6th grade/ bildungsroman

hello, looking for some recommendations of books for a sixth grade reader. truthfully, she doesn't read at that level, yet. but teacher insists. and she seems to like innocuous boy/girl friendships. no harlequins. i have encouraged anne of green gables- but doubtful she will try it. she is working on- don't cry for me- by karla jarunkova. i find it a little pointless, ... but she seems to enjoy the theme... if there is one, I'm not sure yet. trying to encourage mixed themes in this genre, something w a little adventure thrown in. she is certain that adventure will be boring thx

What about Lois Lowry? I always liked her Anastasia Krupnik books.

>2 reconditereader: i will try that, thx

Touchstone: Don't Cry for Me by Klára Jarunková

Hmm. Perhaps non-fiction or realistic historical fiction that falls into the YA classification so the works don't feel childish to her? No epic adventure tales or Romance novels....

My suggestions:

• Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood visual memoir by Marjane Satrapi (non-American)

• Brief History of Montmaray (fictional journal, historical) by Michelle Cooper (non-American)

• Moon Over Manifest (historical fiction novel) by Clare Vanderpool (American author)

• The View from Saturday (realistic fiction) by E. L. Konigsburg (American author)

• Sophie's World (philosophical fiction) by Jostein Gaarder (non-American)

Are graphic stories okay?

In case it's friendship she likes, Roller girl by Victoria Jamieson is a good graphic novel, though the adventure is mostly going outside your current comfort zone to try a new thing (roller skating).

About kids in middle school, being friends, and some wanting sweeties (including at least one queer kid IIRC), there's Drama by Raina Telgemaier.

>4 aspirit: Thank you for these- I will add a couple to my to read list. I think these will be out of her comfort zone, but I will mention them to her.

I believe that the only reason that she is reading the above-named book, is because she attends school with an older library, in a region that has population immigrated from Slovenia, and so this work has probably been there since it was published. I think the nuance is lost on her, and I will have to mention next time about Iron Curtain countries at that time. Also, she was interested in the boyfriend aspect. I have finished the book before her, and know she will be disappointed. I have recommended many Newbery Works to her as well, as I believe they should qualify as 6th grade reading, but reading is not her greatest enthusiasm. I keep hoping that we can find one that will set that spark.

>5 karenb: I will mention these as well. I don't know where she or her teacher stands on the graphic novel issue.

thank you

Brief History of Montmaray is a terrific book, but not for a sixth grader who isn't quite reading at her grade level.

Does she prefer fantasy or realism?

Also, look here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/69688

>8 Marissa_Doyle: Truthfully, she prefers not to read at all. I worked with her in years, past and believe that if she could have found her confidence - she would have gotten past this. Currently, nobody is working with her and she may be at an age where she would feel embarrassed to try. I believe someone has told her that there is no such thing as a learning difficulty- so they just push her forward.

The only thing she has mentioned is love stories- but avoiding graphicness in them. The book she is reading avoids that - but I think she is waiting for a pleasant ending. I feel her teacher's expectation to read books that are a struggle will deepen her wedge against reading.

>9 Marissa_Doyle: thank you for the list. Terabithia seems the one most likely to match her criteria- but I don't know how she will feel about the ending. I also don't know if her teacher would accept it as 6th grade.

What other media does she like--any favorite movies or TV shows? Maybe if we could match her interests better, that would go some way to getting over the hurdle of not liking to read.

And yeah, I kind of want to whack that teacher upside the head.

Another suggestion--The Penderwicks books.

Might she enjoy mysteries?

She does/did watch a variety of shows/ movies. She likes young Sheldon. lol. I know some parents hate that- but she has access to much worse. She and I have watched Mallory Towers and she enjoyed that- so I sent her a book cover image of it- to remind her that she might enjoy it. We watched a recent series on artificial intelligence- Emergent/Emergency; Watched that Apple production of the young girl who wrote her own newspaper- so you would think, mystery, adventure right? Sometimes I think she just says things. Her teacher is reading the book Cinder outloud- excruciatingly slowly- lol. They haven't even gotten to the ball yet. I read Betsy, Tacy books when she was younger and she loved them. Currently, trying to read Chronicles of Mistmantle- but I see her so seldom. I too love the Penderwicks. Tried to convince her that Wrinkle In Time had a boy crush in the story. I did have her watch The more modern/shorter version of Pride and Prejudice last weekend. She was so so until the end. All she wanted was them to kiss.

She's a tough nut to crack.

>13 EGBERTINA: I think Meet the Austins is an easier introduction to L’Engle for a reluctant reader. But then you have to get beyond the idea of suggesting something so ancient.
But there are some delightful old novels that are easy to consume. Daddy Long-Legs and Dear Enemy are a couple.

Austins might work. it crossed my mind, briefly, once. - i'll check out the others

thx

The Gallagher Girls series, maybe?

Possibly The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman, if she doesn't object to the fantasy/adventure elements. Lots of pg-relationships in that one, and if she likes it there are two sequels.

There's also Enthusiasm by the same author, which avoids the fantasy/adventure elements, but I think it might be a bit higher reading level.

I had also thought of Ella Enchanted but if she's getting "Cinder" at school, she might not be that interested in a second Cinderella.

>17 merrystar: thank u. there might be something there.

>16 Marissa_Doyle: Ally carter?

>19 EGBERTINA: Yes!

Kasie West books are great "beginner romances." My 6th graders loved them, and there was nothing graphic in them.

If graphic novels would work, try the series by Svetlana Chmakova - Awkward, Brave, and Crush.

>21 Hope_H: Thank you. I will look into those.

>1 EGBERTINA: "truthfully, she doesn't read at that level, yet. but teacher insists."

If she is not ready (linguistically most likely) to read at that level, isn't that a recipe for creating a non-reader? Oh well... :( I never understood the whole "grade-level" thing anyway.

>1 EGBERTINA: "i find it a little pointless, ... but she seems to enjoy the theme..."

That is often true for a lot of children books though, no? While some are profound and essentially timeless and ageless, kids also need to read the ones that don't age very well but get them introduced to topics and feelings and the good old cliches they have a lifetime to try never to read again :)

Do you have access to a library? It may be worth going to a library with a children section and let her (or you) look through what is in there - I tend to do that even if I do not have a 6th grader (or any child) at home - some of the newer books are interesting. :)

If she can handle hard topics (death of relatives) and ghosts, I found Allison Mills' The Ghost Collector pretty decent (although you may want to read it before her to make sure there is nothing you would rather not have her exposed to.

The Lost Legacy (Gwenda Bond and Christopher Rowe) was entertaining as well (and has a sequel if she likes it)

If she interested in history and geography, the whole The 39 Clues series may also work.

i will keep these suggestions on hand. thank u

and yes,- it seems an exercise in creating a non-reader.

and, yup- i sure did read my share of average or pointless books - but we were given quite a bit of free rein. i was reading my brother's mad magazines by 7. but, gratefully, that was hardly the only thing available.

I don't know how she feels about animals, but at that age I was mad for horse books. Black Beauty, Misty of Chincoteague, etc.

>25 tealadytoo: I have a whole shelf of horse books; and another for dogs and other animals.

She practically scratched my eyes out at the suggestion of horse books- which is a bit odd, as it seems a few years back she was kind of a horse girl like her older sister.

but thank u

Another series that my middle school kids loved was the Jake Maddox series. Most feature a middle school or high school athlete and a dilemma that student faces. The sports are wide-ranging - volleyball, rodeo, cheerleading, paintball, snowboard, etc. Each book has 64 pages, slightly larger than average type, and a lot of white space on the pages. The reading level tends to be around a 3rd or 4th grade level, but they are definitely for the middle school crowd. These are great books for kids who aren't thrilled with reading.

>27 Hope_H: thank u volleyball could work

touchstone: Jump Serve

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte
Jinxed by Amy McCullough

Since no one has mentioned it:

The Secret Garden certainly deals with growing up.

>31 librorumamans: yes one of my fav's; however unlikely that she will be interested. if it were that easy- i could offer her most any book on my shelves.

thank u