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Finding books that my kids will love and that are also appropriate for their age level is basically my part-time job. That is what led me to create this list of books for 6th grade boys. Teaching my kids to love reading has basically been the most important thing I’ve focused on for them education-wise. If you can read, you can figure anything else out, at least that’s my theory.
I’m constantly searching for new books or even better yet, book series, that each of my kids will be captivated by and won’t be able to stop reading. The fun part about it is, I end up loving a lot of the books myself. Yes, I read some of the same books that my son does! If you need a little help finding a good book for your young boy, this list will help you out!
While my son is actually a current 4th grader at the time of my writing this, he is advanced in reading, which is why I look for books that sixth graders would be reading for him.
24 of the Best Books for 6th Grade Boys
1. Puppy Tales Series by W. Bruce Cameron
Ages 8-12
Some of my son’s friends were reading books from this series this school year, so he wanted to try one. As of the time I am writing this, he is almost finished with Cooper’s Story. He is really enjoying the book and plans to trade with a friend who is reading Lacey’s Story when they both finish. This is a series of young readers novels adapted from the story A Dog’s Purpose and its sequel A Dog’s Journey.
2. A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry
Ages 8-11
My son read this book earlier this year and really enjoyed it. He actually read it twice! It’s a New York Times bestseller based on the story of one wolf’s journey. It’s actually based on a true story!
3. Explorer Academy Series by Trudie Trueit
Ages 7-11
Okay, confession. I am actually obsessed with these books. It all started when National Geographic sent me this book series to review. I knew Kai would love them, but they were a little advanced for his reading level at the time, so we started to read them together. Guys, I got hooked! These are such great books! The main character is a boy named Cruz who ends up leaving his normal life in Hawaii and embarking on an incredible journey at a place called Explorer Academy, which is not your normal elementary school. I don’t want to give away too much, but this book is part science fiction, part mystery, and it’s one of those “I cannot wait to find out what happens next” type books. I also love that it’s educational, and at the back of each book in the series they share about real life people using new technologies and doing amazing things. Start with the first book in the series and these will surely become some of your child’s favorite books too!
4. Greyson Gray Camp Legend by B.C Tweedt
Ages 10-12
Greyson Gray is full of hilarious and suspenseful. Greyson battles evil but also awkward, working through dealing with bullies, his first crush, and the loss of his father. Greyson has an amazing moral compass, daring to always do what is right, no matter how hard it is. This is a true boy book, especially for preteens. If your son loves spy books, detective stories, or stories packed with action, adventure, mystery and humor, they will love this book!
5. Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson
Ages 8-11
This hilarious thriller is popular with kids, middle school students, and even adults! Chase Cooper is a self-proclaimed 6th grade ninja who embarks on his first day at a different school where he only knows his cousin, Zoe. He was just a scrawny kid, that is, until he was recruited by a group of ninjas! This book is the diary he kept to warn other kids about the dangers of becoming a ninja.
5. Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling
Ages 7+
We all know and love Harry Potter, right? Whether your child has seen the movies or not, they’ll love the dark secrets, exciting adventures, and the powerful story behind Harry Potter. So far my son has read the first book in this series and he loves Harry Potter! This series can be great for younger readers and older ones, good for ages 7 and up depending on their reading level. Harry Potter can be on your book list no matter how old you are!
7. Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
Ages 10-13
Okay, I confess, I read this one too. My son’s class was reading through this book together last year, and he wasn’t too into the idea at first. In order to make sure he was actually reading, I started having him read it out loud to me. He would have to read one chapter per night. Well, by the end of chapter one, I was hooked. So then he had to read the entire rest of the book out loud to me too, except we would sometimes take turns reading it to each other. I was actually shocked because normally historical fiction is not my thing, at all, but this book combines mystery, suspense and valuable life lessons. I was literally in agony waiting for each night when we could read one more chapter because my son wasn’t allowed to read ahead of his class. Read my full book review on Echo Mountain.
8. Adventures of Charlie: A 6th Grade Gamer by Connor Grayson
Ages 8-12
Charlie was just trying to help his mom move boxes when he found a mystery box. He made one wrong decision and got stuck inside a game where he found himself in real trouble with monsters and food that gives you magic! Go along with Charlie as he fights his way through making new friends, battling the bad guys, and becomes braver, stronger, and more powerful. Did you think he’ll get out? See what I did there, the suspense!
9. Secret Agent 6th Grader by Marcus Emerson
Ages 8-12
This is the story of how a boy named Brody Valentine accidentally became a 6th grade secret agent at his school. He was just going along, living his ordinary life, and then a dangerous secret fell right into his lap. He suddenly found himself buried in special codes, conspiracies, and all the 6th grade drama.
10. Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Ages 9-12
Poor Rafe has enough issues at home without mixing in the first year of middle school. Lucky for him, he’s made a plan for the best year ever (if he can pull it off), alongside his best friend Leonardo awarding points, Rafe tries to break all the rules in his school’s oppressive Code of Conduct. James Patterson’s debut middle-school novel addresses the real world of middle school with bullies, crushes, and figuring out what makes us each unique.
11. Holes by Louis Sachar
Ages 9-12
This modern classic is another New York Times best seller, and a Newbery Medal winner! Stanley is under a curse, a curse that started way back with his great-great-grandfather and has been following his family for generations. Stanley has already been sent to a boys’ detention center and an awful camp where the boys have to dig holes all day long under the guise of “character building”. Stanley figures out quickly though, that the boys are digging holes for good reason, because the warden is looking for something, and Stanley is going to find out what it is!
12. The Traitor’s Son by Pedro Urvi
Ages 10+
This is the first book in the Path of the Ranger series. In it a boy seeks to redeem his father’s honor in a kingdom in danger and a great betrayal.
13. The Feather Chase by Shannon Brown
Ages 9-11
If your kiddo loves a good mystery, they will love this one! When twelve-year-old cousins Sophie and Jessica are forced to spend the summer together, they aren’t sure how they’ll make it work. They don’t have much in common at all. Then, they find a briefcase with a surprise inside. Next thing you know, they hear footsteps behind them and bad guys are running after them. This brings them together while they try to solve the mystery of The Feather Chase.
14. 101 Things Every Boy Needs To Know: Important Life Advice for Teenage Boys! by Jamie Myers
Pre-teen and teenage boys
This book teaches boys how to accept themselves for who they are, be respectful and maintain healthy relationships, set themselves up for success, value life experiences, define their values, cope with changes, build stronger relationships with family, practice self-care, and so much more!
15. Mystery In Rocky Mountain National Park by Aaron Johnson
Ages 8-11
Part of the National Park Mystery Series, this book has secret codes, lost landmarks, hidden clues, and uses real locations. Tragedy strikes when Jake’s grandfather dies just when he was on the trail of a centuries-old mystery. He left the chase in Jake’s hands, leaving behind a set of hidden codes, riddles, maps and other clues that lead Jake and his friends on the scavenger hunt of their lives in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
16. A Videogame Stole My Sister by Justin Stone
Ages 8-12
If your kid loves video games, they will love this book. It was written by a former video game writer! Lucas, just like every other tween, just wants to have fun with friends and get the ultimate score on his video game. But then he leaves his game for just a minute, only to find that it somehow stole his sister! Join him as he goes on an adventure to find her!
17. Eleven by Tom Rogers
Ages 10-12
When Alex rescues a stray dog as a birthday present to himself on his 11th birthday, he doesn’t think life can get any better. Radar, his new dog, feels the exact same way. For the first time, they have each other. Little do they know, their day has much more in store for them. In this story about bullies and heroes, tragedy and hope, there are enemies and friends, pesky little sisters and cranky old men. There are also lessons in kindness!
18. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Ages 9-12
This classic is a story of the bond between a man and man’s best friend. Billy and his two dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, become the finest hunting team in the Ozarks, until tragedy hits. This is a great story of learning that hope can come from despair.
19. Trials of Apollo, The 5-Book Paperback Boxed Set by Rick Riordan
Ages 11+
This is the Trials of Apollo series, which includes 5 books featuring Greek and Roman demigod characters from Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Heroes of Olympus return. In this adventure quest, they’re helping Apollo regain his immortal status.
20. Restart by Gordon Korman
Ages 10-12
This is a great story about what you can do when life gives you a second chance. Chase wakes up in the hospital with no memory after falling off a roof. He suddenly has to learn his entire life all over again, starting with his own name. When he returns to school it’s a whole new world with many challenges to overcome, including figuring out who he was and who is going to be now. This is a great story of a kid with a messy past who has to figure out a new life with a clean start.
21. Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
Ages 9-14
Another story set in the Ozarks, this is a story of what happens when Jay Berry Lee, a 14 year old boy, finds a tree full of monkeys. After learning from his grandpa that the monkeys escaped from a traveling circus, Jay has to decide what to us. There is a huge reward for the person who finds and returns them, and Jay’s family could really use the money. Jay sets off determined to catch them, but in his quest he learns a lot more than he bargained for, and not just about monkeys.
22. Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand
Ages 12+
In this young adult adaptation of the original story, a former Olympian shows courage and fortitude following a plane crash in enemy territory.
23. Alone by Megan E. Freeman
Ages 10-12
This is the story of a young girl who wakes up one day to find herself completely alone in her small Colorado town, I mean, completely alone. After plotting a scheme for a sleepover with her two best friends, 12-year-old Maddie ends up waking up to a nightmare, she is completely alone, left behind in a town that has been completely abandoned for some reason. With no one left to rely on, zero power or communication lines, she slowly learns to survive on her own.
24. Shadow Jumper by JM Foster
Ages 9-14
This mystery adventure is packed with action and adventure. Jack has an allergy to sunshine, which confines him to the dark, leaving him feeling lonely. The risk of life-threatening burns keeps him out of the light, though. The only thing that makes him feel alive is shadow jumping on the rooftops at dusk. With Jack’s condition worse than ever, only his missing scientist dad can save him. Jack, along with a new friend Beth, embark on a frantic search of clues to find his dad. This is a story about friendship, family, bravery, loss and overcoming adversity.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these book recommendations for your 6th graders of children on other grade levels who fit the age ranges of these reads! These are all truly good books, and I hope your child finds a new favorite on this list!
Hi, I’m Jessica! I am wife to Chris, and mom to Kaiper, Alana and Koa. I am a graphic designer, website developer and aspiring author. In this space, I share about everything from parenting, working from home, food we cook, and lots of things for kids! Learn more about me here.
