Category: Realistic Fiction

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Realistic Fiction

Yay, SportsBall! Kids’ books about sports

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m not as up on sports as some folks in my family (and most folks in my library) are, but that never stopped me from enjoying a good book to recommend. Here are some good ones to keep in mind.

Hut, Hut, Hike! (Sports Zone #1), by Andrew Maraniss/Illustrated by Aishwarya Tandon, (Sept. 2025, Scholastic Branches), $6.99, ISBN: 9781546120056

Ages 7-10

Nine-year-old Jasper is a football legend – in his own mind. When he and his dad play football in their living room, he’s a champ! But he quickly learns, when he and his friends Mo and Ruby try out for the flag football team, that he has a lot to learn. When Jasper’s team, the Frogs, plays their first game against the Beagles, Jasper is worried: will the coach bench him, or will he be able to play – and if he plays, will he do well? The Sports Zone series is a new series from Scholastic’s Branches line of chapter books and is a fun and easy read for newly independent readers. Maraniss creates situations that kids will see themselves in, including that nagging little voice that makes Jasper worry that he’s not good enough. Throw in two great friends and a coach who speaks in metaphors no one can seem to understand, and you have a story that readers will return to. Black-and-white artwork on every page includes graphic novel-type panels, breaking up the action into decodable chunks. Interesting sports facts run throughout. Fun questions and activities give the reader playful challenges.

The Sports Zone series has a book about soccer (Corner Kick!) out now, and one on baseball (Grand Slam!) coming in August. All of the books include this core group of characters, providing nice familiarity. Characters are diverse.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

An add for your graphic novel shelves: Opting Out by Maia Kobabe & Swati “Lucky” Srikumar

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Opting Out, by Maia Kobabe & Swati “Lucky” Srikumar, (May 2026, Scholastic Graphix), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-339-01224-7

Ages 10-12

Saachi approaches seventh grade with a lot of mixed feelings. In sixth grade, they were surrounded by a core group of friends and their best friend, Lyla, shared Saachi’s love of fantasy novels and imagination. But in seventh grade, Lyla finds a boyfriend and isn’t interested in spending as much time with Saachi. Saachi’s also not a fan of the changes in her body, either: breasts and bras? Periods? AUGH! Saachi doesn’t want to be a girl or a boy: they just want to be. Be a writer; be a friend, be a person that isn’t expected to date a boy or a girl. A conflict in school with their bully serves as a turning point for self-examination; Saachi also turns to her family, who are ready to support them. Saachi’s father in particular spends time listening to and encouraging them to create their own path. Saachi’s decision to “opt out” of the binary and its expectations sees and acknowledges the stress facing nonbinary teens: Saachi’s stress at having their first period hits like a gut punch; likewise, the emotions on their face when hearing their father correct a family member on a transgender person’s proper pronouns fills readers with warmth. Opting Out is a quietly powerful story for middle schoolers and high schoolers alike. Saachi and their family are Indian, and their culture and mythology are richly featured throughout the book. There’s a great callback panel to Kobabe’s Gender Queer featured and it beautifully communicates Saachi’s internal feelings.

Opting Out has a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Posted in Adventure, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

BookMail is the best mail!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Who doesn’t love seeing a box with your name on it just waiting for you? Lately, I’ve gotten some really good book mail. I started off the month with a box of goodies from Scholastic (including candy!) in anticipation of their Spring Releases Party, which was pretty awesome. Next up, more Scholastic mail: I requested a kit promoting the new graphic novel, Snowlands, by Morr Meroz with art by Collin Fogel.  Look at this awesome box!

 

The kit includes packs of laptop stickers, posters, a shelf-talker, and packs of trading cards. The paperback release is coming up this week, so I may surprise the kids with a book release party when my branch’s copies arrive. Scholastic has a Snowlands webpage with coloring and activity sheets (plus a trailer and excerpt); maybe I’ll come up with a fun wolf craft for extra giggles. Let’s see!

Snowlands is the story of Feba, an orphaned wolf cub whose white fur is perceived as a bad omen. She’s forced away from her pack, and meets a group of animals while on the run. Together, this found family of wolf, leopard, and wildcat face danger on the Snowlands. A Blood Moon is the first in this new series!

Next up, I received this awesome box with goodies promoting Dan Santat’s next graphic novel, Sashimi (coming out in April). Look at this box!

 

A Fishboy Named Sashimi is about a fishboy creature who pretends to be a real kid. It’s the first in a new series that’s “all about friendship, embracing your inner weirdness, and just having a lot of laughs”. This sounds like a great read, and not just because Dan Santat is on my shortlist of authors from whom I would read a grocery list and pronounce it great. Look for a post on this soon, because the box also came with an advanced reader copy, a water bottle, and Chum Chow Fish Flakes, which I’m intrigued by… it’s gotta be candy, right?

Posted in Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Tales from the TBR: Graphic Novels edition

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hey all, I know pretty much everything is going to be Tales from the TBR for a bit. I know I’ve been away for a while, and trust me, it’s been on my mind.

Last year was a tough year. For all of us, I know, but I needed to give myself some grace and pull back for a bit. Work has been amazing, but in working on some exciting projects, I needed a little downtime for my mental health. I wanted to read more big-people books, so I took some time and am doing just that.

That said, I still love writing about kidlit here, so I want to keep doing that. I may not be as regular as I once was, but I will still be here. And I’d like to talk about other stuff I’m doing: games, outreach, fun programming. So please keep an eye out.

Thanks for sticking around.

Heartbreak Hotel, by Micol Arianna Beltramini/Illustrated by Agnese Innocente, (Sept. 2025, Maverick), $14.99, ISBN: 9781545820421

Ages 14+

Imagine having your heart broken and waking up in a hotel that will give you time to live inside your head; to weave your own illusions that help you cope. Heartbreak Hotel tells the stories of four teens, each experiencing heartbreak; it’s time to check out of the hotel, though, and to do that, they must find one another, witness their stories, and move on. While each one suffers from some kind of loss, you’ll see that losses don’t always equate a death. Two-color watercolor washes define each character’s present; brighter watercolors bring readers to the past, giving memories a livelier tint; usually, it’s the memories that are subdued. Characters include a girl mourning the love of her life; a girl who never wants to grow up; a boy whose Instagram filters tell the story he wants people to see, and a boy who just wants to stop. Alice in Wonderland nods run throughout the story: the four playing card suits; a caterpillar, and a rabbit all appear, as does a plastic cat named Neko, who acts as one character’s guide to the hotel. Themes touch on grief, moving on, memory, and self-esteem. A good pick for social-emotional collections.

More Weight, by Ben Wickey, (Sept. 2025, Top Shelf Productions), $39.99, ISBN: 9781603095600

Ages 16+

Wickey worked on this book for a decade, and the labor of love comes through. Centered in Salem, the heart of the story lies with Giles Corey, who famously demanded “more weight” as he was pressed to death during the Salem Witch Trials. We don’t get a rosy picture of Corey, who was neither good nor kind; he is altogether human and flawed, as are most of the people in Salem, from the men making decisions on murdering women to the young girls who feigned being under attack, sending women to their deaths. With this event serving as the story’s nucleus, Wickey builds the history of Salem and the American ability to turn the most gruesome of events into pop culture phenomena. We meet the ghosts of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who hold thoughtful conversations as they stroll Salem’s streets, and we see modern-day Salem as a hub for witchcraft aficionados and Hocus Pocus fans: but do they understand, truly understand, what happened there? Wickey’s thoughtful dialogue may make readers take another look at the merchandising of the Salem Witch Trials and come away with a more sobering outlook. Illustrations go between a woodcut look for Corey’s tale and more realistic artwork for Hawthorn, Longfellow, and modern-day Salem, infusing Colonial Salem with a historical look and feel that makes readers feel like they’re reading long-lost library tomes. Meticulously researched and flawlessly presented, this is a brilliant work of historical fact and fiction that deserves a place on shelves in teen and adult graphic novel collections.

More Weight has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Shelf Awareness, and Booklist.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

On the Block: A middle grade anthology set in one building

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

On the Block: Stories of Immigrant Families, edited by Ellen Oh, (Oct. 2025, Penguin Random House), $8.99, ISBN: 9780593648476

Ages 8-13

Published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) and edited by award-winning author Ellen Oh – a founding member of WNDB – this can’t-miss anthology’s stories bring together the lives of a group of families living in the Entrada apartment building in New York City (if my reading of a few landmarks serves me right). The author’s list is a who’s-who of kidlit, including Tracey Baptiste, Adam Gidwitz, Sayantani Dasgupta, and Debbi Michiko Florence. Chapters are named for apartments where each family lives, giving readers a glimpse into different cultures and lived experiences. Characters from one story will pop up in another, providing a fun sense of continuity.

Who lives in the Entrada? There’s Lila Sooklal in Apartment 5B. Newly arrived from Trinidad, Lila explores the building and meets her neighbors while her family wanders flea markets in search of furnishings for their new apartment. Tumpa Ray in Apartment 4C is almost 12 years old and hasn’t learned to ride a bike yet; when her grandmother arrives from Bengal, she’s determined to change that. Yaniel Fernandez in Apartment 6C is eating popsicles until he’s sick to his stomach in order to make a bridge for class… and learns that there is much more to his grandmother than he ever imagined.

Living and working in an urban area of Queens, these are my library kids’ stories. Readers will laugh and cheer with these characters; they’ll identify with them, and they’ll feel seen. If you didn’t catch the hardcover release of On the Block (then subtitled Stories of Home) last year, put it in your cart for this year.

On the Block has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Booklist.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Middle Grade Must-Read: Smoke & Mirrors by Rosalyn Ransaw

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Smoke & Mirrors, by Rosalyn Ransaw, (June 2025, Amulet Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781419770135

Ages 8-12

Andy Carter is having a lousy summer. He’s spending the summer with his aunt because his father’s parole hearing was postponed. He’s the only Black kid in a small Midwestern town, and he ended up taking the fall for a dumb prank that set at neighbor’s barn on fire. To repay the damage, Andy must help Mr. Gilbert – the barn’s gruff owner – renovate his crumbling home, a mansion with a mysterious history. As Andy and Mr. Gilbert work on the house together, Andy learns that the house was once owned by a magician called the Red Knave. In 1954, the Knave was a suspect in a murder that shook the town, but he disappeared before he could be questioned, leaving generations of townsfolk to believe he was guilty. It doesn’t make sense to Andy, who starts his own investigation into the mystery. It’s a mystery that necessitates him teaming up with someone he doesn’t trust: one of the kids who was there the night he took the fall for the burning barn. There are incredible twists that readers won’t see coming in this incredibly readable mystery that also takes a look at the culture of contemporary racism in the American Midwest. Characters are beautifully brought to life; Andy, in particular, has depth and backstory that immediately endears him to readers. Do not miss this one.

Smoke & Mirrors is a debut novel from Ransaw and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Touched by… a werewolf? Werewolf Hamlet by Kerry Madden-Lunsford

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Werewolf Hamlet, by Kerry Madden-Lunsford, (Feb. 2025, Charlesbridge Moves), $18.99, ISBN: 9781623544331

Ages 10-14

Okay, for anyone who sees the titles and thinks this is a fun send-up of Shakespeare set in middle school, I promise you that while you may be kind of right, you need to get ready for some tissues. Angus is our 10-year-old narrator, and he is going through some stuff. His parents are defaulting on their mortgage and behind on the bills; his little sister is worried that the Four Closers are coming to kick them out of their home. He’s struggling with school, and he’s worried about his 17-year-old brother, Liam, who’s acting like a werewolf: he’s staying out late, coming home stinky, and sometimes his eyes are bloodshot. Plus, he’s moody, snappish, and a little bit hairy. Angus also has a “legacy project” he has to do before he graduates, so he thinks up a new version of Hamlet: “Werewolf Hamlet” will be both a great legacy project and his chance to reach Liam. This is a touching story of addiction and family with relatable characters. Angus is immediately a likable character who loves classic Hollywood movies and imagines conversations between himself and luminaries like Charlie Chaplin and Lon Chaney Jr.; his late-night conversations with Liam show a kid struggling to stay connected to his brother, whom he clearly adores. Angus is a quirky character who sees things differently; he and his brother trade Shakespearean insults that will have readers chuckling. His classmates are entertaining and solidly support Angus’s narrative. Angus’s family is realistic, with flaws and strengths that readers will recognize. Cutaways from Angus’s narrative include snippets of Werewolf Hamlet, imaginary discussions with movie stars, and “Conversations with Liam in the Night” that shed light on the brothers’ relationship. A solid book that middle school and middle grade collections should keep front and center in fiction collections.

Werewolf Hamlet has a starred review from Booklist and was a featured Shelf Awareness pick. Find a Shakespearean insult generator, poster, reader’s group guide and more on Charlesbridge’s website.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Green Jolene: Read it for Earth Day!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap, by Wendy Mass/Illustrated by Billy Yong, (Feb. 2025, Disney Planet Possible Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9781368107563

Ages 7-10

Jolene Greenfield is an environmentally conscious rising third grader on summer break and missing her best friend, Amie, who just moved away. As the new neighbors unload their boxes outside Amie’s old home, she takes a minute to consider how much stuff she has: it’s A LOT. How much of it does she still want or need? Not that much. But the thought of her stuff sitting in a landfill makes her stomach drop, so she and her parents come up with the idea to have a swap meet. As she and her family set about getting the neighborhood on board, Jolene discovers that putting a neighborhood event together takes a lot of work and a lot of tweaking, but in the end, it’s all worth it – and she may even make a new friend in the process. Back matter includes tips for kids on recycling and additional resources. Yong’s cartoon black and white illustrations are fun and keep readers invested in the story. An overall fun and green-savvy book for intermediate readers.

Disney’s Planet Possible books are part of Disney’s sustainability initiative; book content is focused on environmental issues, and the printing of the books themselves take sustainability and conservation into mind. There are free educator guides and activity sheets on the Disney website: get rid of your scrap paper by printing on the other side!

 

 

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Intermediate, Realistic Fiction

Catch up with some chapter books!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Chapter books are more fun than ever. Here are a few I’ve been reading:

Bodega Cats: Just Kitten Around, by Hilda Eunice Burgos/Illustrated by Siara Faison, (Jan. 2025, Henry Holt & Company), $16.99, ISBN: 9781250903761

As a lifelong Metro NY resident, I am a big fan of the bodega cat and love that there is a chapter book series dedicated to these noble cats and their profession. Just Kitten Around is the second Bodega Cat series, but readers can jump right in. Yesenia is a kid whose parents run a bodega and expect their kids to excel in school, which gives Yesenia a lot of anxiety. Her therapist recommends a cat, which Yesenia is excited about – but her parents aren’t. When adorable kitten Candy joins the family, she’s a LOT. She’s a kitten, after all! At first, Yesenia is willing to overlook Candy’s misbehavior, but when Candy inadvertently exposes Yesenia’s bad test grade – with a forged parental signature – even Yesenia is exasperated, and Candy runs away. Burgos gives readers differing points of view by having chapters alternate between Yesenia’s and Candy’s experiences. Faison’s black and white illustrations offer crochet instruction – one of Yesenia’s hobbies – and keep  thereader’s interest. Tackling relatable kid concerns like stress and anxiety, Just Kitten Around is a solid addition to the Bodega Cats series and to chapter book/middle grade collections. No need to read the series in order; each book features different characters in the same universe.

 

Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies, by Megan McDonald/Illustrated by Lenny Wen, (Feb. 2025, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536201420

The celebrated Judy Moody author has a new series! Eliza gets home from school and escapes to her secret hideaway, free from Mom nudging her to complete her chores or her sister, who wants to play horsie. She’s magically transported to the Land of the Flower Fairies, where every flower has a fairy attached to it; her dragonfly pin becomes a real-life dragonfly companion, Haiku. Eliza and Haiku explore the magical world but end up in the “Evil Ones” territory: Wolfsbane and Belladonna send a Demon Wind to steal the flowers’ scents and colors, and it’s up to Eliza to save the day. Colorful gouache and colored pencil illustration weave an enticing fantasy world for readers, and McDonald gets immediately into the action, sending readers right into the Land of the Flower Fairies and introducing the antagonists early on. Readers will delight in this magical new series. Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies has a starred review from Booklist.

 

 

Rica Baptista: A Week of Shenanigans, by Janet Costa Bates/Illustrated by Gladys Jose, (Apr. 2024, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536227666

Ages 6-9

Rica – short for Frederica – is so excited! Her Grampy’s coming to visit for their Adventure Week: it’s the one week a year he’s off from work, and they always have exciting things planned to do together and with her best friend, Laini. This year, though, Grampy arrives on crutches and a bandaged ankle. He’s sprained his ankle, and Adventure Week is now Stay-venture Week! Rica, Grampy, and Laini come up with some fun ideas for Stay-venture Week, but Rica is worried that Grampy’s not having enough fun. What’s a kid to do? This second book in the Rica Baptista series is a light-hearted story with a glimpse into Cape Verdean culture and a warm intergenerational relationship at the heart of the tale. Grampy is a playful, fun-loving grandparent who’s happy to eat his fill of candy and tell “almost true almost all of the time” tall tales. Rica’s parents are very present and involved. Black and white illustrations run throughout and include excerpts from Rica’s prayer journal, where she hopes for her grandfather to feel better and to do well at the talent show. Rica and her family are brown-skinned; best friend Laini is light-skinned and of Irish descent. The next book in the Rica Baptista series is out in November – pick up the first two now and get them on your chapter book shelves.

 

Unicornia: Learning to Fly, by Ana Punset/Illustrated by Diana Vicedo, (Dec. 2024, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536241006

Ages 6-9

Originally published in Spanish in 2022, this chapter book series has been very popular for my Spanish-language collection; I was happy to read it in English and see what the hype is about. Claudia is a young girl whose family has just moved to Unicornia, “the most magical hidden city in the entire universe”. It’s a haven for unicorns, created when the magical beings were in danger of going extinct; select humans seem to be able to make the move. Claudia is delighted to start school at the Unicornia Academy of Magic, but she has a bit of a rough start: her potions class is confusing (and messy), and riding a unicorn? No way! Luckily, Claudia meets Sara and Pippa, two friendly lifelong residents of Unicornia, who are only too happy to get her caught up. Now, all they have to do is help Claudia develop the confidence to ride a unicorn… by encouraging her to spend time with Chai, her class unicorn, the three friends may have this school year in the bag. A fun, cheerful story about friendship, confidence, and taking on new challenges and narrated by Claudia, Learning to Fly is a good introduction to a fantasy world. Two-color pink and white illustrations add to the cotton-candy cartoon feel of the story. A helpful map guides readers around Unicornia. A charming addition to chapter book collections.

Posted in Early Reader, Realistic Fiction

The Backyard Detectives are on the case!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mystery on the Sidewalk (Backyard Detectives, Inc. #1), by Ann Biedenharn, (Nov. 2024, Daisy Hill Publishing), $26.15, ISBN: 979-8-9897014-0-7

Ages 5-7

Alec is a young Backyard Detective with a secret partner: a British mouse named Flint, and the two kick off a fun new series when they attempt to solve the mystery of the purple goo that shows up on his grandmother’s sidewalk one morning. Through observation and deduction, the two arrive at a hilarious conclusion that’s sure to get laughs from readers while teaching fun lessons about nature and color. Black and white illustrations include splashes of purple for effect; easy-to-read text makes this a great Easy Reader for kids who may still be a little young to dive into Nate the Great, but are ready to move on from Young Cam Jansen. Back matter includes an author’s note and “Flint’s Investigation Station”, containing discussion questions and a challenge for readers. Mystery on the Sidewalk is the first in a planned series, and currently available through Daisy Hill Publishing’s website, where readers and educators can find additional resources for exploring mysteries in their own backyards and public green spaces. A cute book for burgeoning readers.