Books like 'This Day in June'
Readers who enjoyed This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical lgbtq social-commentary realistic children friendship family
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The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsClover's mom says it isn't safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups' rules by sitting on top of the fence together. With the addition of a brand-new author's note, this special edition celebrates the tenth anniversary of this classic book... -
![The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco]()
The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook Description Publication Date: 2011 When young Trisha finds out her class at the new school is known as "The Junkyard," she is devastated. She moved from her old town so she wouldn't be in a special class anymore! But then she meets her teacher, the quirky and invincible Mrs. Peterson, and her classmates, an oddly brilliant group of students each with his or her own unique talent... -
![Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson]()
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids.I couldn't go to their schools.I couldn't drink from their water fountains.There were so many things I couldn't do. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak...Categorized as:
social-commentary children family realistic friendship historical-fiction children-books historical -
![Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca]()
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn #ownvoices novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia.Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays...Categorized as:
realistic family friendship children middle-grade historical-fiction fiction young-adult -
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![Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall]()
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall invites readers to peek through windows that shine like real glass on this lavish book’s cover, and explore the dollhouse-like world of a beloved farmhouse where twelve children were born and raised.Over a hill, at the end of a road, by a glittering stream that twists and turns stands a farmhouse...Categorized as:
family realistic children children-books historical-fiction fiction historical multigenerational -
![Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles]()
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo boys—one black, one white—are best friends in the segregated 1960s South in this picture book about friends sticking together through thick and thin.John Henry swims better than anyone I know. He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster, but he doesn’t swim in the town pool with me. He’s not allowed. Joe and John Henry are a lot alike... -
![Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco]()
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter being initiated into a neighbor's family by a solemn backyard ceremony, a young Russian American girl and her African American brothers' determine to buy their gramma Eula a beautiful Easter hat. But their good intentions are misunderstood, until they discover just the right way to pay for the hat that Eula's had her eye on. A loving family story woven from the author's childhood... -
![Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall]()
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA lavish new picture book from Caldecott-winner Sophie Blackall that will transport readers to the seaside in timeless, nautical splendor!Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around... -
![The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi]()
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she?Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week...Categorized as:
children family friendship realistic social-commentary action-adventure book bullying -
![Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman]()
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAn international bestseller: Grace learns that she can be anything she wants... -
![Key Player by Kelly Yang]()
Key Player by Kelly Yang
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMia Tang is going for the goal in the fourth Front Desk novel by New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang! The Women’s World Cup coming to Southern California, everyone is soccer-crazy -- especially Mia Tang! The U.S. is playing China in the finals, and Mia feels like her two identities are finally coming together. Less exciting, though? The fact that her P.E...Categorized as:
realistic friendship children family social-commentary lgbtq middle-grade historical-fiction -
![New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer]()
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsElla Mae is used to wearing her cousin's hand-me-down shoes—but when her latest pair is already too tight, she's thrilled at the chance to get new shoes.But at the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother have to wait until there are no white customers to serve first...Categorized as:
social-commentary realistic friendship children family historical-fiction historical children-books -
![Eleven by Tom Rogers]()
Eleven by Tom Rogers
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAlex Douglas always wanted to be a hero. But nothing heroic ever happened to Alex. Nothing, that is, until his eleventh birthday. When Alex rescues a stray dog as a birthday gift to himself, he doesn't think his life can get much better. Radar, his new dog, pretty much feels the same way. But this day has bigger things in store for both of them. This is a story about bullies and heroes... -
![Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan by Ashley Bryan]()
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan by Ashley Bryan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNewbery Honor Book Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, Ashley Bryan offers a moving and powerful picture book that contrasts the monetary value of a person with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away...Categorized as:
children family realistic social-commentary black-mc book children-books cultural-identity -
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![A Daughter’s Return by Josephine Cox]()
A Daughter’s Return by Josephine Cox
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFlorence Stanville is a woman with a past. When she moves to Guisethorpe on the east coast of England, the townsfolk are intrigued by the glamorous and mysterious stranger. Florence doesn’t care about the gossips – she’s drawn to the peaceful seaside town by the pull of her childhood, when she lived for a brief but happy time with her beloved late mother... -
![The Girls from the Local by Rosie Archer]()
The Girls from the Local by Rosie Archer
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGosport, Hampshire 1943, and even in the middle of war the local pub provides a warm welcome, thanks to its trio of barmaids. Ruby has been living and working at the Point of No Return pub since her parents were killed by a bomb. She loves the bustle of the pub; it helps take her mind off worrying about her fiance, Joe, away fighting in France... -
![Winning Through by Marcia Willett]()
Winning Through by Marcia Willett
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's nearly thirty years since the Chadwick siblings arrived from Kenya at The Keep in Devon to live with their grandmother Freddy. And while much has altered since in their lives, The Keep remains a sanctuary for the whole family; warm, unchanging, filled with love... -
![Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Gwen Strauss]()
Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Gwen Strauss
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRuth and the Green Book is the story of one black family's trip from Chicago to Alabama by car in the late 1940s. Along the way they encounter prejudice, but they also discover The Green Book, a real guide to accommodations which was published for decades to aid African-American travelers as they faced prejudice on the roads across the country...Categorized as:
children family friendship realistic social-commentary action-adventure audiobook black-mc -
![Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki]()
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShorty and his family, along with thousands of Japanese Americans, are sent to an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fighting the heat and dust of the desert, Shorty and his father decide to build a baseball diamond and form a league in order to boost the spirits of the internees. Shorty quickly learns that he is playing not only to win, but to gain dignity and self-respect as well... -
![The Chocolatier of Hideaway Bay by Michele Brouder]()
The Chocolatier of Hideaway Bay by Michele Brouder
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter a series of poor choices and mistakes, Valerie decides she needs a fresh start in a new city. But first, she wants to check out the little town of Hideaway Bay that her grandmother spoke about often with fondness and hopefully solve the mystery why her grandmother left and abandoned her house on Star Shine Drive... -
![After Francesco by Brian Malloy]()
After Francesco by Brian Malloy
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAcclaimed author Brian Malloy brings insight, humor, and the authenticity of his own experiences as a member of the AIDS generation to this universal story of love and loss set in New York City and Minneapolis at the peak of the AIDS crisis...Categorized as:
lgbtq realistic social-commentary family friendship fiction historical-fiction historical -
![A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson]()
A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo young girls not only witness but help to change history in this inspiring and urgent Civil Rights-era picture book by three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Angela Johnson.There's a sweet, sweet smell in the air as two young girls sneak out of their house, down the street, and across town to where men and women are gathered, ready to march for freedom and justice...Categorized as:
social-commentary realistic children family historical-fiction children-books historical fiction -
![How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani]()
How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNew historical fiction from a Newbery Honor-winning author about how middle schooler Ariel Goldberg's life changes when her big sister elopes following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, and she's forced to grapple with both her family's prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, as she defines her own beliefs...Categorized as:
family realistic friendship social-commentary children historical-fiction middle-grade fiction -
![Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall]()
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsRuby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family...Categorized as:
family realistic children social-commentary historical-fiction children-books fiction poc-mc -
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![The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco]()
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Mary Ellen gets bored with her reading, Grandpa knows a hunt for a bee tree is just what she needs. Half the town joins the exciting chase, but it's not until everyone returns home that Mary Ellen makes a discovery of her own: Sometimes, even the sweetest of things must be worked for... -
![That Book Woman by Heather Henson]()
That Book Woman by Heather Henson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow...Categorized as:
children family friendship realistic action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age -
![Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg]()
Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis exciting pioneering story, based on actual events, introduces readers to a fascinating chapter in American history, when FDR set up a New Deal colony in Alaska to give loans and land to families struggling during the Great Depression. Terpsichore can’t wait to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps . . . now she just has to convince her mom...Categorized as:
family children friendship realistic historical-fiction middle-grade fiction children-books -
![Queenie by Jacqueline Wilson, Finty Williams]()
Queenie by Jacqueline Wilson, Finty Williams
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s 1953, the year Elizabeth is to be crowned Queen of England. Elsie Kettle can't wait to go to London to see the celebrations on Coronation Day. Elsie lives with her Nan—her mum works as a showgirl, so she's not around very often. Spirited and imaginative, but often lonely, Elsie longs for a best friend... -
![Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson]()
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail...Categorized as:
children family friendship realistic social-commentary historical-fiction middle-grade fiction -
![Outbound Train by Renea Winchester]()
Outbound Train by Renea Winchester
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn 1976, memories from a night near the railroad tracks sixteen years earlier haunt Barbara Parker. She wrestles with past demons every night, then wakes to the train’s five-thirty whistle. Exhausted and dreading the day, she keeps her hands busy working in Bryson City’s textile plant, known as the “blue jean plant,” all the while worrying about her teenage daughter, Carole Anne... -
![Cairo Circles by Doma Mahmoud]()
Cairo Circles by Doma Mahmoud
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWriting instructor at American University in Cairo and NYU MFA graduate Doma Mahmoud's THE DISBELIEVERS, set between Cairo and New York, exploring the stories of three families from different social classes, whose lives are closely intertwined throughout, meditating on the boundaries of free will and questions about class, hedonism, faith, and violence, to Olivia Taylor Smith at Unnamed Press... -
![Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson]()
Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLindy and her doll Sally are best friends - wherever Lindy goes, Sally stays right by her side. They eat together, sleep together, and even pick cotton together. So, on the night Lindy and her mama run away in search of freedom, Sally goes too. This young girl's rag doll vividly narrates her enslaved family's courageous escape through the Underground Railroad...Categorized as:
children family realistic social-commentary action-adventure black-mc book children-books -
![Like Vanessa by Tami Charles]()
Like Vanessa by Tami Charles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this semi-autobiographical debut novel set in 1983, Vanessa Martin's real-life reality of living with family in public housing in Newark, New Jersey is a far cry from the glamorous Miss America stage. She struggles with an incarcerated mother she barely remembers, a grandfather dealing with addiction and her own battle with self-confidence... -
![Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold]()
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIllus. in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard...Categorized as:
children family realistic social-commentary action-adventure black-mc book children-books -
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![Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris]()
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne day, Kamala and Maya had an idea. A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood... -
![天使的禮物 by Astrid Lindgren]()
天使的禮物 by Astrid Lindgren
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTraditional Chinese edition of a classic from Swedish legend Astrid Lindgren: Madicken och Junibackens Pims (Madicken: present from an angel). The book was adapted to a 1980 family film titled "Mag of June Hill." In Traditional Chinese. Annotation copyright Tsai Fong Books, Inc. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc... -
![Babushka's Doll by Patricia Polacco]()
Babushka's Doll by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBabushka's doll was special. She had played with it only once, when she was a little girl like her high-spirited granddaughter, Natasha. Now Babushka is going to the store and it's Natasha's turn to take the little doll down from the high shelf... -
![Encounter by Jane Yolen]()
Encounter by Jane Yolen
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Christopher Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador in 1492, what he discovered were the Taino Indians. Told from a young Taino boy’s point of view, this is a story of how the boy tried to warn his people against welcoming the strangers, who seemed more interested in golden ornaments than friendship...Categorized as:
social-commentary children realistic family historical-fiction children-books historical fiction -
![The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley]()
The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe stories of Milly-Molly-Mandy and her family and friends have charmed generations of children since they first appeared in 1925. This collection of twenty-one classic tales about this resourceful and thoughtful little girl reflect with accuracy the dilemmas and challenges of a child's world...Categorized as:
children family friendship realistic 20th-century action-adventure anthologies children-books -
![Emerald Star by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt]()
Emerald Star by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA fantastic new adventure for brave, feisty Hetty Feather - one of Jacqueline Wilson's most well-loved characters.Since leaving the Foundling Hospital, Hetty has seen her fair share of drama, excitement, tragedy and loss. After the death of her beloved mama, she sets off to find a real home at last – starting with the search for her father... -
![I Survived #05 by Lauren Tarshis]()
I Survived #05 by Lauren Tarshis
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOriginally released by Scholastic Press... -
![Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley]()
Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe untold story of Thomas Jefferson's slave childrenBeverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston are Thomas Jefferson's children by one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, and while they do get special treatment - better work, better shoes, even violin lessons - they are still slaves, and are never to mention who their father is... -
![That Is My Dream! by Langston Hughes]()
That Is My Dream! by Langston Hughes
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Dream Variation," one of Langston Hughes's poems about the dream of a world free of discrimination and racial prejudice is now a picture book.To fling my arms wideIn some place of the sun, To whirl and to danceTill the white day is done.... Follow one African-American boy through the course of his day as the harsh reality of segregation and racial prejudice comes into vivid focus...Categorized as:
social-commentary children family friendship children-books historical-fiction fiction historical -
![Laura's Luck by Marilyn Sachs]()
Laura's Luck by Marilyn Sachs
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLaura knows she won't be happy at camp...but could she be wrong? In the second of three books about a poor family living in the Bronx in the 1940s, Laura, the older sister, has to cope with the pleasures and pains of going off to camp... -
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![Betsy's Busy Summer by Carolyn Haywood]()
Betsy's Busy Summer by Carolyn Haywood
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA long-time favorite series is brought back with the first book of the Betsy Series. Betsy's Busy Summer finds Betsy and her friends in the summerhouse for fun and games all summer long...Categorized as:
children friendship realistic children-books classics fiction historical season-summer -
![Back to School with Betsy by Carolyn Haywood]()
Back to School with Betsy by Carolyn Haywood
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCarolyn Haywood's stories about her irrepressible character Betsy have never been out of print, and now, thanks to dynamic new covers, the Betsy books will find their way onto the bookshelves of modern young readers--and into the hearts of a whole new generation. Third grade begins with disappointment--Betsy's beloved teacher, Miss Grey, won't be teachng anymore...Categorized as:
children realistic children-books classics fiction historical middle-grade wholesome -
![Moments of Time by Gloria Cook]()
Moments of Time by Gloria Cook
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings'Cornish passions and drama abound' Sunday Independent on... -
![Blackberries, Blackberries by Crystal Wilkinson, Nikky Finney]()
Blackberries, Blackberries by Crystal Wilkinson, Nikky Finney
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs the title implies, this beautifully written collection bursts with stories reminiscent of blackberries-–-small, succulent morsels that are inviting and sweet, yet sometimes bitter...Categorized as:
social-commentary realistic family fiction literary-fiction poc-author poc-mc anthologies -
![Trowbridge Road by Marcella Pixley]()
Trowbridge Road by Marcella Pixley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn a stunning novel set in the 1980s, a girl with heavy secrets awakens her sleepy street to the complexities of love and courage.It’s the summer of ’83 on Trowbridge Road, and June Bug Jordan is hungry...Categorized as:
realistic family children friendship lgbtq middle-grade historical-fiction mental-illness -
![Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom by Shane W. Evans]()
Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom by Shane W. Evans
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA family silently crawls along the ground. They run barefoot through unlit woods, sleep beneath bushes, take shelter in a kind stranger's home. Where are they heading? They are heading for Freedom by way of the Underground Railroad."A stellar introduction to the Underground Railroad, narrated by a group of slaves...Categorized as:
realistic social-commentary children family historical-fiction children-books historical fiction
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