Books like Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Christopher, a boy with Asperger’s syndrome, discovers that his neighbor’s dog has been murdered and sets out to solve the mystery with his unique analytical skills.

When ten‑year‑old Opal arrives in Naomi, Florida, she discovers friendship, community, and the healing power of a big ugly dog named Winn‑Dixie during her first summer in town.

A solitary Chumash girl is left on San Nicolas Island and must learn to survive alone, mastering skills traditionally reserved for men while facing danger, hunger and loneliness.

Ivan, a gorilla who has lived behind glass in a shopping‑mall circus for 27 years, learns new meaning for art and friendship when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives.

A china rabbit named Edward Tulane is lost and follows an extraordinary path—from the sea to a fisherman’s net, from a sick child’s bedside to the streets of Memphis—learning that even the most fragile heart can love, lose, and love again.

Eleven-year-old Melody, a girl with cerebral palsy and a photographic memory, cannot speak, walk, or write. Living inside her thoughts, she discovers a way to finally speak out, challenging the world’s assumptions about her abilities.

When an eccentric new student named Stargirl arrives at Mica Area High School, her vibrant individuality challenges the school’s strict norm of conformity, sparking a tense battle with popularity and a budding first love for classmate Leo.

Junior, a budding cartoonist from the Spokane Indian Reservation, transfers to an all‑white farm‑town high school, where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

El Deafo is a graphic novel by Cece Bell that follows a young girl who loses her hearing, learns to navigate the world with a hearing aid, and finds new friendships through humor and creativity.

Marty Preston finds a stray beagle named Shiloh and befriends him, but the dog’s abusive owner, Judd Travers, threatens the boy’s family. Marty must protect Shiloh, exploring childhood courage and animal welfare.

A friendship‑driven adventure in Florida that highlights environmental protection and the plight of owls.

A young Florida boy in the early 20th century bonds with an orphaned fawn named Flag. Their friendship endures storms and wild beasts, while their family's rough life on a small farm tests resilience and hope.

Paul, a nearly blind twelve‑year‑old, moves with his family to Tangerine, Florida, where acceptance and friendship help him confront the past that damaged his sight.

Ruthless, a mystery novel for teens, revolves around four high school seniors who have been terrorized by a relentless stalker named A. Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer must navigate their own secrets and fears as they try to uncover the truth behind the killer.

Eleven‑year‑old Caitlin, living with Asperger’s, struggles to accept her brother Devon’s death and her father’s absence, learning that life is more than black and white and finding closure in color.

After Ms. Bryce abruptly leaves an unruly fifth‑grade science class, the students must navigate a day of school without a teacher while discovering the challenges of cooperation, secrecy, and the limits of their own control.

A Chinese New Year story featuring family and friendship, suitable for young readers and adults alike.

A sixth‑grader uses journal entries and a bullying manual to uncover the truth behind the taunts he faces at middle school.

A time‑travel adventure that brings a modern crew of kids and their horse, Liberty, straight to the 1775 battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, where they meet historic figures like Paul Revere, George Washington, and Dr. Joseph Warren.

175 p. : ill. ; 19 cm.660L Lexile

A teacher named Miss Chew helped a student with learning difficulties improve academically and creatively.

Rush Revere rides again! Saddle up with Rush Limbaugh's really good pal for a new time-travel adventure. "Whoa there, young historians! Before we go rush, rush, rushing off anywhere, I'd like a moment. I'm Liberty, Rush Revere's loquacious equine companion -- his trusty talking horse! Always at the ready to leap from the twenty-first century into America's past, that's me. When he says 'Let's go!' I'm so there. I'm jazzed, I'm psyched, I'm --" "Ah, excuse me, Liberty?" "Yeah, Rush?" "Usually you say 'oh no, not again!' and 'while we're in colonial Boston, can I try the baked beans?'" "Okay, fine -- you do the talking. I'll just be over here, if you need me." Well, he's sulking now, but I couldn't be your tour guide across time without Liberty! His name says it all: the freedom we celebrate every July Fourth with fireworks and hot dogs (and maybe some of those baked beans). But how did America get free? How did thirteen newborn colonies tell the British king where he could stick his unfair taxes? Jump into the bustling streets of Boston in 1765, where talk of revolution is growing louder. I said LOUDER. You'll have to SHOUT to be heard over the angry cries of "Down with the king!" and "Repeal the Stamp Act!" that fill the air. You'll meet fierce supporters of liberty like Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and my idol, Paul Revere, as they fearlessly defy British rule. It's an exciting, dangerous, turbulent, thrilling time to be an American. Exceptional young patriots like you won't want to miss a minute. Let's ride! - Publisher.

Join Rush Revere, a substitute history teacher, on a time‑travel adventure aboard the Mayflower in 1620, meeting the Pilgrims, riding a talking horse named Liberty and learning about early colonial America.