Titles Worth Trying: Realistic Fiction [Grades 3-5] | Arlington Public Library

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1) Milo Moss is officially un-amazing

Author

Allbright, Lauren

Description

Twelve-year-old Milo Moss has been on a mission to achieve his family's lifelong goal: breaking a world record. It's why he and his parents, along with thousands of others, are standing in the middle of a football stadium dressed as human-sized cockroaches. But when the record attempt doesn't exactly go as planned, Milo and his family are failures once again. Now more than ever, Milo needs support from his best friend, Jesse (who also happens to be...

Author

Formats:

Book, eBook, Kindle

Description

"An artistic, fashion-loving boy unlocks a new talent--and learns to stand up for it--in this chapter book perfect for fans of the Sadiq series and Meet Yasmin! Tehzeeb drew curvy clouds, grand galaxies, squirmy squiggles, and delicate dots. He made charming checkerboards and even perfected paisleys. His practice was finally paying off! The first time Tehzeeb tries mehndi, his passion for the art form blossoms. Soon, he's creating designs for all...

3) Picture purrfect

Author

Burgos, Hilda Eunice

Series

Bodega cats volume 1

Description

Told in alternating voices, follows Miguel and his newly adopted street savvy cat Lolo as they build a loving and supportive friendship in Washington Heights.

4) Danny Chung sums it up

Author

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

Description

When his Chinese grandmother comes to live with his family in England, an eleven-year-old aspiring comic book artist has to share his bedroom with Nai Nai, who does not speak English, but they soon share a bond through math and art.

5) We still belong

Author

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

Description

"Wesley is proud of the poem she wrote for Indigenous Peoples' Day-but the reaction from a teacher makes her wonder if expressing herself is important enough. And due to the specific tribal laws of her family's Nation, Wesley is unable to enroll in the Upper Skagit tribe and is left feeling "not Native enough." Through the course of the novel, with the help of her family and friends, she comes to embrace her own place within the Native community."--...

6) Elvin Link, please report to the principal's office

Author

Dernavich, Drew

Description

A penchant for doodling often lands fifth-grader Elvin Link in the principal's office, but also helps with crime-solving and standing up to bullies.-- Provided by Publisher.

7) Gabby Torres gets a billion followers

Author

Dominguez, Angela

Description

"Gabby Torres is nine years old and ready to conquer the world. She's already joined the Sea Musketeers, the environmental protection club founded by her idol, Stella Díaz, and plans to be their best (and youngest) member ever. Gabby's latest and greatest idea: start a social media page for her club. But her parents think she's too young! Nothing stops Gabby though...until some online meanies get her in some serious trouble! But she's totally got...

Author

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook

Description

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.-- Provided by Publisher.

9) Wink: surviving middle school with one eye open

Author

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook

Description

After being diagnosed with a rare eye cancer, twelve-year-old Ross discovers how music, art, and true friends can help him survive both treatment and middle school.

10) Saucy

Author

Kadohata, Cynthia

Description

When eleven-year-old Becca, a quadruplet, finds a sick piglet on the side of the road, her life is changed forever.

11) Those kids from Fawn Creek

Author

Kelly, Erin Entrada

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

Description

The twelve kids in the seventh grade at Fawn Creek K-12 have been together all their lives so when graceful Orchid Mason arrives, with exotic clothes and glorious hair, the other seventh graders do not know what to think.

12) How to win a slime war

Author

Description

After moving to Sacramento to take over his grandparent's Filipino market, sixth-grader Alex seeks popularity by selling homemade slime at school, while his father insists he join a soccer team.

13) 15 secrets to survival

Author

Richards, Natalie D

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook

Description

Forced to participate in an extra credit project in the middle of nowhere, classmates Baxter, Abigail, Turner, and Emerson must survive the wilderness with only a survival handbook and each other after their instructor goes missing.

Author

Richter, Jennifer Ann

Description

Eleven-year-old bird enthusiast Nyla sets out to win her city school's birding tournament against tough competition from the suburbs, while balancing old friends with new.

15) The secret battle of Evan Pao

Author

Shang, Wendy Wan Long

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook

Description

Evan Pao and his family move to Haddington, Virginia in hopes of keeping his father's notoriety a secret, but a small southern town is not an easy place for a Chinese-American boy to fit in, and one kid, Brady Griggs, seems determined to make things difficult.

16) Bhai for now

Author

Siddiqui, Maleeha

Description

"When Ashar and Shaheer meet, they quickly discover they're twins and will stop at nothing to get to know the parent they've been separated from, learning along the way that they may not like each other, but they definitely need each other"-- Provided by publisher.

17) V. Malar: greatest host of all time

Author

Subramaniam, Suma

Series

V. Malar volume 1

Description

V. Malar loves living on a farm with her parents in a small town in India. And Malar's absolute favorite time of year, the harvest festival known as Pongal, is finally here! This year's festival will be different because her aunt, uncle, and cousins from Seattle will be visiting and celebrating with them. Feeling both excited and nervous, Malar promises to be a great host to her cousins. But when Priya and Kamal talk about all the things they have...

18) Ways to make sunshine

Author

Series

Ryan Hart novels volume 1

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

Description

Ryan Hart loves to spend time with her friends, loves to invent recipies, and has a lot on her mind school, self-image, and family. Her dad finally has a new job, but money is tight. That means changes like selling their second car and moving into a new (old) house. But Ryan is a girl who knows how to make sunshine out of setbacks. Because Ryan is all about trying to see the best. Even when things aren t all she would wish for her brother is infuriating....

Author

Wyman, Christina

Description

Twelve-year-old Max, who has an extreme overbite, must navigate sibling rivalry and middle school bullies. Max Plink’s life is complicated. Her parents aren’t getting along. The school bullies are relentless, and her own sister is the cruelest of them. Worst of all, her mouth is a mess. With a mismatched puzzle of a jaw, Max has a Class II malocclusion, otherwise known as a severe overbite. She already has braces, which means she lives on Advil...

20) New from here

Author

Description

Knox works to keep his family together as they move from Hong Kong back to northern California during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus.