Definition--Books that use made-up characters, but focus on events and settings that exist or could exist in real life.
100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison
Esme has lived on four different continents since she was born. Her father is in the army, and they go where the army says to go, because it is their duty. Esme has just moved back to the “good ole US of A” with her parents and her younger brother, Ike. Everything is going good for a while: her mom is writing articles for the local paper, she and her brother were going to school, and her dad was getting up every Saturday morning to make the “top-dog tastiest” pancakes (with flour, not flower, and a spitula, spaaaatuuuulaaaa, spat-chew-la, spatula). But one day, her dad says the army told him he has to go on a tour for 100 days and 99 nights. Esme and her brother do many things to help out on the home front until her dad comes back. The day he gets back, they make pancakes for dinner! And they are the top-dog tastiest pancakes they have ever made.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 5.8
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Jesse Oliver Aarons dreams of becoming the fastest runner at Lark Creek Elementary. The day of the race, the new girl Leslie wants to run too, so they let her; Leslie beats all of the boys. Jesse and Leslie become friends because they are also neighbors, and they create their own kingdom across the river called Terabithia. Jesse gets Leslie a puppy for Christmas, and they name it Prince Terrien. One rainy day, Jesse goes to a museum with his teacher and comes back to learn that Leslie tried to use the rope swing to cross the rushing river, and she drowned.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 4.6
Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
Henry Green loves chocolate: bitter sweet, dark, light, daily, cake, pieces, bars, cookies, and cereal. One day he goes to school, and starts developing brown spots all over. The nurse is concerned when they begin to burst with a “pop” noise. Henry gets sent to the hospital, where doctor after doctor exclaims over his new disease. Henry runs away, and hitches a ride with Mac the truck driver. Mac is about to make Henry call his parents when the truck is hijacked. Mac and Henry are rescued when every dog from the area is attracted by Henry’s chocolate scent. Mac’s boss explains what Henry’s disease is: chocolate fever! The cure is the opposite of chocolate…vanilla.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 4.8
The Dark by Lemony Snicket
Laslow is afraid of the dark. It usually stays in the basement, and only comes out at night. Laslow’s nightlight keeps the dark away at night, and in the morning Laslow calls out “Hi” as he peaks down the basement stairs. One night, the dark said Laslow needed to go see something in the basement. The dark showed him a bottom dresser drawer full of little light bulbs for his nightlight, which had just happened to burn out.
Interest Level: K
Grade Level: PreK
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
Sarah Jane Hartwell doesn’t want to get out of bed. She doesn’t want to go to her first day at her new school. Mr. Hartwell makes her get up and drives her to school. Mrs. Burton, the principal, takes Sarah Jane to her classroom and introduces the other students to their new teacher: Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell!
Interest Level: K
Grade Level: 2.6
First Year Letters by Julie Danneberg
Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell has set up a post office in her classroom. All the students write letters to her about various things, from the field trip where Mrs. H saved the falling bison to the many visits of Phil the firefighter. In the end, the principal Mrs. Burton tells a students they “have never had a teacher quite like Mrs. H,” and they all throw Mrs. H a “great year” party.
Interest Level: K
Grade Level: 2.8
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Phillorick
Max has a learning disability, grows too much, and his father murdered his mother. Freak wears leg braces and uses crutches, but memorized the dictionary. Together they are Freak the Mighty, 9 feet tall. They go on quests and get into trouble, but everything eventually works out. That is, until Killer Kane escapes and Freak’s heart gets too big for his body.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 6.3
The Invisible Boy by Patrice Barton
Brian is invisible. The teacher doesn’t notice him, the other kids in his class don’t notice him, or include him in anything. Brian sits by himself and draws things like dragons and superheroes. One day, a new kid comes to the classroom: Justin. He becomes friends with everyone, including Brian. Now, Brian doesn’t feel so invisible.
Interest Level: 1
Grade Level: 1
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
A mother sings to her baby boy about loving him as her baby for the rest of her life. She sings to him and holds him while he sleeps. Even when the boy grows older and eventually becomes a man with a house of his own, she still crawls into his room and sings while she holds him. One day, she cant finish the song, so her son does it for her. Then he goes home and sings the song to his brand new baby girl.
Interest Level: PreK
Grade Level: 4.8
S.O.R. Losers by Avi
South Orange River (SOR) Middle School has a rule: everyone participates in a sport. For most students, this is good. But for Ed, Saltz, Eliseve, Hays, Porter, Dorman, Lifsom, Radosh, Root, Barish and Macht, this is punishment. They are all really good at other things like math, painting, writing, etc. when it comes to soccer, these 11 found something they stink at. They lose all six of their soccer games, despite everyone telling them they will win if they just care. In the end, they had more fun losing than they would have if they had won!
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 5.4
Esme has lived on four different continents since she was born. Her father is in the army, and they go where the army says to go, because it is their duty. Esme has just moved back to the “good ole US of A” with her parents and her younger brother, Ike. Everything is going good for a while: her mom is writing articles for the local paper, she and her brother were going to school, and her dad was getting up every Saturday morning to make the “top-dog tastiest” pancakes (with flour, not flower, and a spitula, spaaaatuuuulaaaa, spat-chew-la, spatula). But one day, her dad says the army told him he has to go on a tour for 100 days and 99 nights. Esme and her brother do many things to help out on the home front until her dad comes back. The day he gets back, they make pancakes for dinner! And they are the top-dog tastiest pancakes they have ever made.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 5.8
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Jesse Oliver Aarons dreams of becoming the fastest runner at Lark Creek Elementary. The day of the race, the new girl Leslie wants to run too, so they let her; Leslie beats all of the boys. Jesse and Leslie become friends because they are also neighbors, and they create their own kingdom across the river called Terabithia. Jesse gets Leslie a puppy for Christmas, and they name it Prince Terrien. One rainy day, Jesse goes to a museum with his teacher and comes back to learn that Leslie tried to use the rope swing to cross the rushing river, and she drowned.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 4.6
Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
Henry Green loves chocolate: bitter sweet, dark, light, daily, cake, pieces, bars, cookies, and cereal. One day he goes to school, and starts developing brown spots all over. The nurse is concerned when they begin to burst with a “pop” noise. Henry gets sent to the hospital, where doctor after doctor exclaims over his new disease. Henry runs away, and hitches a ride with Mac the truck driver. Mac is about to make Henry call his parents when the truck is hijacked. Mac and Henry are rescued when every dog from the area is attracted by Henry’s chocolate scent. Mac’s boss explains what Henry’s disease is: chocolate fever! The cure is the opposite of chocolate…vanilla.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 4.8
The Dark by Lemony Snicket
Laslow is afraid of the dark. It usually stays in the basement, and only comes out at night. Laslow’s nightlight keeps the dark away at night, and in the morning Laslow calls out “Hi” as he peaks down the basement stairs. One night, the dark said Laslow needed to go see something in the basement. The dark showed him a bottom dresser drawer full of little light bulbs for his nightlight, which had just happened to burn out.
Interest Level: K
Grade Level: PreK
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
Sarah Jane Hartwell doesn’t want to get out of bed. She doesn’t want to go to her first day at her new school. Mr. Hartwell makes her get up and drives her to school. Mrs. Burton, the principal, takes Sarah Jane to her classroom and introduces the other students to their new teacher: Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell!
Interest Level: K
Grade Level: 2.6
First Year Letters by Julie Danneberg
Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell has set up a post office in her classroom. All the students write letters to her about various things, from the field trip where Mrs. H saved the falling bison to the many visits of Phil the firefighter. In the end, the principal Mrs. Burton tells a students they “have never had a teacher quite like Mrs. H,” and they all throw Mrs. H a “great year” party.
Interest Level: K
Grade Level: 2.8
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Phillorick
Max has a learning disability, grows too much, and his father murdered his mother. Freak wears leg braces and uses crutches, but memorized the dictionary. Together they are Freak the Mighty, 9 feet tall. They go on quests and get into trouble, but everything eventually works out. That is, until Killer Kane escapes and Freak’s heart gets too big for his body.
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 6.3
The Invisible Boy by Patrice Barton
Brian is invisible. The teacher doesn’t notice him, the other kids in his class don’t notice him, or include him in anything. Brian sits by himself and draws things like dragons and superheroes. One day, a new kid comes to the classroom: Justin. He becomes friends with everyone, including Brian. Now, Brian doesn’t feel so invisible.
Interest Level: 1
Grade Level: 1
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
A mother sings to her baby boy about loving him as her baby for the rest of her life. She sings to him and holds him while he sleeps. Even when the boy grows older and eventually becomes a man with a house of his own, she still crawls into his room and sings while she holds him. One day, she cant finish the song, so her son does it for her. Then he goes home and sings the song to his brand new baby girl.
Interest Level: PreK
Grade Level: 4.8
S.O.R. Losers by Avi
South Orange River (SOR) Middle School has a rule: everyone participates in a sport. For most students, this is good. But for Ed, Saltz, Eliseve, Hays, Porter, Dorman, Lifsom, Radosh, Root, Barish and Macht, this is punishment. They are all really good at other things like math, painting, writing, etc. when it comes to soccer, these 11 found something they stink at. They lose all six of their soccer games, despite everyone telling them they will win if they just care. In the end, they had more fun losing than they would have if they had won!
Interest Level: 3
Grade Level: 5.4