realistic fiction

Seeing the world very differently because of her Asperger Syndrome, young Lauren struggles to navigate the challenges of school life and masters tricks to stay calm, understand others' feelings and let her personality shine.

Max and his mom embark on a road trip as they adjust to their new understanding of family.

Questioning his resolve to attend public school after being homeschooled when he is targeted by a bully, Max aspires to become like his favorite comic book heroes and finds an unexpected opportunity to be the hero his middle school needs.

A misfit girl and her brother attend summer camp, where they struggle with primitive plumbing, snobby tentmates, and boys-versus-girls competitions.

Alec, a sixth-grade bookworm always in trouble for reading instead of listening and participating in class, starts a book club, solely to have a place to read, and discovers that real life, although messy, can be as exciting as the stories in his favorite books.

Feeling most alive when he's playing the blues with his grandfather, Clayton is devastated when his grandfather dies and his mother forbids him from playing music, losses that compel him to run away and join bluesmen on the road.

After a morning of setbacks, from faulty zippers to lost toothpaste, Kiki's parents teach her how to deal with her frustration and how it is okay if things don't work out the first try.

Nate goes up against Gina, the class brainiac.

Creating a graffiti mural to cover up a nasty slur about her best friend written on the back of their school for the deaf, Julia is expelled and sent to a mainstream school where she is treated like an outcast while continuing to paint graffiti before a mysterious fellow artist starts adding creative touches to her work.

Relationships undergo changes as Sawako spends more time with Kurumi and less with Kazehaya, Chizu reveals her feelings about Ryu, and Yano confesses something to Kento that he doesn't want to hear.