When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

Kimberly Willis Holt (1960-Present)

Realistic Genre

Sorry, no Wiki Page or Sparknotes

227 Pages





Main Characters
Toby Wilson
Opalina Wilson
Otto Wilson
Cal McKnight
Kate McKnight
Charlie McKnight
Billy McKnight
Wayne McKnight
Zachary Elvis Beaver
Judge
Miss Myrtie Mae
Sheriff Levi
Paulie Rakin
Scarlett
Tara
Ferris
Juan Garcia
Malcolm

Settings
Antler, Texas
The Trailer
Home
Lake Kiezer
Scarlett's House
Gossimer Lake
The McKnight's
Bowl-a-Rama

Summary
When the "World's Fattest Boy" arrives in a quiet town in Texas, life in that town will never be the same.

Themes
Family
Friends
Abandonment
Bullings
Self-Discovery
Rudeness

Media
When Zachary Beaver Comes to Town-Movie (2003)

Awards
When Zachary Beaver Comes to Town-National Book Award
When Zachary Beaver Comes to Town-ALA Notable Book for Children
When Zachary Beaver Comes to Town-ALA Top Ten Books for Youngs Adults
When Zachary Beaver Comes to Town-School Library Journal Best Book
When Zachary Beaver Comes to Town-Horn Book Fanfare (1999)

The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

E.L. Konigsburg (1930-Present)*

Realistic Genre

The View From Saturday Wiki Page

160 Pages





Main Characters
Mrs. Olinski
Nadia Daimonstein
Ethan Potter
Julian Singh
Noah Gershom
Mr. Singh
Dr. Rhomer
Mr. Fairbrain

Settings
Back-Stage
Knightsbrudge Middle
Epiphany Middle
The Bus
Sillington B and B
Room 12
Florida Beach

Summary
Four unlikely students (Julian, Noah, Nadia, and Ethan) become friends and go on to be an amazing academic bowl team.

Themes
-Friendship
-Perserverance
-Manners

Awards
The View From Saturday-Newberry Medal (1997)
*The only author to win a medal and an honor in the same year

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Gennifer Choldenko (1957-Present)

Realistic/Historic Genre

Al Capone Does My Shirts Wiki Page

240 Pages





Main Characters
Moose Flanagan
Natalie Flanagan
Piper
Annie
Jimmy
Scout
Theresa
Onion (AZ105)
Mrs. Kelly
Al Capone

Settings
Alcatraz Island
1935
The House
School

Summary
When Moose's father gets a job on Alcatraz Island, he tries to fit in. But that can be pretty hard when he has an autistic "little" sister who seems to be rejected from every school she goes to. Can Moose make the school take her in?

Series
Al Capone Series
-Al Capone Does My Shirts
-Al Capone Shines My Shoes


Awards
Al Capone Does My Shirts-Newberry Honor (2005)

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Rodman Philbrick (1951-Present)

Realistic Genre

Freak the Mighty Wiki Page

160 Pages





Main Characters
Maxwell Kane
Grim
Gran
Kenny "Killer" Kane
Keven Avery
Gwen Avery
Tony "Blade" D
Loretta Lee
Iggy

Settings
The apartment
The basement
Home
Kevin's house
The pond

Summary
It's hard for Max to make friends because his father was a murderer, but he meets a disabled kid named Kevin and they become friends.

Themes
-Friendship

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson

Katherine Patterson (1932-Present)

Realistic Genre

Bridge to Terabithia Wiki Page

144 Pages





Main Characters
Jessie Oliver Aarons Jr.
Leslie Burke
The Aaron Sisters
Janice Avery
Miss. Edmunds
Prince Terrien (dog)
Mrs. "Monster Mouth" Meyers
Lesley's Parents

Settings
Terabithia
School
The Funeral Home
The Art Museum

Summary
When Jess meets a strange tomboy, they become friends and create a kingdom which they are the rulers of. Suddenly, Leslie dies and Jess has to deal with the sadness.

Themes*
-Friendship
-Childhood
-Imagination
-Individuality
-Terabithia
-Gender Roles
-The Creek
-The Rope

Awards
Bridge to Terabithia-Newberry Medal (1978)

Media
Bridge to Terabithia (PBS Television Film, 1985)
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

* Here's a more specific view on some of these Themes:
Terabithia:
Terabithia is a symbol of a perfect world where children rule without the responsibilities of an adult.
The Creek:
The creek is a symbol of the imaginary world of Terabithia, and the hard, real world. When Leslie died in the creek trying to get to get to Terabithia, it showed that there is a large diffrence between the real world and an imaginary one.
The Rope:
The rope over the creek was the only way to get into Terabithia, and when the rope snapped, it symbolized the imaginary world, whiched died along with its queen when the rope broke.
Gender Roles:
Jessie's love of drawing was teased and his hobby is called a "girl's pastime". In his father's point of view is that as a male, he has to be brave and the responsible one in the family. When Leslie comes, all that changes. She is a true tomboy and plays sports and is nothing like the other girls.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech (1945-Present)

Realistic Genre

Walk Two Moons Wiki Page

288 Pages





Main Characters
Sal
Phoebe Winterbottom
Gramps
Gram
Mr. Winterbottom
Mrs. Winterbottom
Ben

Settings
The car
The house
The hospital
The bus

Summary
While on a road trip with her grandparents to find her missing mother, Sal tells her mother's story.

Themes
Memory of the past
Empathy as a source of understanding

Awards
Walk Two Moons-Newberry Medal (1995)

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

Gordon Korman (1963-Present)

Realistic Genre

No More Dead Dogs Wiki Page

180 Pages





Main Characters
Wallace Wallace
Mike "Feather" Wrigly
Rick Falconi
Steve Cavanaugh
Mr. Fogelman
Rachel Turner
Dylan Turner
Trudi Davis
Other Cast

Settings
Wallace's House
The Set
School

Summary
For Wallace Wallace, honesty isn't the best policy, it's the only one. His "policy" gets him into a detention to help out school production of Old Shep, My Pal. When he joins the cast, changes are made and things happen.

Themes
-The show must go on!
-Friendships and Relationships
-Choices
-Truth and Honesty

Loser by Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli (1941-Present)

Realistic Genre

Loser Wiki Page

218 Pages





Main Characters
Donald Zinkoff
Andrew Orwell
Polly Zinkoff
Hector Binns
Claudia
Gary Hobin
Miss. Meeks
Mrs. Biswell
Mr. Yalowitz

Settings
School
Home

Summary
Donald is branded as 'diffrent' and a 'loser' right away at school, but he is unsuspecting and kind to everyone anyway.

Themes
Don't listen to what other people say about you
Live life without a care

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros (1954-Present)

Realistic/Ethnic Genre

The House on Mango Street Wiki Page

110 Pages





Main Characters
Esperanzo Cordero
Nenny Cordero
Sally
Rachel
Lucy
Mama

Settings
The House
In the Street

Summary
Esperanza moves into a new neighborhood and fares the influences and experiances that come in vignettes*.

Themes
Eseranza as a Role Model for readers
Self-Definition and Coming-of-Age

Awards
The House on Mango Street-The American Book Award

* Vignettes are short peices of writing that are not quite long enough to be stories, but too long to be poems