Suggested Novels for 6th Graders

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• How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay
  by Julia Alvarez
  10-yr.-old Miguel - at first embarrassed by his colorful aunt, Tia Lola, when she comes from the Dominican Republic to live with his family - grows to love her.
• The Dark Pond
  by Joseph Bruchac
  After he feels an eery force drawing him towards a pond in the woods, Armi searches old Native American tales for help in learning about the dangerous monster lurking in the dark water.
• Samir and Yonatan
  by Daniella Carmi
  Samir, a Palestinian boy, is frightened and lonely when circumstances find him in an Isreali hospital ward.
• Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
  by Sharon Creech
  A warm kitchen filled with spicy flavors and tasty food sets the scene for this novel celebrat-ing friendship and family ties.
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
  by Christopher Paul Curtis
  The ordinary routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Michigan, change drastically when they visit their grandma in Alabama during the summer of 1963.
• Catherine Called Birdy
  by Karen Cushman
  The 13-yr.-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal. She writes in funny detail about the trials of being a girl in the Middle Ages.
• Bindi Babes (Series)
  by Narinder Dhami.
  Three spunky, Indian-British sisters team up to marry off their traditional aunt and get her out of the house.
• The Conch Bearer
  by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
  12-yr.-old Anand, living in poverty in India, is given the task of returning a mystical conch shell to its rightful home. Will his quest succeed?
• Sees Behind Trees
  by Michael Dorris
  A Native American boy with a special gift to "see" beyond his poor eyesight journeys with an old warrior to a land of mystery and beauty.
• Heads or Tails: Stories from Sixth Grade (Series)
  by Jack Gantos
  Jack's diary helps him deal with his problems, which include dog-eating alligators, and a terrible older sister.
• Nory Ryan's Song
  by Patricia Reilly Giff
  When a terrible blight attacks Ireland's potato crop in 1845, 12-yr.-old Nory Ryan's courage and resourcefulness help her family and neighbor's survive.
• Pure Dead Magic (Series)
  by Debi Gliori
  When their father is kidnapped, the Strega-Borgia children, their nanny and a giant spider, use magic and the Internet to reunite the family and bring happiness to their Scottish castle.
• Jazmin's Notebook
  by Nikki Grimes
  Jazmin, an African-American teenager who lives with her older sister in a small Harlem apartment finds strength in writing poetry and keeping a record of the1960's events occurring around her.
• Gold Dust
  by Chris Lynch
  In 1975, 12-yr.-old Richard befriends Napoleon, a Caribbean newcomer to his Catholic school. Richard, a huge Red Sox fan, determines that he and his new friend will become the best baseball players ever - even if they have to fight against racial hostility in their neighborhood.
• Eragon (Series)
  by Christopher Paolini
  In Aagaesia, a 15-yr.-old boy called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that embarks him on an adventure filled with dragons, elves and monsters.
• Time Hackers
  by Gary Paulsen
  A 7th-grader opens his locker and finds a dead body which disappears seconds later. Dorso and buddy, Frank, find themselves involved in a bizarre, time-travel game - should they try to find the pranksters themselves?
• Trickster's Choice (Series)
  by Tamora Pierce
  In this fantasy adventure, Aly is sold into slavery, makes a wager with the Trickster god Kyprioth to safeguard two Copper-Isles princesses, and becomes a spy master.
• Becoming Naomi Leon
  by Pam Muñoz Ryan
  When Naomi's absent mother reappears to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great- grandmother and little brother in search of her father.
• Taking Sides
  by Gary Soto
  Soto's story explores the divided loyalties of a Hispanic basketball player, Lincoln Mendoza, who has recently moved from the barrio to tree-lined suburbia.
• Stargirl
  by Jerry Spinelli
  An eccentric, startlingly different new student named Stargirl enters Mica High School and changes it, and Leo Borlock, forever.
• Tonight, By Sea
  by Frances Temple
  As government brutality and poverty become unbearable, Paulie joins with others in her small Haitian village to help her uncle secretly build a boat they will use to try to escape to the United States.
• Surviving the Applewhites
  by Stephanie S. Tolan
  Jake, a budding young delinquent, is sent to live with the arty, odd Applewhite family where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had.
• Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception (Series)
  by Wendelin Van Draanen
  7th-grade sleuth, Sammy Keyes, investigates mysterious happenings at a local art gallery.
• Goodbye, Vietnam
  by Gloria Whelan
  13-yr.-old Mai and her family embark on a dangerous sea voyage from Vietnam to Hong Kong to escape the often brutal Vietnamese government.
• The Gourmet Zombie (Series)
  by Paul Zindel
  The most famous chefs in New York are dropping like flies - each seem to die accidentally. Sleuths P.C. Hawke and Mackenzie solve the crimes.