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.
	Cloud busting by Malorie Blackman (2004)
	Are you there God? It's me, Margaret by Judy Blume (1970)
	Blubber by Judy Blume (1974)
	Starring Sally J. Freedman as herself by Judy Blume (1977)
	My life with the liars by Caela Carter (2016)
	Dizzy by Cathy Cassidy (2004)
	Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy (2006)
	One perfect pirouette by Sherryl Clark (2010)
	Sixth grade style queen (Not!) by Sherryl Clark (2007)
	Heartbeat by Sharon Creech (2004)
	Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech (2002)
	The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (1995)
	Boy by Roald Dahl (1984) First book in his autobiographical series
	Matilda by Roald Dahl (1988)
	Star-crossed by Barbara Dee (2017)
	The happiest refugee by Anh Do (2010)
	Out of my mind by Sharon M. Draper (2010)
	Parvana by Deborah Ellis (2000) First book in The breadwinner series
	Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (2010)
	Goggle-eyes by Anne Fine (1989)
	Hitler's daughter by Jackie French (1999) First book in the Hitler's daughter series
	Joey Pigza swallowed the key by Jack Gantos (1998) First book in the Joey Pigza series
	The remarkable journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (2019)
	Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (2002)
	Two weeks with the queen by Morris Gleitzman (1989)
	Ban this book by Alan Gratz (2017)
	Refugee  by Alan Gratz (2017)
	Spilled water by Sally Grindley (2004)
	Olive's ocean by Kevin Henkes (2003)
	Ugly by Robert Hoge (2015)
	My life as an alphabet by Barry Jonsberg (2013)
	See you at Harry's by Jo Knowles (2012)
	Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur (2009)
	Red sky in the morning by Elizabeth Laird (1988)
	The miscalculations of lightning girl by Stacy McAnulty (2018)
	Saffy's angel by Hilary McKay (2001) First book in the Casson family series
	Girl, missing by Sophie McKenzie (2006) First book in the Girl, missing series
	Lexiland by Suzi Moore (2013)
	Journey to Jo'burg by Beverley Naidoo (1985) First book in the Journey to Jo'burg series
	Call me hope by Gretchen Olson (2007)
	Wonder by R.J. Palacio (2012) First book in the Wonder series
	A term in year seven by Anna & Mary K. Pershall (2005) Second book in the Two weeks in grade six series Can be read & loved without having read any previous books in this series
	The boy at the back of the class by Onjali Q. Rauf (2018)
	Sunny side up by Marion Roberts (2008) First book in the Sunny series
	There's a boy in the girls' bathroom by Louis Sachar (1987)
	Dream on, Amber by Emma Shevah (2014)
	Smart by Kim Slater (2014)
	Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (2013)
	The bad beginning by Lemony Snicket (1999) First book in the A series of unfortunate events series
	Roll with it by Jamie Sumner (2019)
	Raspberries on the Yangtze by Karen Wallace (2000)
	Mr Stink by David Walliams (2009)
	Other words for home by Jasmine Warga (2019)
	Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson (2008)
	Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson (2003)
	The Lottie project by Jacqueline Wilson (1997)
	Vicky angel by Jacqueline Wilson (2000)
	Being Miss Nobody by Tamsin Winter (2017)
	Chloe by Cesca Adey (2005)
	Detention by Tristan Bancks (2019)
	What every girl except me knows by Nora Raleigh Baskin (2001)
	The eighteenth emergency by Betsy Byars (1973)
	A stone in my hand by Cathryn Clinton (2002)
	The chicken dance by Jacques Couvillon (2007)
	The tiger rising by Kate DiCamillo (2001)
	The secret language of girls by Frances O'Roark Dowell (2004) First book in The secret language of girls series
	George by Alex Gino (2015)
	Misery guts by Morris Gleitzman (1991) First book in the Misery guts series
	When friendship followed me home by Paul Griffin (2016)
	Don't pat the wombat by Elizabeth Honey (1996)
	Instant sisters by Rose Impey (1989)
	Small as an elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson (2011)
	The turbulent term of Tyke Tiler by Gene Kemp (1977) First book in the Cricklepit School series
	Onion tears by Diana Kidd (1989)
	The year we fell from space by Amy Sarig King (2019)
	Inside out and back again by Thanhha Lai (2011)
	Tiger daughter by Rebecca Lim (2021)
	Rules by Cynthia Lord (2006)
	Careful what you wish for by Maureen McCarthy (2010)
	The dogs of winter by Bobbie Pyron (2012)
	Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (2011)
	Here in the real world by Sara Pennypacker (2020)
	Liar and spy by Rebecca Stead (2012)
	When you reach me by Rebecca Stead (2009)
	Dandelion clocks by Rebecca Westcott (2014)
	Double act by Jacqueline Wilson (1995)
	The story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson (1991) First book in the Tracy Beaker series
	The happiness quest by Richard Yaxley (2018)