Realistic Fiction for Grades 6-8
Recommended reading from the Junior High (Y) Collection. Many are available in both hardcover and paperback. Click here for a print-friendly version of this list.
| Author | Title | Call Number |
|---|
| Abdel-Fattah | Ten Things I Hate about Me Jamilah tries to hide her Lebanese-Muslim heritage from her classmates until her conflicted feelings become too much to bear. (297 pp.) | Y Abdel-Fattah |
| Alexander | The Crossover In this novel in verse, twin basketball stars experience highs and lows on and off the court as their father's health declines. (237 pp.) | Y Alexander |
| Anderson | Speak A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school. (197 pp.) | Y Anderson |
| Bauer | Close to Famous Foster and her mother must start over again in a small town, where Foster's baking skills help them build a new life. (250 pp.) | Y Bauer |
| Blume | Then Again, Maybe I Won't : A Novel Facing changes to his family, his friends, and himself, a thirteen-year-old finds the pains in his stomach getting worse and worse. (164 pp.) | Y Blume |
| Buyea | Because of Mr. Terupt Seven fifth-graders relate how their lives are changed for the better by "rookie teacher" Mr. Terupt. (269 pp.) | Y Buyea |
| Cormier | The Chocolate War A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive. (253 pp.) | Y Cormier |
| Federle | Better Nate Than Ever A boy who dreams of performing in a Broadway musical runs away to New York to audition for the musical version of "E.T." (275 pp.) | Y Federle |
| Gantos | Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key Joey struggles to control his ADHD as he deals with his troubled family and problems at school. (153 pp.) | Y Gantos |
| Greenwald | My Life in Pink and Green When her family's drugstore is failing, Lucy uses her talents to come up with solution that might save the business. (267 pp.) | Y Greenwald |
| Han | To All the Boys I've Loved Before Lara Jean writes love letters to all the boys she has loved and then hides them until one day the letters are accidentally sent. (355 pp.) | Y Han |
| Hinton | The Outsiders Ponyboy and his friends, considered greasers and outsiders from society, wrestle with right and wrong. (188 pp.) | Y Hinton |
| Johnson | 13 Little Blue Envelopes When Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes, she criss-crosses Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life. (317 pp.) | Y Johnson |
| Johnson | The First Part Last Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter. (131 pp.) | Y Johnson |
| Konigsburg | The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place Margaret spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her grand uncles have been building in their backyard. (296 pp.) | Y Konigsburg |
| Korman | Ungifted A troublemaker is accidentally sent to a special school for gifted students after pulling a major prank at middle school. (280 pp.) | Y Korman |
| Lockhart | The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks A sophomore girl infiltrates her boarding school's all-male secret society. (345 pp.) | Y Lockhart |
| Murdock | Dairy Queen : A Novel After spending her summer training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself. (275 pp.) | Y Murdock |
| Myers | Monster While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, Steve records his experiences in the form of a film script. (281 pp.) | Y Myers |
| Myracle | Peace, Love, & Baby Ducks Free spirit Carly struggles with her newly popular younger sister as they both begin attending the same private high school. (292 pp.) | Y Myracle |
| Philbin | The Daughters In New York City, three best friends who are all daughters of celebrities move out of the shadows of their parents. (275 pp.) | Y Philbin |
| Stead | Liar and Spy As Georges adjusts to his changing family life, he meets a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building. (180 pp.) | Y Stead |
| Wolff | Make Lemonade In order to earn money for college, fourteen-year-old LaVaughn babysits for a teenage mother. (200 pp.) | Y Wolff |
| Woodson | After Tupac & D Foster Three girls bond over their shared love of Tupac Shakur's music as they try to make sense of their unpredictable world. (153 pp.) | Y Woodson |
Last Updated: 4/15
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