6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

The Hobbit

by J. R. R. Tolkien

Difficulty: Challenging

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

“A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible . . . All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts.” – New York Times Book Review

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

White Fang

by Jack London

Difficulty: Average

“White Fang” is a novel by American author Jack London (1876-1916). It was first published in 1906.

The story takes place in Canada, during the Gold Rush at the end of the XIX century, and narrates a wild wolfdog’s journey to domestication. Much of it is written from the view-point of the canine character, exploring how wild animals view their world and that of human beings.

The novel has been adapted for the screen numerous times.

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

Your Name is Renee

by Stacy Cretzmeyer

Difficulty: Average

In Nazi-occupied France in 1941, four-year-old Ruth Kapp learns that it is dangerous to use her own name. "Remember," her older cousin Jeannette warns her, "your name is Renee and you are French!" A deeply personal book, this true story recounts the chilling experiences of a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust. The Kapp family flees one home after another, helped by simple, ordinary people from the French countryside who risk their lives to protect them. Eventually the family is forced to separate, and young Ruth survives the war in an orphanage where she is not allowed to see or even mention her parents. Without the trappings of lofty language or the faceless perspective of history, this first-person account poignantly recreates the terror of war seen through the eyes of an innocent child. Your Name Is Renee is a tale of suffering and redemption, fear and hope, which is bound to stir even the most hardened heart.

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

Forge

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Difficulty: Average

Blistering winds. Bitter cold. And the hope of a new future. In this compelling sequel to Chains, a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson shifts perspective from Isabel to Curzon and brings to the page the tale of what it takes for runaway slaves to forge their own paths in a world of obstacles—and in the midst of the American Revolution.

The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. In addition to the hardships of soldiering, he lives with the fear of discovery, for he is an escaped slave passing for free. And then there is Isabel, who is also at Valley Forge—against her will. She and Curzon have to sort out the tangled threads of their friendship while figuring out what stands between the two of them and true freedom.

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

by Gary D. Schmidt

Difficulty: Challenging

Turner Buckminster hates Phippsburg, Maine. Then he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart, sassy girl from a poor nearby island community. Lizzie introduces Turner to the wonders of Maine's coast. But the two soon discover that the town elders, along with Turner's father, want to force the people to leave Lizzie's island to start a tourist trade there. Based on the true story of a community's destruction, this sensitively written novel highlights a unique friendship during a time of change, and was awarded both a Newbery Honor and Printz Honor.

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

The Hound of the Baskervilles

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Difficulty: Challenging

Terror stalks the Devonshire moors as a long-forgotten horror reawakens to haunt the last remaining heir of Baskerville Manor. Widely considered to be Conan Doyle's finest work, The Hound of the Baskervilles features the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful colleague Dr. Watson as they grapple with a mysterious power from the unseen world. This modern edition by Finisterra Books features original illustrations by Sidney Paget as first published in The Strand Magazine.

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

Difficulty: Average

Illustrated in black-and-white. This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

The Emerald Atlas

by John Stephens

Difficulty: Average

Called “A new Narnia for the tween set” by the New York Times and perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials series, The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world. These three siblings have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about. Until now. Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

Note: This book is available in our Library.

6th Grade L.A. Plus Book List - Collaboration Theme

The Last Shot

by John Feinstein

Difficulty: Average

Steven Thomas is one of two lucky winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association’s contest for aspiring journalists. His prize? A trip to New Orleans and a coveted press pass for the Final Four. It’s a basketball junkie’s dream come true! But the games going on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men, and the fans turn out to be even more fiercely competitive than those on the court. Steven and his fellow winner, Susan Carol Anderson, are nosing around the Superdome and overhear what sounds like a threat to throw the championship game. Now they have just 48 hours to figure out who is blackmailing one of MSU’s star players . . . and why.

Note: This book is available in our Library.