Get Real

Recommended books for teens in the genre of realistic fiction.

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American Panda
Artist/Author/Cast:
Chao, Gloria
Call Number:
HS F Chao
Description:

Mei tries to live up to her parents' expectations while also following, and hiding, her dreams.

Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree
Artist/Author/Cast:
Nwaubani, Adaobi Tricia; Mazza, Viviana
Call Number:
YP F Nwaubani
Description:

Kidnapped by Boko Haram, a Nigerian girl must fight for her survival.

Dear Sweet Pea
Artist/Author/Cast:
Murphy, Julie
Call Number:
YP F Murphy
Description:

Struggling to adjust to her parents’ divorce, a teen finds herself in the unlikely role of a community advice columnist.

Eliza and Her Monsters
Artist/Author/Cast:
Zappia, Francesca
Call Number:
HS F Zappia
Description:

When the anonymous creator of a webcomic begins to pursue real-world relationships, everything she worked to build begins to crumble.

Far from the Tree
Artist/Author/Cast:
Benway, Robin
Call Number:
YP F Benway
Description:

Feeling incomplete after placing her baby up for adoption, Grace tracks down her biological siblings and struggles with the dynamics.

Five Flavors of Dumb
Artist/Author/Cast:
John, Antony
Call Number:
HS F John
Description:

Piper, who is deaf, becomes manager to her classmates' rock band but must help the band members get along.

Gravity
Artist/Author/Cast:
Deming, Sarah
Call Number:
YP F Deming
Description:

A Jewish Dominican boxer learns to fight for what she wants and channels her energy towards boxing in the Olympics.

The Hate U Give
Artist/Author/Cast:
Thomas, Angie
Call Number:
YP F/HS F Thomas
Description:

Starr’s life changes dramatically when she is the only witness to the unprovoked police shooting of her unarmed friend.

Heat
Artist/Author/Cast:
Lupica, Mike
Call Number:
YP F Lupica
Description:

Pitching prodigy Michael dodges social services after being banned from Little League baseball because people doubt he is only twelve.

How It Feels to Float
Artist/Author/Cast:
Fox, Helena
Call Number:
HS F Fox
Description:

When visits from her deceased father disappear, Biz tumbles into a depression from which she must find her way back.

I, Claudia
Artist/Author/Cast:
McCoy, Mary
Call Number:
HS F McCoy
Description:

Awkward Claudia finds herself unwittingly drawn into the dark side of her high school's student government with dire consequences.

If I Stay
Artist/Author/Cast:
Forman, Gayle
Call Number:
YP F Forman
Description:

After a car accident kills her family, comatose Mia weighs whether to live with grief or join them in death.

Keeping the Moon
Artist/Author/Cast:
Dessen, Sarah
Call Number:
YP F/HS F Dessen
Description:

Colie, a girl formerly overweight, spends the summer working as a waitress and staying with her eccentric aunt.

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes
Artist/Author/Cast:
Abawi, Atia
Call Number:
HS F Abawi
Description:

After their home in Syria is bombed, Tareq and his family seek refuge from a senseless and brutal war.

Monster
Artist/Author/Cast:
Myers, Walter Dean; Myers, Christopher (Illustrator)
Call Number:
YP F Myers
Description:

While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, Steve records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom.

Nowhere Boy
Artist/Author/Cast:
Marsh, Katherine
Call Number:
YP F Marsh
Description:

Ahmed, a Syrian refugee, and Max are bound by a secret that sets them on the adventure of a lifetime.

The Outsiders
Artist/Author/Cast:
Hinton, S. E.
Call Number:
HS F/F Hinton
Description:

Ponyboy Curtis struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes he is an outsider.

Piecing Me Together
Artist/Author/Cast:
Watson, Renée
Call Number:
HS F Watson
Description:

Jade dreams of success beyond her poor neighborhood, despite the challenges and prejudices that surround her.

Pumpkinheads
Artist/Author/Cast:
Rowell, Rainbow; Hicks, Faith Erin (Illustrator)
Call Number:
GN F Rowell
Description:

Seasonal best friends Josie and Deja organize the ultimate Halloween night to celebrate their last autumn working together.

Rules of the Road
Artist/Author/Cast:
Bauer, Joan
Call Number:
YP F Bauer
Description:

As sixteen-year-old Jenna drives curmudgeonly Mrs. Gladstone across the country, she learns the rules of the road and life.

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