Sixth Grade Literature by Unit
Biography/Autobiography
Text
“A Backwoods Boy” by
Russell Freedman
“My Papa, Mark Twain” by
Susy Clemens
“Virginia Hamilton” by Lee
Bennett Hopkins
“The Horse Snake” by
Huynh Quang Nhuuong
“Belle Benchley, Zoo
Director” by Margery
Facklam
“I Kept on Probing to
Know, Searching for
Stories” by Zora Neale
Hurston
“Storm” from Woodsong
by Gary Paulson
“Eulogy on the Dog” by
George Graham Vest
“Brother” from I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings by
Maya Angelou
Publisher Synopsis
PH (1991) A short retelling of Abraham
Lincoln’s early life.
PH (1991) Mark Twain’s 13-year-old
daughter talks about his life
from her point of view.
PH (1991) Virginia Hamilton discusses
her life and her feelings about
writing.
GL
Diversity
American President
Genre
biography
American Author
biography
African American
biography
Interview
GL
The story of a woman who
PH (1991) became keeper of the San
Diego Zoo from 1925-1953.
An excerpt from Dust Tracks
Holt
on a Road that tells Ms.
Hurston’s story of her
imaginiative childhood in the
rural South in the 1930’s.
(Good example of dialect to
make the writing come alive)
Holt
“Storm” is an excerpt from
Woodsong that begins to tell
the story of Paulsen and his
dog, Storm. (Great story for
teaching main idea)
Glencoe
Beautifully written persuasive
speech about man’s best
friend, the dog.
Holt
Maya Angelou’s childhood
reflection about her older
brother, Bailey, and their home
by the sea in South Carolina.
American
biography
Story
African American
autobiography
Excerpt
from a book
American
autobiography
Excerpt
from a book
American
African American
Form
Chapter
from a book
Journal
Entry
Essay
Speech
autobiography
Excerpt
from a book
“The Brother I Never Had”
by Gim George
Holt
From The Land I Lost by
Huynh Quang Nhuong
Holt
“Yes, It Was My
Grandmother’s” by Luci
Tapahonso
Holt
“In the Blood”/”En la
Sangre” by Pat More
Holt
“Mama Is a Sunrise” by
Evelyn Tooley Hunt
Holt
“Life Doesn’t Frighten Me”
by Maya Angelou
Holt
Glencoe
“74th Street” by Myra Cohn
Livingston
Holt
“The Landlord’s
Granddaughter” by Ji-li
Jiang
Holt
“The Lost Garden” by
Holt
(The strength of the human
condition)
A boy remembers his older
brother and holds on to the
times they shared before his
brother left for college.
Nhuong’s memories of his
childhood in Vietnam. (Good
story for identify point-of-view)
Tapahnoso thanks her
grandmother for being a rebel
and freeing her from traditional
female roles in the Navajo
community. (Recommended
highly)
This is an excellent example of
un-rhythmical poetry that can
be used to develop critical
thinking skills to interject the
cycle of life.
Beautiful use of figurative
language to describe a
mother’s love.
A poem that analyzes the
obstacles that get in our way in
life.
Another poem that analyzes
the benefits of being tenacious
in life.
This story includes memories
of a twelve-year-old girl’s life
during the beginning of the
Cultural Revolution.
(Wonderful story for
discovering China’s traditions
and “Red Guard” history.)
African American
autobiography
Essay
Vietnamese American
autobiography
Story
Navajo (Native
American)
biography/
autobiography
Poem
Hispanic (English and
Spanish text)
autobiography
Poem
American
Poem
African American
Poem
American
Poem
Chinese
autobiography
Excerpt
from a
book—Red
Scarf Girl
Lawrence Yep
“Fame Is a Bee” by Emily
Dickinson
“On Turning Ten” by Billy
Collins (can be paired
with “Eleven” by Sandra
Cisneros)
Glencoe
Holt
Glencoe
Strong use of similes and
metaphors to identify the
many sides of fame.
American
Poem
Poem