Here in the Real World - by Sara Pennypacker

Book Synopsis

From the author of the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling novel Pax comes a gorgeous and moving middle grade novel that is an ode to introverts, dreamers, and misfits everywhere.

Ware can't wait to spend summer "off in his own world"--dreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called "normal" kids do.

On his first day Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church next to the camp. Soon he starts skipping Rec, creating a castle-like space of his own in the church lot.

Jolene scoffs, calling him a dreamer--he doesn't live in the "real world" like she does. As different as Ware and Jolene are, though, they have one thing in common: for them, the lot is a refuge.

But when their sanctuary is threatened, Ware looks to the knights' Code of Chivalry: Thou shalt do battle against unfairness wherever faced with it. Thou shalt be always the champion of the Right and Good--and vows to save the lot.

But what does a hero look like in real life? And what can two misfit kids do?

Review Quotes

Praise for PAX: "A sweeping and enchanting wartime story of trust, loyalty, betrayal, and the love of a boy for the fox he's raised since he was a kit. A master storyteller, Pennypacker leads the reader along a path of shifting hopes to the story's heart-wrenching conclusion." - Ann M. Martin, Newbery Honoree, author of Rain Reign
Praise for PAX: "Pax the book is like Pax the fox: half wild and wholly beautiful." - New York Times Book Review
Praise for PAX: "Moving and poetic." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for PAX: "In an exceptionally powerful, if grim story, Pennypacker does a remarkable job of conveying the gritty perspective of a sheltered animal that must instantly learn to live in the wild." - Publishers Weekly
Praise for PAX: "Pennypacker's expert, evenhanded storytelling reveals stunning depth in a relatively small package." - ALA Booklist
Praise for PAX: "Pennypacker's elegant language and insight into human nature spin a fable extolling empathy above all. By the novel's poignant ending, Pennypacker has gently made the case that all of us should aspire to that view--children and adults alike." - Time
Praise for PAX: "Sometimes an author steps aside from a popular series to break new ground, as evidenced in this arresting novel, at once a wilderness adventure about survival and a philosophical foray into big questions." - San Francisco Chronicle
Praise for PAX: "A startling work of fiction that should be read-and discussed-by children and adults alike." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Pennypacker tells a human story of growth and transformation. Smooth prose and short chapters make for a compulsively readable tale, fit for middle-graders in the process of discovering themselves." - Booklist
"Pennypacker's humane tale is written with straightforward grace and populated with exquisitely layered characters; vulnerable, imaginative Ware's journey to self-acceptance is particularly skillfully rendered." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This story gently rejoices in two charismatic young people whose dedication and compassion illustrate what it means to be heroes in the real world." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"This sweet, sensitive book shines a light on the introverts and misfits." - School Library Journal