Fantastic Books for Fifth & Sixth Graders

Enrolled in a prestigious private school where he is one of only a few students of color, talented seventh-grade artist Jordan finds himself torn between the worlds of his Washington Heights apartment home and the upscale circles of Riverdale Academy.

Journeying to an isolated small town to help their father repair a mysterious cuckoo clock in a once-grand manor, Lucy and Oliver discover the magic within the house, and the animal guardians charged with protecting it, are in dire need of help.

Receiving reports that three children with their names and birthdates have been kidnapped, three siblings investigate complex codes, hidden rooms and a dangerous secret that turns their lives upside down.

To Elodee, 11, things seem a little too perfect in Eventown when she moves there with her parents and identical twin, Naomi, especially since forgetting the past is so highly valued.

In order to heal after his mother's death, 13-year-old Sal learns to reach into time and space to retrieve things-- and people-- from other universes.

Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in her diary.

Struggling with her unconventional home life and growing distant from a friend, Delsie, a young meteorology enthusiast, leans on the support of her Cape Cod neighbors and bonds with a tragedy-marked newcomer who helps her redefine her perspectives on family.

Middle schooler Natalie's year-long assignment to answer a question using the scientific process leads to truths about her mother's depression and her own cultural identity.

Longing for summertime adventures outside of their small Indiana community, two boys are enthralled by a cool newcomer who enlists their help in a series of escalating trade cons that rapidly put them in over their heads.

A budding journalist, a bookish foodie and a rule-abiding birdwatcher forge an unexpected friendship with a fourth misfit girl when they organize an alternative sisterhood troop to protest their Florida community's outdated scout traditions.

When a Syrian refugee boy joins their class, the determined students in Mrs. Kahn's schoolroom learn the newcomer's sad story before concocting a plan to reunite him with his loved ones.

A tale of friendship and family, told entirely in emails and letters, follows the experiences of two 12-year-old girls-- one bookish and fearful, the other fearless and adventuresome-- who are sent to camp to bond when their fathers fall in love.

This mystery alternates between the detective work of middle-schooler Jesse, after her father is accused of stealing, and post-tornado rescue efforts of Jesse and her Pomeranian, Sam-Sam.

Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.

Ever wonder how Nike became the athletics empire it is today? Dig into the marketing campaigns and strategy that turned this running-shoe company into an iconic American brand.

Get an up-close look at the historic mission to the moon that took place 50 years ago.

This book profiles 35 political activists, social reformers and prominent leaders of revolutionary movements, including Joan of Arc, Frederick Douglass, Sitting Bull, Nelson Mandela, Rachel Carson, Harvey Milk and Janet Mock.

Read the firsthand experiences of Jo Ann Allen who, in 1956, was one of 12 African American students who broke the color barrier and integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee.

A remarkable true story from a social justice advocate and national bestselling author about her journey to belong in America while growing up undocumented in Texas.