5th-6th Grade Reading List
Click HERE for a one-page, printable PDF of the list.
Clicking on the covers below will take you to the Common Sense Media parent review if there is one OR to the book's Amazon page.
Parents who want to read with their students might also find the "Teaching Resources" helpful (available on the Schools page) as they often include discussion questions and follow-up ideas.
Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote
Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
Senator Gillibrand introduces ten American women who helped pave the way toward the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of its ratification on August 18, 2020!
"This accessible collection of 10 compelling mini-bios of women who fought for women's voting rights brims with fascinating history and inspiration. It took more than 70 years of struggle to succeed, as Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote shows. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's text is lively, clear, and concise, and Maria Kalman's evocative portraits are sure to draw young readers in." --Common Sense Media review
"This accessible collection of 10 compelling mini-bios of women who fought for women's voting rights brims with fascinating history and inspiration. It took more than 70 years of struggle to succeed, as Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote shows. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's text is lively, clear, and concise, and Maria Kalman's evocative portraits are sure to draw young readers in." --Common Sense Media review
Chasing Space (YOUNG READER'S EDITION)
Chasing Space (YOUNG READER'S EDITION)
LELAND MELVIN
Leland grew up in Virginia with parents who valued education and inspired him to follow his dreams. He did! He earned a college football scholarship and eventually was recruited to play in the NFL. Later, he finished a masters degree, became an engineer and worked for NASA. Oh yeah, he was also an astronaut!
"In Chasing Space, Leland Melvin tackles stupendous obstacles with dogged determination, showing you what is indeed possible in life—if you believe."
—Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and Welcome to the Universe.
Winner of the 2019 Grand Canyon Reader Award for Tween Non-Fiction
"In Chasing Space, Leland Melvin tackles stupendous obstacles with dogged determination, showing you what is indeed possible in life—if you believe."
—Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and Welcome to the Universe.
Winner of the 2019 Grand Canyon Reader Award for Tween Non-Fiction
Clean Getaway
Clean Getaway
NIC STONE
Nic Stone usually writes YA fiction. This new release is her first middle-grade novel. It's a wild ride when G'ma is driving!
"How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma:
*Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED.*Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either.*Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home.
What Not to Bring:*A Cell Phone: Avoid contact with Dad at all costs. Even when G'ma starts acting stranger than usual.
Set against the backdrop of the segregation history of the American South, take a trip with this New York Times best seller and an 11-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem-- his G'ma included." (from the publisher)
"How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma:
*Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED.*Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either.*Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home.
What Not to Bring:*A Cell Phone: Avoid contact with Dad at all costs. Even when G'ma starts acting stranger than usual.
Set against the backdrop of the segregation history of the American South, take a trip with this New York Times best seller and an 11-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem-- his G'ma included." (from the publisher)
Cub
Cub
CYNTHIA COPELAND
In this graphic novel memoir, Cynthia Copeland recalls her junior high experience in the 1970s and all of its struggles and embarrassments. But she also earns an internship with a local journalist that forever changes her life!
“Raina Telgemeier fans will lap this up.”— Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“This charming, intelligent, funny book is a sharp look into the middle school ecosystem, its shifting allegiances, its hormonally charged confusions. It follows seventh-grader Cindy as she navigates cliques and crushes and takes on a role as a cub reporter under the wing of an ambitious young woman journalist. Copeland nails the cringy pre-teen humiliations, and the book also serves as a primer on lede-writing and journalistic ethics, as well as showing a person coming into her own and learning how to be the author of her own story.”—Boston Globe
“Raina Telgemeier fans will lap this up.”— Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“This charming, intelligent, funny book is a sharp look into the middle school ecosystem, its shifting allegiances, its hormonally charged confusions. It follows seventh-grader Cindy as she navigates cliques and crushes and takes on a role as a cub reporter under the wing of an ambitious young woman journalist. Copeland nails the cringy pre-teen humiliations, and the book also serves as a primer on lede-writing and journalistic ethics, as well as showing a person coming into her own and learning how to be the author of her own story.”—Boston Globe
I Can Make this Promise
I Can Make this Promise
CHRISTINE DAY
Edie has always felt different, especially when unthinking adults and kids ask her "what" she is because of her brown skin. Since her mother was adopted, Edie thinks she might never know. But when she finds a mysterious box in the attic, she suspects that there is a family secret!
The novel is enlightening and a must-read for anyone interested in issues surrounding identity and adoption. Debut author Day (Upper Skagit) handles family separation in Native America with insight and grace.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“Beyond the mystery, important themes resonate throughout, including cultural identity and what makes a friendship worth keeping. Day’s affecting novel also considers historical truths about how Native Americans have been treated throughout U.S. history, particularly underlining family separations.” (Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW)
2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (Vermont)
The novel is enlightening and a must-read for anyone interested in issues surrounding identity and adoption. Debut author Day (Upper Skagit) handles family separation in Native America with insight and grace.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“Beyond the mystery, important themes resonate throughout, including cultural identity and what makes a friendship worth keeping. Day’s affecting novel also considers historical truths about how Native Americans have been treated throughout U.S. history, particularly underlining family separations.” (Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW)
2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (Vermont)
James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach
ROALD DAHL
You've probably read Roald Dahl's wild and crazy books before--maybe even this one? But this escapade that begins with James' parents being eaten by a rhinoceros and ends with an adventure of talking bugs in a giant peach is worth reading 100 times. Partly silly and strange, there's still a real message here about courage, family, and trusting yourself.
"With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins!"
(from the publisher)
"With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins!"
(from the publisher)
Let 'Er Buck! George Fletcher, People's Champion
Let 'Er Buck! George Fletcher, People's Champion
VAUNDA MICHEAUX NELSON
This book is written with a western, cowboy dialect (accent). Try reading it aloud!
"[T}ells the story of the black cowboy George Fletcher, whose journey began when his family set out on the Oregon Trail from their Kansas town. After they met with racism, young George found solace among the children on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in eastern Oregon. There, he nurtured his love of riding with a make-believe bronco, but over time, the tribal horsemen taught George how to 'buck.' He became a star at local rodeos, even while being shut out of more popular ones, which opposed black cowboys competing against white cowboys. But in 1911 the 21-year-old George competed against the fiercest cowboys in the Northwest: the Nez Percé Indian Jackson Sundown and the white rancher John Spain.
"What follows is a detailed account, rendered adroitly through Nelson's clear prose and James's elegant paintings, of one of the most important rodeo shows in American history, which established Fletcher as the 'people's champion . . . With its energetic pairing of words and art, 'Let 'er Buck!' comes alive to unearth an unsung American hero."―The New York Times Book Review
"[T}ells the story of the black cowboy George Fletcher, whose journey began when his family set out on the Oregon Trail from their Kansas town. After they met with racism, young George found solace among the children on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in eastern Oregon. There, he nurtured his love of riding with a make-believe bronco, but over time, the tribal horsemen taught George how to 'buck.' He became a star at local rodeos, even while being shut out of more popular ones, which opposed black cowboys competing against white cowboys. But in 1911 the 21-year-old George competed against the fiercest cowboys in the Northwest: the Nez Percé Indian Jackson Sundown and the white rancher John Spain.
"What follows is a detailed account, rendered adroitly through Nelson's clear prose and James's elegant paintings, of one of the most important rodeo shows in American history, which established Fletcher as the 'people's champion . . . With its energetic pairing of words and art, 'Let 'er Buck!' comes alive to unearth an unsung American hero."―The New York Times Book Review
The Lost Girl
The Lost Girl
ANNE URSU
Part realistic, part magical, even kind of scary: this book is full of intrigue. Lark and Iris are identical twins who need to be together. When they are separated into different classrooms for the first time, the results are dramatic!
"[T]he magical realism of the book allows an almost metaphoric view of the world as Iris grapples with both supernatural and psychological threats. The style of the novel echoes the mysteriousness of the plot: the viewpoint shifts between Iris, an unnamed observer, and the omniscient chronicler of the disappearance of state treasures. The prose is lovely, unafraid to echo the mysterious questions posed or Iris's comforting refrain that she and Lark have better outcomes when they are together. The sense of adventure and mystery make this appealing to a wide audience. VERDICT A beautiful, timeless tale of love conquering darkness in the midst of mystery and the angst of change."
(School Library Journal)
"[T]he magical realism of the book allows an almost metaphoric view of the world as Iris grapples with both supernatural and psychological threats. The style of the novel echoes the mysteriousness of the plot: the viewpoint shifts between Iris, an unnamed observer, and the omniscient chronicler of the disappearance of state treasures. The prose is lovely, unafraid to echo the mysterious questions posed or Iris's comforting refrain that she and Lark have better outcomes when they are together. The sense of adventure and mystery make this appealing to a wide audience. VERDICT A beautiful, timeless tale of love conquering darkness in the midst of mystery and the angst of change."
(School Library Journal)
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Phantom Tollbooth
NORTON JUSTER
Milo is whiny, ungrateful, and bored, bored, BORED! He needs to be taught a lesson--and he gets a crazy one! This book is challenging, but I know you can do it. Maybe an adult will read it with you? It's not just a book for kids!
"It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time," Milo laments. "[T]here's nothing for me to do, nowhere I'd care to go, and hardly anything worth seeing." This bored, bored young protagonist who can't see the point to anything is knocked out of his glum humdrum by the sudden and curious appearance of a tollbooth in his bedroom. Since Milo has absolutely nothing better to do, he dusts off his toy car, pays the toll, and drives through.
What ensues is a journey of mythic proportions, during which Milo encounters countless odd characters who are anything but dull."
(from an 'Appreciation' by Maurice Sendak)
"It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time," Milo laments. "[T]here's nothing for me to do, nowhere I'd care to go, and hardly anything worth seeing." This bored, bored young protagonist who can't see the point to anything is knocked out of his glum humdrum by the sudden and curious appearance of a tollbooth in his bedroom. Since Milo has absolutely nothing better to do, he dusts off his toy car, pays the toll, and drives through.
What ensues is a journey of mythic proportions, during which Milo encounters countless odd characters who are anything but dull."
(from an 'Appreciation' by Maurice Sendak)
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
DAN GEMEINHART
Coyote and her dad ride through the country in an old school bus, having adventures and trying not to think about the tragedy they suffered in their family. But eventually, no one can keep running from their problems. Coyote is smart, funny, kind, and determined. Want to be her friend? Read the book!
*A 2019 Parents’ Choice Award Gold Medal Winner*An Amazon Top 20 Children's Book of 2019*A Bank Street Books' Best Books of the Year*A Junior Library Guild Selection*A School Library Journal Best Book of 2019*A 2020 Lone Star Reading List Selection*A Book Riot “Best Middle School Books for Young Readers” Selection*A GoodReads “Best Middle Grade Books of 2019” Finalist
“Narrator Coyote is legendary: wise, thoughtful, and perceptive.” –Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Sincere friendships, inventive obstacles, and emotional depth propel the cross-country trip as the winning protagonist stakes a claim for her future by reclaiming the past.” –Publishers Weekly
*A 2019 Parents’ Choice Award Gold Medal Winner*An Amazon Top 20 Children's Book of 2019*A Bank Street Books' Best Books of the Year*A Junior Library Guild Selection*A School Library Journal Best Book of 2019*A 2020 Lone Star Reading List Selection*A Book Riot “Best Middle School Books for Young Readers” Selection*A GoodReads “Best Middle Grade Books of 2019” Finalist
“Narrator Coyote is legendary: wise, thoughtful, and perceptive.” –Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Sincere friendships, inventive obstacles, and emotional depth propel the cross-country trip as the winning protagonist stakes a claim for her future by reclaiming the past.” –Publishers Weekly
Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers
Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers
CELIA C. PÉREZ
Four very different girls in Florida share only one thing: they don't feel happy to do the everyday, ordinary things they are expected to do. When they find each other and form a group, they take on a cause that will lead them to brave, bold, smart activism--and a few terrible ideas.
"Thought-provoking, timely, and laugh-out-loud funny—Strange Birds explores friendship, community, and the role each of us plays in creating a better world."—Aisha Saeed, NY Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound
“Strange Birds is an inspiring story about the power of truth, and of true friends.”—Rebecca Stead, NY Times bestselling author of the Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me
"Writing with wry restraint that's reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo... a beautiful tale of the value of friendship against unconquerable odds." —Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
"Thought-provoking, timely, and laugh-out-loud funny—Strange Birds explores friendship, community, and the role each of us plays in creating a better world."—Aisha Saeed, NY Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound
“Strange Birds is an inspiring story about the power of truth, and of true friends.”—Rebecca Stead, NY Times bestselling author of the Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me
"Writing with wry restraint that's reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo... a beautiful tale of the value of friendship against unconquerable odds." —Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
The Strangers (Greystone Secrets #1)
The Strangers (Greystone Secrets #1)
MARGARET PETERSON HADDIX
In this sci-fi adventure, three siblings and their mom work hard to take care of each other, especially since their dad died years before. But when they hear a report of a kidnapping on the other side of the country, things get weird: the kids look like them . . . and have their names too? Mom suddenly has to go on a "business" trip and the kids are left to figure out what is happening.
"A secret-stacked, thrilling series opener about perception, personal memories, and the idiosyncrasies that form individual identities." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
* Winter 2018–2019 Kids' Indie Next List Pick * Time for Kids Book Club: Top 10 Summer Reads * PW Best Books 2019 * Texas Bluebonnet Award List 2020-2021 * 2020 LITA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Book: *The Eleanor Cameron Notable Middle Grade Books List
"A secret-stacked, thrilling series opener about perception, personal memories, and the idiosyncrasies that form individual identities." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
* Winter 2018–2019 Kids' Indie Next List Pick * Time for Kids Book Club: Top 10 Summer Reads * PW Best Books 2019 * Texas Bluebonnet Award List 2020-2021 * 2020 LITA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Book: *The Eleanor Cameron Notable Middle Grade Books List
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
JONATHAN AUXIER
Magical surrealism is a genre of fiction where everything feels realistic and accurate . . . until a few strange things start happening. This book is set in history, Victorian London, where children (especially orphans) are forced to do dirty, often dangerous work. Nan is a chimney sweep, a rare job for a girl. But when she encounters danger, a magical golem appears to help her!
**STARRED REVIEW**"Auxier wipes away the grime from a bleak chapter in history, where children were forced to work dangerous jobs that claimed many lives. He questions what makes one a monster and applauds helping others, activism, education, earthly marvels, and the possibility of magic. Nan’s fiery personality will attract readers like moths, and Auxier's unusual blend of mythology and history will keep them transfixed." (Booklist)
**STARRED REVIEW**"This dazzling, warmhearted novel contemplates selflessness and saving, deep love and what makes a monster." (Publishers Weekly)
**STARRED REVIEW**"Auxier turns his imaginative whimsy and lyrical prose to a real historical horror; while never gratuitous, he does not shy away from the appalling conditions under which children labor, nor does he ignore the sacrifices and struggle to abolish the practice. The inclusion of two (possibly three) Jewish characters suggests the intertwining of anti-Semitism and class exploitation, while references to such authors as William Blake, Daniel Defoe, and Mary Shelley demonstrate how literature could fire imaginations and highlight oppression." (Kirkus Reviews)
**STARRED REVIEW**"Weaving together strands of Jewish folklore (Nan calls Charlie a “soot golem”), Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Shelley’s Frankenstein, the history of child-labor reform, and his own threads of magical realism, Auxier crafts a beautiful, hopeful story out of some ugly realities of nineteenth-century British life." (Horn Book )
2021 Beehive Award Nominee2019 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner
**STARRED REVIEW**"Auxier wipes away the grime from a bleak chapter in history, where children were forced to work dangerous jobs that claimed many lives. He questions what makes one a monster and applauds helping others, activism, education, earthly marvels, and the possibility of magic. Nan’s fiery personality will attract readers like moths, and Auxier's unusual blend of mythology and history will keep them transfixed." (Booklist)
**STARRED REVIEW**"This dazzling, warmhearted novel contemplates selflessness and saving, deep love and what makes a monster." (Publishers Weekly)
**STARRED REVIEW**"Auxier turns his imaginative whimsy and lyrical prose to a real historical horror; while never gratuitous, he does not shy away from the appalling conditions under which children labor, nor does he ignore the sacrifices and struggle to abolish the practice. The inclusion of two (possibly three) Jewish characters suggests the intertwining of anti-Semitism and class exploitation, while references to such authors as William Blake, Daniel Defoe, and Mary Shelley demonstrate how literature could fire imaginations and highlight oppression." (Kirkus Reviews)
**STARRED REVIEW**"Weaving together strands of Jewish folklore (Nan calls Charlie a “soot golem”), Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Shelley’s Frankenstein, the history of child-labor reform, and his own threads of magical realism, Auxier crafts a beautiful, hopeful story out of some ugly realities of nineteenth-century British life." (Horn Book )
2021 Beehive Award Nominee2019 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner
This Was Our Pact
This Was Our Pact
RYAN ANDREWS
This graphic novel takes you on a journey that begins as a bunch of boys daring each other on a bike ride that becomes stranger and more magical as they go (and as most of the boys turn back toward home).
"Andrews' marvelously melancholic, earnest graphic novel, [is] at its core an exercise in whimsical self-reflection. This story's a quiet one in which danger flickers and hope flares at odd but fruitful moments... the primarily blue and red mixed-media pictures underscore how nighttime sometimes promises transformation. Brilliantly enchanting." ―Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW
"Andrews crafts a phantasmagoria of events that recall animation from Studio Ghibli and Cartoon Saloon... picaresque episodes and a dreamlike resolution conjure a giddy sensation, like staying up all night. " ―Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
"Richly imagined and complexly emotional... [This was Our Pact] may owe some of its eerie melancholy and occasionally menacing absurdity to the likes of Lewis Carroll and Shaun Tan, but its message is distinctly its own: what you imagine to be the end of the journey may be satisfying, but the adventure actually goes on as long as you keep riding down the road." ―Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
"For readers who want an escapist fantasy with a light touch. Hand this title to fans of whimsical or unpredictable adventures such as Neil Gaiman’s Fortunately, the Milk or Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time." ―School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
A 2019 Booklist Editor's ChoiceA 2019 Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the YearA 2019 Parents Magazine Best Children's Books of the Year
"Andrews' marvelously melancholic, earnest graphic novel, [is] at its core an exercise in whimsical self-reflection. This story's a quiet one in which danger flickers and hope flares at odd but fruitful moments... the primarily blue and red mixed-media pictures underscore how nighttime sometimes promises transformation. Brilliantly enchanting." ―Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW
"Andrews crafts a phantasmagoria of events that recall animation from Studio Ghibli and Cartoon Saloon... picaresque episodes and a dreamlike resolution conjure a giddy sensation, like staying up all night. " ―Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
"Richly imagined and complexly emotional... [This was Our Pact] may owe some of its eerie melancholy and occasionally menacing absurdity to the likes of Lewis Carroll and Shaun Tan, but its message is distinctly its own: what you imagine to be the end of the journey may be satisfying, but the adventure actually goes on as long as you keep riding down the road." ―Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
"For readers who want an escapist fantasy with a light touch. Hand this title to fans of whimsical or unpredictable adventures such as Neil Gaiman’s Fortunately, the Milk or Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time." ―School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
A 2019 Booklist Editor's ChoiceA 2019 Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the YearA 2019 Parents Magazine Best Children's Books of the Year
The Way to Bea
The Way to Bea
KAT YEH
Beatrix (Bea) is excited to return from her family's summer trip to Taiwan so she can start middle school with her best friend. But her friend--and everything else--seems to have changed and Bea feels all alone with her thoughts (and the haiku poetry she composes in her head). She tries hard to win back her friend, but finds out her best friends might be new ones.
"Like Bea, kids might feel pressured at some point to act a certain way or to hide their unique talents in order to feel accepted. Her heartbreaking haiku about loneliness and invisibility perfectly capture the sadness and pain of a fading friendship.
The Way to Bea reminds readers that loving yourself and having the courage to make your voice heard are key to forming meaningful friendships and finding where you belong."
(Common Sense Media Review)
"Like Bea, kids might feel pressured at some point to act a certain way or to hide their unique talents in order to feel accepted. Her heartbreaking haiku about loneliness and invisibility perfectly capture the sadness and pain of a fading friendship.
The Way to Bea reminds readers that loving yourself and having the courage to make your voice heard are key to forming meaningful friendships and finding where you belong."
(Common Sense Media Review)