Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 4-6
Interest level: grades 5-8

Hiaasen writes eco-issue novels for kids. Hoot and Scat are two other novels for kids that are adventurous, fun to read, and teach kids how a little civil disobedience goes a long way toward preserving the environment. Edward Abbey and the Monkey Wrench Gang would be proud of Noah's efforts to stop the Coral Queen, a floating casino in the Florida Keys from dumping sewage into the water. Noah encounters some colorful, crusty characters like Dusty, Shelley, and Jasper, who help and/or hinder Noah in his attempts to save the environment from the raw sewage. Noah uses sabotage, along with his sister's help to stop Dusty from his illegal and unethical practices.

Reading level: 1-3
Interest level: Grades K-4

If you've read other Judy Blume books, you are acquainted with the Pain and the Great One. Going, going, gone is book number three out of four in the series. Abigail and Jacob are siblings who meet up with lots of high energy adventure in even the mildest of circumstances. Getting lost in the mall, wrestling with alligators, and a trip to the emergency room are just a few of the wild adventures Pain and The Great One tackle. But they tackle life in such a sassy, spunky way! Kids will have fun enjoying daily life through Abigail and Jacob's eyes. Just wait until Dad picks up the pictures from the photo store!

Reading Level 4.7
Interest Level 3-6
Ally, Bree, and Jack are three very different souls. Ally has led a very sheltered life, and has a dream to find a comet. Bree is a beautiful girl whose dream is to become a model. Jack is an introvert whose dream is to not be noticed. All three find themselves gathered together with thousands of others for a glimpse of the total eclipse of the sun. They are forced out of their comfort zones only to find friendship with unlikely people and their own place in the universe.

Reading Level: 3.8
Interest Level: 4-6
Julie movies to a new school in San Francisco after her parents divorce. Julie's new fourth grade teacher assigns a "Family Project". This sounds like a lot of fun until she comes to sharing the worst thing that ever happened to her. She tries to find anything to put in here that will be believable so that she doesn't have to discuss the divorce. What will she do?

Reading Level: 5.6
Interest Level: 5-8
The fifth installment of the middle school triumphs and dilemmas of Greg Heffley will not disappoint. Many life lessons will be learned through the diary of Greg to help you avoid making the same painful mistakes he made. You will learn about how to survive a semester without your best friend and how to survive your mom going back to school. Special tips will be shared on clues to keep an eye out for that hint the "hired help" may be using your bed for mid day naps. Important information is passed a long during health classes this year since this is the year for "The Facts of Life" class. Don't miss out on all these very important tips and lessons as well as the most important lessons on friendship and family.

Interest Level: K-3
Reading Level: 3.2
Bean and Ivy are neighbors. Their mothers try to convince them to be friends, but not until Bean tries to trick Ivy and Ivy tries to cast a spell on Bean do they become friends. Their friendship blossoms over a plot to cast a spell on Bean's sister, Nancy.