Have you been searching for the best books for 10 or 11 year olds to read? No need to keep looking because everything you need is right here — a recommended reading list for Year 6 students!
There are plenty of different types of books for your child to pick from, such as Australian literature, books revealing insights about the peoples and cultures of Asia, and also literary texts from other countries and times.
As you go through the list, if there are any books you’d like to learn more about, you can just click on the titles! We encourage you to check if the books are available at your child’s school library or your local library.
Every text listed here has been recommended by NESA — you can find the syllabus here.
Let’s get into the best books for 10 or 11 year olds!
Australian Literature
Insights about the Peoples and Cultures of Asia
Literary Texts from Other Countries and Times
English Resources
Looking for reading lists for other year groups?
If you have a child in another year group, we’ve got other reading lists for them! Have a look at our reading lists for the various year groups:
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5
On the hunt for Reading Comprehension worksheets?
We currently offer reading comprehension worksheets for several year levels, and we’re continuously working on adding more as we progress.
If your child is in a different year level, don’t worry – we have reading comprehension worksheets available for them too!
Explore our range of reading comprehension worksheets designed for different year groups:
Year 1 | Year 2
Australian Literature
| Text | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
Fog a Dox Image sourced from Goodreads | Bruce Pascoe | A tree feller called Albert Cutts has a deep connection to the land around him, and he raises a litter of foxes despite their reputation. This story teaches us about acceptance, prejudice and friendship.The story has Aboriginal language and culture embedded throughout it, making it a good point of learning for Aboriginal education. |
Hitler's Daughter Image sourced from Goodreads | Jackie French | When a group of friends share stories before school, Anna decides to tell the story of Heidi, Adolf Hitler’s daughter. Anna’s story causes her friends to question whether what they are told is always morally right, and this is a perfect example of the importance of critical thinking. |
Motormouth Image sourced from Penguin Books | Sherryl Clark | After his best friend died, Chris has to go back to school without him. When a new student comes to his school, everybody including Chris wants to be friends with him; however, Chris grows worried that he would be replacing his late best friend. |
The Road to Gundagai Image sourced from Jackie French | Jackie French | Having escaped her abusive aunt’s house, Blue Laurence joins the Magnifico Family Circus. Her disability makes her perfect to play the role of a mermaid, but she isn’t safe yet. There are plenty of dangers and mysteries to solve before she can go back to her life. |
Insights about the Peoples and Cultures of Asia
| Text | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
Little Brother Image sourced from Goodreads | Allan Baillie | Fleeing from the war in Cambodia, Vithy is separated from his family on the way to Thailand. Without his brother, Mang, Vithy needs to be brave and think quickly to reach the border before the worst happens. |
Mao's Last Dancer Image sourced from Penguin Books | Li Cunxin | This is the story of a young boy living in Maoist China. He begins his life in a poor, rural area, and is taken to Beijing to study ballet dancing. Soon, he becomes one of the most famous dancers in China. |
Soraya the Storyteller Image sourced from QBD Books | Rosanne Hawke | After seeking asylum in Australia, Soraya recounts the time spent in war-torn Afghanistan and the long process it took to finally arrive in Australia. She also looks to the future, making new friends and studying hard to be able to stay on her temporary visa. This will be the first time some readers will learn about life after war, finding a new life and Afghanistan. |
The Happiest Refugee Image sourced from Allen & Unwin | Anh Do | The Happiest Refugee is a memoir written about Ahn Do’s experience travelling from Vietnam to Australia, and how he kept his spirits in such difficult circumstances. This honest piece of non-fiction addresses that the struggle to fit in and survive does not stop upon entry. |
Literary Texts from Other Countries and Times
| Text | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
Hatchet Image sourced from Goodreads | Gary Paulsen | After a near-fatal plane crash in Canada, Brian’s life has changed in ways he had never even thought to fear. Once only worried about his parents’ divorce, he now must focus on simply staying alive in the Canadian wilderness. |
Holes Image sourced from Goodreads | Louis Sachar | After being accused of theft, Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake, a desert-like place where teenagers are forced to dig holes as punishment. Slowly, Stanley begins to realise that something deeper is going on, and there’s an important mystery that needs to be solved. |
The Hobbit Image sourced from Goodreads | J.R.R. Tolkien | A hobbit named Bilbo Baggins lives in a hole in the ground, and he loves the peace and quiet. One day, a wizard invites him on an adventure to help slay a dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain. His loyalty, perseverance and compassion are what helps Bilbo to take part in this journey. |
English Resources
Year 7 NAPLAN Preparation
Next year, your child will be sitting the NAPLAN for the third time. Just like in the previous years they sat the assessments, they’ll be tested on their:
- Reading & Writing
- Language Conventions
- Numeracy
With Reading being one of the main focus areas, your child will be assessed on their ability to comprehend various text types.
They will be assessed on the following:
| Style of Text | Students are assessed upon whether they can: |
|---|---|
| Narrative | - Infer the motivation or intention of the narrator or a character - Draw together ideas to identify a character's attitude - Interpret dialogue to describe a character - Connect ideas to infer a character's intention or misconception, or the significance of the character’s actions - Interpret the significance of an event for the main character |
| Poem | - Identify the intention of the narrator |
| Information Text | - Identify the main idea of a paragraph and the main purpose of the text - Link and interpret information across the text - Recognise the most likely opinion of a person - Use text conventions to locate a detail |
| Persuasive Text (e.g. Argument) | - Locate and interpret directly stated information, including the meaning of specific words and expressions - Identify the main message of the text - Identify the purpose of parts of the text - Interpret the main idea of a paragraph - Infer the writer's point of view - Identify points of agreement in arguments that present different views - Identify and interpret language conventions used in the text, such as lists, order of online posts and the use of punctuation for effect - Identify the common theme in a variety of writers’ opinions |
Spelling
Even though your child is now in their final year of primary schooling, spelling is still a skill that is important to maintain and needs to be worked on.
As they step into high school, they’ll be exposed to even more technical jargon and difficult words as they become more confident with their writing skills.
They will also be assessed on their spelling in the Language Conventions test of the NAPLAN!
To help them improve their spelling skills, download our FREE Year 6 spelling words worksheets here!
Looking for some extra help for your child with English?
We have an incredible team of English tutors and mentors!
We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home, online, or at our state of the art campus in Hornsby or the Hills! Get the best support you can at home with Parramatta tutoring.
We’ve supported over 8,000 students over the last 11 years, and on average our students score mark improvements of over 20%!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational English tutor and mentor, get in touch today or give us a ring on 1300 267 888!
Alicia Hassell is a K-6 English Resource Designer at Art of Smart, currently completing her final year of a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) with teaching areas in French, English and EAL/D. Teaching is a big passion of hers, and she loves everything involving languages. In her spare time she likes to read a good book and sew her own clothes!
