Grade 6  Reading Novels and Longer Text
The Common Core Reading Standards place equal emphasis on the sophistication of what students read and the
skill with which they read. Standard 10 defines “staircase” of increasing text complexity that rises from beginning
reading to the college and career readiness level. As students are expected to read “widely and deeply” across genres
and disciplines, they must read inside and outside of the classroom. Daily reading, whether it be SSR (Sustained Silent
Reading) programs or another reading initiative, is critical if students are to be expected to grow as readers and writers.
But SSR isn’t enough. Students need an incentive to read outside of the classroom and they must be held accountable
for this reading. One example of a program that is in place in some classrooms and schools is the “40 Book Challenge”
adopted from Donalyn Miller’s book, The Book Whisperer. This is just one type of reading challenge that is currently
being implemented in some WCPSS classrooms with great success.
This is a list of novel titles that are natural tie-ins to the unit themes. These titles are not meant to be exhaustive
of possible titles that teachers could use in the classroom; they are merely a starting point. Teachers may suggest these
titles for students to read independently, or they may use them for literature circles if desired. Whole-class reading of
any of the novels is not discouraged, however, teachers would need to create and structure their own lessons basedupon Common Core Standards for the unit.
Planning to teach novels and longer text should be guided by the collaboration of Professional
Learning Teams with consideration of student needs, allocation of time, and available
resources. The guiding theme and questions can apply to all text: literary and informational, thus providing PLTs with
the ability to make relevant and pertinent choices for their students in order for them to successfully complete the
academic year.
Resources for Teaching Novels:
Guiding Questions for Book Reflections and Discussions
Resources for Novels and Excerpts including literacy strategies for before, during, and after reading
Novel Choice Activities
Unit 1
Who Am I?
Unit 2
Belonging
Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel by Avi
Holes by Louis Sachar
Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers
Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Island series or Everest series by Gordan Korman
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution of
China by Ji-li Jiang
Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel by Avi
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
A View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Island series or Everest series by Gordan Korman
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution of
China by Ji-li Jiang
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Grade 6  Reading Novels and Longer Text
Unit 3
Survival
Unit 4
Making
Choices
Unit 5
What’s
Your
Point?
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang
The Clay Marble by Mifong Ho
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Call it Courage by Jack London
Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer
Armstrong
Gordan Korman adventure serials including Titanic,
Kidnapped, Dive, Everest, Island.
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel by Avi
Holes by Louis Sachar
Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers
Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Island series or Everest series by Gordan Korman
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution of
China by Ji-li Jiang
The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make by
Sean Covey
Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice,
Slavery, Freedom, and Science by Marc Aronson and
Marina Budhos
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of a Cultural Revolution by JiLi Jiang
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakastuki Houston
The Tree of Freedom by Rebecca Caudill
Charlotte’s Web by EB White
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
The Climb by Gordon Korman
Jaguar by Roland Smith
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Nothing but the Truth by Avi