Meridian Park Elementary


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SIXTH GRADE READING LISTS

The following lists of suggested books are from a variety of websites. Links to these websites can be found on the homepage of the Meridian Park website.

Appelt, Kathi. The Underneath. Illus. by David Small. Atheneum. (9781416950585).  Intertwining stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope. (2009 Newbery Honor Book)

Bishop, Nic. Frogs. Photos by the author. Scholastic Nonfiction, an imprint of Scholastic. (9780439877558).

Bishop presents salient facts about frogs through clear text, augmented with fascinating photographs of species around the world. Even the frog-phobic will be fascinated.

Broach, Elise. Masterpiece. Illus. by Kelly Murphy. Holt/Christy Ottaviano. (9780805082708).

An artistic beetle with a yen for adventure and a lonely 11-year-old boy team up to catch the thief who has stolen a priceless Albrecht Durer from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Brown, Don. All Stations! Distress!: April 15, 1912, the Day the Titanic Sank. Illus. by the author. Flash Point/Roaring Brook. (9781596432222)

Selecting just the right amount of essential information, Brown artfully captures the drama of what happened to the unsinkable Titanic on that fateful night.

Bryant, Jen. A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. (9780802853028).

Sweet’s mixed-media collage and primitive watercolors flow seamlessly with Bryant’s prose to reveal the important bits and pieces of Williams’ ordinary, yet extraordinary, life as a doctor and poet. (2009 Caldecott Honor Book)

Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery. Random/David Fickling. (9780375849763). In a race against time, twelve-year-old Ted, with his sister Kat, uses his special skills and perceptions to discover how their cousin Salim disappeared while riding the London Eye, the world’s tallest observation wheel.

Elliott, Zetta. Bird. Illus. by Shadra Strickland. Lee & Low. (9781600602412).

A young boy, Mehkai, nicknamed Bird because he loves to draw birds, finds solace in his art work as his beloved grandfather dies and his admired older brother Marcus succumbs to drug addiction. (2009 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award)

Erdrich, Louise. The Porcupine Year. HarperCollins. (9780060297879).

In this third in the Birchbark House series set in 1852, Omakayas, a young Ojibwa girl now 12, and her family face serious challenges as they move westward from land the U.S. government has claimed.

Fern, Tracey E. Buffalo Music. Illus. by Lauren Castillo. Clarion. (9780618723416).

Pioneer Mary Ann Goodnight saves her beloved Texas buffalo from extinction by shipping those that escape slaughter to Yellowstone to become part of a new national herd. Spare scenes of primitive abstract art create a stunning visual landscape.

Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. Illus. by Dave McKean. HarperCollins. (9780060530921).

A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens. A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, Gaiman’s tale is told in magical, haunting prose. (2009 Newbery Medal Book)

González, Lucía. The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos. Illus. by Lulu Delacre. Children’s Book Press. (9780892392223).

Text and sepia tone illustrations present the biographical story of Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian hired by the New York Public Library, who introduces the public library to immigrants living in El Barrio and hosts the neighborhood’s first Three Kings’ Day fiesta. (2009 Belpré Author Honor Book and Illustrator Honor Book)

Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan. Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond. Illus. with photographs. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter. (9781596430716)

Beginning with a description of the dramatic “Gates” project installed for two weeks in Central Park in 2005, readers are introduced to the extraordinary pair whose art, in its immense scope, has amazed and astounded the world.

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. Rapunzel’s Revenge. Illus. by Nathan Hale. Bloomsbury.(9781599900704).

In a vibrantly illustrated graphic novel set in a make-believe frontier land, an untraditional Rapunzel escapes the tower, uses her long braids as weapons, and takes revenge on the wicked Mother Gothel.

Hopkinson, Deborah. Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend). Illus. by John Hendrix. Random House/Schwartz & Wade. (9780375837685). Taking a boyhood story about Lincoln as inspiration, Hopkinson provides a lively, tongue-in-cheek telling with as many bends as Knob Creek. Hendrix’s broad, cartoony illustrations visually suggest several possible outcomes to the boys’ predicament.

Kerley, Barbara. What To Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! Illus. by Edwin Fotheringham. Scholastic. (9780439922319).

Growing up as the daughter of the President was not easy, but being the President and father of Alice Roosevelt was not easy either. Kerley’s playful use of language and Fotheringham’s rollicking illustrations converge to introduce energy and outrageousness. (2009 Sibert Honor Book)

Law, Ingrid. Savvy. Dial/Walden Media. (9780803733060).

This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. (2009 Newbery Honor Book)

Lewin, Ted and Betsy. Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia. Illus. by the authors. Lee & Low Books. (9781584302773).

Alternating lavish watercolors and lively cartoon sketches, the artists document their travel to Mongolia, capturing the excitement and beauty of Naadam, the Summer Festival, where young boys and girls compete in horse racing.

McGill, Alice. Way Up and Over Everything. Illus. by Jude Daly. Houghton Mifflin. (9780618387960).

Stylized watercolors illustrate A storyteller’s account of the five newly purchased Africans who escaped the horrors of slavery by flying away from the Georgia plantation where her great-grandmama's mama lived and worked.

Nicholls, Sally. Ways to Live Forever. Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Scholastic. (9780545069489).

Using clever lists, insightful questions, thoughtful journal entries and drawings, eleven-year-old Sam shares his perspective on his leukemia and his upbeat attitude as he faces the end of his life.

Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. Illus. by the author. Farrar/Frances Foster. (9780374399184).

Naïf, charming pictures, and well-chosen details illuminate the life and work of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, who responded to the impending desertification of her native Kenya by instigating the planting of 30 million trees.

Nobleman, Marc Tyler. Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman. Illus. by Ross MacDonald. Knopf. (9780375838026).

Part picture book, part graphic novel, this is the fascinating story of how two high school friends created a superhero that endures to this day.

Parker, Robert Andrew. Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum. Illus. by the author. Random House/Schwartz & Wade. (9780375839658).

Parker imagines renowned jazz pianist Tatum’s early years, employing a first person narrative that takes readers from his Toledo youth to big city clubs and concert halls. Luminous watercolors compellingly extend the text. (2009 Schneider Family Book Award)

Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone. Photographs by Dan Hartman and Cassie Hartman. Walker. (9780802796868).

Lively photographs, capturing images of wildlife, and an easy text make it clear to young readers the beneficial impact to the ecosystem when wolves were reintroduced.

Preller, James. Six Innings: A Game in the Life. Feiwell & Friends. (9780312367633).

The heart stopping action of a little league baseball game frames a personal introduction to the players, the strategies, and twelve-year-old Sam, sidelined by cancer.

Ray, Deborah Kogan. Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw. Illus. by the author. Viking/Penguin. (9780670062928).

This intimate portrait of the creator of Millions of Cats combines Gág’s own words with more detailed text to describe a girl who never let go of her dream. Lush illustrations suggest Gág’s style and versatility.

Rumford, James. Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter. (9781596432765).

Ali, a young boy in contemporary Baghdad, loves calligraphy and practices his art to shut out the sights and sounds of war. Mixed media illustrations contrast rich color, lush texture, bold silhouettes, and flowing calligraphy.

Scieszka, Jon. Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka. Illus. by author. Viking/Penguin. (9780670011063).

A hilarious saga of growing up in a household with five brothers during the 1950’s and 1960’s by the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, illustrated with candid pictures from the period.

Schulman, Janet. Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City. Illus. by Meilo So. Alfred A. Knopf. (9780375845581).

Lush watercolors and personable narrative bring to life the story of Pale Male, a male hawk who nests atop a swanky Fifth Avenue apartment building and sparks a battle for his habitat among residents and conservationists.

Shulevitz, Uri. How I Learned Geography. Illus. by the author. Farrar Straus Giroux.(9780374334994).

Recounting memories of his family’s flight from the Warsaw Blitz and his years as a refugee during World War II, Shulevitz employs watercolor and ink to depict a boy liberated from his dreary existence through flights of fancy inspired by the map his father buys in the village market. (2009 Caldecott Honor Book)

Stone, Tanya Lee. Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote. Illus. by Rebecca Gibbon. Henry Holt. (9780805079036).

This introductory biography outlines Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s childhood realization of the secondary status of women and continues with her adult activism that lead to the right to vote for women. Folk art expands the text.

Thomas, Joyce Carol. The Blacker the Berry. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. HarperCollins/Amistad. (9780060253752).

A collection of twelve poems celebrating and affirming the variations in skin color and individuality of African American children, illustrated with richly colored paintings of children complementing the imagery of the free verse. (2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and Author Honor Book)

Uehashi, Nahoko. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. Illus. by Yuko Shimizu. Tr. by Cathy Hirano. Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Scholastic. (9780545005425).

Balsa, a female warrior, accepts the task of protecting a young prince from demons and his father’s assassins. Prince Chagum is the Moribito, the guardian of the sacred spirit. Together they must find in each other the source of strength they need to prevail. (2009 Batchelder Award Book)

 Blackwood: The Shakespeare Stealer c1998 historical fiction/mystery Widge, a likeable orphan, finds himself in the middle of an adventure to steal and copy the play HAMLET from Shakespeare. He soon discovers that life in the Globe Theatre is much better than the other places he has apprenticed.

 Broach: Shakespeare's Secret c2005 mystery Hero moves into a new town and finds she is living in an old house with an unusual past. With the help of the police chief's son and her neighbor, Hero tries to unravel the mystery.

 Carbone: Stealing Freedom c1998 historical fiction/diversity This story is based on the true experiences of a young slave girl who escapes to Canada on the Underground Railroad.

 Creech: The Wanderer c2000 . adventure Told through journal writings, Sophie and her cousin, Cody, share the experiences of their journey on a sailboat, The Wanderer, from Connecticut to England with six crew members, including her uncles and cousins.

 Cushman: Ballad of Lucy Whipple c1996 historical fiction Lucy isn’t happy when her mother moves the family from New England to California for the Gold Rush.

 Di Camillo: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread c2003 fantasy Tale of a tiny mouse with huge ears, a princess that he loves, a servant girl who wishes to be a princess and a rat named Roscuro who yearns for soup.

 Funke: Inkheart c2003 fantasy A girl and her father, a bookbinder who can “read” fictional characters into real life, are abducted by one of the characters, who tries to force them into his service.

 Giff: Nory Ryan’s Song c2000 . historical fiction  Twelve-year-old Nory Ryan helps her family and neighbors survive during the 1845 potato famine in Ireland.

 Golding: The Secret Within c2002 realistic fiction Carly’s domineering father has a painful family secret that causes Carly to face danger and seek freedom at night.

 Haddix: Double Identity c2005 mystery Bethany becomes curious about her past when her parents unexpectedly disappear after leaving her with an aunt who she did not know existed. As the story unravels, the conclusion uncovers a shocking secret.

 Hesse: Music of the Dolphins c1996 realistic fiction The thoughts of a young girl, who was raised by dolphins from 4 years old after a plane crash, are recorded by a scientist as she is reintroduced to a civilized way of life.

 Holm: Penny from Heaven c2006 historical fiction Newbery honor winner In New Jersey during the summer of 1953, eleven-year-old Penny, living with her mother and maternal grandparents, learns the truth about her father's death and about her upbringing after she has a serious accident.

 Isaacs: Torn Thread c2000 historical fiction During World War II, twelve year-old Eva, living in Poland at the time, is sent by her father to a Nazi labor camp in Czechoslovakia, where her sickly sister has been taken.

 Kehret: Abduction! c2004 adventure, contemporary realistic fiction

Thirteen-year-old Bonnie, on a quest to find her kidnapped brother and his dog, becomes a victim of the kidnapper as well.

Levine: Hana's Suitcase: A True Story c2002 biography The director of a newly opened Holocaust museum in Japan and her students become intrigued with a suitcase from a concentration camp found among the museum's artifacts. The story of a Czech girl, Hana Brady, a victim of the Holocaust, unfolds through the search for information about a suitcase.

 Paratore: The Wedding Planner’s Daughter c2005 humor, romance  A twelve-year-old girl, whose mother is a wedding planner, wishes for her mother to marry.

 Ryan: Esperanza Rising c2000 historical fiction, diversity During the Great Depression, Esperanza and her mother are forced from their wealthy home in Mexico to Southern California where they work in harsh conditions.

 Smith: Peak c2005 adventure, coming-of-age Fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello’s goal is to become the youngest person to reach the top of Mt. Everest.

Selznick: The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures c2007 adventure, mystery 2008 Caldecott Medal Winner When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

 Whelan: Angel on the Square c2001 historical fiction  In 1913 Russia, World War I and the revolution bring unwanted changes into twelve-year-old Katya's life after she joins her mother in the household of Tsar Nicholas II.

More Advanced Books

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. Simon & Schuster. (9781416905851).

Sold as a slave to an influential New York Tory family, 13-year-old Isabel spies for the patriot side during the American Revolution in a desperate hope to gain freedom for herself and her 5-year-old sister.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic. (9780439023481). In a science-fiction cliffhanger, Katniss takes her younger sister’s place as one of twenty-four youths who are turned over to the Capitol in a deadly annual reality game in which only one can survive.

Connor, Leslie. Waiting for Normal. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen. (9780060890889). Longing for the loving family life her younger half-sisters have with her former stepfather, resilient sixth-grader Addie copes with living in a trailer in Schenectady, New York with her neglectful mother. (2009 Schneider Family Book Award)

Deem, James M. Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past. Illus. Houghton Mifflin. (9780618800452).

In this exploration of the archaeology of glacier science, Deem’s visual presentation engages readers through period newspaper illustrations, paintings, maps and photographs of ice mummies and artifacts from four continents. (2009 Sibert Honor Book)

Engle, Margarita. The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom. Henry Holt.(9780805086744).

Hauntingly beautiful free verse prose breathes life into this finely crafted story that illuminates Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain in the 1800’s. (2009 Newbery Honor Book and Belpré Author Award Book)

Fleischman, Sid. The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West. Illus. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. (9780061344329).

This rip-roaring biography of America’s quintessential humorist is as outrageous as its subject. Twains’s early life is conveyed through memorable quotes and period photographs. Fleischman disentangles facts from fiction, provides ample documentation, and a version of The Jumping Frog.

Fleming, Candace. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. Illus. Random House/Schwartz & Wade. (9780375836183).

Short articles, vignettes, excerpts from letters, historical photographs and documents form the scrapbook demonstrating the intertwined lives of the Civil War president and his devoted but unbalanced wife and giving equal attention to both parties.

Freedman, Russell. Washington at Valley Forge. Illus. Holiday House. (9780823420698)

Freedman’s customary graceful prose, eye for the telling detail, and clear narrative arc describe the winter Washington’s troops spent at Valley Forge.

Jiménez, Francisco. Reaching Out. Houghton Mifflin. (9780618038510).

In this poignantly written autobiography, Jimenez recounts his days as a young Mexican American student who is the first in his family to attend college. Against great odds, he is determined to complete his education. (2009 Belpré Author Honor Book)

Macaulay, David with Richard Walker. The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body. Illus. by the author. Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine. (9780618233786).

The amazing human body gets an equally amazing treatment for all its systems and functions. Thorough explanations, visual and verbal, offer an inside look of the body’s marvels.

Michaelis, Antonia. Tiger Moon. Tr. by Anthea Bell. Amulet. (9780810994812).

A betrayed woman facing death, a most unlikely hero, and a sarcastic talking white tiger in colonial-era India come together in a magical story within a story. This masterfully crafted tale moves seamlessly from reality to fantasy as it reveals the profound power of story. (2009 Batchelder Honor Book)

Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. Illus. by the author. Disney-Jump at the Sun, an imprint of Disney Book Group. (9780786808328).

This fascinating and well-documented history of Negro League Baseball is told in the voice of an “everyman” narrator. Dignified, riveting full-page illustrations capture the spirit of these larger-than-life men who loved the game, despite the prejudice they faced. (2009 Sibert Medal Book, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and CSK Illustrator Honor Book)

Nelson, Scott Reynolds with Marc Aronson. Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry. Illus. National Geographic. (9781426300004).

A historian explains how he connected bits of information acquired in a larger research project to identify the actual story and person behind the John Henry folksong.

O’Brien, Tony and Mike Sullivan. Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan. Photos by Tony O'Brien. Bloomsbury. (9781599902876).

Young people from various backgrounds around Kabul share their hopes and dreams in this amazing and heart-rending collection of full color photo portraits.

Pratchett, Terry. Nation. HarperCollins. (9780061433016).

After a tsunami, island native, Mau, and shipwreck survivor, Daphne, construct a nation that blends each other’s customs, science, and faith in a multi-leveled novel of survival and politics. (2009 Printz Honor Book)

Reeve, Philip. Here Lies Arthur. Scholastic. (9780545093347).

Reeve places his Arthur in the Dark Ages of the sixth century where Myrddin embellishes his story by creating a modern spin on this ancient tale that combines wishes, lies, and dreams into the now familiar legend.

Smith, Hope Anita. Keeping the Night Watch. Illus. by E.B. Lewis. Henry Holt. (9780805072020).

While the rest of the family welcomes his father’s return, thirteen-year-old C.J. cannot hide his hurt and anger over his father’s abandonment. Smith’s graceful poetry delves deeply into C.J.’s emotional life. (2009 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book)

Woodson, Jacqueline. After Tupac & D Foster. G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin. (9780399246548)  Bonded by Tupac’s music, three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities. (2009 Newbery Honor Book)

Author/title

Anderson, Laurie Halse Fever, 1793

Avi Best Shorts

Choldenko, Gennifer If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period

Cleary, Brian P. Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry

Deem, James Bodies from the Ash

Fleischman, Sid Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini

Hahn, Mary Downing The Old Willis Place

Halls, Kelly Albino Animals

Higgins, F. E. Black Book of Secrets

Johnson, Angela Bird

Jonell, Lynne Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat