Realistic Fiction

Omar, a son of a servant, has an opportunity of a lifetime. His scholarship to Ghalib Academy Boarding School can provide him with the education, resources, and network to change is place in Pakistani society. When Omar arrives, he quickly learns that his status as a scholarship student prevents him from benefiting from the amazing opportunities Ghalib affords its wealthy, tuition-paying scholars.

For Rory, middle school means a host of changes: new students, new teachers, and new bullies. Meanwhile, his new speech teacher helps him navigate more than just his saying his r’s. From complicated feelings about his ex-best friend to a growing interest in hard rock to learning about boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Rory takes on unforeseen challenges and learns what it means to be a good person, no matter who needs support.

The only constant in Joy’s life seems to be change. She’s moved away from her beloved home, left her friends behind, enrolled at a new school, and given up her most enjoyable activity – piano lessons. Now, Joy and her family must live in a cramped, thin-walled apartment. With her parents’ arguments getting more frequent, Joy desperately needs a quiet place, a sanctuary away from all her problems.

Over the past year, Madalyn has weathered a relentless storm of problems. From a terrible school to moving and now her father working on the other side of the country, she hopes the cloudy days are in the past. It starts with Madalyn moving in with her great-uncle, Papa Lobo, and getting a fresh start at a new school.

After Lucy’s 5-year-old brother dies from a heart defect, her parents move her to a new house, new neighborhood, and new school. While her parents deal with their own grief, twelve-year-old Lucy, who is Jewish and cued as white, must grapple with hers in a school where her classmates are school shooting survivors.

Fast-pitch softball captain Shenice “Lightning” Lockwood has nothing else on her mind besides leading her team to the sectional championship and beyond. As the only all-Black team among a sea of mostly white faces, a championship win means more than just a trophy, especially in the Lockwood family, a family known for its generational talent.