Children, human beings in general, long to undertand themselves and their worlds. Contemporary realistic fiction serves as a vehicle for stepping into another's moccasins, so to speak. By seeing the world from a character's point of view, readers find assurance and understanding of the human experience--they are not the first, nor are they the last, to experience problems or joys of life. Solace can be found in reading about characters who have found the courage to withstand and break free from their problems. Also, readers grow by finding new ways to cope with life--methods that help to shape realistic thinking.

Adults Go Wild Over Latest In Childrens Picture Book Series

Rules

• Newbery Honor Book, Schneider Family Book Award, ALA Notable Children's Book, Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year, NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts, Michigan Library Accociation Mitten Award Winner written by Cynthia Lord
• Published in 2006 by Scholastic, ISBN 0-439-44383-0
• Narrated in first person by the teenage sister of younger, autistic David, the story is organized according to a set of rules she creates in order for her brother not to be so embarrassing. This story encourages the reader to consider the parameters of "normal" and the importance of family and integrity.*
  

Star in the Forest

• Written by Laura Resau
• Published in 2010 by Delacorte Press, ISBN 978-0-385-73792-0
• This sensitive, child's-eye account of illegal aliens in the United States uses realistic language to convey the struggles and spirituality of undocumented families.
  

All Rivers Flow to the Sea

• Written by Alison McGhee
• Published in 2005 by Candlewick Press, ISBN 0-7636-2591-4
• After a tragic accident, a teenager struggles with emotions attached to her older sister's injuries. Readers identify with the human uncertainty of emotion. Natural, everyday diction and syntax lend to believability.

Heat

• Written by Mike Lupica 
• Published in 2006 by Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, ISBN 0-399-24301-1
• This baseball story has the thematic appeal of brothers, orphans, and illegal aliens. Street humor and Yankee Stadium provide realism along with sharp, believable dialogue.

Lawn Boy

• Written by Gary Paulsen
• Published in 2009 by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, ISBN 0-385-74686-5
• Though it has an interest level of 5-8, this story's reading level is 4.3. The humorous account of a business-savvy (perhaps shady) investor propels a 12-year-old boy's simple summer job into an entrpreneurial extravaganza--making him a tycoon.*