I am a teacher and parents have been asking me for summer book recommendations. Unfortunately, this is my first time working with this age group! So I am looking for books that kids in grades 3-5 really like. Bonus points for books that are great for struggling readers!!
by calamila10
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Lemony Snicket’s *A Series of Unfortunate Events* is perfect for this age demographic in my opinion.
*Dinotopia*
*Bunnicula*
*The Kingdom of Wrenly*
*The Chronicles of Prydain*
*Dealing With Dragons*
*The Dark is Rising*
*The Golden Compass*
*The Pushcart War*
*The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle*
*Catherine, Called Birdy*
*Redwall*
*Watership Down*
Wings of Fire (graphic novels or books).
Harry Potter.
I Survived (a whole series of historical disaster-themed adventure stories).
A Wrinkle in Time and the sequels.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland series.
Zoey and Sassafras series.
Ada Lace series.
Mia Mayhem series.
Goddess Girls series.
The Hobbit.
Amelia Bedelia (there’s a new series but the old ones are good too).
The Silver Arrow series
The Phantom Tollbooth.
Smile, Sisters, Guts (graphic novels).
Edit: formatting
I just picked up Sam & Dave Dig A Hole from the library for my kids. The librarian was adamant that my 7 and 8 year old would love it
3rd & 4th grade
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
Pages & Co. : The Bookwanderers by Anna James
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
Rump by Liesl Shurtliff
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz (CW: a bit of violence)
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas by Jonathan W. Stokes
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate; The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Nonfiction
Brave. Black. First. by Cheryl Hudson
Amazing Ancients!: Egypt by Gabby Vernon-Melzer
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
4th & 5th grade
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Holes by Louis Sachar
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munõz Ryan
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Rules by Cynthia Lord
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson
Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Science Verse by Jon Scieszka
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead by Rebecca L. Johnson
Lots of good recs already, but here’s a couple I didn’t see:
Diana Wynne Jones – Howl’s Moving Castle and/or Chrestomanci series
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex – great book, can lead to good conversations about US history, not a difficult read
The Dragon Masters series is an easier read, but my 4th grader is still engrossed.