5th-Grade-Book-List
This list includes nonfiction books, fiction and book series that appeal to 5th Graders.
Picture Books
Picture Books
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Fourteen engaging black-and-white drawings, each accompanied by a title and a caption, entice readers to make up their own stories or drawings.
Series: Plot-your-own stories
Where to Find:
Early Chapter Books
Early Chapter Books
Wedgie & Gizmo
While his human Elliot adjusts to his new home and stepfamily, Gizmo, an evil genius guinea pig, searches for a new evil lair where he can plot to take over the world, but Gizmo is constantly thwarted by Elliot's little stepsister Jasmine (who likes to play dress-up), Abuela (who may or may not like to eat cavies), and Wedgie (a Corgi superhero and Gizmo's nemesis).
Book 1, Wedgie & Gizmo series
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Graphic Novel
Real Friends
When her best friend Adrienne starts hanging out with the most popular girl in class, Shannon questions whether she and Adrienne will stay friends, and if she is part of the clique.
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Mighty Jack
Jack dreads summer because his single mother has to work and leaves him at home with his little sister who is autistic. She doesn't talk at all. Ever. But one day while they are at a flea market, she does talk. She tells Jack to trade their mother's car for a box of mysterious seeds. It's the best mistake Jack has ever made!
Book 1, Mighty Jack
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King
Like a bolt from the blue, Jack's little sister Maddy is gone--carried into another realm by an ogre. When Jack and Lilly follow Maddy's captor through the portal, they are ready for anything ... except what they find waiting for them in the floating crossroads between worlds. Even the power of their magic plants may not be enough to get them back to earth alive. Alone and injured, Jack and Lilly must each face their own monsters--as well as giants who grind the bones of human children to feed their "beast" and a fearsome goblin king in the sewers down below. But when Jack finds himself in a tough spot, help comes from the most unlikely person...
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl
Teaming up with new friend Zita the spacegirl, Jack and Lilly confront an army of dangerous giants and screeds ready to lay siege to Earth and determined to end all human life.
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Zita the Spacegirl
When young Zita discovers a device that opens a portal to another place, and her best friend is abducted, she is compelled to set out on a strange journey from star to star in order to get back home.
Book 1, Zita
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
The Legend of Zelda
Link embarks on a quest to deliver the spiritual stone of the forest to Zelda, princess of the land of Hyrule, while encountering many dangers and fighting evil.
Book 1, Legend
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
All's Faire in Middle School
Homeschooled by Renaissance Fair enthusiasts, eleven-year-old Imogene has a hard time fitting in when her wish to enroll in public school is granted.
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
The Lightning Thief
Classic Greek mythology is mixed with modern adventure in this brand-new, action-packed series. After learning he is a demigod, Percy Jackson is sent to a summer camp on Long Island, where he meets the father he never knew--Poseidon, God of the Sea.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 1
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Camping with Unicorns: Another Phoebe and her Unicorn Adventure
In this graphic novel featuring Phoebe, school's out, so Phoebe and her unicorn best friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, have the entire summer to play games, visit the pool, and even go camping. Unicorn horns are excellent utensils for roasting things over the campfire, too, even if Marigold prefers toasted apples to s'mores.
Graphic Novel: Call Number Phoebe v.11
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Phoebe and Her Unicorn
It all started when Phoebe skipped a rock across a pond and accidentally hit a unicorn in the face. Improbably, this led to Phoebe being granted one wish, and using it to make the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, her obligational best friend. But can a vain mythical beast and a nine-year-old daydreamer really forge a connection?
Book 1, Phoebe
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
Sisters
Raina can't wait to be a big sister, but once Amara is born she realizes things won't be quite what she had expected. Despite Amara's cuteness, she is a cranky, grouchy baby. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years but when their family starts to change, they realize they must figure out how to get along like real sisters. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel
The Baby-sitters Club: A Graphic Novel
This graphic version of The Baby-sitters Club by Ann Martin has been adapted by the popular illustrator, Raina Telgemeier. "Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are best friends and founding members of the Baby-sitters Club. But baby-sitting isn't always easy, and neighter is dealing with strict parents, new families, fashion emergencies and mysterious secrets. But no matter what, the BSC have what they need most: friendship."-publisher.
Baby-sitters 2015 v 1
Where to Find:
Large Print
Large Print
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away.
Where to Find:
Large Print
Frindle
When he decides to turn his fifth 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. Also available on audio CD, and large print.
Where to Find:
Large Print
No Talking
The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Large Print
Fish in a Tree
Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of.
Where to Find:
Large Print
Savvy
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a savvy--a supernatural power they acquire at 13. On the eve of Mibs's big day, she finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up.
Book 1, Savvy series
Where to Find:
Large Print
Number the Stars
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. Also available in Spanish language. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Large Print
A Wrinkle in Time
In this Newbery award winning novel, 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. Also available in Large Print and in Braille.
Where to Find:
Large Print
The Lightning Thief
Classic Greek mythology is mixed with modern adventure in this brand-new, action-packed series. After learning he is a demigod, Percy Jackson is sent to a summer camp on Long Island, where he meets the father he never knew--Poseidon, God of the Sea.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 1
Where to Find:
Spanish Language
Spanish Language
No Talking
The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Spanish Language
Because of Winn-Dixie
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Spanish Language
Into the Wild
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by the powerful ancestors. But the warrior code is threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying - and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty . . . Who may yet turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all. Also available in Spanish language.
Book 1, Warriors series
Where to Find:
Spanish Language
Number the Stars
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. Also available in Spanish language. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Spanish Language
Wonder
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student. Polacio has written several related stories: Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories and other books about the characters in Wonder. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Spanish Language
The Hammer of Thor
Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants... Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high. Also available in Spanish languge.
Book 2, Magnus Chase
Where to Find:
Spanish Language
Sisters
Raina can't wait to be a big sister, but once Amara is born she realizes things won't be quite what she had expected. Despite Amara's cuteness, she is a cranky, grouchy baby. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years but when their family starts to change, they realize they must figure out how to get along like real sisters. Also available in Spanish language.
Where to Find:
Fiction
Fiction
Ms. Bixby's Last Day
Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard, the ones who stopped trying long ago. The ones you'll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. Ms. Bixby is none of these. She's the sort of teacher who makes you feel like school is somehow worthwhile. Who recognizes something in you that sometimes you don't even see in yourself. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind. Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she won't be able to finish the school year, they come up with a risky plan--more of a quest, really--to give Ms. Bixby the last day she deserves.
Where to Find:
Fiction
The One and Only Bob
Return to the unforgettable world of the Newbery Medal-winning novel The One and Only Ivan. In this incredible sequel, Ivan the gorilla's dog friend Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.
Where to Find:
Fiction
The One and Only Ivan
Ivan is a lowland gorilla trapped in a mall setting without contact with other gorillas. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has sadly grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends, Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog.
Where to Find:
Fiction
The Good Dog
McKinley, a malamute, is the top dog of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. But trouble brews when a she-wolf named Lupin urges the dogs to break free and join her dwindling pack. McKinley is drawn to her wildness, and he's torn between his loyalty to humans and a desire to be free.
Where to Find:
Fiction
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away.
Where to Find:
Fiction
Doll Bones
Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.
Where to Find:
Fiction
Jinx
A young boy named Jinx encounters magic and danger as he grows up in the deep, dark forest known as the Urwald and discovers that the world beyond--and within--the Urwald is more complex than he could imagine.
Book 1, Jinx series
Where to Find:
Fiction
The War That Saved My Life
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada's twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn't waste a minute, she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
Where to Find:
Fiction
Cogheart
When her father goes missing, thirteen-year-old Lily Hartman must team up with a clockmaker's son, Robert, and her mechanimal fox, Malkin, to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance and his world-changing invention, a perpetual motion machine called the Cogheart.
Book 1, Cogheart
Where to Find:
Fiction
Serafina's Promise
In a poor village outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Serafina works hard to help her family, but dreams of going to school and becoming a doctor--then the earthquake hits and Serafina must summon all her courage to find her father and still get medicine for her sick baby brother as she promised.
Where to Find:
Fiction
The Brain Finds a Leg
In Farrago Bay, Australia, thirteen-year-old Sheldon is recruited by a new student, Theo Brain, to help investigate a murder, which is tied not only to bizarre animal behavior but also to a diabolical plot to alter human intelligence.
Where to Find: