Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker

I loved this book! It is the story of Ware, an 11-year-old boy who is forced by his parents to spend yet another summer at the Parks and Rec summer program while his parents work. Ware is a sensitive kid with the soul of an artist, and he just doesn't fit the "normal kid" mold that his parents seem to want for him. Instead of attending the summer program, Ware secretly climbs the fence between the Parks and Rec building and the demolished church on the lot next door. There he meets Jolene, a fiercely independent, parent-less girl. Thanks to Ware's imagination and ingenuity and Jolene's knowledge of gardening and the "real world," the two construct both a castle and a potentially profitable papaya garden. The summer is the best summer of Ware's life until a developer buys the lot from the city and threatens to destroy their world.

While I have read many of Sara Pennypacker's books (the beloved Clementine series, The Summer of the Gypsy Moths, and Pax), Here in the Real World is Pennypacker at her best. The chapters are short and easy to read, and the story is full of beautiful messages.

I heartily recommend this book to students in 3rd-6th grade who enjoy realistic fiction!

Mrs. N.