Library Closed Saturday, May 25, through Monday, May 27.

Austin Public Library facilities and the Austin History Center will be CLOSED Saturday, May 25, through Monday, May 27. Recycled Reads, the Austin Public Library’s used bookstore, will be open Saturday and Sunday, but will be closed on Memorial Day.

Realistic Fiction

Do you like to read books about situations that could happen in real life? You might like some of these books.

Recommended for grades 8-12.

Book List Category: 
Cover of the book Everybody sees the ants : a novel
By by A.S. King.
Overburdened by his parents' bickering and a bully's attacks, fifteen-year-old Lucky Linderman begins dreaming of being with his grandfather, who went missing during the Vietnam War, but during a visit to Arizona, his aunt and uncle and their beautiful neighbor, Ginny, help him find a new perspective.
Cover of the book How to save a life
By Sara Zarr.
Told from their own viewpoints, seventeen-year-old Jill, in grief over the loss of her father, and Mandy, nearly nineteen, are thrown together when Jill's mother agrees to adopt Mandy's unborn child but nothing turns out as they had anticipated.
Cover of the book Five flavors of Dumb
By Antony John.
Eighteen-year-old Piper becomes the manager for her classmates' popular rock band, called Dumb, giving her the chance to prove her capabilities to her parents and others, if only she can get the band members to get along.
Cover of the book Yummy : the last days of a Southside shorty
By by G. Neri ; illustrated by Randy DuBurke.
"A graphic novel based on the true story of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an eleven-year old African American gang member from Chicago who shot a young girl and was then shot by his own gang members"--Provided by publisher.
Cover of the book Cross game.
By story and art by Mitsuru Adachi ; [translation, Ralph Yamada, Lillian Olsen ; touch-up art & lettering, Jim O'Keefe, Mark McMurray].
"'Cross Game' is a moving drama that is heartfelt and true, yet in the brilliant hands of manga artist Mitsuru Adachi, delightfully flows with a light and amusing touch. The series centers around a boy named Ko, the family of four sisters who live down the street and the game of baseball. This poignant coming-of-age will change your perception of what shonen-manga can be."--Cover.
Cover of the book Will Grayson, Will Grayson
By John Green & David Levithan.
When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same name, their lives become intertwined as one begins dating the other's best friend, who produces a play revealing his relationship with them both.
Cover of the book Perfect
By Ellen Hopkins.
Northern Nevada teenagers Cara, Kendra, Sean, and Andre, tell in their own voices of their very different paths toward perfection and how their goals change when tragedy strikes.
Cover of the book Page by Paige
By Laura Lee Gulledge.
When Paige Turner and her family move to New York City from rural Virginia, she tries to make sense of her new life through her sketchbook, and it helps bring her true personality into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.