Book picks similar to
Gabriela by Teresa E. Harris


american-girl
realistic-fiction
poetry
fiction

Lea Dives In (American Girl of the Year)


Lisa Yee - 2016
    Lea is really excited to see the ocean - and when she does, she realizes she'd rather take a picture of it than swim in it. Can she overcome her fear and dive in?Then she meets a fun new friend who inspires her to embrace the thrills and beauty of Brazil. But when the fun turns to danger, she must find the courage to face adventure head on! Where will the next adventure take her?

Isabelle


Laurence Yep - 2014
    Isabelle loves ballet, but she wonders if she'll always be dancing in her sister's shadow.Isabelle's mood takes a leap when her mom asks for her help designing costumes for the Autumn Festival. Back in the dance studio, though, Isabelle still lags behind her classmates. Can she stop comparing herself to others and find a way to become her own kind of dancer?(Description taken from the back cover.)

Tenney


Kellen Hertz - 2017
    Little does she know, she's about to get the opportunity of a lifetime. In this first book, Tenney gets invited to perform solo at Nashville's famed Bluebird Cafe and the pressure is on to write the song that will show what she's made of. But then Tenney's parents decide that she's too young to perform professionally, leaving her future hanging in the balance. What if this is Tenney's only chance to make her dreams come true?

Luciana


Erin Teagan - 2017
    After that, her teammates don’t trust her. In fact, Luci’s pretty sure they don’t even like her. It’s great to be good at science—but Luci learns that it’s not enough. If she’s ever going to make it to Mars, she’s got to be someone her crew can depend on, no matter what.

Blaire


Jennifer Castle - 2018
    Decorator. Chicken wrangler. Blaire does it all at her family’s restaurant, inn, and farm. In this first book in her series, her recent food sensitivity has made her time in the kitchen—and time with friends—a little tough. But now she has the perfect distraction: a wedding to plan! With her BFF by her side, and a million creative ideas saved on her tablet, Blaire is sure she can make the farm’s first wedding an epic celebration. But between dress disasters, texting mix-ups, and more than one incident with a mischievous goat, Blaire soon learns that wedding planning is a tricky business...and that balancing friendships is even trickier. Can Blaire find a way to make things right, or will this wedding, and her friendship, turn into epic fails?

Nicki


Ann Howard Creel - 2006
    She lives on a working Colorado ranch with her parents and younger brother. She is optimistic, generous, and compassionate, and she loves skiing almost as much as she loves animals.Nicki has a hard time saying "no" to people. Whenever anyone asks for her help, she's ready to lend a hand. When Nicki says "yes" to becoming the main trainer of a service dog that she and her mother had planned to train together, Nicki ends up in over her head, and struggles to juggle multiple responsibilities: to her parents, her best friend, her teacher--and to the dog.But in the process of training the lively and spirited Sprocket, Nicki's affection for him grows--even while she keeps reminding herself that she has to give him up to someone who needs him more than she does. Equally important, Nicki learns some important lessons for herself.Book One ends with the with big test--and success!--of Sprocket's potential as a service dog, and Nicki's deep pride in their joint accomplishment.

Joss


Erin Falligant - 2019
    When the surf’s up, she pops out her hearing aid, hops on her board, and paddles into the waves. Joss is stoked to enter a surfing video contest with her surf sister Sofia and Murph the surfing bulldog. If she can master a killer aerial like the frontside air and get her brother Dylan to catch it on video, maybe she’d even have a shot at winning. But Dylan throws her a curve: he dares her to try out for the cheer team. No way—Joss can’t see herself as a cheerleader. (What’s with those ginormous hairbows, anyway?) She’s 100% surfer girl, and Dylan knows it! Still, if she takes him up on his dare, then maybe he’ll help her with her video—it’s worth a try, right?

McKenna


Mary Casanova - 2011
    So when her grades suddenly begin to fall, her teacher suggests a little extra help from a tutor. McKenna is horrified until she meets her tutor, Josie, a super-confident girl who also happens to be in a wheelchair. Josie encourages McKenna to focus on her strengths and work toward her goals one day at a time. But just as McKenna begins to shine in school, she's sidelined with a gymnastics injury--and her confidence unravels. Now she's worried about her grades and earning a spot on the competitive gymnastics team. Can she find a way to believe in herself again?

The Real Z


Jen Calonita - 2017
    She's an expert at stop-motion video. In this first book about the aspiring filmmaker, Z has to make a whole new kind of movie--a documentary--and it's harder than she thought. Z wants to wow the judges, but she's not sure her ideas are good enough for a film festival. With the help of her friends, Z shoots a lot of footage, but something about it doesn't feel right. Should she start over? As she tries to make a movie she can be proud of, Z discovers that to be a real filmmaker, she'll first have to be her real self.

No Ordinary Sound: A Melody Classic


Denise Lewis Patrick - 2016
    She’s excited and proud to share a special surprise with her family—she’s been chosen to sing a solo for Youth Day at her church! But what song will she choose? She gets advice from her big brother, and is also inspired by her older sister, but it’s the inspirational words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that help her pick the perfect song.There are many unfair things happening during Melody’s time, even to people in her own family. But it’s an unimaginable tragedy in the South that leaves Melody silent. Who can help her lift her voice and sing —who will inspire her to “keep stepping”?

Lanie


Jane Kurtz - 2010
    She longs get out and go camping, but they all want to stay home. It wouldn't be so bad if her best friend was around, but she's halfway around the world, living out their dream of studying wildlife. Lanie feels she never gets to have any adventures-anywhere. But when her favorite aunt comes to stay, Lanie discovers that the wonders of nature are everywhere-even in her own backyard.

Growing Up with Aloha: A Nanea Classic Volume 1


Kirby Larson - 2017
    She knows she's grown-up enough to help in her grandparents' market. But before she can prove that she's ready for more responsibility, the unthinkable happens: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the naval base where her father works, and America is at war! With friends and family missing, and rumors of more attacks to come, Nanea worries―will life ever be the same again?

The One and Only: A Maryellen Classic


Valerie Tripp - 2015
    Being invited to stay in at recess and practice her handwriting earns Maryellen a new friend, but what does that mean for her old friendships? Then, Maryellen is wishing for a white Christmas like the ones in the movies (not very likely in Florida!). Will she find a way to make her dream come true?

Marisol


Gary Soto - 2004
    She's a fourth-grader who lives with her loving parents in a busy and largely Hispanic neighborhood in the heart of Chicago. Marisol goes to school (where she is a Two-Square champion) takes care of her cat, plays with the kids in her neighborhood, and takes dance lessons. Ballet folkl--rico (Mexican folkdance) is her favorite type of dance--and where she really shines--but she's been exposed to some jazz and a little tap. She's also taking ballet, but she's new to it and a little impatient with its rigors. Her attitude towards ballet changes only slightly when she meets a wonderful new neighbor. Miss Mendoza is a former Rockette who gently reminds Marisol that ballet is worth working hard at, because it's the basis for all serious dance. The upsetting news that her family is moving out to the suburbs is made worse when Marisol learns that the dance studio in her new neighborhood has closed. No tap, no ballet folkl--rico--not even ballet. She may have to take karate lessons! Instead, with the help of new friends, resourceful Marisol finds a way to keep dancing.

Because of Anya


Margaret Peterson Haddix - 2002
    So why is Anya wearing one? That's what Keely wants to know. But when Anya's wig falls off in front of the whole class, Keely realizes what she really wants is to help Anya, even though she's not sure how and even though it means she'll have to do something she's afraid of: stand up to her friends. As for Anya, she just wants her hair to grow back, but no one can tell her whether it ever will. How can she learn to accept her disease when she can't even look in the mirror?