For Fifth and Sixth Graders

	Blubber Blume, Judy      When overweight Linda gives an report on whales, the cruel and power-wielding class leader, Wendy, starts calling her "Blubber." The name-calling escalates into more bullying.
	The Secret Garden Burnett, Frances Hodgson      Ten-year old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and mysteries of a locked garden.
	Frindle Clements, Andrew      When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.
	Gregor the Overlander Collins, Suzanne      When Gregor falls through a grate in his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, and cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war and Gregor's arrival is no accident.
	The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963        Curtis, Christopher Paul      The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Dahl, Roald      Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.
	Because of Winn-Dixie DiCamillo, Kate      Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.
	Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key        Gantos, Jack      To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription meds wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.
	Julie of the Wolves George, Jean Craighead      While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack.
	Among the Hidden Haddix, Margaret Peterson      In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.
	Ella Enchanted Levine, Gail Carson      Since her birth, Ella of Frell has been the unfortunate recipient of an addled fairy's gift--the "gift" of obedience. But spunky Ella does not tamely accept her fate and embarks on a quest to break this curse once and for all.
	The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe        Lewis, C. S.      Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
	Island of the Blue Dolphins O'Dell, Scott      The adventures of a beautiful Indian girl who lives a serene and courageous life as the solitary survivor for eighteen years on a remote island off the California coast, in the 1880's.
	Mick Harte Was Here Park, Barbara.      Thirteen-year-old Phoebe recalls her younger brother Mick and his death in a bicycle accident.
	Where the Red Fern Grows: The Story of Two Dogs and a Boy Rawls, Wilson.      A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.
	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Rowling, J. K.      Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.
	Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Poems and Drawings of Shel Silverstein Silverstein, Shel.      A boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale are only two of the characters in a collection of humorous poetry illustrated with the author's own drawings.
	The Bad Beginning Snicket, Lemony.      After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.
	Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Taylor, Mildred D.      A black family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which the children do not understand.
	The Little House in the Big Woods Wilder, Laura Ingalls.      A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier.

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