Grade 5 & 6 Advisory: Recommended Reading

"Annabelle Blake fully expects this school year to be the same as every other: same teachers, same classmates, same, same, same. So she’s elated to discover there’s a new kid in town. To Annabelle, Bailey is a breath of fresh air. She loves hearing about their life in Seattle, meeting their loquacious (and kinda corny) parents, and hanging out at their massive house. And it doesn’t hurt that Bailey has a cute smile, nice hands (how can someone even have nice hands?) and smells really good. Suddenly sixth grade is anything but the same. And when her irascible father shares that he and Bailey have something big—and surprising—in common, Annabelle begins to see herself, and her family, in a whole new light. At the same time she starts to realize that her community, which she always thought of as home, might not be as welcoming as she had thought. Together Annabelle, Bailey, and their families discover how these categories that seem to mean so much—boy, girl, gay, straight, fruit, vegetable—aren’t so clear-cut after all."

"As the daughter of immigrants who came to America for a better life, Annie Inoue was raised to dream big. And at the start of seventh grade, she's channeling that irrepressible hope into becoming the lead in her school play.
So when Annie lands an impressive role in the production of The King and I, she's thrilled . . . until she starts to hear grumbles from her mostly white classmates that she only got the part because it's an Asian play with Asian characters. Is this all people see when they see her? Is this the only kind of success they'll let her have—one that they can tear down or use race to belittle?
Disheartened but determined, Annie channels her hurt into a new dream: showing everyone what she's made of."

"Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won't change things at home—not without each other's help.
This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac's parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father's approval by earning a spot on the school's basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?"

"An hilarious coming-of-age story about home, friendship, and learning that sometimes the most exciting adventures happen behind-the-scenes."

"For fans of Jason Reynolds and Jacqueline Woodson, this middle-grade novel-in-verse follows two boys in 1980s Brooklyn as they become friends for a season.
Punk rock-loving JJ Pankowski can't seem to fit in at his new school in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as one of the only white kids. Pie Velez, a math and history geek by day and graffiti artist by night is eager to follow in his idol, Jean-Michel Basquiat's, footsteps. The boys stumble into an unlikely friendship, swapping notes on their love of music and art, which sees them through a difficult semester at school and at home. But a run-in with the cops threatens to unravel it all."

"From the Desk of Zoe Washington meets Ways to Make Sunshine in this heartfelt middle grade novel about a determined young girl who must rely on her ingenuity and scientific know-how to save her beloved cat."

"Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees—until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help."

"For fans of Small Spaces and the Goosebumps series by R.L Stine comes a chilling ghost story about a girl living in the decrepit and creepy mansion, who discovers something in the woods is after her."

"When Eden’s cousin Winter comes for a visit, it turns out he’s not just there to sightsee. He wants to figure out what happened to his dad, who disappeared ten years earlier from the Watts area of L.A. So the cousins set out to investigate together, and what they discover brings them joy—and heartache. It also opens up a whole new understanding of their world, just as the area they’ve got their sights on explodes in a clash between the police and the Black residents. For six days Watts is like a war zone, and Eden and Winter become heroes in their own part of the drama. Eden hopes to be a composer someday, and the only way she can describe that summer is a song with an unexpected ending, full of changes in tempo and mood—totally unforgettable."

"When a sinister force threatens the life-giving magic of the tree, Zuli, along with her guardian owl, Frowly, must get to the root of it. So begins an adventure bigger than anything Zuli could've ever imagined—one that will bring her, along with some newfound friends, face-to-face with an ancient dragon, the so-called Witch-Queen, and most surprisingly of all: her true identity.
This captivating middle grade graphic novel, the first of a series, is perfect for fans of the Amulet books and the Wings of Fire series."

Told in verse, this novel tells the story of the author’s childhood growing up in New York and South Carolina in the 1960s. This is for you if love true stories and appreciate beautiful writing.

The sequel to A Family Apart, this suspenseful novel tells what happens to Mike Kelly, an Irish-American boy, when he gets sent out West on an orphan train shortly before the Civil War.

When Esperanza and her mother migrate from Mexico to a farm workers’ camp in California, they face unexpected hardship and danger. Set during the Great Depression, this historical novel combines vivid characters with an engaging plot for a story you won’t soon forget.

Mia Tang finds that life as a Chinese-American immigrant can be challenging, but when she taps into her own inner strength, she helps her family find clever ways to overcome and thrive.

Did you enjoy Bud, Not Buddy? Remember Deza Malone from Hooverville? This funny yet moving novel tells her story as she and her family try to survive during the Great Depression.

Sam Gribley runs away to the Catskill Mountains to escape his unhappy life in the city. But can he survive in the wilderness on his own? Read this classic novel to find out.

Seventh grader Nizhoni Begay draws upon wisdom from her Navajo ancestors as she faces horrifying monsters--and the strength of her own inner powers. If you’re looking for an adventure story, this is a great one!

Set in the 1930s South, this short novel introduces the characters and setting of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, one of the novels you’ll read in 6th grade. It is a quick and moving read!

Also by the author of Bud, Not Buddy, this novel is set during the Civil Rights Movement and tells the story of a young boy from Michigan who goes to spend the summer with his grandmother in the South. If you’d like to learn about an important time in our country’s history while reading a hilarious and heartwarming story, read this.

If you haven’t yet read this classic science fiction novel about three kids traveling through time and space to rescue their father, this summer is a great time to do so!