Recommended Books for 5th Graders
ADVENTURE:
39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The adventure begins when Amy and Dan's beloved aunt dies and reveals that there is a family
fortune hidden and the first member of the family to find it gets to keep it.
Amy and Dan begin a race against time as they travel the world trying to discover all 39 clues
before their greedy family members. (First book in the series)
Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret
When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister
during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save himself, his sister, and a boy
who has bullied him for years. Includes an author's note which provides factual information on
tsunamis.
Holes by Louis Sachar
As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant
relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he
finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris
train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and
his biggest secret are jeopardized.
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
When Michael is swept off his family's yacht, he washes up on a desert island, where he
struggles to survive--until he finds he is not alone
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Joel promised his dad he and Tony would ride their bikes straight to Starved Rock State Park. So
how did Tony wind up in the river?
Shipwreck by Gordon Korman
Six totally different kids must learn to work together to survive a vicious storm, and a shipwreck
that leaves them stranded in the middle of the ocean with no food, no water, and almost no hope
for survival
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
ANIMAL STORIES:
A Dog’s Life: Autobiography of a Stray by Ann Martin
Squirrel, a stray puppy, tells her life story, from her nurturing mother and brother to making
her own way in the world, facing busy highways, changing seasons, and humans both gentle and
brutal.
Flora and Ulysses: the illuminated adventures by Kate DiCamillo
Rescuing a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner, comic-reading cynic Flora Belle
Buckman is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates astonishing powers of strength
and flight after being revived.
One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby,
a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Marty finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, and tries to hide it from
his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and
to mistreat his dogs. When Marty comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it's
love at first sight--and also big trouble
Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Despereaux Tilling is a mouse who is in love with music, stories and a princess named Pea
BIOGRAPHIES:
Albert Einstein: Giants of Science by Kathleen Krull (see others by this author)
This biography profiles the life and times of German-born physicist Albert Einstein, whose
contributions to the field earned him a Nobel Prize
Annie and Helen by Deborah Hopkinson
Introduces Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, focusing on their relationship and interspersed with
letters that Annie wrote home detailing Helen's early communication progress.
Boy:tales of childhood by Roald Dahl
The amusing story of the childhood of Roald Dahl, well known for his quirky children’s books
such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda
I Am Malala – Young Readers Edition by Malala Yousafzai & Patricia McCormick
Malala's powerful story will open your eyes to another world and will make you believe in hope,
truth, miracles and the possibility that one person -- one young person -- can inspire change in
her community and beyond.
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret
A riveting story of courage and hope, Peg Kehret writes about months spent in a hospital when
she was twelve, first struggling to survive a severe
case of polio, then slowly learning
to walk again.
are needed to see this picture.
decompressor
QuickTime™ and a
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix
In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two
children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until
another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is
similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome
entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (series) by J.K. Rowling
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great
destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional
characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart"
years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.
Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (series – Percy Jackson and the Olympians)
After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelveyear-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new
friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for
Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a tenyear-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water
prevents one from ever growing any older
HUMOR:
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (First book in the series)
The three Baudelaire children must depend on each other when it turns out that the
distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary
to get their fortune
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's
mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his or her own way.
The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman
Four fifth-grade students--a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker--as well as
their teacher and mothers, each relate events surrounding a computer programmed to
complete homework assignments.
HISTORICAL FICTION
Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Fed up with cruel foster homes, 10-year-old Bud hits the road in search of a father he
never knew.
City of Orphans by Avi
In 1893 New York, thirteen-year-old Maks, a newsboy, teams up with Willa, a homeless
girl, to clear his older sister, Emma, from charges that she stole from the brand new
Waldorf Hotel, where she works. Includes historical notes
Fever 1793 by Laurie Anderson
In 1793, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about
perseverance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Ha and her family are forced to leave Saigon during the Vietnam War
Jackie & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by Dan Gutman
With his ability to travel through time by using baseball cards, Joe goes back to 1947 to
meet Jackie Robinson, turning into a black boy in the process.
Lily’s Crossing By Patricia Reilly Giff
During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian
refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to
be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.
MYSTERY:
Abduction! by Peg Kehret
Thirteen-year-old Bonnie has a feeling of foreboding on the very day that her six-year-old
brother Matt and their dog Pookie are abducted, and she becomes involved in a major
search effort as well as a frightening adventure
Doll People (series) by Ann Martin
A family of porcelain dolls that has lived in the same house for one hundred years is taken
aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn't follow The Doll Code of Honor
The London Eye Mystery by Siobham Dowd
When Ted and Kat's cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye ferris wheel, the two
siblings must work together to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Salim.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart
If you enjoy books with puzzles to solve, mysteries to investigate and wit to savor…then
read this book!
Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer (series) by John Grisham
In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only 13-yearsold, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than
expected when a cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.
REALISTIC FICTION:
Bridge to Terrabithia by Katherine Paterson
The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a
newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway,
Terabithia, during a storm.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli (see others by this author)
7th-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive
behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke
make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.
Frindle by Andrew Clements
When he decides to turn his 5th-grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her,
clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves
beyond his control
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
With the help of her wise old grandmother, twelve-year-old Rosie manages to work out
some problems in her relationship with her best friend, Bailey, the boy next door.
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Things get out of hand for a twelve-year-old boy when a neighbor convinces him to expand
his summer lawn mowing business.
No Talking by Andrew Clements
The noisy 5th grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth
grade girls to a "no talking" contest
Peak by Roland Smith
A 14-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
Travel Team by Mike Lupica
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once
led to national prominence--12-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs
that might have a shot at victory.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
10-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities, goes from
being home-schooled to entering 5th grade at a private middle school, which entails
enduring the taunts of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
NON-FICTION:
Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone
Profiles thirteen women who challenged social norms and government policies to prove they
could be exceptional astronauts
The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown
The causes and results of the Dust Bowl and how the lessons learned are still used today.
Graphic Novel format
The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories About Inventions
by Don Wulffson
Discover the origins of many everyday objects, from Animal Crackers to Zippers
Lincoln’s Grave Robbers by S. Sheinkin
Describes how a counterfeiting ring plotted to ransom Lincoln's body to secure the release
of their imprisoned ringleader, and how a fledging Secret Service and an undercover agent
conducted a daring election-night sting operation.
Lives of the Explorers: Discoveries, Disasters (and What the Neighbors Thought)
by Kathleen Krull
Dig deeper into the lives of famous explorers like Lewis and Clark and Sally Ride, and find
out what they were like as kids, what pets and bad habits they had and what drove their
passion to explore unknown parts of the world (and beyond!).
My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought to Children Around the World
by Margriet Ruurs
Contains photographs, information, and personal stories about mobile libraries and their
young patrons in countries around the world, showing some of the unique ways by which
books are delivered, including boat, camel, and elephant.
Titanic: Voices From the Disaster by D. Hopkinson
Deborah Hopkinson pieces together the story of the TITANIC and that fateful April
night, drawing on the voices of survivors and archival photographs
White House Kids: The Perks, Pleasures, Problems and Pratfalls of the Presidents’
Children By J. Rhatigan
Shares the experiences of growing up in the White House, discusses the good and the bad,
and profiles the children who have lived there
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.