Here in the Real World

Introvert and dreamer, eleven-year-old Ware anticipates summer with his grandma but when she falls he must succumb to his parents’ plans for a day camp. Ware skips out of camp when he finds a solitary haven—a derelict church—where he can live in his world of knights and castles, but also discovers pragmatic Jolene, who is gardening on the lot. As they work together on the garden and a fortress, Ware discovers his own identity. This coming-of-age novel can be used as a read-aloud or literature circle on topics of identity, self-esteem, self-awareness, friendship and family relationships, as well as topics of habitat and animal conservation, sustainability, and environmental activism.