Around the World: Grade 6 The following titles are award winning or notable recommended reading for the IB Middle Years Program. HISTORICAL FICTION ANGEL ON THE SQUARE by Gloria Whelan RL: 5.6 IL: 69 In the fall of 1914, safe behind palace walls, Katya Ivanova sees St. Petersburg as a magical place. The daughter of a ladyinwaiting to the Empress, Katya spends all her time with the Grand Duchesses; the royal family feels like her own. But outside the palace, a terrible war is sweeping through Europe, and Russia is beginning to crumble under the weight of a growing revolution. Now, as Katya’s oncecertain future begins to dissolve, she must seek to understand what is happening to her beloved country and, for the first time in her life, take charge of her own destiny.
ADAM OF THE ROAD by Elizabeth Gray RL 6.5 IL: 47 Awarded the John Newbery Medal as "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" in the year of its publication. "A road's a kind of holy thing," said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. "That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle." And Adam, though only eleven, was to remember his father's words when his beloved dog, Nick, was stolen and Roger had disappeared and he found himself traveling alone along these same great roads, searching the fairs and market towns for his father and his dog. Here is a story of thirteenthcentury England, so absorbing and lively that for all its authenticity it scarcely seems "historical."
AFRICA IS MY HOME : A CHILD OF THE AMISTAD by Monica Edinger RL: 5.3 IL: 58 Accompanied by more than 40 detailed inkandwatercolor illustrations, this historical picture book retells the story of the "Amistad" Africans from a child's pointofview. Based on the experiences of nineyearold Magulu, this story takes Magulu from West Africa to Cuba to America and back again to Africa. It first begins with Magulu's father selling her in exchange for rice. Before long, Magulu is captured and spends several weeks on a slave ship destined for Cuba. There, Magulu is sold again and taken aboard the "Amistad." Magulu finally arrives in America, where she endures endless struggles until the Africans are declared free and sent back to their homeland.
ALL MY NOBLE DREAMS AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS by Gloria Whelan RL: 6.1 IL: 47 Rosalind inhabits two worlds in 1920s India. There is the world of her heritage English to the core, with a strict father who is a major in the British Indian Army, a muted mother, and a tutor to educate her within the walls of the luxurious estate her family occupies. And then there is the world of her home land or the land that feels like home, anyway. The world where followers of Gandhi surround her, and the streets are full of poverty and the whispers of independence. The two worlds are colliding, and despite what Rosalind has been raised to think, she begins to resent the heavy hand of British rule. When her father's military position provides Rosalind the opportunity to meet the Prince of Wales, she has the chance to tell him about the injustice she witnesses in the streets of India. Rosalind desperately wants to do what is right, but will she have the courage to and what will be the consequence?
ARCADY'S GOAL by Eugene Yelchin RL: 4 IL: 47 Twelveyearold orphan Arcady copes with his difficult life in a Soviet children's home by spending as much time as possible playing soccer. When Ivan Ivanych, a man who lost his wife to the Stalinist purges, takes Arcady in and offers to coach him, it transforms both of their lives in profound ways.
ARCHER'S QUEST by Linda Sue Park RL: 4.6 IL: 47 Twelve year old Kevin, A Korean American math whiz, is shocked beyond belief when a young man, complete with bow and arrows, crash lands in his bedroom. And that's just the beginning. The man, called Skillful Archer, claims to be a legendary ruler from ancient Korea. While Kevin tries explaining contemporary life to the man he nicknames Archie, the young ruler teaches Kevin about focusing his thoughts in an attempt to help him return to his kingdom. There's not a moment to lose as Kevin uses Korean history and folktales, math, and the Chinese Zodiac to help his friend travel back through time before the Year of the Tiger ends. If Archie can't get home, history will be forever changed.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 DAYS by Gary Blackwood RL: 5.6 IL: 58 In 1891, Harry Fogg, the daring son of Around the World in 80 Days race winner Phileas Fogg, makes an astounding claim that he can race a steampowered motorcar around the world in just 100 days. Commissioned by his father, Harry – with three friends in tow – faces a challenging journey as he races against time and encounters a variety of obstacles, including flash fires and a saboteur. Will Harry race to victory or will he have to give up his obsession with cars?
BEFORE WE WERE FREE by Julia Alvarez RL: 5.6 IL: 69 Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her 12th birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have emigrated to the United States, her Tío Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government's secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition of el Trujillo's dictatorship. Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind. From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl's struggle to be free.
COLOR OF MY WORDS by Lynn Joseph RL: 5.1 IL: 47 Twelveyearold Ana Rosa is a blossoming writer growing up in the Dominican Republic, a country where words are feared. Yet there is so much inspiration all around her watching her brother search for a future, learning to dance and to love, and finding out what it means to be part of a community that Ana Rosa must write it all down. As she struggles to find her own voice and a way to make it heard, Ana Rosa realizes the power of her words to transform the world around her and to transcend the most unthinkable of tragedies.
DAY OF THE PELICAN by Katherine Paterson RL: 5.2 IL: 58 Meli Lleshi is positive that her drawing of her teacher with his pelican nose started it all. The Lleshis are Albanians living in Kosovo, a country trying to fight off Serbian oppressors, and suddenly they are homeless refugees. Old and young alike, they find their courage tested by hunger, illness, the long, arduous journey, and danger on every side. Then, unexpectedly, they are brought to America by a church group and begin a new life in a small Vermont town. The events of 9/11 bring more challenges for this Muslim familybut this country is their home now and there
can be no turning back.A compassionate, powerful novel by a master storyteller.
DEVIL AND HIS BOY by Anthony Horowitz RL: 4.6 IL: 58 The year is 1593, and thirteenyearold orphan Tom Falconer is grossly underfed and overworked by the evil innkeepers who employ him. But within the span of a few days he is rescued by a night, pursued on horseback by a famous highwayman, nearly killed by a gang of beggars, introduced to William Shakespeare, hired by an acting troupe, performs before Queen Elizabeth, and saves the entire English monarchy. The fun in this fastpaced and historically accurate (nearly all of the characters are based on real people) story is that Tom does it all without having a clue what is happening to him or what he should do next. He is simply swept along, as the reader is, in a tale full of humor, intrigue, magic, and adventure. The characters are especially vivid, full of rotten teeth, scarred faces, and moldy dispositions. And refreshingly the pace is not slowed down by the presence of a love interest or moralizing.
DRAGONFLY POOL by Eva Ibbotson RL: 6.5 IL: 69 Elevenyearold Tally is forced to leave her loving father in London and honor a scholarship to Delderton, a progressive boarding school in the countryside. When Tally learns that the King of Bergania refuses to give in to Hitler's demands and announces they are having an international children's festival, Tally insists that her school attend. While at the festival, the students witness the King being assassinated. They rescue 12yearold Prince Karil, who eventually escapes his country for good to attend Delderton and be with his friends. Set at the start of World War II and ending six years later, this fascinating book is based on the author's own childhood experiences.
I RODE A HORSE OF MILK WHITE JADE by Diane Wilson RL: 6.3 IL: 610 In early fourteenthcentury China, Oyuna tells her granddaughter of her girlhood in Mongolia and how love for her horse enabled her to win an important race and bring good luck to her family. When Oyuna was a baby, a horse accidentally crushed her foot, cursing her family with bad luck. Oyuna vows to restore good fortune to her family...but how? One fateful day, soldiers from the great Khan's army invade her village to steal horses and gather new soldiers. In hopes of bringing honor to her family, Oyuna courageously disguises herself as a boy and joins the soldiers on their quest. With only her horse and her cat to keep her company, Oyuna sets off on an amazing journey across deserts and mountainsa journey that will change her life forever.
ICE WHALE by Jean Craighead George RL: 5.3 In 1848, tenyearold Toozak, a Yupik Eskimo, sees a whale being born and is told by a shaman that he and his descendants must protect that whale, which Toozak names Siku, as long as it lives.
INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai RL: 4.8 IL: 47 For all the ten years of her life, Ha has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by, and the beauty of her very own papaya tree. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Ha and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.
KALEIDOSCOPE EYES by Jen Bryant. RL: 5.7 In 1968, with the Vietnam War raging, thirteenyearold Lyza inherits a project from her deceased grandfather, who had been using his knowledge of maps and the geography of Lyza's New Jersey hometown to locate the lost treasure of Captain Kidd.
LARA'S GIFT by Annemarie O’Brien RL: 5.1 IL: 58 In early 1900s Russia, Lara is doing everything within her power to become the next kennel steward of borzoi dogs, following in her father's footsteps. The only problem is that Lara is a girl, and girls don't hold important positions. Instead, they find husbands and settle down. Lara is determined to prove herself and demonstrate her uncanny ability to understand the dogs. When Lara's mother gives birth to a baby boy and her father decides to make his son the heir to this coveted position, Lara's hopes are dashed. Will Lara's special visions and daring rescue of her beloved dog, Ryczar, make her father reconsider his decision?
LISTENING FOR LIONS by Gloria Whelan RL: 5.7 IL: 58 In 1919, in British East Africa, 13yearold Rachel loses her missionary parents during an influenza epidemic. When she turns to her English neighbors for help, the Pritchards ensnare her in a shocking, illintentioned scheme. Disowned by their rich parents, they were planning on sending their daughter Valerie to her grandfather's estate in England to help reinstate them in his will. When Valerie dies of the flu, they conspire to send Rachel in her place. Once in England, Rachel and the grandfather develop a surprisingly strong bond, but she continues to pretend to be Valerie, afraid that the truth will kill the old man. Rachel must grapple with her dishonest behavior, grief for her lost parents and life in Africa, and looming questions about how to prepare for grownup life at a time when few choices were allowed to women.
MAMBA POINT by Kurtis Scaletta RL: 4.2 IL: 58 When his dad gets a job at the U.S. embassy in Liberia, twelveyearold Linus Tuttle knows it's his chance for a fresh start. Instead of being his typical anxious self, from now on he'll be cooler and bolder: the new Linus. But as soon as his family gets off the plane, they see a black mambaone of the deadliest snakes in Africa. Linus's parents insist mambas are rare, but the neighborhood is called Mamba Point, and Linus can barely go outside without tripping over onehe's sure the venomous serpents are drawn to him. Then he hears about kasengs, and the belief that some people have a deep, mysterious connection to certain animals. Unless Linus wants to hide in his apartment forever (drawing or playing games with the strange kid downstairs while his older brother meets girls and hangs out at the pool), he has to get over his fear of his kaseng animal. Soon he's not only keeping a black mamba in his laundry hamper; he's also feeling braver than ever before. Is it his resolution to become the new Linus, or does his sudden confidence have something to do with his scaly new friend?
MUD CITY by Deborah Ellis RL: 4.9 The story of fourteenyearold Shauzia, who escaped from Kabul, Afghanistan and who is unhappy with her life as a refugee in a camp in Pakistan.
PARVANA’S JOURNEY by Deborah Ellis RL: 4.9 With Kabul in ruins from the Taliban's control, Parvana dresses as a boy and sets out to leave Afghanistan in search of her family.
THE RIGHT FLIGHT by Chris Lynch RL: 6.2 IL: 68 When the draft board calls on the eve of World War II, Roman leaves behind a career in minorleague baseball to join the army, and finds himself driving a tank in the North African campaign.
WHEN MY NAME WAS KEOKO by Linda Sue Park RL: 4.6 IL: 59 Sunhee and her older brother, Taeyul, live in Korea with their parents. Because Korea is under Japanese occupation, the children study Japanese and speak it at school. Their own language, their flag, the folktales Uncle tells themeven their namesare all part of the Korean culture that is now forbidden. When World War II comes to Korea, Sunhee is surprised that the Japanese expect their Korean subjects to fight on their side. But the greatest shock of all comes when Taeyul enlists in the Japanese army in an attempt to protect Uncle, who is suspected of aiding the Korean resistance. Sunhee stays behind, entrusted with the lifeanddeath secrets of a family at war.
WHITE CRANE by Sandy Fussell RL: 3.8 IL: 58 Niya Moto is the only onelegged samurai kid in Japan, famous for falling flat on his face in the dirt. The one school that will accept him is the Cockroach Ryu, led by the legendary sensei KiYaga. He may be an old man overly fond of naps, but KiYaga is also known for taking in kids that the world has judged harshly: an albino girl with extra fingers and toes, a boy who is blind, a big kid whose past makes him loath to fight. A warrior in his time, KiYaga demands excellence in everything from sword fighting to poetry. But can the ragtag Cockroaches make the treacherous journey to the Samurai Trainee Games, never mind take on the allconquering Dragons? In a fastmoving, actionfilled tale that draws on true details of feudal Japan, Niya finds there's no fear they can't face as long as they stick together for their friendship is more powerful than a samurai sword.
THE WHITE GIRAFFE by Lauren St. John RL: 6.2 After a fire kills her parents, 11 year old Martine must leave England to love with her grandmother on a wildlife game reserve in South Africa where she befriends a mythical white giraffe.
WILD BOOK by Margarita Engle RL: 5.7 IL: 58 Fefa struggles with words. She has word blindness, or dyslexia, and the doctor says she will never read or write. Every time she tries, the letters jumble and spill off the page, leaping away like bullfrogs. How will she ever understand them? But her mother has an idea. She gives Fefa a blank book filled with clean white pages. "Think of it as a garden," she says. Soon Fefa starts to sprinkle words across the pages of her wild book. She lets her words sprout like seedlings, shaky at first, then growing stronger and surer with each new day. And when her family is threatened, it is what Fefa has learned from her wild book that saves them.
NON FICTION AT HOME IN HER TOMB by Christine LuiPerkins Travel to China to experience the thrilling 1971 excavation uncovering the “best preserved body in the world”—that of Lady Dai, a Chinese noblewoman who was buried along with her husband, son and over 3,000 astonishingly intact artifacts more than 2,000 years ago.
BODIES FROM THE ICE : MELTING GLACIERS AND THE RECOVERY OF T by James Deem In 1991, mountain climbers on the Niederjoch Glacier on the ItalianAustrian border came across something unexpected: a body. It had been a very warm summer, and five bodies had already turned up in the area. But something here was different. The materials found with the body suggested it might be very old, perhaps from the 1800s. But radiocarbon dating proved the iceman was 5,300 years older, from the Copper Age. He was named Ötzi and he is the oldest human mummy preserved in ice ever found. In this Sibert Honor Book, James M. Deem takes us on a captivating and creepy journey to learn about glaciers, hulking masses of moving ice that are now offering up many secrets of the past.
CANYONS by Erik Hansen Readers will want to visit the vistas and canyons of the world for a memorable view of Earth history after reading this wonderful book on canyons. These fascinating landforms are created by the effects of rocks, water and tectonics. Hanson takes readers into six canyons in the United States Grand Canyon, Zion, Chaco, Diablo, Monterey and the Columbia River Gorge and ones in China, Spain, Australia and Africa. As each canyon is described, readers will be taken inside the canyon to gain a new perspective of the Earth's history. Clear, detailed writing makes the book easy to follow, and color illustrations bring to life the beauty of the canyons.
CHASING CHEETAHS : THE RACE TO SAVE AFRICA'S FASTEST CATS by Sy Montgomery Science becomes accessible by watching scientists at work in the natural world, making new discoveries and learning more about old ones, too. These titles follow scientists around the world from Africa where they study the cheetah in the hopes of helping it avoid extinction, to America's national parks where other scientists study Gila monsters, geysers and grizzly bears.
EMI AND THE RHINO SCIENTIST by Mary Carson Terri Roth trudges through the thick, dark Sumatran jungle. She's looking for a rhinoceros that's been seen in the area. It's a rare Sumatran rhino, the world's smallest rhino and one of the most endangered mammals on the planet.Suddenly she spots a young female rhino through the tangle of ferns and trees. The stocky animal is covered in reddish hair, and her snout sports two stubby horns. The rhino walks right up to Terri. The scientist slowly reaches out her hand and touches the rhino's big nose. The wild rhino's curiosity and friendliness remind Terri of Emi, the female Sumatran rhino that lives at the Cincinnati Zoo where Terri works. Terri is working with Emi to help save Sumatran rhinos from extinction—one calf at a time.
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS by Sara Kras The titles in the Nature's Wonders series introduce readers to beautiful places around the world, including the Nile River, Sahara Desert, Great Barrier Reef, Galapagos Islands and Great Lakes. Each title provides comprehensive information on the geography, history, wildlife, peoples and environmental issues of the region. The books also address the formation, growth and diversity of these places as well as the conservation efforts being made to protect each location's wonders and beauty. Accompanied by appealing photographs, color graphics, maps, a "fast facts" page, a list of resources for further study and a glossary.
MYSTERIES OF THE MUMMY KIDS by Kelly Halls Explores the mysteries surrounding mummy children found around the world including in South America, Egypt, Europe and Asia, and North America.
MACHU PICCHU by Elizabeth Mann Describes the history of the Inca civilization and the construction of the city of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains.
HOPE FOR WINTER: THE TRUE STORY OF A REMARKABLE DOLPHIN FRIENDSHIP by David Yates A story of a baby dolphin named Hope is rescued against all odds. Exactly 5 years and 1 day after Winter, the tailless dolphin who inspired a major motion picture featuring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, and Harry Conick Jr., was rescued, something pretty amazing happened. Just feet from where Winter was found, appeared another injured dolphin, orphaned from her mother and struggling to survive. The Clearwater Marine team quickly went to work, attempting to nurse this new dolphin back to health. After a tough fight fought by the little dolphin and by the Clearwater team, the dolphin grew strong and healthy. She now lives with Winter and crowds flock to the aquarium to see them play. Her tale is one of courage and triumph. She was named Hope and this book tells her story.
