Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker

My name is Ware, and I wish Big Deal didn't fall, and I wish she didn't get new hips, and I wish she didn't go to a rehab center, and I wish I could still stay with her. I hate going to the Rec Center instead, but my parents think I'm strange, anti-social, and too spacy to stay home by myself. I guess I see the world differently from other people, and I sometimes wish I could be reborn and change myself into a normal kid. Then, maybe my parents wouldn't try to control my life. The abandoned church by the Rec Center may be the key, as Jolene and I are working together to transform it. However, as important as the church is to me, it seems to be even more important to Jolene. I've pledged that I'll protect it from harm, but things beyond my control may be happening. It's not fair. Welcome to the real world. 

This book was nominated for a 2020 Cybils Award in Speculative Fiction, but I'm not sure why it was placed in that category. Those kinds of books typically couldn't occur in today's world, and this story was realistic fiction. Sure, Ware had an active imagination and a unique view of the world, but nothing impossible or unlikely happened. Many young readers can appreciate Ware's anger at his parents' decisions to delay his independence while still trying to show them respect. He lives by the rules of Knighthood and does his best to look out for others. While the book is entertaining, the conflict lacks tension that might evoke emotional reactions. Jolene is a great character due to her determined, surly personality. For much of the story, it's unclear why her garden is so important, and the day of reckoning is vaguely sometime in the future. Conflicts with a specific deadline develop more suspense as the time ticks down. For me, this was missing from the book. Overall, I recommend you give it a shot if you're looking for characters who are working together against a seemingly overwhelming opponent.