Children's Realistic Contemporary Fiction

A little girl's daddy steps in to help her arrange her curly, coiling, wild hair into styles that allow her to be her natural, beautiful self.

When she is chosen to compete in the local spelling bee, Stacey learns that, win or lose, her words are powerful, and sometimes perseverance is the most important word of all, in this debut picture book from the iconic voting rights advocate.

The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.

Seven fifth-graders at Snow Hill School in Connecticut relate how their lives are changed for the better by "rookie teacher" Mr. Terupt Features seven narrators, each with a unique story, and each with a different perspective on what makes their teacher so special. It's the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There's ... Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who's having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend...

Bullied and shamed her whole life for being fat, twelve-year-old Ellie finally gains the confidence to stand up for herself, with the help of some wonderful new allies...Ever since she wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, Ellie's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by her list of Fat Girl Rules, which are all about not standing out. And she's found a haven in her swimming pool, where she feels...

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of....

For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat's mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a stray baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific...

When Ray, Preeti, Mina, and Niki bring their favorite lunches to school, their classmates scrunch their noses and act disgusted, but the four children learn to stand up for their lunches and cultural backgrounds. Based on the real-life childhood experiences of chefs Ray Garcia, Preeti Mistry, Mina Park, and Niki Russ Federman.

It's hatching season and Jemison Elementary is buzzing about the arrival of the baby chicks. Fifth-grader Jillian must learn to speak and break free of her shell to enter her school's competition and keep her promise to her grandmother.