Updated 9/2025
Books for Grade 6
Nothing Else but Miracles
by Kate Albus

During WWII, 12-year-old Dory Byrne and her brothers are forced to hide out in an abandoned hotel when their new landlord turns them in for being on their own. They discover that when things get tough, the neighborhood really will give you what you need.
Freddie vs. the Family Curse
by Tracy Badua

When he discovers a century-old amulet from the Philippines that's supposed to bring good luck, Freddie is thrilled about the success that's come his way. He couldn't be more wrong. Now he has 13 days to break a curse or meet an untimely demise. 
No Matter the Distance
by Cindy Baldwin

Finding a stranded dolphin in the creek behind their house as her cystic fibrosis flares up, Penny forms an immediate connection with the creature she names Rose. She must get Rose back to her pod, even if it means losing her. 
No Place Like Home
by James Bird

Living in a car along with his mother and brother, Ojibwe boy Opin longs for a stable home, especially when he meets a stray dog who needs him as much as he needs her. 
Westfallen
by Ann Brashares

Discovering a radio that allows them to talk to another group of kids 80 years in the past, three former best friends accidentally alter history in the biggest way possible and must work together to change it back.
The Science of Friendship
by Tanita S. Davis

Rylee Swanson, who is starting eighth grade with zero friends, works with science geek DeNia to research what makes and breaks friendships. The more she learns, the more she wonders if there's a science to it.
Bea and the New Deal Horse
by Laura Elliott

When her father abandons her and her sister during the Great Depression, Bea sets out to convince the imposing Mrs. Scott to take in two stray children by gaining the trust of her dangerous chestnut horse.
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II
by Adam Gidwitz

To find his way back home to his family in Germany during WWII, Max Bretzfeld sets out to do the impossible: become a British spy. 
Heroes
by Alan Gratz

Aboard the USS Utah with their Navy pilot fathers during WWII, Frank and Stanley find their friendship and dreams in jeopardy when the ship is attacked by the Japanese.
Warrior on the Mound
by Sandra W. Headen

In 1939 North Carolina, an all-Black baseball team "trespasses" on the whites-only baseball field, and the resulting racial outrage can only be resolved on the mound.
Cincinnati Lee, curse breaker by Heidi Heilig
Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker
by Heidi Heilig

When Cincinnati Lee learns about the ancient Spear of Destiny and its potential to right wrongs in her family's past, she embarks on a quest that takes her across New York City, London, and Paris, making friends and enemies along the way.
Wrecker
by Carl Hiaasen

Wrecker is happy to oblige when some men in a stranded sailboat pay him to forget he ever saw them, but when he keeps seeing these men all over Key West, he discovers they want more than just his silence. 
On thin ice by Jessica Kim
On Thin Ice
by Jessica Kim

Twelve-year-old fraternal twins Phoebe and Dexter Bae are opposites except for their love of the ice. When Phoebe's figure skating partner gets injured and Dex is cut from his hockey team, the two pair up against their will.
Old School
by Gordon Korman

Twelve-year-old Dexter Foreman has lived at the Pines Retirement Village with his grandmother since he was 6 years old.  Homeschooled by the residents until he's forced to attend middle school, he sticks out like a sore thumb.
Daughters of the Lamp
by Nedda Lewers

While in Egypt for her uncle's wedding, Sahara Rashad embarks on an adventure of a lifetime when her late mother's necklace leads her to Ali Baba's magical treasure and the discovery of her true legacy. 
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon
by Grace Lin

Stone spirit Ji is stuck in the People's world, but with the help of his new friends Lulu and Worm, he hopes to find a way back home through the Old City Gate before it disappears forever.
Defending champ by Mike Lupica
Defending Champ
by Mike Lupica

To save the girls' soccer team, Alex Carlisle and her teammates hatch a plan to raise money for the school's athletic program so that no one is left on the sidelines.
Swift & Hawk: Cyberspies by Logan Macx
Swift & Hawk: Cyberspies
by Logan Macx

When their families are kidnapped, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are sent on a life-or-death rescue mission by the secretive Möbius group that leads them straight into the hands of a dark enemy. 
Select
by Christie Matheson

Twelve-year-old Alex loves playing soccer, and she's good at it too. When her skills land her a free ride to play for an elite soccer club, it feels like a huge opportunity. But her new coach pushes the players and soccer starts to feel more like punishment than fun. Alex and her teammates must take a stand to make their soccer dreams come true.
The Paper Daughters of Chinatown
by Heather B. Moore

Sold into servitude by her father, Tai Choi arrives in 1890s San Francisco. There, she suffers abuse at the hands of her employers while also forming a powerful friendship with a woman dedicated to winning the freedom of thousands of immigrant women and girls. 
Minerva Keen's Detective Club
by James Patterson

When her neighbors in the luxurious Arcanum building are being poisoned and everyone is a suspect including herself, 12-year-old Minerva Keen starts her own detective club to clear her name. She believes that together they can crack this case. 
The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents by Nicki Pau Preto
The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents
by Nicki Pau Preto

Unable to control her powers, twelve-year-old Lavinia finds herself at a last-resort magical school where she teams up with her misfit classmates to save the school from danger.
Not the Worst Friend in the World
by Anne Rellihan

Eleven-year-old Lou wishes she could turn back time to mend her friendship with Francie after a terrible fight.  When Lou befriends Cece, she is eager to prove herself, but as she uncovers the truth about Cece's family, she grapples with what being a good friend means. 
It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit
by Justin A. Reynolds

When the electricity goes out, twelve-year-old Eddie and his friends set out to investigate what is going on. Then they make the startling discovery that they are the only ones left in their neighborhood--and perhaps the only people left anywhere.
The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure
by Rick Riordan

Demigods Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades, and Will Solace, the son of Apollo, find their relationship tested to the core as they endure the terrors of Tartarus to save an old friend.
The Labors of Hercules Beal
by Gary D. Schmidt

Given an assignment to duplicate the mythical feats of Hercules in real life, Herc Beal, the smallest kid in his class, figures out how to take his first steps and discovers that unlike his namesake, he doesn't have to do it all alone. 
The Jules Verne Prophecy
by Larry Schwarz

When a mysterious book by the legendary science-fiction writer falls into their hands, three unlikely friends use the hidden codes written inside and set off on an epic treasure hunt throughout Paris. They soon discover they aren't the only ones searching for the hidden riches. 
Control Freaks
by J. E. Thomas

When the principal of the super competitive Benjamin Banneker STEAM Academy announces the start of an epic Team Competition, Frederick Douglass Zezzmer is determined to win the trophy and prove to his dad he's worthy, but soon he learns there is no “i” in “Team.”
When Giants Burn
by Beth Vrabel

Secretly building an airplane to help with disaster relief, daughter of survivalists Gerty gets some unexpected help from Hayes, who has his own problems. While flying off into danger, the duo realize they can't escape their roots, which could be the key to their survival. 
Finally Seen
by Kelly Yang

Arriving in America to live with her parents and sister after five years apart, 10-year-old Lina Gao struggles to fit in with her family and at her new school until she learns about the power of friendship, family, and being finally seen. 
Elmhurst Public Library
125 S Prospect Ave.
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
(630) 279-8696

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