Bea Mullins Takes A Shot By: Emily Deibert

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

When Bea's middle school gym floods, students are encouraged to join extra-curricular sports.  Bea's only other experience with team sports wasn't good, but her best friend, Celia convinces her that joining a girl's hockey team will be fun.  Eventually, Bea does really begin to enjoy hockey and the new friendships she makes.  Unfortunately, the team doesn't have much funding and may not survive the semester. Also, Bea makes some poor decisions with her friendships, creating tension.  This is an interesting story.  Fans of hockey would definitely enjoy it.  I did find this Silver Birch 2026 nominee to be a little longer than it needed to be, but that could be because I'm not a hockey fan.

Ghosts Of Gastown By: Jessica Renwick

Genre: Mystery/Ghosts
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Ghosts of Gastown" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee.  This is the story of twelve-year-old Grace.  Grace was in a serious car accident with her father.  Unfortunately, her father passed away because of this.  Ever since the accident, Grace has been able to see ghosts.  Grace's mom doesn't believe in ghosts and does everything she can to help Grace believe this is just her imagination.  When Grace and her mom move from Edmonton to Vancouver's Gastown, Grace meets Oliver.  Oliver can also see ghosts.  At first, Grace is reluctant to become friends with Oliver, but the two quickly form a friendship, and Grace learns more about her ability. Will the two of them be able to help the ghosts of Gastown into the light?  How will they deal with the demon that is terrorizing the ghosts? Read the book to find out!

Death By Whoopee Cushion By: Vicki Grant

Genre: Mystery
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Death By Whoopee Cushion" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee.  This is the story of 12 year old Manya who is serious about her love of science.  Manya loves her parents, but wishes they could be less silly.  Her parents own a joke shop and are always pulling pranks.  Manya is mortified when she learns her parents will be demonstrating some of their products at her school.  Unfortunately, something goes terribly wrong with one of the items her parents brought to the school and the custodian dies.  Manya knows her parents are goofy, but they are very cautious about what they do and would never hurt anyone.  With the help of her best friend, Isaac, Manya sets out to prove her parents' innocence and uncovers some surprising things about them along the way.  This is an interesting story that will have the reader putting the clues together to find out what is really going on.

The Last Hope School For Magical Delinquents by: Nicki Pau Preto

Genre: Fantasy 
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"The Last Hope School For Magical Delinquents" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee and the first book in a series.  Vin has been expelled from every magical school she's attended.  "Last Hope" is truly her last chance to learn how to use her magic.  If she gets expelled from this school, she will have very few options.  Vin is very hesitant about her new school and what appear to be lenient rules about the use of magic.  Once she makes a connection with some fellow students and the headmaster, Vin starts to feel at home for the first time ever.  Unfortunately, as Vin is gaining an understanding of her magic, it appears that she is causing some dangerous things to happen.  Vin and her friends band together to find out who is behind this dangerous magic and to protect their school. Since this is the first book in the series, a fair amount of time needs to be used providing the reader with background information.  This felt a little tedious to me, but once I got past this, the story was engaging. If you are a fan of magic or Harry Potter books, you are certain to enjoy this new magical world.

Spirit Service By: Sarena and Sasha Nanua

Genre: Realistic/Fantasy Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Spirit Service" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee.  This is the story of four good friends who live in a small town that has an interesting history of being connected to the spirit world.  When the girls meet up at the local antique shop, a retro phone gives off a glow and the girls find themselves connecting to the spirit world through the old phone.  This book would be enjoyable for those who like stories about ghosts or magic, as well as fans of realistic fiction.  The book involves friendship, family, and overcoming challenges. 

The Anxious Exile Of Sara Salt By: Gabrielle Prendergast

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"The Anxious Exile Of Sara Salt" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee.  Ten-year-old Sara is just beginning summer vacation when her baby brother is born prematurely and has to stay at the hospital. Sara's mother and stepfather decide that Sara will spend the summer with her half-sister, Abby, in Toronto.  Sara has anxiety and selective mutism, but fortunately Abby understands.  Abby is an architect and lives in a storage container house on a vacant lot.  Abby's dream is to create a community of pod houses to support those experiencing homelessness.  Even though Sara doesn't typically speak to strangers, she finds a way to help Abby achieve her goal and make her voice heard.  This story is told through the letters Sara writes to her little brother.  It's a great story of friendship, family, personal growth, and helping others.  I highly recommend this to fans of realistic fiction. 

Benny On The Case By: Wesley King

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Mystery
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Benny On The Case" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee.  In this story, Benny, who has Mosaic Down Syndrome and lives at the retirement home his mother runs, is anxiously awaiting the new school year when he will placed in a mainstream classroom.  His best friend, 86 year old, Mr. Tom does his best to help Benny prepare for this transition.  Fortunately for Benny, it turns out he isn't the only new student in his class.  Salma, whose grandmother lives at the retirement home Benny's mother runs, has just moved to Newfoundland.  Salma and Benny become fast friends.  The pair, unfortunately, face bullying and discrimination from their classmates.  Add to this recent thefts at the retirement home and there's plenty to deal with.  Salma and Benny are on the case.  As they uncover clues their friendship becomes stronger.  This is a great story about friendship, family, and acceptance.  Those who enjoy mystery will love trying to figure out who is behind the thefts.  

The Secret of Gabi's Dresser By: Kathy Kacer

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"The Secret of Gabi's Dresser" was inspired by real events in history and Kathy Kacer's mother's experiences during World War 2.  When adult Gabi's grandchildren visit her, they listen attentively to the story Gabi tells about her childhood and the importance of the dresser her family brought from Czechoslovakia to Canada.  As a child, Gabi lived a happy life in a farming community in Czechoslovakia.  When the Nazis invaded her country, things changed for Gabi and the other Jewish families.  Eventually, Gabi wasn't even able to attend school. When the Nazis came looking for Gabi, her mother made the difficult decision to leave the family farm and go into hiding.  This book would be an informative and interesting read aloud in grades 5 and up.  Although the story touches on difficult topics, it does so in a gentle way.  The book would help initiate solid classroom discussions about this time in history and discrimination in general. This book would be enjoyed by fans of historical 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.

Bertie Stewart Is Perfectly Imperfect By: Melanie Mosher

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

"Bertie Stewart Is Perfectly Imperfect" is a Silver Birch 2025 nominee.  This is the story of Bertie who is in grade 6.  Bertie is a very relatable character. She navigates home life, friendships, and the little voice in her head. Unfortunately, the little voice in her head has a lot of doubts and negativity making it difficult for Bertie to cope at times.  Things become especially difficult for Bertie when her teacher assigns the class a public speaking assignment.  This combined with her grandma moving, thinking her stepmother doesn't like her, and problems with her best friend, bring things to a bit of a boiling point.  Fortunately, it turns out that Bertie has more people looking out for her than she thought.  I highly recommend this book to fans of realistic fiction.  You may even learn some techniques for coping with your own stresses.

Scarewaves By: Trevor Henderson

Genre:  Fiction - Horror
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Scarewaves" is a Silver Birch 2025 nominee.  This is the story of the small town of Beacon Point where people, especially children, go missing regularly and strange creatures are often seen.  The book includes chapters about the supernatural experiences of some of the residents and the mysterious radio show transcripts of Alan Graves.  These chapters help the reader to better understand the experiences of newcomer, Mary, and the group of kids she meets and who work together to end the mysterious happenings of Beacon Point.  This is not a book that I would typically select, but it is a real page-turner and I think it will be enjoyed by fans of the "Haunted Canada" series.  

Asking For A Friend By: Ronnie Riley

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Asking For A Friend" is a Silver Birch 2025 nominee.  This is the story of Eden, who has recently transferred to a new school and is looking for a fresh start.  Eden is non-binary and lives with their mother.  Moving to a new town was a big deal for their family and Eden really wants their mom to feel they are doing well at their new school, so a web of lies unfolds.  Eden tells their mom about all of their new friends when actually they haven't made any friends.  When Eden's mom insists on celebrating Eden's 13th birthday with a party including all of Eden's new friends, Eden has a real problem to solve.  Will Eden come clean about their lies or find a way to befriend the people they told their mom about?  This is a story of friendship and family.  It is a story of personal growth.  The book includes a queer glossary to help the reader better understand the terms used by the gender diverse characters. This is a relatable story and should be enjoyed by fans of realistic fiction.  I do feel the book is a little longer than it needs to be, however, I suppose this adds to the realism.

Swept Away By: Natalie Hyde

Genre: Mystery
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Swept Away" is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee.  This is the story of Ruth who recently lost her best friend, Bea, to an accidental drowning.  Bea wasn't the typical best friend of an 11 year old.  Bea was an older neighbour.  When Saul and his father move into Bea's house, Ruth realizes there are things Bea didn't tell her.  Saul and Ruth begin finding clues about Bea's death, clues left by Bea.  It seems Bea knew someone was after her and feels that Ruth is the next target.  Ruth and Saul begin a quest to solve the mystery of Bea's death.  This is an enjoyable read. The interesting clues will have the reader trying to piece together the mystery too.  

Gnome Is Where Your Heart Is By: Casey Lyall

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

This Silver Birch 2024 nominee is a sweet story about Lemon's relationship with her Grandpa and his encounter with gnome like aliens.  Lemon's father does not believe that Grandpa actually met an alien many years ago and actually suffered through some teasing because of Grandpa's stories.  This has made the relationship between Lemon's dad and Grandpa strained.  But, it's summer vacation and even though Grandpa has moved to a seniors' residence, Lemon is determined to work with him to prove that Grandpa did indeed meet an alien.  One night Lemon hears a strange noise and ventures into the forest to see if the aliens have returned.  What luck!  They have! Lemon and her friends begin a quest to meet the aliens and prove Grandpa wasn't telling a tall tale.  This is a fun story about friendship, life on other planets and family.  I recommend this book.

The Umbrella House By: Colleen Nelson

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"The Umbrella House" is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee.  This is the story of best friends, Roxy and Scout, who are in grade 7 and live in the Umbrella House.  The Umbrella House is more than an apartment building.  It is a community of people who have worked hard to change a once abandoned and decaying building into a wonderful home.  When their beloved home is under the threat of being sold and redeveloped, Roxy and Scout join together with their community to save their beloved home.  This is a story of friendship, community and standing up for what you love.  This book is based on the actual Umbrella House in New York City.  The book also includes factual information about the real building.  This is an interesting story especially for those who enjoy learning about real places.

Jude Saves The World By: Ronnie Riley

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Jude Saves The World" is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee.  This is the story of 12 year old Jude who lives with their mom and has a best friend named Dallas.  At school, Jude struggles with focus and is working on this.  In their home life, Jude struggles with not being able to tell their grandparents they are non-binary.  Jude is a sweet and caring person, so when Stevie gets tossed out of the popular group at school, Dallas and Jude soon befriend her, but how long will their friendship last?  This is an informative and heart-warming story.  I recommend this to fans of realistic fiction, or stories about friendship, or stories about being true to yourself.

The Boy Who Woke The Sun By: A.T. Woodley

Genre: Realistic/Fantasy Fiction
Age Recommendation:  Grade 4+

"The Boy Who Woke The Sun" is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee.  I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book, and was incredibly pleased by what I found.  This is the story of 11 year old Elliot, who lives near the ocean with his family.  He loves the water and spends hours observing the creatures who live there.  One night, Elliot finds himself awake in a dream world.  A dream world where the sun doesn't rise anymore and butterflies have been enchanted to be evil.  Elliot wants nothing more than to return home and must go on a dangerous journey with some new companions to find the way home.  In doing this, he might also be able to help the dream world return to normal.  This is an exciting and unique story.  The dream world is very interesting complete with kitten ranchers, a robot, and magic. I recommend this book to those who enjoy realistic fiction and fantasy.

Berani By: Michelle Kadarusman

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

Berani is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee and I have to admit it is my favourite of the nominees so far.  This is a touching story told from three perspectives.  Malia is a young Canadian-Indonesian girl living in Indonesia who has a passion for saving the orangutans.  Ari is a young boy who has been chosen by his family to further his education, so is living in the city with his uncle.  Ari's uncle owns a restaurant where he keeps an orangutan, Ginger Juice.  The final perspective is that of Ginger Juice who shares with us her life before being captive and her feelings about life in captivity.  Through a school presentation and petition, Malia creates against palm oil production, the three characters become connected.  I really enjoyed the short chapters from each perspective.  This story is one of friendship, family, and staying true to your beliefs.  I highly recommend this book and know that it would be especially popular with those who enjoyed The One and Only Ivan.

The Case of the Rigged Race By: Michael Hutchinson

Genre: Mystery/Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation:  Grade 4+

The Case of the Rigged Race is the fourth book in the Mighty Muskrats Mystery series and is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee.  This story is set while the Windy Lake First Nations is hosting the annual Trappers Festival.  The Mighty Muskrats are four cousins who are enjoying the events until they begin to notice strange things happening such as one of their cousin's sled dogs getting unexpectedly sick and illegal betting on the competitions.  The Mighty Muskrats investigate and help the local police and RCMP get to the bottom of what's happening.  This story has action from the beginning and will surely be entertaining for many readers.  I especially like how this book gives a window into the life of the First Nations people of Windy Lake.  Although the book is good as a stand-alone read, I would like to read the first book to get more background information about each of the characters.

 

The Big Sting By: Rachelle Delaney

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Mystery
Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

The Big Sting is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee.  This is the story of Lizzie and Leo travelling with their parents to the remote west coast island where their grandpa lives. Leo is an indoor city kid, but Lizzie considers herself to be an adventurer and adapts quickly to grandpa's place.  Leo and Lizzie don't really know much about grandpa or the place their mom grew up, but they soon develop a relationship with their grandpa as the three of them set off to figure out who stole grandma's award-winning honeybee hives.  This is a story of family, friendship and finding yourself.  It is a mystery.  It's an enjoyable story, however I did find that it moves a little slowly.