6th Grade Summer Reading List (Ages 11 – 12)

Want to keep your 6th grader (age 11-12) reading all summer long? The best way is to make sure they have a lot of excellent books.

I’ve debated forever and finally chosen a selection of fantastic books for your child to read.

The books below are my 6th-grade summer reading list for kids ages 11 and 12.

But,… it’s not always as easy to get kids to read simply by having a good book. Kids are distracted by technology and activities and life and on and on.

What else helps motivate kids to read?

1. Choice 
   Let kids pick their own books. Even if it’s a choice within certain guidelines, it’s still a choice. No one likes to be forced to do anything, so the more autonomy kids can have, the better.
2. Accountability
   If I didn’t require a certain amount of time reading, it wouldn’t happen with my tween. Even though she loves reading. Last summer my kids tracked minutes reading to earn minutes on screen time. However you plan it, make sure you’re checking in on the reading so it doesn’t get forgotten.
3. Variety
   Think outside the traditional book here. Try ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, or blogs.
4. Fun
   Get a new beanbag pillow just for reading. Read with headlamps in the dark. Whatever your kids like, see if you can pair it with reading.

I have the lists organized by genre. Consider picking one book from each genre to read this summer. That way, your child gets exposed to a wide variety of fiction.

Shop this book list.

Want to help your child be accountable for their reading? Get this summer reading packet witih goal setting, a genre graph, & book tracker.

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6th Grade Summer Reading List: GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Primer by Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski
• Cucumber Quest 1: The Doughnut Kingdom by Gigi D.G.
• When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
• Class Act by Jerry Craft
• Act by Kyla Miller
• Brave by Svetlana Chmakova

6th Grade Summer Reading List: FANTASY and SCI-FI

If you like fantasy and sci-fi chapter books, you’ll like:

• Bloom by Kenneth Oppel
• The Adventurers Guild by Zach Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos
• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
• Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin
• Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga by David A. Robertson
• Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

6th Grade Summer Reading List: ADVENTURE

If you like mystery and adventure, you’ll love:

• The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks
• 96 Miles by J.L. Esplin
• Framed! A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery by James Ponti
• The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
• City Spies by James Ponti
• Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibb

6th Grade Summer Reading List: SCARY

If you like your stories to be a little creepy, try:

• Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman
• Lockwood & Co The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
• A Tale of Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
• Doll Bones by Holly Black
• The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie

6th Grade Summer Reading List: HISTORICAL

If you like historical fiction, you’ll love:

• Sweep by Jonathan Auxier
• Allies by Alan Gratz
• Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander
• Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte
• The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell
• A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

6th Grade Summer Reading List: REALISTIC

If you enjoy reading realistic books, read:

• Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
• Starfish by Lisa Fipps
• From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
• Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
• Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
• Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Raúf

6th Grade Summer Reading List: FUNNY

If you like funny books, try:

• Wink by Rob Harrell
• The Last Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles
• The Tapper Twins Go to War (with each other) by Geoff Rodkey
• Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
• Middle School: The Worst Years of my Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
• The Croc Ate My Homework by Stephan Pastis

6th Grade Summer Reading List: NONFICTION

If you’re looking for a good nonfiction book, try these:

• Awesome Achievers in Technology by Alan Katz
• Making a Difference: Using Your Talents and Passions to Change the World (American Girl) by Melissa Seymour
• The Boy Who Became a Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story by Jim Di Bartolo
• The Mayflower (History Smashers) by Kate Messner
• The Superpower Field Guide Eels by Rachel Poliquin
• Almanac 2021 National Geographic Kids

I hope these books give your children enough excellent choices and lots of hours of reading!

Don’t forget to find ways to make reading FUN!

Participate in a summer reading program.

Read with a headlamp in bed.

Read on an electronic device. (Free eBooks?)

Start a book club.

Reward reading with . . . more BOOKS! (Kids choose, of course.)

Read nonfiction books and graphic novels, too.

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