1. Short month, short books!
6th grade February booktalks

2. Stolen children by PeG Kehret (realistic Fiction)
Main character is Amy, a young girl who carries a huge burden of guilt surrounding the death of her father
In the three months since his passing she has done everything to prove how reliable and responsible she is and has gone through babysitting training
She is recommended by her teacher for a new babysitting job, watching a three-year-old named Kendra, but tragedy strikes on her first day on the job
She and Kendra are kidnapped and being held for ransom
How will Amy survive while protecting Kendra?
Told over the course of 5 days…find out if they survive, and how Amy is able to leave clues for her loved ones.

3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
This retelling of the classic story is told in the graphic novel format
This format also includes great reading & writing questions at the end to extend your learning 
Before the story begins, the author provides interesting facts about Lewis Carroll, the author, and his inspiration for the story
Hatters (hat makers) were “mad” due to mercury poisoning
Cheeses from Cheshire county, Carroll’s hometown, were molded into the shape of a grinning cat
Dormouse comes from “dormeus” which means “sleepy one” These mice sleep up to ½ the year!

4. Blackwater by eve bunting
See beginning for Blackwater River description
Main character/protagonist is Brodie and his cousin Alex is spending the summer with him
Alex has a pretty tough life (has been exposed to gangs, single mom who is not around often)
Brodie’s life is the opposite-great parents and his crush Pauline has agreed to go out with him
When on an early morning mission to teach Alex to swim Brodie spots Pauline on Toadstool Rock with another boy, Otis
Brodie is furious so he swims out to scare them…but something much worse happens
What happens when you make a mistake? Do you admit it? Cover it up? See what Brodie decides to do in Blackwater by Eve Bunting

5. Booked by Kwame alexander
Nick Hall’s life revolves around family, friends, and soccer
He is an 8th grade soccer phenom
His mother is a horse trainer while his father is a linguistics professor (the scientific study of language and its structure) who makes him read the dictionary he wrote called Weird and Wonderful Words like
Verbomania (a crazed obsession with words) and onomatophobia (the fear of hearing certain words)
Nick’s life is great until: his mom accepts a job far away, his parents separate, and his appendix bursts during an important game
How will Nick survive life? With help from Mr. Mac, school librarian extraordinaire, and his best friend Colby
Fast-paced, funny, and full of rich vocabulary…no soccer knowledge required!

6. The Secret Sheriff of sixth grade by Jordan sonnenblick
Main character is Maverick and he has decided that 6th grade will be different. He will help those who cannot help themselves
Unfortunately, helping isn’t always easy
He lives with a struggling single mom and a 3-legged hamster…who he is allergic to
From school bullies to fake friends, a frightening vice principal to an even more frightening school nurse, this story is a hilarious yet honest depiction of the struggles we face in middle school