![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Realistic novels
Jul. 3rd, 2011 10:24 amI confess I'm not so much a straight contemporary reader. I read books to experience something OTHER than my regular life, I read for escape, I read for hope. So stories in exotic settings, humor, fantasy, mystery--I usually gravitate toward those kind of books. Also, I'm not into downer books and books where hope runs low and issues run high. And, there are books where the characters are just not the kind of person I ever was, nor the kind of person I'd have ever chosen as a friend. I didn't grow up in a city and sometimes those books that people say are very gritty and "realistic" just aren't a real I ever experienced. Not all teens are the same, you know? But every once in a while I run into a realistic book I really like, where the character feels both real and like someone I might actually care about in real life. So today (since I'm currently reading one!), I'm showcasing a few realistic books I've liked this year:
1.
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, Jordan Sonnenblick. This is a book about a kid whose little brother has cancer, and how the brother deals with it. It's got a girl who's a friend who may turn into something more, and drumming, and lots of heart. I think the thing about Sonnenblick is that he knows how to hold back just enough that you fill in the feelings with your own real experiences.
2.
Indigo's Star, Hilary McKay. The Casson family books each focus on a different kid in the family, and this one is about Indigo (and his friend Tom). Sometimes I want to wring the parents' necks, but the kids are all very interesting to read about. The quirk factor never gets in the way of their realness.
3.
Notes from the Midnight Driver, Jordan Sonnenblick. Yep, I've read two this year (so far all my library has). This one's got a crusty Jewish grandfather and more musicians and is about dealing with your mistakes. Another really nice one, with an authentic-sounding guy voice.
4.
Tangerine, Edward Bloor. So refreshing to read a book that takes place outside of Hollywood or NYC. This kid moves to Tangerine County, Florida, to a ritzy housing development built on the carcasses of a tangerine field. He wants to play soccer (and is actually pretty good at it), but gets no attention compared to his older (and crueler) brother , whose football outshines him. Thanks to a sinkhole swallowing part of the middle school (where he was banned from playing soccer because he has an IEP for blindness), he gets transferred to the rougher school of Tangerine Middle. He has a great team, but meanwhile his brother's mischief increases, and there is some violence in Tangerine. And the MC has to learn to stand up to his brother. My boys liked this book, too, which says something. Often a book will be a realistic book about a boy MC, but my boys find it boring. This one had the realistic voice but also an interesting plot. (Take note, all ye who want to write realistic fiction for boys. They also need a PLOT.)
5.
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, Jeanne Birdsall. I LOVE the Penderwicks! A little like Little Women, only modern; a little like the Casson books, only American. The author really remembers what it's like to be a kid, and you just want to go outside, hop on your bike, go swimming, and catch fireflies with the neighbor kids. I'm reading this to my girls right now (ages 6 and 9) and they are loving it, too.
6.
Sean Griswold's Head, Lindsey Leavitt. A friend who read this thought the main character was a little young for her stated age, but to me this is one of those things where not all teens are the same. To me, she felt spot on, because this was much more the kind of teen I was than the ripped clothes/cutter/loud music type. Payton finds out her dad has MS--and everyone in the family knows but her--and the book is about her coming to deal with it, mainly by coming up with a focus object, which happens to be the head of the boy who's sat in front of her alphabetically for years. It has biking and national park shenanigans and lots of heart. I find Lindsey's princess books highly entertaining, but I LOVED this one.
7.
Words in the Dust, Trent Reedy. Based on a true incident where US soldiers serving in Afghanistan arranged cleft lip surgery for a local Afghani girl, and how it changed her life/future/confidence. I thought Reedy did a fabulous job of showing us the culture from the inside, instead of as a tourist looking in and judging. There are just so many different things in their culture--polygamy, men having all the power, violence (it's not just your mother's worries--Afghanistan is one seriously dangerous place for kids, who can trip over forgotten land mines, get taken away by the police--who are NOT your friends--etc.). He could have written it in some kind of expose sort of tone. But he didn't. Characters are flawed but have their shining moments, and it just felt balanced. I was convinced by him writing a girl point of view, too, which male authors can't always pull off. Also appreciated the educated woman Meena's name--several years ago I read a biography of the real Meena, who was assassinated for teaching people to read. Well worth your time to read this book!
8.
Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me, Kristen Chandler. I'm only halfway through this book, but I'm really loving it so far. I hate picking up books that take place somewhere "quirky" (ie, outside the publishing corridor of the NE US) and have them ring false, as if the author once took a vacation there but couldn't leave their own ideas at home. This book takes place in Yellowstone (my new next door neighbor!), and I LOVE it. The author has actually spent significant time here, and to me, who is admittedly new to this area but who was raised by an Idahoan mother, it rings true. KJ Carson reminds me a little of DJ Schwenk, and there are wolves and all the politics that go with them. (It's easy to be conservationist and pro-wolf when you have a comfy job in DC, and your paycheck does not depend on said wolves not eating your ranch animals.) While still slightly pro-wolf, it shows the other side well. Considering the current governor of Idaho thinks we should screw the endangered species thing and have wolf hunts, I'd say this issue is still pretty current. Aside from the wolves, there's the dynamic of KJ and her father, and KJ and Virgil, the son of a wolf scientist who's studying them for six months, and Virgil's mom and her relationship with KJ's dad. I love the side comments, like when it's 30 degrees, it's shorts weather in this area.
What about you? Any realistic novels you've read lately that you've loved?
1.
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, Jordan Sonnenblick. This is a book about a kid whose little brother has cancer, and how the brother deals with it. It's got a girl who's a friend who may turn into something more, and drumming, and lots of heart. I think the thing about Sonnenblick is that he knows how to hold back just enough that you fill in the feelings with your own real experiences. 2.
Indigo's Star, Hilary McKay. The Casson family books each focus on a different kid in the family, and this one is about Indigo (and his friend Tom). Sometimes I want to wring the parents' necks, but the kids are all very interesting to read about. The quirk factor never gets in the way of their realness.3.
Notes from the Midnight Driver, Jordan Sonnenblick. Yep, I've read two this year (so far all my library has). This one's got a crusty Jewish grandfather and more musicians and is about dealing with your mistakes. Another really nice one, with an authentic-sounding guy voice.4.
Tangerine, Edward Bloor. So refreshing to read a book that takes place outside of Hollywood or NYC. This kid moves to Tangerine County, Florida, to a ritzy housing development built on the carcasses of a tangerine field. He wants to play soccer (and is actually pretty good at it), but gets no attention compared to his older (and crueler) brother , whose football outshines him. Thanks to a sinkhole swallowing part of the middle school (where he was banned from playing soccer because he has an IEP for blindness), he gets transferred to the rougher school of Tangerine Middle. He has a great team, but meanwhile his brother's mischief increases, and there is some violence in Tangerine. And the MC has to learn to stand up to his brother. My boys liked this book, too, which says something. Often a book will be a realistic book about a boy MC, but my boys find it boring. This one had the realistic voice but also an interesting plot. (Take note, all ye who want to write realistic fiction for boys. They also need a PLOT.) 5.
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, Jeanne Birdsall. I LOVE the Penderwicks! A little like Little Women, only modern; a little like the Casson books, only American. The author really remembers what it's like to be a kid, and you just want to go outside, hop on your bike, go swimming, and catch fireflies with the neighbor kids. I'm reading this to my girls right now (ages 6 and 9) and they are loving it, too.6.
Sean Griswold's Head, Lindsey Leavitt. A friend who read this thought the main character was a little young for her stated age, but to me this is one of those things where not all teens are the same. To me, she felt spot on, because this was much more the kind of teen I was than the ripped clothes/cutter/loud music type. Payton finds out her dad has MS--and everyone in the family knows but her--and the book is about her coming to deal with it, mainly by coming up with a focus object, which happens to be the head of the boy who's sat in front of her alphabetically for years. It has biking and national park shenanigans and lots of heart. I find Lindsey's princess books highly entertaining, but I LOVED this one.7.
Words in the Dust, Trent Reedy. Based on a true incident where US soldiers serving in Afghanistan arranged cleft lip surgery for a local Afghani girl, and how it changed her life/future/confidence. I thought Reedy did a fabulous job of showing us the culture from the inside, instead of as a tourist looking in and judging. There are just so many different things in their culture--polygamy, men having all the power, violence (it's not just your mother's worries--Afghanistan is one seriously dangerous place for kids, who can trip over forgotten land mines, get taken away by the police--who are NOT your friends--etc.). He could have written it in some kind of expose sort of tone. But he didn't. Characters are flawed but have their shining moments, and it just felt balanced. I was convinced by him writing a girl point of view, too, which male authors can't always pull off. Also appreciated the educated woman Meena's name--several years ago I read a biography of the real Meena, who was assassinated for teaching people to read. Well worth your time to read this book!8.
Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me, Kristen Chandler. I'm only halfway through this book, but I'm really loving it so far. I hate picking up books that take place somewhere "quirky" (ie, outside the publishing corridor of the NE US) and have them ring false, as if the author once took a vacation there but couldn't leave their own ideas at home. This book takes place in Yellowstone (my new next door neighbor!), and I LOVE it. The author has actually spent significant time here, and to me, who is admittedly new to this area but who was raised by an Idahoan mother, it rings true. KJ Carson reminds me a little of DJ Schwenk, and there are wolves and all the politics that go with them. (It's easy to be conservationist and pro-wolf when you have a comfy job in DC, and your paycheck does not depend on said wolves not eating your ranch animals.) While still slightly pro-wolf, it shows the other side well. Considering the current governor of Idaho thinks we should screw the endangered species thing and have wolf hunts, I'd say this issue is still pretty current. Aside from the wolves, there's the dynamic of KJ and her father, and KJ and Virgil, the son of a wolf scientist who's studying them for six months, and Virgil's mom and her relationship with KJ's dad. I love the side comments, like when it's 30 degrees, it's shorts weather in this area. What about you? Any realistic novels you've read lately that you've loved?
