This book is a delightful life relatable story that revolves around both a middle school girl and boy that have a lot of stress around them. From friend problems, to being a victim of bullying, and sometimes feeling like people think they're not enough. This story has two main characters and I enjoy it because they switch off chapters, telling each their own point of view in any situation. These two characters (Emmie and Tyler) have extremely different personalities, but begin to realize that could be a shortcut to becoming friends. Tyler is one of the most popular guys in the school. He has many friends, and always has to think before he acts, because one wrong move could end him up sitting next to the trash cans at lunch. Emmie, on the other hand, is the most quiet and non-social girl in school. She gets made fun of, and feels like she is always invisible to everyone around her. These two extremely different teens find that they also have some sort of connection...

Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson
Grades: 4th - 6th
Reviewed by Frances L.
Tags: comics, friendship, humor, realistic

Belly Up is a fun exciting mystery adventure that takes place in a zoo/theme park called Funjungle. A boy named Teddy suspects foul play when Henry the Hippo goes belly up. As the story goes on, it gets more intense. Will Teddy escape the destruction and attacks targeted towards him? Can he find a way to convince everyone that this wasn't just death of old age, but murder? And how will Teddy, just a boy, solve this case instead of the police? With constant plot twists, excitement, and humor, too, everyone will be sitting on the edge of their seats, reading and reading until they're finished. And when they're finished, longing for more. This book is the most exciting, hilarious and mysterious mystery novel I've ever read. I finished the whole series within two months, and I'm not a big reader! This book is highly recommended!!!

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs
Grades: 3rd - 5th
Reviewed by Charlotte D.
Tags: adventure, animals, realistic, mystery

Can You See Me is a book about an autistic girl named Tally. For Tally, autism means she cannot understand expressions or sarcasm, she hates it when people order her to do things, and when they do, she often boils over and throws what we would call a tantrum, but she literally has no choice. It is called Demand avoidance. That means, if someone tells her to do something, she might know she has to do it, but if someone asks her to, then she feels like it is a demand and immediately refuses. Her five senses are also super good. that sometimes gets her in trouble though, because she gets accused of eavesdropping even though she can't help but overhear. That triggers her Demand Avoidance, and she then gets in a fight with her family.

She goes through sixth grade trying to pretend to be "normal". Her best friend Layla is the only one at the new middle school that knows of her autism, but they are slowly drifting apart, because Layla and her other friends (Lucy and Ayesha) start to get embarrassed about the way Tally acts. Tally gets bullied a lot because other kids think she is weird, and suffers through her classes (mostly P.E.) without any good friends. The really cool thing about this book is that it was written by an eleven year old girl with autism and her teacher. If you like wonder you would really love this book too!

Can You See Me? by Libby Scott, Rebecca Westcott
Grades 5-6
Genres: friendship, realistic, tear-jerker
Reviewed by Isa

The thing about jellyfish is a book about a girl whose best friend drowns while they were 'fighting' and she never gets to say goodbye. She is determined to find out what happened to her friend, and it leads her to a conclusion--without much evidence. This book is full of flashbacks. For example, she lets us know what happened with her and her friend's friendship through a series of flashbacks. The main character is quite academic, and gets bullied for not only caring about fashion and boys. This story is very sad, but I would still recommend this book for fourth and fifth graders.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Grades 4-6
Genres: friendship, mystery, realistic, tear-jerker
Reviewed by Isa

I recommend this book because it shows the real struggles of a black girl's life nowadays. If you like realistic fiction from a view people don't normally write about you will love this book.

A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee
Grades 4-6
Tags: Realistic, Friendship, Romance
​Reviewed by Ella

I like The One And Only Ivan because it is from an animal's perspective. Ivan is a gorilla who is in captivity (not a zoo.) Ivan wants to be free, Ivan wants to live in a nice zoo. Ivan is not able to tell people that he is unhappy. Will Ivan ever be free? I really like this book, and hope you will too.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Grades 3-6
Tags: animals, realistic, fast-paced, friendship, tear-jerker
Reviewed by Adelaide W.

The Miscalculations Of Lightning Girl is about a girl who got struck by lightning when she was little. During school she has to do a group project for community service. Her group decides to volunteer at the animal shelter. While volunteering there she falls in love with a dog, but she can't adopt it because the apartment she lives in doesn't allow dogs. Will she and Pi (the dog's name) ever be able to be together? I love this book and hope you love it too.

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy Mcanulty
Grades 4-6
Tags: animals, realistic fiction, friendship, tear-jerker
Reviewed by Adelaide W.

I really like this book because it is based on a girl who can't walk and can't talk. People don't treat her with the respect she deserves. She realizes that she is very smart and is able to store lots of information in her brain. She joins the school academic team and travels around competing with them. Unfortunately, they always exclude her, and she struggles to make friends. This book is a tear jerker, I love this book, and I hope you love it too.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Grades: 4-6
Tags: realistic fiction, tear jerker
Reviewed by Adelaide W.

I really like this book because it is based on a girl and her parents who immigrated to American from China. They end up running a motel owned by a man named Mr. Yao. The girl then goes to school and meets a friend named Lupe. Lupe's dad fixes the TV and internet at the motel. Mia (the girl) goes on many adventures throughout the book and there is never a dull moment with Mia and her friends. I love this book and I hope you love it too.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Grades 4th - 6th
Tags: realistic fiction, friendship
​Reviewed by Kate B.