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
	The thing about jellyfish by Ali Benjamin (2015)
	Shark girl by Kelly Bingham (2007) First book in the Shark girl series
	Lion by Saroo Brierley (2013)
	Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks (2002)
	Walking naked by Alyssa Brugman (2002)
	See you in the cosmos by Jack Cheng (2017)
	Stolen by Lucy Christopher (2009)
	The chocolate war by Robert Cormier (1974)
	April and Rain by Sarah Crossan (2014)
	Moonrise by Sarah Crossan (2017)
	One by Sarah Crossan (2015)
	The weight of water by Sarah Crossan (2012)
	No and me by Delphine de Vigan (2007)
	The happiest refugee by Anh Do (2010)
	Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (2010)
	Before I die by Jenny Downham (2007)
	Monkey taming by Judith Fathallah (2006)
	If I stay by Gayle Forman (2009) First book in the If I stay series
	Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner (2003)
	Butterflies by Susanne Gervay (2001)
	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
	Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman (2017)
	A song only I can hear by Barry Jonsberg (2018)
	Please ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (2010)
	Butter by Erin Lange (2012)
	We were liars by E. Lockhart (2014)
	Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (1992)
	Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (2003) First book in the Saving Francesca series
	One of us is lying by Karen M. McManus (2017) First book in the Bayview High series
	Lucky caller by Emma Mills (2020)
	Monster by Walter Dean Myers (1999)
	A monster calls by Patrick Ness (2011)
	A child called It by Dave Pelzer (1995) First book in A child called It series
	My sister's keeper by Jodi Picoult (2004)
	How I live now by Meg Rosoff (2004)
	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
	Popular by Maya Van Wagenen (2014)
	Six impossible things by Fiona Wood (2010)
	Refugee boy by Benjamin Zephaniah (2001)
	Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin (2007)
	Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli (2015) First book in the Simon series
	Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson (2019)
	Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher (2007)
	The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)
	Toffee by Sarah Crossan (2019)
	Winter town by Stephen Emond (2011)
	The other side of summer by Emily Gale (2016)
	Ruby Red by Linzi Glass (2007)
	Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough (2018)
	Dear Vincent by Mandy Hager (2013)
	A place like this by Steven Herrick (1998)
	Megan by Mary Hooper (1999) First book in the Megan series
	Red tears by Joanna Kenrick (2007)
	The moth diaries by Rachel Klein (2002)
	Puberty blues by Kathy Lette & Gabrielle Carey (1979)
	Letters from the inside by John Marsden (1991)
	Beautiful monster by Kate McCaffrey (2010)
	In ecstasy by Kate McCaffrey (2008)
	Rose by any other name by Maureen McCarthy (2006)
	Cut by Patricia McCormick (2000)
	Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates (2002)
	Peeling the onion by Wendy Orr (1996)
	Being black 'n chicken, and chips by Matt Okine (2021)
	Come clean by Terri Paddock (2004)
	Bruised by Siobhan Parkinson (2011)
	Ketchup clouds by Annabel Pitcher (2012)
	A voice in the distance by Tabitha Suzuma (2008)
	Unlocked by Ryan G. Van Cleave (2011)
	Keep your hair on by Elizabeth Vercoe (2003)
	Make lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff (1993) First book in the Make lemonade series