No empire-line dresses, no three-headed aliens, no smug vampires, no goblins, and no talking rabbits. Real characters making tough decisions about life right now.
	The crossover by Kwame Alexander (2014)
	The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2008)
	Go ask Alice by Anonymous (1971)
	I am not Esther by Fleur Beale (1998) First book in the I am not Esther series
	Lion by Saroo Brierley (2013)
	Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks (2002)
	See you in the cosmos by Jack Cheng (2017)
	The chocolate war by Robert Cormier (1974)
	Moonrise by Sarah Crossan (2017)
	One by Sarah Crossan (2015)
	The happiest refugee by Anh Do (2010)
	Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (2010)
	Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner (2003)
	The fault in our stars by John Green (2012)
	Deadly, unna? by Phillip Gwynne (1998) First book in the Deadly, unna? series
	The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon (2003)
	The simple gift by Steven Herrick (2000)
	The outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967) First book in The outsiders series
	A song only I can hear by Barry Jonsberg (2018)
	Butter by Erin Lange (2012)
	One of us is lying by Karen M. McManus (2017) First book in the Bayview High series
	Monster by Walter Dean Myers (1999)
	A monster calls by Patrick Ness (2011)
	A child called It by Dave Pelzer (1995) First book in the A child called It series
	Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (2012)
	Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (2012)
	Feather boy by Nicky Singer (2002)
	Drums, girls, and dangerous pie by Jordan Sonnenblick (2004)
	Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (2000) First book in the Stargirl series
	Six impossible things by Fiona Wood (2010)
	Refugee boy by Benjamin Zephaniah (2001)
	Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli (2015) First book in the Simon series
	Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher (2007)
	The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)
	Winter town by Stephen Emond (2011)
	A place like this by Steven Herrick (1998)
	Letters from the inside by John Marsden (1991)
	Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates (2002)
	Being black 'n chicken, and chips by Matt Okine (2021)
	Bruised by Siobhan Parkinson (2011)
	Unlocked by Ryan G. Van Cleave (2011)