The Best Novels to Read with Sixth Grade

5 Best Novel Units for Sixth Grade

Your sixth grade students are ready not just to read young adult novels; they are ready to engage, discuss, and devour good literature. There are so many amazing books for your upper elementary and middle school students to read and enjoy. Use these best novel units for sixth grade to teach these engaging novels with no-prep!

Freak the Mighty

Max was a big kid that always assumed he was “stupid” until he found a friend in a peer with physical disabilities, “Freak”. This is a popular novel for 9-12 year olds, and a perfect unit to discuss differences, empathy, and kindness.

This is one of my favorite sixth grade novels to introduce Socratic Seminar. This discussion strategy allows your students to have deep discussions with their classmates about whole class or literature circle novels. Socratic Seminar uses the guiding and interpretive questions provided in each novel unit while using text-based evidence and critical thinking.

A Long Walk to Water

The novel by Linda Sue Park is based on a true story. The story is from two perspectives of Sudanese children. The first story takes place in 2008 with a girl, Nya, who makes a trip to retrieve water two hours from her home each day. Salva, a young boy, lives in 1985 Sudan. He is a Sudanese refugee who is searching for his family and safety in his war torn country. Use this story to talk about other cultures and the way stories can overlap and the similarities we can find with one another.

The updated sixth grade novel units include digital student notebooks and suggested answers. All the novel units, including this one, are perfect to roll out to remote learners as well as in person students! Simply upload the PowerPoint or PDFs to Google Classroom for your students.

Wonder

Another movie connection book, Wonder is one of my students’ favorite titles. With the emphasis on “Be Kind” in schools, this title is the perfect way to discuss different perspectives and empathy.

Use this book to teach point of view. The book is told in first person but through different changing perspectives in each “Part” or groups of chapters.

Because of the emphasis on point of view in the sixth grade novel unit, the interpretative questions incorporate writing from different perspectives and points of view. I like to ask my students how stories would be different if we learned what happened from a different character’s perspective, and Wonder allows us to see so many sides and talk about character development as well.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Twelve-year-old Moose lives with his electrician father at Alcatraz and meets some of the most notorious criminals of the 1930s. This is a great book to incorporate with nonfiction, informational readings as a historical fiction piece.

Since this book has some more challenging vocabulary and mature themes, use it with advanced, mature readers or for whole group instruction.

Harry Potter

Upper elementary is the perfect time for students to start reading the Harry Potter books. Even if your students have already read the first book on their own, this unit aligns with all common core reading standards for sixth grade.

The questions included in the unit dive into character, plot, and vocabulary – all important elements of literature and these novels. Join Harry, Hermione, Ron, and more on their fantastical journeys. This unit culminates with a movie discussion and activity. What could be better than a book and a movie?

These novels for sixth grade are just five that you will find in the full sixth grade reading curriculum . Whether you are using nonfiction, short stories, any of the 10 novel studies in your classroom, your students are sure to enjoy reading in your classroom!

Check out these units right here on the blog: Wonder,  A Long Walk to Water, Harry Potter, Freak the Mighty, and Al Capone Does my Shirts