Books like 'The Library Bus'
Readers who enjoyed The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure children realistic poc-mc rural historical-fiction exploration poverty
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Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs, Gibson Frazier
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratings7 Hours and 10 MinutesBen is taken to Mexico by his nemesis in the hopes that he'll finally be able to take down SPYDER in this latest addition to the New York Times bestselling Spy School series...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals audiobook book children-books -
Saturday by Oge Mora
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn this warm and tender story by the Caldecott Honor-winning creator of Thank You, Omu!, join a mother and daughter on an up-and-down journey that reminds them of what's best about Saturdays: precious time together. Today would be special. Today would be splendid. It was Saturday! But sometimes, the best plans don't work out exactly the way you expect... -
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsScientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source... -
Islandborn by Junot Díaz
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery kid in Lola's school was from somewhere else. Hers was a school of faraway places. So when Lola's teacher asks the students to draw a picture of where their families immigrated from, all the kids are excited. Except Lola. She can't remember The Island—she left when she was just a baby...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
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The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina Yan Glaser
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA New York Times bestseller! Return to Harlem's "wildly entertaining" family in this funny, heartwarming sequel. When catastrophe strikes their beloved upstairs neighbors, the Vanderbeeker children set out to build the best, most magical healing garden in Harlem—in spite of a locked fence, thistles and trash, and the conflicting plans of a wealthy real estate developer...Categorized as:
children poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
Jabari salta by Gaia Cornwall
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. "Looks easy," says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back...Categorized as:
children poc-mc realistic action-adventure black-mc book children-books coming-of-age -
Ban This Book by Alan Gratz
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratings-Readers, librarians, and all those books that have drawn a challenge have a brand new hero.... Stand up and cheer, book lovers. This one's for you...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr, Guy Puzey
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPippi Longstocking meets Heidi meets Anne Shirley in this tale of an irrepressible girl in a mountain village who navigates unexpected changes with warmth and humor.Speed and self-confidence, that’s Astrid’s motto...Categorized as:
children exploration realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books comedy -
Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the prolific author of The Moon Within comes the heart-wrenchingly beautiful story in verse of a young Latinx girl who learns to hold on to hope and love even in the darkest of places: a family detention center for migrants and refugees.Nine-year-old Betita knows she is a crane. Papi has told her the story, even before her family fled to Los Angeles to seek refuge from cartel wars in Mexico... -
If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIf I built a car, it'd be totally new!Here are a few of the things that I'd do. . . .Young Jack is giving an eye-opening tour of the car he'd like to build. There's a snack bar, a pool, and even a robot named Robert to act as chauffeur... -
My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there... -
16 on the Block by Babygirl Daniels
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA girl's sixteenth birthday is supposed to be sweet, but for Summer Flynt, it was the day that her life changed forever. Young, fly, and beautiful, Summer is under the wing of her older sister, Trish. But when Trish steals something that doesn't belong to her and gets involved in a lifestyle she can't handle, she pays with her life... -
The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi, سعود السنعوسي
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsDaring and bold, The Bamboo Stalk takes an unflinching look at the universal struggles of identity, race, and class as they intersect between two disparate societies: Kuwait and the Philippines. Josephine comes to Kuwait from the Philippines to work as a maid, where she meets Rashid, a spoiled but kind-hearted only son...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic 21st-century action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary -
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCJ and his Grandma take a bus ride together, discovering the beauty and wonder of their vibrant neighborhood...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc poverty realistic action-adventure audiobook book -
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The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPublished in Indonesia in 2005, "The Rainbow Troops," Andrea Hirata's closely autobiographical debut novel, sold more than five million copies, shattering records. Now it promises to captivate audiences around the globe.Ikal is a student at the poorest village school on the Indonesian island of Belitong, where graduating from sixth grade is considered a remarkable achievement...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc action-adventure bildungsroman book classics coming-of-age -
A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNew York Times bestseller * Best Book of the Year from The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library The One and Only Ivan meets The Wild Robot in this unique and deeply moving middle grade novel about the journey of a fictional Mars rover, from the Newbery Honor–winning author of Other Words for Home...Categorized as:
children realistic exploration historical-fiction middle-grade sci-fi fiction audiobook -
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, Stephen Gammell
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe relatives' station wagon: it smelled like a real car, looked like a rainbow, and was roomy enough for a crowd. Lucky! Because a big crowd in all shapes and sizes piled into that old wagon at four o'clock one summer morning and piled out of it the next day at their relatives' place on the north side of the mountains. All in good moods...Categorized as:
children exploration realistic rural action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed, Priya Ayyar
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLife is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she's busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when--as the eldest daughter--she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn't lose hope and finds ways to continue learning...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc poverty realistic abuse action-adventure asian-mc -
Mother-Daughter Book Camp by Heather Vogel Frederick
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Mother-Daughter Book Club goes to summer camp in this seventh and final installment of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series!After so many summers together, Emma, Jess, Megan, Becca, and Cassidy are reunited for one final hurrah before they go their separate ways... -
Make the Rules by Annie Barrows
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBean's older sister, Nancy, is going to Girl Power 4-Ever Camp, where she will do Crafts and Music and First Aid and other secret things that Bean will never know about because girls have to be eleven to go to Girl Power 4-Ever Camp. Bean doesn't care. She doesn't want to go to camp. She wouldn't go even if they begged her. So ha. So ha ha...Categorized as:
children realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary fiction friendship -
The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK ALA NOTABLE BOOK Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead...Categorized as:
children exploration historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure animals audiobook -
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee: by Chris Van Dusen
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMr. Magee and his trusty dog, Dee, are enjoying a peaceful camping trip when all of a sudden they find themselves plunging down a mountain and teetering on the edge of a huge waterfall! How will they find their way out of this slippery situation? Chris Van Dusen, the creator of Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, has filled this new adventure with charming illustrations and a playful, rhyming text... -
Out of My Heart by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMelody faces her fears to follow her passion in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novel Out of My Mind.Melody, the huge-hearted heroine of Out of My Mind, is now a year older and a year braver. But not as brave as she wants to be, as she’s terrified of horses. Even though she loves horses—loves loves loves them—from afar...Categorized as:
children poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age contemporary -
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA picture book which takes the matter of grave concern, "homelessness" and helps explain it to children. Eve Bunting explores the dynamics of family relatinships and addresses contemporary social issues... -
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Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Grabenstein is back with the third fantastically fun, puzzle-packed MR. LEMONCELLO adventure!On your marks. Get set. Lemon, cello, GO!Everyone's favorite game maker, Mr...Categorized as:
children poc-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
Night Train at Deoli and Other Stories (India) by Ruskin Bond
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn enchanting collection of stories from the heartland of IndiaRuskin Bond’s simple characters, living amidst the lush forests of the Himalayan foothills, are remarkable for their quiet heroism, courage and grace, and age-old values of honesty and fidelity... -
Samurai by Harley Wylde
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGrey -- Desperate times call for desperate measures, otherwise I’d never have signed a contract with Knox’s Pleasure Emporium. Selling myself for a few hours once is far better than my other option -- letting my mother’s loan shark use me however he sees fit in order to recoup his money. I can’t even be angry with Mom since she’s no longer with us... -
Show Me What You Got by Weston Parker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s hot, rash, and rude. Oh, and stupidly rich.Just my kind of alpha a-hole. Not!Never in a million years did I expect to find a devious mixture of love and lust overseas. I’m an American girl, living in Australia to help my sick momma. And she’s not getting any better. If nothing else, Mister McHottie is a great distraction... -
Patina by Jason Reynolds
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratings"A New York Times Notable Children's BookA newbie to the track team, Patina must learn to rely on her teammates as she tries to outrun her personal demons in this follow-up to the National Book Award finalist Ghost by New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds.Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book -
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 Selection * Golden Kite Award Winner * New York Public Library Best Books for Kids * ALA Booklist Top 10 First Novels for Youth * Jane Addams Award finalist * Lambda Literary Award Finalist A heartfelt debut novel about a boy’s attempt to find himself in the history he loves—perfect for fans of Dear Sweet Pea and From the Desk of Zoe Washington... -
Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsYusuf Azeem has spent all his life in the small town of Frey, Texas—and nearly that long waiting for the chance to participate in the regional robotics competition, which he just knows he can win.Only, this year is going to be more difficult than he thought... -
Dumpling Days by Grace Lin
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere was no day that dumplings couldn't make better.Pacy is back! The beloved heroine of The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat has returned in a brand new story. This summer, Pacy's family is going to Taiwan for an entire month to visit family and prepare for their grandmother's 60th birthday celebration...Categorized as:
children exploration historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure asia asian-mc -
No News Is Good News by Annie Barrows
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIvy and Bean need some money. Ten dollars, to be exact. Never mind what for. Okay, it's for low-fat Belldeloon cheese in a special just-for you serving size. Don't ask why. How are Ivy and Bean going to make ten dollars? Hey, maybe they should write a newspaper about Pancake Court and sell it! Great idea! And easy, too. All they have to do is snoop around the neighborhood. Wow..Categorized as:
children realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary fiction -
The Unbreakable Code by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMr. Quisling is definitely up to something mysterious, and Emily and James are on high alert. First, there’s the coded note he drops at a book event. Then, they uncover a trail of encrypted messages in Mark Twain-penned books hidden through Book Scavenger. What’s most suspicious is that each hidden book triggers an arson fire.As the sleuthing friends dig deeper, they discover Mr...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
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Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter Jimmy is blinded in an accident with a firecracker, he has to relearn all the things he used to know. With the help of a determined therapist, he learns to read Braille and to use a cane. Then he's given the chance to have a guide dog. Learning to work with Leader is not easy, but Jimmy tries harder than he ever has before...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure animals book children-books -
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor fans of Linda Sue Park and A Long Way Gone, two young boys must escape a life of slavery in modern-day Ivory CoastFifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two years what has mattered are the number of cacao pods he and his younger brother, Seydou, can chop down in a day. The higher the number the safer they are...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc poverty realistic 21st-century abuse action-adventure -
Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFour gems, with new introductions, mark acclaimed Indian writer R. K. Narayan’s centennialIntroducing this collection of stories, R. K. Narayan describes how in India “the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story... -
A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSwift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter.Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook book -
The Yellow Bus by Loren Long
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPerfect for fans of Love and Hello, Lighthouse , The Yellow Bus from #1 New York Times bestselling Loren Long is a tender and soulful story about a forgotten school bus that finds happiness and purpose in the most unexpected places--and in the journey along the way.There is a bright yellow bus who spends her days driving. She loves carrying children from one important place to another...Categorized as:
children realistic children-books fiction outdoors action-adventure contemporary book -
Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA middle grade debut by author, Erin Bow, about a young girl who defies her family’s expectations in order to save her brother and become an eagle hunter. It goes against all tradition for Aisulu to train an eagle, for among the Kazakh nomads, only men can fly them... -
Soldier's Heart by Megan Green
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIsaiah Wright is broken. So broken he's positive he'll never be fixed again. Surviving every soldier's worst nightmare is enough for him to want nothing more than to give into the blackness that plagues him. Emma Nicholls knows pain... -
Yara's Spring by Jamal Saeed, Sharon McKay
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing of age against all odds in the midst of the Arab Spring.Growing up in Aleppo, Yara’s childhood has long been shadowed by the coming revolution. But when the Arab Spring finally arrives at Yara’s doorstep, it is worse than even her Nana imagined: sudden, violent, and deadly. When rescuers dig Yara out from under the rubble that was once her family’s home, she emerges to a changed world... -
The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll): A Picture Book by Winsome Bingham
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom award-winning creators Winsome Bingham and E.B. Lewis, The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll) is a powerful, full-color picture book story celebrating a journey crucial to our the walk to vote—a perfect read aloud.My granny is taking me on THE WALK.“Because leaders are not born,” she says. “They’re made through molding and modeling.”“What’s the walk?” I ask.“You’ll see...Categorized as:
realistic poc-mc children exploration historical-fiction children-books social-commentary fiction -
What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsClara Luna's name means "clear moon" in Spanish. But lately, her head has felt anything but clear. One day a letter comes from Mexico, written in Spanish: Dear Clara, We invite you to our house for the summer. We will wait for you on the day of the full moon, in June, at the Oaxaca airport. Love, your grandparents. Fourteen-year-old Clara has never met her father's parents...Categorized as:
children exploration poc-mc realistic action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age -
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Two Like Me and You by Chad Alan Gibbs
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEdwin Green's ex-girlfriend is famous. We're talking cover-of-every-tabloid-in-the-grocery-store-line famous. She dumped Edwin one year ago on what he refers to as Black Saturday, and in hopes of winning her back, he's spent the last twelve months trying to become famous himself. It hasn't gone well...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book coming-of-age contemporary fiction humor -
My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA story of first friendship.she is my best friend i think i never had a best friend so i’m not sure but i think she is a really good best friend because when we were drawing she drew me and i drew her...Categorized as:
realistic children children-books fiction outdoors friendship contemporary female-mc -
Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin, Kate Messner
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom Caldecott and Newbery Honoree Grace Lin and bestselling author Kate Messner comes a modern folktale about the joy of reading.Once upon a time, there was a girl. She went to a place alive with colors, where even the morning dew was warm. Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book... -
24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen you come from Nowhere, can you ever really make it anywhere? Author Dusti Bowling (Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus) returns to the desert to create a gripping story about friendship, hope, and finding the power we all have within ourselves. Welcome to Nowhere, Arizona, the least livable town in the United States... -
Diva and Flea: A Parisian Tale by Mo Willems, Tony DiTerlizzi
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDiva and Flea A Parisian...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals anthropomorphism book cats -
I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black, Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere is NOTHING boring about being a kid, but one little girl is going to have to prove it in this anything-but-boring picture book from comedian Michael Ian Black.Just when a little girl thinks she couldn't possibly be more bored, she stumbles upon a potato who turns the tables on her by declaring that children are boring...
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