Battle of the Books: Grade 6

All Thirteen: The incredible cave rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team

Soontornvat, Christina,


On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an afternoon's adventure. But when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out. The boys are trapped! Before long, news of the missing team spreads, launching a seventeen-day rescue operation involving thousands of rescuers from around the globe. Combining firsthand interviews of rescue workers with in-depth science and details of the region's culture and religion, the author shows how both the complex engineering operation above ground and the mental struggles of the thirteen young people below proved critical in the life-or-death mission. --
Date Published:2020

On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an afternoon's adventure. But when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out. The boys are trapped! Before long, news of the missing team spreads, launching a seventeen-day rescue operation involving thousands of rescuers from around the globe. Combining firsthand interviews of rescue workers with in-depth science and details of the region's culture and religion, the author shows how both the complex engineering operation above ground and the mental struggles of the thirteen young people below proved critical in the life-or-death mission. --

Date Published:2020

Chasing Lincoln's killer /

Swanson, James L., 1959-


Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, Chasing Lincoln's Killer is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia. .
Date Published:2009

I am Malala : how one girl stood up for education and changed the world /

Yousafzai, Malala, 1997-,


Young Readers Version . I Am Malala is the memoir of a remarkable teenage girl who risked her life for the right to go to school. Raised in a changing Pakistan by an enlightened father from a poor background and a beautiful, illiterate mother from a political family, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. I Am Malala tells her story of bravery and determination in the face of extremism, detailing the daily challenges of growing up in a world transformed by terror.
Date Published:2016

Young Readers Version . I Am Malala is the memoir of a remarkable teenage girl who risked her life for the right to go to school. Raised in a changing Pakistan by an enlightened father from a poor background and a beautiful, illiterate mother from a political family, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. I Am Malala tells her story of bravery and determination in the face of extremism, detailing the daily challenges of growing up in a world transformed by terror.

Date Published:2016

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Bowling, Dusti,


Includes discussion questions and an excerpt from "Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus." Aven Green didn't lose her arms in an alligator wrestling match or in a wildfire in Tanzania. That's just what she tells people when she gets the "looks." The truth is, Aven was born without arms but, at age 13, that hasn't stopped her from doing almost anything. Then her parents take a job managing Stagecoach Pass, a rundown Western theme park in Arizona, and Aven has to leave everything she knows behind. Aven struggles to make friends at her new school, where the kids can't seem to see past her missing arms. But her life takes another unexpected turn when she meets Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability. Together, they discover an old storage shed at the park that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It's hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your fears. But Aven's about to find out what she's capable of ... and how far from insignificant she is.
Date Published:2019

Includes discussion questions and an excerpt from "Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus." Aven Green didn't lose her arms in an alligator wrestling match or in a wildfire in Tanzania. That's just what she tells people when she gets the "looks." The truth is, Aven was born without arms but, at age 13, that hasn't stopped her from doing almost anything. Then her parents take a job managing Stagecoach Pass, a rundown Western theme park in Arizona, and Aven has to leave everything she knows behind. Aven struggles to make friends at her new school, where the kids can't seem to see past her missing arms. But her life takes another unexpected turn when she meets Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability. Together, they discover an old storage shed at the park that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It's hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your fears. But Aven's about to find out what she's capable of ... and how far from insignificant she is.

Date Published:2019

The Mysterious Howling

Wood, Maryrose,


Fifteen-year-old Miss Penelope Lumley, a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, is hired as governess to three young children who have been raised by wolves and must teach them to behave in a civilized manner quickly, in preparation for a Christmas ball.
Date Published:2010

New Kid

Craft, Jerry,


New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds-and not really fitting into either one. .
Date Published:2019

New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds-and not really fitting into either one. .

Date Published:2019

War Horse

Morpurgo, Michael.


A powerful tale of war, redemption, and a hero's journey--now available in paperback! In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again? .
Date Published:2007

A powerful tale of war, redemption, and a hero's journey--now available in paperback! In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again? .

Date Published:2007

WAR HORSE


From legendary director Steven Spielberg comes the epic adventure War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope, and tenacity. Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and his young trainer Albert. When they're forced apart by war, we follow Joey's extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets. Filled with spectacularly rich visuals - and complete with never-before-seen bonus features - War Horse is a "Genuine movie masterpiece" (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) and one of the most powerful and moving stories of friendship ever told.
Date Published:

From legendary director Steven Spielberg comes the epic adventure War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope, and tenacity. Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and his young trainer Albert. When they're forced apart by war, we follow Joey's extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets. Filled with spectacularly rich visuals - and complete with never-before-seen bonus features - War Horse is a "Genuine movie masterpiece" (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) and one of the most powerful and moving stories of friendship ever told.

Date Published:

The Wednesday Wars /

Schmidt, Gary D.


"Sandpiper." Originally published in hardcover by Clarion, 2007. During the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare. .
Date Published:2007

When stars are scattered

Jamieson, Victoria,


"This book is a work of fiction based on true events. It reflects the author's present recollections of experiences over time. Some names and characteristics have been changed or invented, some events have been compressed, and dialogue has been re-created." -- title page verso. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.
Date Published:2020

"This book is a work of fiction based on true events. It reflects the author's present recollections of experiences over time. Some names and characteristics have been changed or invented, some events have been compressed, and dialogue has been re-created." -- title page verso. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.

Date Published:2020