Here in the Real World
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · January 5, 2021
A Middle Grade pick for readers exploring Here in the Real World.
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- Who it’s for
- A warm story about finding refuge, making room for difference, and deciding what courage looks like.
- Themes
- Finding refuge, Standing up against unfairness, Being different
- Genres
- Friendship, Self-Esteem & Resilience, Growing Up
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For older readers: Kind of a Big Deal, King of Nothing, Don't Read the Comments
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Start with this bookAbout this book
From the author of the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling novel Pax comes a gorgeous and moving middle grade novel that is an ode to introverts, dreamers, and misfits everywhere. Ware can’t wait to spend summer “off in his own world”—dreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called “normal” kids do.
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On his first day Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church next to the camp. Soon he starts skipping Rec, creating a castle-like space of his own in the church lot. Jolene scoffs, calling him a dreamer—he doesn’t live in the “real world” like she does. As different as Ware and Jolene are, though, they have one thing in common: for them, the lot is a refuge. But when their sanctuary is threatened, Ware looks to the knights’ Code of Chivalry: Thou shalt do battle against unfairness wherever faced with it. Thou shalt be always the champion of the Right and Good—and vows to save the lot. But what does a hero look like in real life? And what can two misfit kids do?
Dreamers and Doers
A warm story about finding refuge, making room for difference, and deciding what courage looks like.
Come here for
- A thoughtful take on dreamers who don’t quite fit the usual mold
- The meeting of imagined ideals and real-world unfairness
Expect
- A tender, grounded reading experience
- Two distinct kids finding common ground in a place they value
Where it sits
| Friendship | 80% |
|---|---|
| Growing Up | 35% |
| Self-Esteem & Resilience | 30% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Art & Architecture
- Stories About Divorce
- New Baby Stories
- Stepfamily Stories
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Magic & Fantasy
- Big Feelings
- Friendship
- New Experiences
- Authors
- Sara Pennypacker
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- January 5, 2021
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Finding refuge · Standing up against unfairness · Being different
- Reading lane
- Art & Architecture