Reign

by Ann M. Martin
Lexile:  720
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rose Howard loves homonyms and can't figure out why the rest of the world isn't as interested in them as she is. Even her name is a homonym!  Rose has trouble understanding the rules of the world - both at home and at school.  Rose's favorite thing in the world (next to homonyms) is her dog Rain (also a homonym!)  One night, a terrible storm passes through her town, and her dad lets Rain out and she doesn't return.  Now Rose must do everything she can to find her dog and bring her home safely.

Rainy

by Sis Deans
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rainy lives in a world that is all her own.  Her ADHD makes it hard for her to focus her thoughts and her actions and now she is being left at a summer camp without their support.  Rainy is used to having her mom, dad, sister, and dog to help her out, but now she has to get along with new people who don’t understand her.  When Rainy gets bad news from home, she sets off on a dangerous journey to help herself, but doesn’t think about how her decision will affect others.  The author does an excellent job of showing how differently the brain can work as the reader can get a sense of what it might be like to have ADHD as the book in many instances jumps from place to place as Rainy’s brain might actually have done in real life.  This would be a great book for anyone to read who is trying to cope with their own ADHD or trying to better understand what it’s like for someone who has this diagnosis.

How it Went Down

by Kekla Magoon
Lexile:  560
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

16 year old Tariq, who is black,  is dead, shot twice by Jack, who is white.  Several eyewitness accounts differ on how things went down.  Did Tariq have a gun?  Did Tariq not have a gun?  Did Jack act in self defense?  Did Jack read the situation incorrectly?  Day after day, the stories grow and change...but the one thing that won’t change is that Tariq isn’t coming back.  For those who knew him, this has left a gaping hole in their lives and in their plans for the future.  This story is told from multiple perspectives of people who were present at the shooting and from those who knew Tariq the best.

The Crossover

by Kwame Alexander
Lexile:  750
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse

Josh and Jordan Bell are twin brothers and the sons of the famous Chuck "Da Man" Bell, former basketball star.  Josh and Jordan are well on their way to becoming basketball stars as well and their dad is a huge part of their success.  But their dad has a secret.  He doesn't like doctors or hospitals and refuses to go for a check up.  His father died of heart disease at age 45 so he is at an increased risk. Josh and Jordan are best of friends until Josh gets a girlfriend and suddenly he doesn't seem to need Jordan like he used to.  Jordan feels left out without Josh and is worried about his father's health.  It's a good thing he has basketball to keep him going, but then he makes a stupid decision that costs him his spot on the team and his brother's friendship.

He Forgot to Say Goodbye

by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Lexile:  480
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove live very different lives.  Ramiro  lives with his mom and brother in a working class Mexican-American neighborhood and attends the local high school.  Jake lives with his mom and stepfather in a rich, exclusive neighborhood and attends a magnet school for students planning to enter the medical profession.  The one thing they do have in common is the absence of their fathers in the their lives.  Ram and Jake both have different ways of dealing with this and it has shaped who they are as young men.  When their paths cross, they realize that despite their differences, they are going to need each other in order to face the future.

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart

Lexile:  600

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

The Sinclairs are a powerful family.  They all come together every summer on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts.  Johnny, Mirren, Cady, and Gat are a close knit group who spend each summer roaming about the island while the adults fight and argue about who is to get what as they watch their parents age.  The summer of 15 is the one that changes their lives forever...will life ever be the same again?

Mr. Terupt Falls Again

by Rob Buyea
Lexile:  680
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Mr. Terupt's class gets to spend one more year together.  Given the trauma of their 5th grade year, their principal has decided to let them continue on to 6th grade as a group.  Mr. Terupt is back and ready to challenge his students with exciting new projects that will bring them even closer.  Each student will experience personal struggles, but if they can work together, it's possible that everyone can have a happy ending.