Best of
Realistic-Fiction

1982

A Chair for My Mother


Vera B. Williams - 1982
    After their home is destroyed by a fire, Rosa, her mother and grandmother save their coins to buy a really comfortable chair for all to enjoy.

Last Dance


Lurlene McDaniel - 1982
    Rachel Deering's dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer has to be put on hold when she finds out that she has diabetes, but the lessons she learns in managing her disease help her take control of her life.

Skinnybones


Barbara Park - 1982
    Alex's active sense of humor helps him get along with the school braggart, make the most of his athletic talents, and simply get by in a hectic world.

Just Us Women


Jeannette Franklin Caines - 1982
    And together they plan their trip to North Carolina in Aunt Martha's brand-new car. This is to be a very special outing-with no one to hurry them along, the two travelers can do exactly as they please.

Sometimes I Think I Hear My Name


Avi - 1982
    Louis. It's just that his mother and father both lived in New York and he hadn't seen them lately. And he had a few questions he needed to have answered. That's how Conrad happened to spend the strangest week of his life in New York City with a girl he hardly knew--and getting more answers than he had questions...about his parents, himself, and what real families are all about.Conrad lives in St. Louis with his aunt and uncle, who his divorced parents feel can provide the stable home life they can't manage in New York City. When his mother decides that he should spend spring vacation in London instead of with her, Conrad is sure something is wrong, and he goes to New York to find out what. Once there he contacts Nancy, a secretive girl with a family life just as strange as Conrad's. With Nancy by his side, Conrad embarks on a remarkable adventure of discovery-about his family and about himself.

The Bicycle Man


Allen Say - 1982
    The amazing tricks two American soldiers perform on a borrowed bicycle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan.

Second Hoeing


Hope Williams Sykes - 1982
    First published in 1935, the novel was greeted in all quarters as an impressive and authoritative evocation of these recent immigrants and their struggle to realize the promise of their chosen country.

Run, Run, as Fast as You Can!


Mary Pope Osborne - 1982
    But when tragedy strikes, she must face the world at a much deeper level. A fiercely moving story that will remain with readers for a long time.

Only My Mouth is Smiling


Jocelyn Riley - 1982
    Three children are caught in the crossfire between a mentally unstable mother and a rigidly harsh grandmother.

The Biggest, Meanest, Ugliest Dog in the Whole Wide World


Rebecca C. Jones - 1982
    Jonathan is terrified of the dog next door, until one day he throws his ball at it in defense and their relationship changes.