My Story: A London Girl's Diary 1665-1666 - The Great Plague

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

This is the diary of Alice who lives in London with her Aunt Nell and father during the time of the Great Plague.  Alice has a fairly comfortable life.  Her father works for the Navy and the family has a servant named Maggie.  Things change when the Plague arrives and Alice must care for her Aunt Nell.  Alice wonders if life will even return to normal.  This is an interesting diary.  It's a story of family, sacrifice, and personal growth.  I think the author does a good job of creating interest in Alice's life and helping the reader learn more about this point in history. This story would appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction.  

My Story: A Tudor Girl's Diary/Bloody Tower By: Valerie Wilding

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

It's the 1550s and Tilly lives in the Tower of London where her father is a physician.  Tilly's father was given a notebook by an unnamed lady and he gives the notebook to Tilly.  Tilly decides to use the notebook as a diary where she recounts what happens in the Tower.  There is a lot to tell after the young king passes away without an heir and names the young Lady Jane Grey as Queen.  This doesn't sit well with Mary, who has plenty of followers and becomes the Queen.  Queen Mary is quite brutal and provides severe punishment to anyone she deems to be against her in any possible way.  This is a story with historical information about the royals at the time, as well as providing insight into the daily life of those who work in the Tower.  The book includes an historical note and images that are best read early on in the book.  I found this somewhat interesting, but the book would be better with more information about Tilly's life.  The characters aren't really developed and the diary reads more like a brief recount of the events of the past without any real character or story development.

Nish North and South By: Isabelle Picard

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

This is the story of twins, Eloise and Leon, who live in an Innu community in the far north of Quebec.  The chapters alternate between Eloise and Leon's perspectives.  This is a story that gently introduces the reader to life in a northern Indigenous community.  Eloise and Leon live a happy life in their tight-knit community, but do recognize the many inequities their community endures, such as inadequate housing, pollution from mining companies, and limited opportunities. The book includes many topics: friendship, family, community, first crushes, and school life.  This is an enjoyable read and I recommend the book to fans of realistic fiction and those hoping to learn more about life in Indigenous communities. 

Evacuation Order By: Jane Mason & Sarah Hines Stephens

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 6+

"Evacuation Order" is the story of 12 year old Sam who lives in Santa Bonita, California with his mom.  Sam's dad passed away a while ago.  Sam is very close to his best friend, Marco's, family who live nearby.  Sam has a dog who is a huge comfort to him.  Sam had a challenging relationship with his photographer father and is seeking a connection with his father by painstakingly recreating the photos his father took.  Sam's mother is a physician's assistant and works at the local hospital.  Since the passing of his father, Sam's mom works the night shift to earn more money, so Sam doesn't see a lot of his mom. Sam is coping with life until a forest fire comes very near to his community.  This is hard enough, but when an evacuation order is issued and his dog goes missing, Sam becomes overwhelmed.  Read the book to find out if the unending support of his best friend, Marco, will get Sam through this.  I recommend this book to those who enjoy realistic fiction.  The book would be suitable for someone who enjoys Alan Gratz books. This is a much simpler read, but the content is in the same vein.

How To Be A Goldfish By: Jane Baird Warren

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

"How To Be A Goldfish" is told from the perspectives of Lizzie and David.  The story is set in 1981, but does also include events from the past.  Lizzie lives in Scotch Gully with her mother and grandmother.  Next door, lives Harry, who is like a grandfather to Lizzie.  Everyday after school, Lizzie heads to Harry's for a snack and to help on his farm.  David lives in the city.  He and his mother used to live with his grandfather, but now they live with his mom's boyfriend.  Sadly, David's grandfather recently passed away and David is having trouble with this, as well as the bullies at his new school.  Through the reading of David's grandfather's will, Lizzie and David meet and must work together to save the farm Harry lives on, all while uncovering some family secrets.  This is an interesting read. The story includes historic experiences of Home Children, unwed mothers, and the LGBTQ+ community.  I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical or realistic fiction.

Right Back At You By: Carolyn Mackler

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 6+

This is the story of Mason who lives in New York City in a small apartment with his mom. Things aren't going well in his parent's marriage, and his dad recently moved to Atlanta for a new job.  At school, Mason deals with a bully.  When the counselor he's seeing recommends writing a letter to help process what's going on in his life, Mason reluctantly decides to write to Albert Einstein.  Mason tucks the letter in his closet and what he finds in the morning is a huge surprise.  It's a letter from Talia, a girl who lives in 1987!  Somehow Mason's letter ended up in Talia's closet.  The pair end up helping each other out a lot with their back and forth letters. This is a great story of friendship, family, and growing up. I wasn't sure I'd like the fact that the letters were travelling through time, but it's a wonderful story and I recommend it to fans of realistic fiction.

Iggy Included By: Deborah Kerbel

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

"Iggy Included" is a Silver Birch 2025 nominee.  This is the story of Paige and her family who are the lucky winners of an essay writing contest.  The prize...a home in the countryside.  Although Paige isn't thrilled to be leaving her friends behind, she is thrilled to be leaving the tiny two-bedroom city apartment that her family of five shares. The first surprise waiting for the family when they arrive at their new home is the fact that the home is in a state of disrepair and in need of several renovations.  The second surprise, Iggy, the previous owner's dog. Iggy is, in fact, included and if they don't agree to care for Iggy they lose the house.  This is a fun story about family and new friendships.  It even includes a bit of a mystery.  I recommend this book to dog lovers and fans of realistic fiction.