6th Grade (Age 11)

The highly anticipated sequel to the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling book! Secrets have a way of getting out, especially when a diary is involved. Whatever you do, don’t ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer vacation, because he definitely doesn’t want to talk about it. As Greg enters the new school year, he’s eager to put the past three months behind him . . . and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. But secrets have a way of getting out . . …

Told from the perspectives of both Sacajawea and Clark, this novel brings to life the famous story of Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman, who embarked on a long journey with the explorers Lewis and Clark. This intimate glimpse of Sacajawea as translator, peacemaker, caretaker, and guide makes readers understand the important role she played in making the explorers’ journey possible. Excerpts from these explorers’ journals as well as traditional tales of the Shoshone introduce chapters and add depth and a touch of humor to the story.

Safari gives armchair explorers an opportunity to visit African animals in their natural habitats. A naturalist who often travels to Africa to paint wildlife, Bateman offers 12 paintings of animals along with little-known facts. For example, watching giraffes run is like “watching a herd of galloping rocking horses,” he says, but to see how they coordinate the movement of their necks and legs, you have to rock, too.

This is the story of a young Indian boy’s struggle to meet life’s challenges and overcome his sight impairment. During his naming ceremony, Walnut must prove his readiness to make the passage from boyhood to manhood by performing a physical feat using a bow and arrow. Hitting the target successfully means he will be considered an adult among his people and given a new name. Realizing this is an impossible task for her son, Walnut’s mother teaches him to strengthen his other senses. When Walnut demonstrates his “special sight,” he earns the respect of others in the village. This symbolic …

Eleven-year-old Marty Preston loves to spend time up in the hills behind his home near Friendly, West Virginia. Sometimes he takes his .22 rifle to see what he can shoot, like some cans lined up on a rail fence. Other times he goes up early in the morning just to sit and watch the fox and deer. But one summer Sunday, Marty comes across something different on the road just past the old Shiloh schoolhouses—a young beagle—and the trouble begins. What do you do when a dog you suspect is being mistreated runs away and comes to you? When it …

In 1914, the English explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 sailors attempted to cross the Antarctic continent. Their expedition came to a terrifying halt when their ship, the Endurance, ended up trapped in the pack ice. What followed was a perilous series of adventures. Despite many setbacks, Shackleton courageously led every single crew member back to safety. A gripping narrative along with actual black-and-white photographs taken by an Endurance crew member bring this icy adventure to life.

King Arthur, his wife Lady Di of Ameter, and their son, Radius, problem solve to find the right shape for a table that the king uses to discuss matters with his knights. This clever tale of geometry has simple diagrams that reinforce math concepts, including circumference, diameter, and Pi.

In the bleak winter of 19 0, Nazi troops parachuted into Peter Lindstrom’s tiny Norwegian village and held it captive. Nobody thought the Nazis could be defeated–until Uncle Victor told Peter how the children could fool the enemy. It was a dangerous plan. They had to slip past Nazi guards with nine million dollars in gold hidden on their sleds. It meant risking their country’s treasure–and their lives. This classic story of how a group of children outwitted the Nazis and sent the treasure to America has captivated generations of readers.