oh coming back to add chicken squad- they might be too easy but they are very funny.

I also strongly recommend "unusual chickens for the exceptional poultry farmer" & the sequel- it was shockingly good for something written now but with the same values as the books we read in the 1980s.

my daughter loved the vanderbeekers as did I. my kids loved the little house books as well and we discussed the racism but we are POC, so accept that racism is a part of life (don't freak about it as much as the average DCUM ) and honestly in context it isn't that bad- better than that speaker from Missouri at the conservative convention this past week!! The great Brain books are also really great and are that reading age and level. Also the fudge books from Judy Blume were much better than her "coming of age' novels.

she also loved the the Anna James series- I think its called pages and Co??

we also read the adventures of bicycle girl as a family and LOVED it. I remember loving the hardy boys and the Danny Dunn series and the mad scientists club.

Here are a few that I like for upper elementary that are more realistic in nature:

Ungifted and Supergifted (both do a great job of highlighting the strengths in everyone and teamwork)
Wonder
The Vanderbeekers is good
Most anything by Stacy McAnulty (she has books ranging in ability level from 1st-5th)
Also, most everything by Jason Reynolds (he does have an interesting writing style)

These are books that my kids have read and that I use in the classroom. Some are more targeted to higher readers while others are great for all ability levels.

Little House on the Prairie series is real-world, but set in the 1800s. Stories also are interesting to our kids. And they get some notion of the difficulties of being a settler in the west.