Cohen Hillel All School Reading List
Suggested Reading for 4th - 5th grades
While you are enjoying your summer, please don’t forget to read every day. Journey to new lands!
Make new friends! Solve mysteries! Have adventures! Not every book will be perfect for you, so ask your
teachers, parents, librarians and friends to help you choose great books! Happy reading!
Favorite Authors - These authors are student recommended!
Avi -- many titles to choose from with all sorts of plots and characters.
Burnett, Frances -- classic stories about the rich and poor, in more ways than just money
Byars, Betsy -- everyday kids with everyday, growing-up problems and adventures.
Don’t leave out the Herculeah Jones mysteries or the Blossom Family stories, beginning
with Not Just Anybody Family.
Christopher, Matt -- sports stories and biographies everyone can enjoy.
Cleary, Beverly -- funny friends and family stories
Dahl, Roald -- some very strange characters in even stranger adventures.
DiCamillo, Kate - realistic fiction and fantasy stories that you will enjoy.
Fritz, Jean -- meet Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, King George and others in these history-based stories.
Lawson, Robert -- historical characters introduced by their animal friends.
Lowry, Lois -- many titles to choose from, including all the Anastasia stories.
Lupica, Mike -- sports stories that have it all
Series Books - These books are student recommended so don't stop with the first one!
Alcott, Louisa May -- Watch Jo and her sister grow, starting with Little Women
Baum, L. Frank -- Meet all the residents of Oz, not just The Wizard of Oz.
Henry, Marguerite -- horse stories, famous and otherwise
McBride, Roger -- Little House on Rocky Ridge introduces the next generation of the Laura Ingalls Wilder family.
Montgomery, L. M. -- Anne of Green Gables grows up.
Matas, Carol -- Rosie in New York: Gotcha! begins the series.
Sacher, Louis – read all the stories from the very, very strange Wayside School
Taylor, Sydney – get to know the All-of-a-kind Family and their friends and relations.
Travers, P. L. -- Mary Poppins finds strange adventures with the Banks family.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls -- Little House Books follow Laura until she’s all grown up. (Continue on to the next
generation in Roger MacBride’s books -- see above.)
You might also look into some Newbery Medal and Newbery Honor books, current and past years, beginning in
1922. This annual award is given by the American Library Association (www.ala.org, search "Newbery Medal").
Many of these titles are excellent, appropriate selections for 4th and 5th graders!
4th - 5th Grade - Revised - 6/1/2014
Individual Titles - Award - winning and student recommended books.
SLJ - School Library Journal
AJL - Association of Jewish Librarians, sponsors Sydney Taylor Book Award
ALSC - Association of Library Service to Children, division of ALA
Allon. Mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Notable Children's Books of Jewish Content, 2004)
Applegate. The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback (Newbury Award winner, 2013)
Borden. The Journey that Saved Curious George (Sydney Taylor Honor Award, 2006)
Buyea. Mr. Terupt series
Clements. No Talking! And many others... (Summer Reading List, ALSC 2013)
Dahl. Matilda (fantasy)
DiCamillo. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Because of Winn- Dixie, Flora and Ulysses (Newbury Award,
2014)
Drucker. Jacob’s Rescue (Holocaust)
Dublin. Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do Everything (Notable Children's Books of Jewish Content,
2005)
Eager. Half Magic (fantasy)
Gantos. Joey Pigza series, And many others...
Gellman. God’s Mailbox / Always Wear Clean Underwear (short stories)
Graff. A Tangle of Knots
Grabenstein. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, And many others...
Graham. Wind in the Willows (fantasy, classic)
Haddix. Running Out of Time (science fiction)
Henkes. The Year of Billy Miller (Newbury Honor Book, 2014)
Hesse. Cats of Krasinki Square (ALA Notable Children's Books, 2005)
Ibbotson. Which Witch? (fantasy)
Jaffe. While Standing on One Foot (puzzle stories)
Juster. The Phantom Tollbooth (fantasy)
Konigsburg. The Second Mrs. Giaconda / The View From Saturday
Lai. Inside Out and Back Again
L’Engle. Wrinkle in Time (science fiction)
Levitin. Golem and the Dragon Girl
Martinez. Little White Duck (SLJ Best Books of 2012)
McDonough. Hammerin' Hank: The Life of Hank Greenberg (Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2007)
Merrill. The Pushcart War
(ALA Best Books of the Millennium)
Naylor. Shiloh / Shiloh Season / Saving Shiloh (dog stories)
Nislick. Zayda Was a Cowboy (Notable Children's Books of Jewish Content, 2006)
O’Dell. Black Pearl / Sarah Bishop / Sing Down the Moon
Park. Rosie Swanson: Fourth Grade Geek for President
Paulsen. Culpepper’s Cannon (fantasy, historical fiction)
Raskin. The Westing Game (mystery) (ALA Best Books of the Millennium)
Schroeder. Six Million Paperclips (Notable Children's Books of Jewish Content, 2004)
Scieszka, John. Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories of Growing Up ( ALSC Notable Books 2009)
4th - 5th Grade - Revised - 6/1/2014
Singer. Zlatah the Goat (ALA Best Books of the Millennium)
Snicket. Who Could That Be at this Hour? (prequel to "Series of Unfortunate Events") (SLJ Best
Books of 2012)
Snyder. Egypt Game / Velvet Room
Stead. Liar and Spy/When You Reach Me
Watkins. So Far From the Bamboo Grove
Walder. Kids Speak / More Kids Speak / Kids Speak 3, Kids Speak 4 (short stories, Jewish content)
Try some MAGAZINES for variety...
Kids Discover
National Geographic Kids
Sports Illustrated for Kids
plus many, many others...
4th - 5th Grade - Revised - 6/1/2014