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Great Books for 5th & 6th Grade: |
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The War That Saved My Life
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother.
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
by James Lincoln Collier
Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the American Revolution when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town. A Newbery Honor Book. Reissue.
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963
by Christopher Paul Curtis
When the eldest son of the family becomes a troublemaker, the Watsons travel to Grandma's Alabama home and witness the bombing of the Birmingham church, in a story told from the perspective of nine-year-old Kenny Watson.
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Catherine, Called Birdy
by Karen Cushman
During her fourteenth year, in the year 1290, Catherine keeps a diary in which she details her family's activities and conflicts, the life of their medieval English manor, and her own coming to maturity.
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The Birchbark House
by Louise Erdrich
Chronicles the experiences of an Ojibwa girl, Omakayas, and her family as they live their lives quietly on an island in Lake Superior in 1847, until the white man comes and begins moving her entire tribe off their land. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.
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Bandit's Moon
by Sid Fleischman
Twelve-year-old Annyrose Smith relates her adventures with Joaquin Murieta and his band of outlaws in the California gold-mining region during the mid-1800s. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Reissue.
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Journey to the River Sea
by Eva Ibbotson
Moving to South America to live with her English adoptive family on a rubber plantation, Maia and her governess feel excited about the unusual things they will see and experience, despite their new family's wish to keep matters very proper in the middle of the jungle.
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Inside Out & Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins.
by Scott O'Dell
Records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind.
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A Single Shard
by Linda Sue Park
Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself. By the author of Seesaw Girl.
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All-of-a-Kind Family
by Sydney Taylor
The adventures of five sisters growing up in a Jewish family in New York in the early twentieth century.
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred D Taylor
This 40th anniversary edition of the 1977 Newbery Medal-winning title tells of a black family's struggle to overcome the prejudices and hatred they face in Mississippi during the Great Depression.
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One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn, New York, to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, 11-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of their intrusion and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. 15,000 first printing.
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Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
Recent immigrants from China and desperate for work and money, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents take a job managing a rundown motel in Southern California, even though the owner, Mr. Yao is a nasty skinflint who exploits them; while her mother (who was anengineer in China) does the cleaning, Mia works the front desk and tries to cope with demanding customers and other recent immigrants--not to mention being only one of two Chinese in her fifth grade class, the other being Mr. Yao's son, Jason.
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Fantasy and Science Fiction
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Skellig
by David Almond
Feeling helpless to aid his frantic parents when his baby sister falls ill, Michael explores the dilapidated garage of his family's new house, where he discovers a beast-like creature tucked away amid the spider webs and debris.
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Whales on Stilts / : M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales
by M. T. Anderson
When a group of angry, laser-beaming whales who march upon stilts are set loose on the world by a vengeful madman, only Jasper Dash and Katie Mulligan have the experience and courage to put an end to the evil creatures who are certain to bring destruction and death wherever they roam. Jr Lib Guild. Reprint.
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Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie Babbitt
A 40th anniversary edition of the beloved classic that tells the story of the Tuck family and their secret fountain of youth features an introduction from Wicked author Gregory Maguire and additional bonus materials.
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The Dark Is Rising.
by Susan Cooper
On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.
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The Witches
by Roald Dahl
A young boy and his Norwegian grandmother, who is an expert on witches, together foil a witches' plot to destroy the world's children by turning them into mice.
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The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina finds part of an ancient message that she is sure holds a secret to save her underground city from ruin, but Lina and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever. Reader's Guide available.
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Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service. 250,000 first printing.
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Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
When Coraline attempts to leave her family's new flat, she discovers that she and her family are trapped by a dangerous presence, thus a battle between good and evil must take place in order to break out and set her loved ones free. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Reprint.
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A Tale Dark & Grimm
by Adam Gidwitz
In a mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales that have never been more irreverent or subversive, as the siblings learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.
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Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.
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Island of the Aunts
by Eva Ibbotson
On a mysterious island somewhere in the Atlantic, Etta, Coral, and Myrtle care for a menagerie of strange creatures, but when they decide to search for someone to replace them in their old age, they try to kidnap a few sensible children. Reprint. 50,000 first printing.
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A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.
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Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine
Young Ella of Frell embarks on a quest to overcome the gift of obedience, a curse bestowed on her at birth by a fairy, and along the way, she encounters princes, ogres, fairy godmothers, and other fairy-tale creatures.
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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
by C. S. Lewis
Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, in triumphing over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
by Grace Lin
Hearing her father speak to the Old Man on the Moon in the quiet hours of the evening, Minli turns to him one day to ask for advice in order to improve the desperate situation of her impoverished family in this enchanting fantasy adventure for middle readers.
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The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Living in a "perfect" world without social ills, a boy approaches the time when he will receive a life assignment from the Elders, but his selection leads him to a mysterious man known as the Giver, who reveals the dark secrets behind the utopian facade.
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J. K. Rowling
A winner of England's National Book Award, the acclaimed debut novel tells the outrageously funny, fantastic adventure story of Harry Potter, who escapes a hideous foster home thanks to a scholarship to The Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Reprint.
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Holes
by Louis Sachar
As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.
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The crossover
by Kwame Alexander
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.
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The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
by Tom Angleberger
When unpopular sixth grader Dwight successfully dispenses sound advice to his classmates via an origami finger puppet, his classmate Tommy investigates the source of Dwight's accuracy and makes a surprising discovery.
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The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. 50,000 first printing.
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The Jacket
by Andrew Clements
When his brother forgets his lunch money, Phil has to locate him to get the money to him and, while on the journey, must deal with issues of racism and the impact it has on his life.
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Bloomability
by Sharon Creech
When her aunt and uncle take her from New Mexico to Lugano, Switzerland, to attend an international school, thirteen-year-old Dinnie discovers an expanding world and her place within it.
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Better Nate Than Ever
by Tim Federle
An eighth-grader who dreams of performing in a Broadway musical devises a plan to run away to New York and audition for the role of Elliot in the musical version of E.T.
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Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
by Jack Gantos
To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription medications wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.
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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
by Chris Grabenstein
Twelve-year-old Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of 12 children chosen to stay in the new town library--designed by his hero, the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello--for an overnight of fun, food and games, but in the morning, the kids find all the doors still locked and must work together to solve secret puzzles in order to discover the hidden escape route.
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The Million Dollar Shot
by Dan Gutman
Eddie Ball believes he can solve his family's financial woes by sinking a million-dollar half-time basket at the NBA finals, but someone wants him to miss and will stop at nothing to keep Eddie from winning.
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Stormbreaker
by Anthony Horowitz
Seeing the bullet holes in his uncle's car, Alex realizes that the story he has been told about his death is a lie and so begins to look for the truth, but soon he uncovers great secrets and must run for his life to save not only himself but all the children of England.
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Everything on a Waffle
by Polly Horvath
Forced to live with her uncle after her mother and father are lost at sea, Primrose's only source of friendship and support comes from the owner of a local restaurant who always provides her with practical advice with a dash of comfort on the side. A Newbery Honor and ALA Notable Book. Reprint.
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
Having run away with her younger brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, twelve-year-old Claudia strives to keep things in order in their new home and to become a changed person and a heroine to herself.
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Indigo's Star
by Hilary McKay
Fearful of facing the bullies of the Casson family upon returning to school from a long period of illness, Indigo finds support in his friend, Rose, his younger sister, and the unexpected friendship of a carefree American boy who decide to work together to put an end to all the bullying once and for all.
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Merci Suârez Changes Gears
by Meg Medina
Alienated from her more privileged classmates at a Florida private school, sixth-grade scholarship student Merci Suarez is targeted by a competitive rival at the same time her beloved grandfather begins to develop memory problems. By the award-winning author of Mango, Abuela, and Me.
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Lost at Sea
by Jonathan Neale
When their mother's new boyfriend goes overboard while on a sail across the Atlantic, it is up to brothers Orrie and Jack to get control of the 36-foot vessel and bring their family safely back to land.
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Wonder
by R. J Palacio
A special movie tie-in edition of the best-selling first novel by the author of 365 Days of Wonder traces the story of a boy whose extraordinary face inspired the Choose Kind movement, in an edition that is complemented by an insert with film photos and an author interview. Movie tie-in.
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Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
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I Funny
by James Patterson
Resolving to become the world's greatest stand-up comedian despite less-than-funny challenges in his life, wheelchair-bound middle school student Jamie Grimm endures bullying from his mean-spirited cousin and hopes he will be fairly judged when he enters a local comedy contest. 600,000 first printing.
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The Bad Beginning
by Lemony Snicket
After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.
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Homecoming
by Cynthia Voigt
Abandoned in a parking lot by their mother, who leaves them with a bag of sandwiches and the address of a distant relative, Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy Tillerman embark on an arduous and eventful journey. Reissue.
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Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
When strange and seemingly unrelated events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
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The London Eye Mystery
by Siobhan Dowd
When Salim doesn't come back from his ride on the London Eye, his cousins Ted and Kat turn to the authorities for help, but when they offer no viable suggestions, the two use their sleuthing skills to figure out what actually happened.
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The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
by Dorothy Hoobler
Seikei, the fourteen-year-old son of a tea merchant in Japan, wants desperately to become a samurai, and he gets his chance to prove his courage when he becomes involved in the pursuit of a ruby thief.
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The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson
Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.
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The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance, in a special twenty-fifth edition that features a brand new cover.
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When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
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The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
As the only four children to pass the series of tests provided, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are asked to go on a secret mission as undercover agents at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened and quickly realize they will have to use their collective wit to get their important task complete.
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Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
by Wendelin Van Draanen
Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother.
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El Deafo
by Cece Bell
A poignant graphic tale based on the creator's own experiences with hearing loss follows the adventures of young Cece, who develops "superpowers" to manage the challenges of making friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid that sometimes lets her hear things she shouldn't. By the Geisel Honor-winning creator of Rabbit & Robot.
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New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Enrolled in a prestigious private school where he is one of only a few students of color, talented seventh grade artist Jordan finds himself torn between the worlds of his Washington Heights apartment home and the upscale circles of Riverdale Academy. 20,000 first printing. Illustrations.
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Roller Girl
by Victoria Jamieson
Astrid discovers roller derby right as she and her best friend Nicole are growing apart.
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When Stars Are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson
A Somali refugee who spent his childhood at the Dadaab camp and the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl present the graphic-novel story of a young refugee who struggles with leaving behind his nonverbal brother when he has an opportunity to help his family by going to school. Illustrations.
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Meanwhile
by Jason Shiga
A graphic novel take on choose-your-own-adventure stories, created by the Eisner-winning author of Bookhunter, follows the experiences of a boy who stumbles into the lab of a mad scientist and is given a choice of three amazing machines to test: a mind-reading device, a time-travel machine or a doomsday weapon. 75,000 first printing.
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Lumberjanes
by Noelle Stevenson
Best friends Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley spend a fun summer at Lumberjane scout camp where they encounter yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons while solving a mystery that holds the fate of the world in the balance.
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Smile
by Raina Telgemeier
In this coming-of-age true story, Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader, but one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear and even a retainer with fake teeth attached--on top of all that, there's a major earthquake, boy confusion and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.
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This Bridge Will Not Be Gray
by Dave Eggers
Tells the story of the making of the Golden Gate Bridge and how it came to be its distinctive color of orange through the persistence and vision of a few individuals.
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Howtoons : Tools of Mass Construction
by Saul Griffith
Siblings Celine and Tucker use scientific and engineering principles to experiment with everyday objects, completing such projects as turning a soda bottle into an underwater scope and a turkey baster into a flute.
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An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
by Jim Murphy
Accompanied by black-and-white archival photos and drawn from first-hand accounts, a compelling true story vividly recreates the devastation rendered to the city of Philadelphia in 1793 by an incurable disease known as yellow fever, detailing the major social and political events as well as 18th-century medical beliefs and practices.
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Rad American Women A-Z
by Kate Schatz
Presents a collection of short biographies of notable American women representing each letter of the alphabet, from Angela Davis and Billie Jean King to Yuri Kochiyama and Zora Neale Hurston.
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