# Realistic Fiction books about friendship

**24** realistic fiction books that explore friendship, drawn from the US-school assigned-reading canon. Sourced from Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and 50 state ELA curricula.

**Reading levels:** Lexile measures range from 760L to 890L across these 24 titles.

**Genre:** Realistic Fiction  ·  **Theme:** friendship
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/genre/realistic-fiction/theme/friendship
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.
**Primary source — Common Core ELA exemplars:** https://achievethecore.org/page/2699

## Realistic Fiction friendship reading list

- [A Boy Named Queen](https://readinglist.school/book/a-boy-named-queen) by Sara Cassidy _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2016)_
- [Blubber](https://readinglist.school/book/blubber) by Judy Blume _(Grades 4–7 · pub 1974)_
- [Dogtown](https://readinglist.school/book/dogtown) by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2023)_
- [Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life](https://readinglist.school/book/dork-diaries-tales-from-a-not-so-fabulous-life) by Rachel Renée Russell _(890L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2009)_
- [Eight Keys](https://readinglist.school/book/eight-keys) by Suzanne M. LaFleur _(Grades 4–6 · pub 2011)_
- [Fourth Grade Rats](https://readinglist.school/book/fourth-grade-rats) by Jerry Spinelli _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1991)_
- [Hoot](https://readinglist.school/book/hoot) by Carl Hiaasen _(760L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2002)_
- [Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All](https://readinglist.school/book/magnolia-wu-unfolds-it-all) by Chanel Miller _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Posted](https://readinglist.school/book/posted) by John David Anderson _(Grades 6–9 · pub 2018)_
- [Rules](https://readinglist.school/book/rules) by Cynthia Lord _(Grades 4–7 · pub 2006)_
- [Save Me a Seat](https://readinglist.school/book/save-me-a-seat) by Sarah Weeks _(780L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2016)_
- [Saving Winslow](https://readinglist.school/book/saving-winslow) by Sharon Creech _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2018)_
- [Shoeshine Girl](https://readinglist.school/book/shoeshine-girl) by Clyde Robert Bulla _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1900)_
- [Stepping Up](https://readinglist.school/book/stepping-up) by Mark Fink _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2009)_
- [The Boy at the Back of the Class](https://readinglist.school/book/the-boy-at-the-back-of-the-class) by Onjali Q. Raúf _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2018)_
- [The Cybil War](https://readinglist.school/book/the-cybil-war) by Betsy Byars _(Grades 3–6 · pub 1981)_
- [The Pinballs](https://readinglist.school/book/the-pinballs) by Betsy Cromer Byars _(Grades 4–6 · pub 1977)_
- [The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants](https://readinglist.school/book/the-sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants) by Ann Brashares _(Grades 7–10 · pub 2001)_
- [The Stranger Next Door](https://readinglist.school/book/the-stranger-next-door) by Peg Kehret _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2002)_
- [Trading Places with Tank Talbott](https://readinglist.school/book/trading-places-with-tank-talbott) by Dori Hillestad Butler _(Grades 4–6 · pub 2003)_
- [Ungifted](https://readinglist.school/book/ungifted) by Gordon Korman _(Grades 5–8 · pub 2012)_
- [Walk Two Moons](https://readinglist.school/book/walk-two-moons) by Sharon Creech _(770L · Grades 5–7 · pub 1994)_
- [When Zachary Beaver Came to Town](https://readinglist.school/book/when-zachary-beaver-came-to-town) by Kimberly Willis Holt _(Grades 2–8 · pub 1999)_
- [Wild Wings](https://readinglist.school/book/wild-wings) by Gill Lewis _(Grades 4–6 · pub 2011)_

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_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. HTML view: https://readinglist.school/genre/realistic-fiction/theme/friendship._