# 6th grade books about nature

**27** books commonly assigned to 6th grade students in US schools that explore nature. Every title's grade range covers 6th grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Sourced from Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and 50 state ELA curricula.

**Reading difficulty:** the typical 6th grade band is 925–1185L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 6 titles here with a Lexile score, 3 are grade-level, 3 more accessible, and 0 a stretch.

**Grade:** 6th grade  ·  **Theme:** nature
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/grade/6/nature
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.
**Primary source — Common Core ELA exemplars:** https://achievethecore.org/page/2699

## 6th grade nature reading list

- [Global](https://readinglist.school/book/global) by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin _(Grades 6–8 · pub 2023)_
- [Haiku, Ew! Celebrating the Disgusting Side of Nature](https://readinglist.school/book/haiku-ew) by Lynn Brunelle _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Hatchet](https://readinglist.school/book/hatchet) by Gary Paulsen _(1020L · Grades 5–8 · pub 1987)_
- [Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World](https://readinglist.school/book/ida-b-and-her-plans-to-maximize-fun-avoid-disaster-and-save-the-world) by Katherine Hannigan _(Grades 2–8 · pub 2004)_
- [Island of the Blue Dolphins](https://readinglist.school/book/island-of-the-blue-dolphins) by Scott O'Dell _(1000L · Grades 4–7 · pub 1960)_
- [Just Keep Walking](https://readinglist.school/book/just-keep-walking) by Erin Soderberg Downing _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens](https://readinglist.school/book/mountain-of-fire) by Rebecca E. Barone _(Grades 4–8 · pub 2024)_
- [Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic](https://readinglist.school/book/narwhal-unicorn-of-the-arctic) by Candace Fleming _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Pax](https://readinglist.school/book/pax) by Sara Pennypacker _(760L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2016)_
- [Race for the Ruby Turtle](https://readinglist.school/book/race-for-the-ruby-turtle) by Stephen Bramucci _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2023)_
- [Rascal](https://readinglist.school/book/rascal) by Sterling North _(Grades 5–8 · pub 1963)_
- [Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe](https://readinglist.school/book/smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-maybe) by Jo Watson Hackl _(Grades 4–7 · pub 2018)_
- [Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet](https://readinglist.school/book/spooky-lakes) by Geo Rutherford _(Grades 4–8 · pub 2024)_
- [Summer of the Monkeys](https://readinglist.school/book/summer-of-the-monkeys) by Wilson Rawls _(Grades 4–7 · pub 1976)_
- [The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves](https://readinglist.school/book/the-dark-caves) by Lindsey Leigh _(Grades 3–7 · pub 2024)_
- [The Mystery of the Monarchs](https://readinglist.school/book/the-mystery-of-the-monarchs) by Barb Rosenstock _(Grades 4–8 · pub 2022)_
- [The Pearl](https://readinglist.school/book/the-pearl) by John Steinbeck _(1010L · Grades 6–9 · pub 1947)_
- [The River](https://readinglist.school/book/the-river) by Gary Paulsen _(Grades 5–8 · pub 1991)_
- [The Trumpet of the Swan](https://readinglist.school/book/the-trumpet-of-the-swan) by E.B. White _(Grades 3–6 · pub 1970)_
- [The Wild Robot](https://readinglist.school/book/the-wild-robot) by Peter Brown _(740L · Grades 4–6 · pub 2016)_
- [The Wild Robot Escapes](https://readinglist.school/book/the-wild-robot-escapes) by Peter Brown _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2018)_
- [Touching Spirit Bear](https://readinglist.school/book/touching-spirit-bear) by Ben Mikaelsen _(Grades 6–9 · pub 2001)_
- [Volcanoes](https://readinglist.school/book/volcanoes) by Nell Cross Beckerman _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [When Sea Becomes Sky](https://readinglist.school/book/when-sea-becomes-sky) by Gillian McDunn _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2023)_
- [Wildful](https://readinglist.school/book/wildful) by Kengo Kurimoto _(Grades 4–8 · pub 2025)_
- [Willa of the Wood](https://readinglist.school/book/willa-of-the-wood) by Robert Beatty _(Grades 4–7 · pub 2018)_
- [Wishtree](https://readinglist.school/book/wishtree) by Katherine Applegate _(590L · Grades 3–6 · pub 2017)_

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_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. HTML view: https://readinglist.school/grade/6/nature._