Recommended Reads: Year 6 Reading Challenge

Play with Heidi, high in the Alps. Little orphan Heidi has been sent to live with her grandfather in the Alps. Everyone in the village is afraid of him, but Heidi is fascinated by his long beard and bushy eyebrows. Then one terrible day Heidi is collected by her aunt and made to work for a new family in town. Heidi can't bear to be away from her grandfather; can she find her way back up the mountain, where she belongs? Plus an introduction by Eva Ibbotson, and a behind-the-scenes journey, including an author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more . . .

If his mother had known the adventures Emil was going to have in Berlin, she would never have let him go. But when his money goes missing on the train, Emil's determination to get it back leads him to team up with the detectives he meets in Berlin.

Originally written in German.

A quest and mission is entrusted to a young man on the eve of becoming a knight, which requires him to turn his back on knighthood for a perilous journey and a greater good.

Originally written in Dutch.

This collection of Mrs Pepperpot stories includes all of the Mrs Pepperpot stories. Even though she's very small Mrs Pepperpot is a feisty individual, able to take on anyone and everything.

Originally written in Norwegian.

Originally published in 1870, Verne's amazing undersea adventure is one of the earliest science fiction novels ever written. Since that time, generations of readers have plunged below the ocean's waves with Captain Nemo and his first-ever submarine, The Nautilus. It's a voyage of exploration and the imagination.

Originally written in French.

Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike asThe Little Prince.Richard Howard's translation of the beloved classic beautifully reflects Saint-Exupéry's unique and gifted style. Howard, an acclaimed poet and one of the preeminent translators of our time, has excelled in bringing the English text as close as possible to the French, in language, style, and most important, spirit. The artwork in this edition has been restored to match in detail and in color Saint-Exupéry's original artwork. Combining Richard Howard's translation with restored original art, this definitive English-language edition of The Little Prince will capture the hearts of readers of all ages.

Originally written in French.

Things are never easy for Nicholas: In this fifth collection of classic stories about the cheeky French schoolboy and his gang, their teacher Old Spuds won't let them play Geoffrey's fantastic new game, the lady in the candy story won't let them buy a chocolate bar, and Jeremy is none too pleased about his new baby brother.

Originally written in French.

Escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey--but without any parents--at the edge of a Swedish village.

Originally written in Swedish.

Cornelia Funke, the enormously talented author of the international best-seller THE THIEF LORD, brings readers another spellbinding tale of adventure and magic. Meggie lives a quiet life alone with her father, a book-binder. But her father has a deep secret-- he posseses an extraordinary magical power. One day a mysterious stranger arrives who seems linked to her father's past. Who is this sinister character and what does he want? Suddenly Meggie is involved in a breathless game of escape and intrigue as her father's life is put in danger. Will she be able to save him in time?

Originally Written in German.

Firedrake, a brave young dragon, his loyal brownie friend Sorrel and a lonely boy called Ben are united as if by destiny. Together they embark on a magical journey to find the legendary place where silver dragons can live in peace forever.

Originally written in German.

Amidst the olive groves and mountains of Corfu, the Durrell family live in chaotic harmony, welcoming a constant stream of eccentric visitors to their villa. This island paradise is described by the keen young naturalist, Gerald.

There are worse things in the world than being adopted. But right now Joseph can't think of one. Joseph Calderaro has a serious problem. His social studies teacher has given him an impossible assignment: an essay about ancestors. Ancestors, as in dead people you're related to. Joseph was adopted, but the only sure thing he knows about his birth family is that they shipped his diapered butt on a plane from Korea and he landed in New Jersey. How do you write about a family you've never known and at the same time manage all the other hassles that middle school mixes in the pot? What Joseph writes leads to a catastrophe messier than a table of shattered dishes--and self-discovery that will change his life recipe forever. . . .

A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive author treatment and new cover art by Raul Colon. Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, and her status at school as "nobody special." But according to Gram, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking. And with Gram and her little brother, Owen, Naomi's life at Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho in California is happy and peaceful...until their mother reappears after seven years of being gone, stirring up all sorts of questions and challenging Naomi to discover and proclaim who she really is.

Join Joey and his sister Mary Alice as they spend nine unforgettable summers with the worst influence imaginable-their grandmother!

A timeless classic that will enchant readers who love Jennifer L. Holm and Thanhha Lai, about an immigrant girl inspired by the sport she loves to find her own home team--and to break down any barriers that stand in her way. Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams. Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle happens: baseball! It's 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is a superstar. Suddenly Shirley is playing stickball with her class and following Jackie as he leads the Brooklyn Dodgers to victory after victory. With her hero smashing assumptions and records on the ball field, Shirley begins to feel that America is truly the land of opportunity--and perhaps has also become her real home.

"It's crazy, starting at a new school. For days you feel so new and lost it's as if you've wandered into a foreign country where you can't speak the language." This haunting story about Rafaella, the new girl at school who finds making friends hard, is a stunning piece of writing. With her strange name and sticking out ears she's different from the rest. Lucy is the first to tease, the first to call her 'Earwig'. Until a secret friendship starts, full of warmth and mystery . . .

Jason has had enough of his parents’ arguments, so he’s running away. On the train to Liverpool he meets a “runner” called Jam who lives on the trains and at stations. His carefree life sounds so exciting that Jason thinks he might join him. Then Jason discovers Jam’s secret.

Caitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is black and white; anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon was killed in a school shooting, and Caitlin's dad is so distraught that he is just not helpful. Caitlin wants everything to go back to the way things were, but she doesn't know how to do that. Then she comes across the word closure--and she realizes this is what she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that the world may not be so black and white after all.

After her aunt's death, quiet Zinny Taylor hardly speaks at all. When she discovers the start of an ancient pioneer trail on the family farm, Zinny begins an obsessive journey that leads her towards the secrets of her childhood.

William and Melissa have been roped into helping their weird grandparents fix up their holiday home in the country. How will they cope with no electricity, no cellphone reception and only each other for company?

Two is a crowd when Peter and his little brother, Fudge, are in the same room. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle, Dribble, know the truth. From throwing temper tantrums to smearing mashed potatoes on the wall, Fudge causes mischief wherever he goes!

Stanley Potts's uncle Ernie has developed an over-the-top fascination with canning fish in the house, and life at 69 Fish Quay Lane has turned barmy. But there's darkness in the madness, and when Uncle Ernie's obsession takes an unexpectedly cruel turn, Stan has no choice but to leave. As he journeys away from the life he's always known, he mingles with a carnival full of eccentric characters and meets the legendary Pancho Pirelli, the man who swims in a tank full of perilous piranhas. Will Stan be bold enough to dive in the churning waters himself and choose his own destiny?

Eleven-year-old Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit. He's best known in his hometown as the boy who made a memorable impression on Frederick Douglass. But things change when a former slave steals money from Elijah's friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled -- a life from which he'll always be free, if he can find the courage to get back home.

Lila and Hari, aged 13 and 12, struggle to keep the family, including two young sisters, going when their mother is ill and their father usually the worse for drink. When Hari goes to Bombay to find work, Lila seems to be responsible for everything. Although the book paints a picture of extreme poverty, it demonstrates the strength of the family even in the most extreme circumstances and offers a powerful picture of another culture.

Set in India

Eleven-year-old Solomon loves to run! The great athletes of the Ethiopian national team are his heroes and he dreams that one day he will be a gold-medal-winning athlete like them, in spite of his ragged shorts and bare feet. When his grandfather announces that he's going to take Solomon to Addis Ababa, Solomon cannot believe his ears. A trip to the capital? It's unfathomable. Solomon's joy is increased when he realizes that the Ethiopian running team will be doing a victory parade through the city that day. Maybe he'll get a glimpse of Haile Gebrselassie or Derartu Tulu?! But Solomon's grandfather has other plans. As Solomon follows him through the big, overwhelming streets, he learns something he cannot believe. The strict old man is a war hero who once risked his life to save a friend and has been in hiding ever since. When grandfather collapses, Solomon knows that getting help from his village is up to him. It's a twenty-mile run from the city to home, and grandfather's life hangs in the balance. Can the small bare-footed runner with the big heart do it?

Set in Ethiopia