Contemporary realistic fiction allows young readers/listeners to experience events that they would never encounter in real life or practice what they might someday experience. Realistic fiction benefits children as they may: see past the limitations of their own experiences; learn to reflect on choices in their own lives; acquire sympathy for other people; and come to feel that they are not alone. This paper describes 20 works of fiction for children which focus on personal feelings, family relationships, extended families, families in transition, cultural diversity, and disabilities. The paper gives the plot of each book and suggests how the teacher might approach or discuss the novel or how the students might respond to the novel. (NKA)