2021 Graded Reading Lists: Grades 5 & 6 | Arlington Public Library

1) Astronauts: women on the final frontier

Author

Description

"The U.S. may have put the first man on the moon, but it was the Soviet space program that made Valentina Tereshkova the first woman in space. It took years to catch up, but soon NASA's first female astronauts were racing past milestones of their own. The trail-blazing women of Group 9, NASA's first mixed gender class, had the challenging task of convincing the powers that be that a woman's place is in space, but they discovered that NASA had plenty...

Author

Description

"Introduced by a mysterious one-eyed cat, a bullied middle school student and a high school rock-band musician forge an unexpected friendship that helps them better understand themselves and what they really want from life"--

3) Pepper Page saves the universe!

Author

Walker, Landry Q

Series

Infinite adventures of Supernova volume 1

Description

"The year is 2421. Awkward and shy, Pepper buries herself in the universe of the classic fictional superhero Supernova to avoid dealing with the perils of the 9th grade. But then fate intervenes when Pepper encounters a strange cat named Mister McKittens and stumbles into a volatile science experiment run by a sinister substitute teacher named Doctor Killian"--

4) The leak: for the love of truth

Author

Petty, Kate Reed

Description

"Ruth Keller is brash and precocious; she argues with her dentist, her parents, and her teachers. So, when she discovers a strange black slime in the man-made lake of her suburban neighborhood, she decides to investigate. Fortified by the encouragement of those around her, Ruth seeks the truth at all costs, even if it means taking on the rich local country club owner, who she believes is responsible for the pollution. Between the teasing of former...

5) Primer: a superhero graphic novel

Author

Description

"While living with her latest set of foster parents, Ashley Rayburn mistakenly applies some found body paints which give her a wide range of special powers, but soon the military discovers what happened to their secret weapon and this puts Ashley and her newfound family and friends in danger."--Provided by publisher.

6) Becoming Brianna

Author

Libenson, Terri

Series

Emmie & friends volume 4

Formats:

eBook, Graphic Novel, Kindle

Description

New York Times bestseller! Terri Libenson returns with another endearing, relatable story of friendship and finding confidence. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jennifer L. Holm.

Middle school is full of challenges.

Everyone knows how much brainy Bri likes the spotlight (not). So why did she ever agree to something that forces her to learn a new language, give a speech, help organize a party, and juggle drama

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Author

Description

Graphic novel about a young girl who befriends her town's witch and discovers the strange magic within herself. Snap's town had a witch. At least, that's how the rumor goes. But in reality, Jacks is just a crocks-wearing, internet-savvy old lady who sells roadkill skeletons online--after doing a little ritual to put their spirits to rest. It's creepy, sure, but Snap thinks it's kind of cool, too. They make a deal: Jacks will teach Snap how to take...

8) Beetle & the Hollowbones

Author

Description

Twelve-year-old goblin and witch-in-training Beetle enlists her former best friend, Kat Hollowbones, to help stop Kat's sorceress aunt from demolishing the mall where Beetle's friend Blob Ghost is trapped.

9) Measuring Up

Author

Formats:

eBook, Graphic Novel, Kindle

Description

An ALA Top 10 Graphic Novel of 2021 · A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection · Fall 2020 Kids Indie Next List · Featured in Today Show's AAPI Heritage Month List · Amazon Best Books November Selection · Cybils Awards Finalist · An NBC AAPI Selection · Featured in Parents Magazine Book Nook October issue · A CBC Hot off the Press October Selection · WA State Book Awards Finalist · Texas Library Association

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10) Twins: A Graphic Novel

Author

Johnson, Varian

Series

Formats:

Book, eBook, Graphic Novel, Kindle

Description

Coretta Scott King Honor author Varian Johnson teams up with rising cartoonist Shannon Wright for a delightful middle-grade graphic novel!

Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran — a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and

...

11) When stars are scattered

Author

Jamieson, Victoria

Description

"Omar and his younger brother Hassan live in a refugee camp, and when an opportunity for Omar to get an education comes along, he must decide between going to school every day or caring for his nonverbal brother in this intimate and touching portrayal of family and daily life in a refugee camp"--

12) Long distance

Author

Gardner, Whitney

Description

After moving to Seattle, Vega's dads send her to the very strange Camp Best Friend, where she discovers that one can make new friends without forgetting old ones.

13) Deep into the Amazon jungle

Author

Fraioli, James O

Series

Fabien Cousteau expeditions volume 3

Description

Junior explorers Will and Jacklyn join Fabien Cousteau and his crew of scientists on a riverboat journey into the Amazon jungle, seeking to determine if a new species of giant piranha exists.

14) Witches of Brooklyn

Author

Escabasse, Sophie

Series

Witches of Brooklyn volume 1

Description

"Effie moves to Brooklyn to live with her strange aunt and soon discovers that she might be a witch"--

15) The Weirn books: Vol. 1,Be wary of the silent woods

Author

Chmakova, Svetlana

Series

Weirn books volume 1

Formats:

Book, Graphic Novel

Description

In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets... but they still have to go to school! Ailis and Na'ya are pretty average students (NOT losers), but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they are the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na'ya's little brother D'esh disappears-It's time to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!

16) Class Act: A Graphic Novel

Author

Series

New kid (Jerry Craft)

Formats:

eAudiobook, eBook, Graphic Novel, Kindle

Description

New York Times bestselling author Jerry Craft returns with a companion book to New Kid, winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize. This time, it's Jordan's friend Drew who takes center stage in another laugh-out-loud funny, powerful, and important story about being one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school.

Eighth grader Drew Ellis is no

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17) Trespassers

Author

Description

"Gabby Woods loves a mystery, but is breaking into an abandoned lake house going too far to uncover the truth? Gabby Woods is looking forward to another summer vacation at her family's lake house, even though she would rather bury herself in a mystery novel than make new friends. But soon Gabby meets Paige, a snarky kid from Chicago, and they get caught up in a local mystery: the sudden disappearance of a glamorous couple and the extravagant lake...

18) Young Leonardo

Author

Description

"Meet Leonardo da Vinci, a curious little boy who closely examines the world around him -- gaining inspiration for beautiful paintings and wild machines of all kinds (even some that fly!). Little does he know he'll one day paint some of the world's greatest masterpieces like the "Mona Lisa" and even spur the great period of cultural rebirth known as the Renaissance!" -- Back cover.

19) Blood and germs: the Civil War battle against wounds and disease

Author

Formats:

Book, eBook, Kindle

Description

"...explores the science and grisly history of U.S. Civil War medicine, using actual medical cases and first-person accounts by soldiers, doctors, and nurses."--

20) Black heroes of the wild west

Author

Smith, James Otis

Description

""Black Heroes of the Wild West" celebrates the extraordinary true tales of three black historical figures in the Old West: Mary "Stagecoach" Fields, a cardplaying coach driver; Bass Reeves, the first black Deputy S Marshall west of the Mississippi; and Bob Lemmons, a cowboy famous for his ability to tame mustangs"--