Summer Reading
6th Grade Suggested Titles
6th Grade Reading List
Angleberger, Tom. STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA. (Fiction)
Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight. They try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future.
Applegate, Katherine. THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. (Fiction)
Ivan is a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall. When he meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.
Barrett, Tracy. THE 100-YEAR-OLD SECRET. (Mystery)
An American brother and sister living in London, discover that Sherlock Holmes was their great-great-great grandfather. They are inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives and given his unsolved casebook. They attempt to solve the case of a famous missing painting.
Bauer, Joan. ALMOST HOME. (Fiction)
Sixth-grader Sugar and her mother lose their beloved house and experience the harsh world of homelessness.
Black, Holly. DOLL BONES. (Fiction)
Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. Just when it looks like the three might be growing up and leaving the game behind, Poppy reveals she is being haunted. Reality and make-believe begin to blend, and the three head out on an adventure they will never forget.
Clements, Andrew. TROUBLE-MAKER. (Fiction)
When his older brother gets in serious trouble, sixth-grader Clay decides to change his own mischief-making ways, but he cannot seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker.
Connor, Leslie. WAITING FOR NORMAL. (Fiction)
Waiting for a “normal” life, Addie is forced to make it on her own when her mother neglects to live up to her responsibilities.
Creech, Sharon. THE GREAT UNEXPECTED. (Fiction)
Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs—of young Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans in present-day Blackbird Tree, USA, and of Sybil and Nula, grown-up sisters from faraway Rook's Orchard, Ireland, who have become estranged.
Cronin, Doreen. THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS. (Fiction)
J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he’s not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to find their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work?
DiCamillo, Kate. THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT. (Fiction)
When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace, she tells him that his sister, who was presumed dead, is alive. He goes on a series of adventures to find her.
Draper, Sharon. OUT OF MY MIND. (Fiction)
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.
Federle, Tim. BETTER NATE THAN EVER. (Fiction)
Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York.
Hale, Shannon. PRINCESS ACADEMY: PALACE OF STONE. (Fiction)
Miri returns to Asland and calls upon all of her knowledge of rhetoric and other useful lessons learned at the Princess Academy when she and the other girls face strong opposition while working for a new, fair charter. This is the sequel to Princess Academy.
Hiaasen, Carl. CHOMP. (Fiction)
When filming an episode of the reality television show "Expedition Survival" in the Florida Everglades, the difficult star disappears. Wahoo and classmate, Tuna Gordon, set out to solve the mystery.
Hopkinson, Deborah. TITANIC: VOICES FROM DISASTER. (Nonfiction)
Photographs, telegrams, letters, and first-person accounts from passengers, witnesses, and crew members provide multiple perspectives on the sinking of the Titanic.
Korman, Gordon. SCHOOLED. (Fiction)
Capricorn Cap Anderson has been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain. When Rain is injured in a fall, Cap is forced to attend the local middle school. Although he knows a lot about Zen Buddhism, nothing has prepared him for public school.
Korman, Gordon. UNGIFTED. (Fiction)
After pulling a major prank in school and due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction.
Lakin, Patricia. STEVE JOBS: THINKING DIFFERENTLY. (Biography)
Everyone knows that Steve Jobs was an entrepreneur and a visionary. This book discusses Jobs’ triumphs, but it also lets us see his human side. Readers are reminded that people who dare to dream can change the world.
Lord, Cynthia. TOUCH BLUE. (Fiction)
The state of Maine plans to shut down her island's schoolhouse, which would force her family to move to the mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on Aaron, who has been bounced from home to home.
Lourie, Peter. THE POLAR BEAR SCIENTISTS. (Nonfiction)
Young readers can follow scientists as they scan the Alaskan wilderness for these magnificent creatures. Full color.
Lubar, David. DOG DAYS. (Fiction)
Larry has to work hard to try to earn money to buy food to feed three stray dogs. Now his brother has taken him to an alley where another dog is staying. How can he afford to take care of another dog?
Mass, Wendy. 11 BIRTHDAYS. (Fiction)
After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo had a falling out on their tenth birthday and have not spoken since. Since not speaking to each other for the last year, they prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately. Soon peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again.
Mass, Wendy. 13 GIFTS.
Shortly before her thirteenth birthday, shy and withdrawn Tara is sent to stay with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in her parents' hometown of Willow Falls. She makes new friends and becomes involved with an elderly buyer and seller of collectibles, who seems to be trying to give Tara some kind of mysterious message.
Nielsen, Jennifer. THE FALSE PRINCE. (Fiction)
In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman engages four orphans in a competition to be selected to impersonate the king's long-missing son.
Palacio, R. J. WONDER. (Fiction)
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan. There he endures the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
Patterson, James and Chris Grabenstein. I FUNNY. (Fiction)
Wheelchair-bound Jamie Grimm resolves to become the world's greatest stand-up comedian despite less-than-funny challenges in his life. He endures bullying from his mean-spirited cousin and hopes he will be fairly judged when he enters a local comedy contest.
Pitchford, Dean. CAPTAIN NOBODY. (Realistic Fiction)
Newt Newman has always been in his big brother’s shadow. When a football injury sends his brother into a coma, Newt is noticed even less by his too-busy parents. Along with some quirky friends, Newt creates a Halloween costume that creates an alter ego for him – Captain Nobody – the defender of the little guy.
Rinaldi, Ann. SARAH’S GROUND. (Historical Fiction)
In 1861, eighteen-year-old Sarah Tracy, from New York state, comes to work at Mount Vernon, the historic Virginia home of George Washington. While there she tries to protect the safety and neutrality of the site during the Civil War. She also meets her future husband, Upton Herbert, the plantation superintendent. Historical notes are included
Sandler, Martin. THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMAZING ARCTIC ADVENTURE. (Nonfiction)
In the dead of an Arctic winter, whaling ships full of men are stranded in ice. Follow three rescuers in a race against time in this heart-pounding true adventure.
Scatterwood, Agusta. GLORY BE. (Fiction)
Gloria Hemple celebrates her Fourth of July birthday at the community pool, but 1964 brings changes that she had not anticipated. Her hometown of Hanging Moss, Mississippi, is in turmoil, and Gloria must navigate her way through changing relationships with family and friends.
Selznick, Brian. WONDERSTRUCK. (Fiction)
Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City. There he meets Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures.
Scieszka, Jon. GUYS READ: FUNNY BUSINESS.
Ten stories guaranteed to delight and amuse, from the following writers: Mac Barnett, Christopher Paul Curtis, Kate DiCamillo and Jon Scieszka, Paul Feig, Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, Adam Rex, and David Yoo are included.
Scieszka, Jon. GUYS READ: THRILLER
This is a series of short stories that are full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, it is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page.
Scott, Elaine. BURIED ALIVE. (Nonfiction)
This book describes the 2010 mining accident in San José, Chile, in which thirty-three men became trapped underground for over sixty days and details the rescue efforts and the worldwide media coverage of the event.
Sheinkin, Steve. LINCOLN’S GRAVE ROBBERS. (Nonfiction)
A group of counterfeiters scheme to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body from his tomb and ransom his remains for money to free a master counterfeiter from jail. Secret Service agents learn of the plot, recruit an undercover agent to infiltrate the gang, and try to catch the criminals before they can rob Lincoln’s grave.
Silverstein, Shel. EVERY THING ON IT. (Poetry)
This poetry collection, published since Silverstein’s death, includes more than one hundred and thirty never-before-seen poems and drawings completed by the cherished American artist.
Simon, Seymour. SEYMOUR SIMON’S EXTREME OCEANS. (Nonfiction)
Seymour Simon investigates the most extreme environments, animals, plants, and weather in the ocean. Imagine exploring the most extreme parts of our amazing oceans— the tallest waves, the darkest depths, and the largest and most dangerous sea creatures on Earth. Interesting facts and stunning photographs make for an exciting underwater expedition!
Stone, Phoebe. THE ROMEO AND JULIET CODE. (Historical Fiction)
During World War II, eleven-year-old Felicity is sent from London to Bottlebay, Maine, to live with her grandmother, aunt, uncle, and a reclusive boy. He helps her decode mysterious letters that contain the truth about her missing parents.
Telgemeier, Raina. DRAMA. (Fiction—Graphic Novel)
Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.
Telgemeier, Raina. SMILE. (Fiction—Graphic Novel)
Raina trips and severely injures her two front teeth. She copes with a variety of dental problems that affect her appearance and how she feels about herself.
Turnage, Shelia. THREE TIMES LUCKY. (Fiction)
Mo LoBeau was washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina. Now eleven, Mo and her best friend turn detective when the co-owner of a café and his cook appear to be implicated in a murder.