24 Must-Read Fiction Books That Cover Real Topics for Kids Ages 8+
When life gives you lemons…make lemonade. When life deals you a difficult situation…find a book that can relate. Sometimes it’s easier to lose yourself in a book than it is to talk about the things going on in your life, especially for kids. Whether it’s family issues, friendship drama, or school troubles, here are 24 realistic books that can relate!
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Piper’s life is turned upside down when her family moves into a shelter in a whole new city. But while Hope House offers her new challenges, it also brings new friendships, like the girls in Firefly Girls Troop 423 and a sweet street dog named Baby. So when Baby’s person goes missing, Piper knows she has to help. But helping means finding the courage to trust herself and her new friends, no matter what anyone says about them — before Baby gets taken away for good.
Finding Orion
Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion’s grandfather, Papa Kwirk. He’s the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool. Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk’s death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can’t help but feel that that’s not the end of his story. That there’s so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.
One Speck of Truth
Alma has everything she needs, except answers to her questions. Her mother won’t tell her about life in Portugal, where her parents met, or anything about her father, who Alma cannot find, no matter how many graveyards she searches. Then Alma’s mother shocks her by moving them both to Lisbon so Alma can fall in love with the vibrant city where her father grew up. There she discovers she has more family than she could have imagined.
Eventown
The world tilted for Elodee this year, and now it’s impossible for her to be the same as she was before. So when Elodee’s mom gets a new job in Eventown, moving seems like it might just fix everything. Indeed, life in Eventown is comforting and exciting all at once. Sure, there are a few odd rules, and the houses all look exactly alike, but it’s easy enough to explain.
Everything may be “even” in Eventown, but is there a price to pay for perfection — and pretending?
Good Kind of Trouble
All twelve-year-old Shayla wants to do is make it through seventh grade with her best friendships intact, learn to run track, and have a cute boy see past her giant forehead. But when Shay decides to start wearing an armband to school in support of Black Lives Matter, her rule-filled life begins to fall apart.
Lizzie Flying Solo
Lizzie St. Claire wants to be invisible. Forced to move out of her home, she and her mom now live in a transitional housing shelter, Good Hope, until they can get back on their feet. But when Lizzie finds herself at the nearby Birchwood Stables, some new friends — along with the arrival of a frightened pony named Fire — help Lizzie to open up and accept help from those around her, even if it means she’ll have more to lose if things change again.
Mostly the Honest Truth
After Pop is sent back to rehab, Jane Pengilly arrives at her newest foster home determined to stick to the straight and narrow and get back to her beloved dad as soon as she can. But as the days go by, she realizes that family is more than who you’re related to — and that a home can be found in the unlikeliest of places.
Summer of a Thousand Pies
After growing up homeless in San Diego with her dad, Cady Bennett is sent to live with the aunt she didn’t know she had. There she begins to settle into a new life, with new friends, working at her Aunt’s pie shop. But when she finds out the pie shop is failing, she’ll have to do whatever it takes to save the business and the only place that’s ever truly felt safe.
Echo Park Castaways
Nevaeh, Vic, and Mara are veterans of the Los Angeles foster care system. For over a year they’ve been staying with Mrs. K in Echo Park. Though their situation isn’t ideal, it’s still their best home yet. Then Child Protective Services places Quentin in the house, and everything is turned upside down.
Echo’s Sister
Twelve-year-old El has planned on making her first week at a new school fantastic, but when her father tells her that her younger sister, Echo, has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, her world is suddenly turned upside down. Feeling lost and powerless, El must adjust to her new life and discover that a little hope and a lot of love can overcome any obstacle.
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In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons and gifts. When cellphones are banned at Branton Middle School, the students find a new way to communicate by leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. But when a sticky note war escalates, four friends must learn to navigate the complicated social spheres of middle school.
Alan Cole is Not a Coward
When Alan’s brother, Nathan, threatens to out him to the whole school unless he beats him in a high-stakes round of Cole vs. Cole, Alan must face his fears to complete seven nearly impossible tasks. Besides becoming the most well-known kid in school, Alan must stand up to his father, get his first kiss, and prove to Nathan, the world, and himself, that he’s no coward!
Ungifted
Donovan Curtis is a troublemaker who likes to pull pranks, but this time he might have finally gone too far. In a lucky (or not-so-lucky!) twist of fate, Donovan ends up in a special gifted and talented program instead of getting in trouble. Now all he has to do is fool the other geniuses into thinking he belongs and he’ll be in the clear. How difficult could it be?
11 Before 12
With middle school about to begin, Kaylan and her best friend Arianna have a plan. But between making guy friends, getting detention, and helping humanity, Kaylan and Ari might just lose sight of the one thing they forgot to put on their list: keeping their friendship together!
You Go First
On the surface, Charlotte and Ben live very different lives. But even though they have different interests and live more than a thousand miles apart, the two become fast friends over an online Scrabble game. As both of their situations grow worse at school and Charlotte runs away…
Dog Days in the City
When Josie Shilling’s large family gets too chaotic, volunteering at the local animal clinic is the one place she can escape. But, when a box mysteriously appears on the clinic’s front steps, Josie suddenly finds herself responsible for find homes for seven rambunctious (and adorable!) puppies.
Just Like Jackie
For as long as Robinson Hart can remember, it’s just been her and Grandpa. But Grandpa’s memory has been getting bad — so bad that he sometimes can’t even remember Robby’s name. Afraid to tell anyone how forgetful Grandpa’s been getting lately, Robby will do whatever it takes to keep the only family she has together, no matter what!
Bridge to Terabithia
After practicing all summer to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade, Jess Aarons gets outpaced by the new girl, Leslie Burke. Aaron and Leslie become fast friends as he helps her adjust to her new school and surroundings and together they create their own magical world in the woods behind Leslie’s house.
The Big Game
Danny Owens is dedicating his seventh-grade season to his Super Bowl champion father, who has recently passed away. But in order to dominate the big game, he’ll first have to pass his classes, which would be easier…if he could read. With the pressure mounting on and off the field, Danny comes to realize that passing may very well mean choosing a different path from his father’s.
The Year of Billy Miller
When Billy Miller has a mishap at the end of summer vacation, he ends up with a big lump on his head. What a way to start second grade, with a lump on your head! As the year goes by, though, Billy figures out how to navigate elementary school, how to appreciate his little sister, and how to be a more grown up and responsible member of the family and a help to his busy working mom and stay-at-home dad.
The Boy on the Porch
When a young couple finds a boy asleep on their porch, their lives take a surprising turn. Unable to speak, the boy Jacob can’t explain his history. All John and Marta know is that they have been chosen to care for him. As their connections grow, the three of them blossom into an unlikely family and begin to see the world in brand-new ways.
One Crazy Summer
This Newbery Honor novel by bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia is set in the summer of 1968 as three sisters travel to Oakland, California to meet the mother who abandoned them. When their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves.
Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea
Alix and her sister, Jools, have never seen the ocean. When their parents pack them up for a week at the shore, Alix is nervous about leaving home, but excited, too. At the beach, the girls make friends, go exploring, and have adventures both big and small. As the week comes to an end, the sisters find that they don’t want to leave!
Surviving the Applewhites
Rumor has it Jake Semple has managed to get kicked out of every school in Rhode Island. Now, the only place that will take him is a home school run by the chaotic and hilarious Applewhites. Jake thinks surviving his new school will be a breeze…but is he really as tough or as bad as he seems?
What’s your favorite fiction book covering real topics?
