My 4th grader helped to compile this list of favorite books she recommends for 3-5th graders. I have also vetted this list for content. I feel that some topics such as death, cruelty, and poverty, when dealt with a heavy hand are best suited for when kids are a little older, say Middle School. These books, even though they cover these heavy topics, are still uplifting.
p.s. Related posts:
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5th Grade Books from 5th Grade Boy
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5th Grade Book Recommendations from My 5th Grader
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The Secret School by Avi
Ida Bidson becomes a teacher at 14-years-old when her teacher at her one-room schoolhouse has to leave due to a family illness. This is a Newbery Award Winner! My oldest highly recommends it! [ages 8 and up]
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
Her first book, The Penderwicks, won a Newbury Award. It’s a fantastic book but the sequel is even better. In this book, the girls try to find a wife for their dad. I think I was more excited than my daughter when the sequel came out! [ages 8 and up]
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney
When Eben McAllister is challenged by his pa to discover wonders in his small farming community, he finds the extraordinary in a doll, a bookcase, a saw, a table, a ship in a bottle, a woven cloth, and more. [ages 7 and up]
Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume
[ages 8 and up]
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
[ages 8 and up]
The BFG by Roald Dahl
[ages 8 and up]
Matilda by Roald Dahl
[ages 8 and up]
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Probably one of the best books I have ever read. An amazing and uplifting story. [ages 8-12]. A note of caution, A Tiger Rising also by Kate DiCamillo also won a Newbury Honor award but I didn’t think the content was suitable for ages 8-10. The realism is just too …real, and sad. A Tale of Despereaux was also difficult for my 4th grader to get into. She thought it was boring.
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
My daughter’s 3rd grade teacher recommended this book and my daughter also said she loved it. It’s great for 3rd grade girls because this is when social issues such as cliques can form. [ages 8 and up]
My Side of the Mountain series by Jean Craighead George
This series is about Sam Gribley living unhappily in New York City who runs away to some forgotten family land in the Catskill Mountains. He learns to live off the land with the help of a kindly librarian, a falcon baby, a flint and steel, penknife, and a ball of cord. He is joined by his sister in book two, and book three chronicles Frightful’s migration journal South. [ages 8 and up]
The Doll People series by Laura Godwin
[ages 8 and up]
Umbrella Summer by Jan Graff
When her older brother died unexpectedly less than a year ago, Annie reacted by excessively worrying. It’s not until a new neighbor moves in, with a secret of her own, that Annie is able to close the “umbrella” of her sadness and let the sunshine in. [ages 8 and up]
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill
Technically, this is historical fiction about a teacher who goes to rural Alaska and transforms the lives of the children at a one-room schoolhouse. [ages 8 and up]
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
Everyone in Coal Harbor, British Columbia is convinced that 11-year-old Primrose Squarp is an orphan after her mother sets sail after her fisherman father during a big storm and both don’t return except Primrose who knows they will return deep inside her heart. Her uncle Jack is recruited to take care of her and he is convinced that Coal Harbor can be converted from a dying fishing village to a tourist destination. Primrose’s faith in her parents’ return tests the patience of those around her as she fails to accept their “death” by asking the doubters, “Didn’t you ever believe anything just because you knew it was true?” [ages 8 and up]
The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
A princess gets the gift of being ordinary and that turns out to be the best gift of all. [ages 8 and up]
Savvy series by Ingrid Law
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy” a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day. [ages 8 and up]
Philippa Fisher and Her Fairy Godsister by Liz Kessler
Philippa Fisher and Her Fairy GodsisterMy oldest said to include this book; it’s one of her favorites. [ages 8 and up]
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth by e. l. konigsburg
For anyone who has had to move to a new town and struggle to make new friends and fit in, this is a perfect read. A Newbury Honor Book, not quite in the same league as From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, this is a great book about girl friendships…and witchcraft. [ages 9 and up]
The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin
This is the sequel to The Year of the Dog in which Pacy learns that her best friend is moving to California, faces prejudice including her own as a new “fresh-off-the-boat” Chinese boy joins her class, and struggles to fit in. [ages 8 and up]
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Grace Lin is the Amy Tan for the elementary school set. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is an Asian-American version of the Percy Jackson series starting with The Lightning Thief. Where Riordan weaves Greek Mythology into his plot, Grace Lin uses Chinese Folk Tales into a wonderful, inspiring, and heart-warming story that teaches all of us to just… BELIEVE. This book was listed twice as a favorite book in my kids’ elementary school newspaper. [ages 8 and up]
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord
‘8-year-old Shirley Temple Wong immigrates to America and, after a bumpy adjustment, finds that America is the land of opportunity by discovering baseball, Jackie Robinson, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. [ages 8 and up]
The Pharaoh’s Secret by Marissa Moss
[ages 9-12]
Midnight for Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo
Another “Harry Potter-like series” that my oldest loves. [ages 9 and up]
Shiloh series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
An excellent and award-winning series about a boy rescuing a dog from his abusive neighbor. [ages 9 and up]
The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park
Set in 15th century Korea, Korea’s Golden Age, two brothers — one skilled in kite making and the other skilled in kite flying — combine their skills to compete in a kite flying contest on behalf of the king. [ages 8 and up]
Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park
Set during the Yi Dynasty, considered the Golden Age of Korea, the seesaw girl illustrates the lives and limitations of women in a noble family. [ages 8 and up]
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Set in 12th century Korea during the Koryo era, an orphan who ends up working for a celebrated celadon potter is able to realize his own potential. [ages 8 and up]
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
I have just discovered this Newbery Award-winning author and I have to say he’s an amazing storyteller. A Year Down Yonder is the Newbery Award-winning book, and it’s the sequel to A Long Way From Chicago. While this book is set in a small country bumpkin town during the Great Depression, it’s a hilarious story about fifteen-year-old Mary Alice who is sent to live with her Grandma for a year during the Great Depression while her parents get situated. Grandma Dowdel is a force to be reckoned with; her resourcefulness is matched by her heart of gold and Mary Alice’s year is filled with enough drama to fill a newspaper. A Long Way from Chicago is from Mary Alice’s older brother’s perspective during their eight summers at Grandma Dowel’s farm and the antics they got into. It also gives a gentle history of how the Great Depression impacted their community. [ages 8 and up]
Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins
Set in Bangladesh, a sickly rickshaw driver’s daughter strives to earn money for her family. [ages 7 and up]
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson series) by Rick Riordan
This is “Harry Potter meets Greek Mythology” and it’s a fantastic read! It’s such a page-turner that I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it! Percy Jackson is an ADD, dyslexic 6th-grade hero who has trouble staying in school because, as it turns out, he’s no ordinary human but a half-blood related to one of the big three in Greek Mythology. He must find and return Zeus’ lost lightning bolt to prevent WWIII. This series makes Greek Mythology come alive so I’ve included an Usborne Greek Mythology book that is easier and Edith Hamilton’s Mythology for those who want more details as well. The level of difficulty is slightly easier than Book 1 of Harry Potter; this book is 375 pages long, normal-sized type. [ages 8 and up]
Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
You’d have to be living under a rock for over a decade not to know about Harry Potter. We just saw the exhibit at our Museum of Science and it was terrific! We went Christmas Eve to avoid the crowds and the museum was still half-full. My 4th daughter is now racing through the series now…I thought she hadn’t read these books earlier because they were too scary. She said it was because she didn’t own them. Well, the 7 book series is about $50; that’s a pretty good price. [ages 8 and up]
Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan
[ages 8 and up]
Holes by Louis Sachar
[ages 9 and up]
Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta
[ages 9 and up]
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This book is deceptively thick because it has 250+ pages of illustrations that tell part of the story that I call “The Phantom of the Opera” of children’s literature. Set in 1930s Paris, Hugo Cabret is an orphan with a talent for all things mechanical. The key to his future, he believes, is unlocking the secret of an automaton “wonder.” With other interlocking stories that weave together, this is a riveting story about the power of friendships, magic, and perseverance. [ages 8 and up]
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan Long Shang
[ages 8 and up]
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Jeffrey “Maniac” Magee, an orphan and an athlete of legendary acclaim, breaks the racial barrier existing between two neighboring towns. [ages 9 and up]
The White Giraffe series by Lauren St. John
A mom friend highly recommends this series. [ages 8 and up]
All-Of-A-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor
Apparently, the newest American Girl doll is based on this book so maybe it’s more well-known now. The first book is the only one in print, but you can find the rest of the series at your public library or used on Amazon at sometimes exorbitant prices: More All-Of-A-Kind Family, All-Of-A-Kind Family Downtown, All-Of-A-Kind Family Uptown, and Ella of All-Of-A-Kind Family. (After lobbying with other bloggers, the books are back in print!!!) [ages 8 and up]
Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles
My daughter’s 3rd grade teacher’s favorite book in the world. Ruby Lavender spends the summer dealing with the absence of her beloved grandmother, who is visiting family in Hawaii. It obliquely deals with death but in an uplifting way. The book manages to be hilarious and poignant at the same time. [ages 8 and up]
Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
My oldest daughter’s well-read friend says that this is her new favorite book of the year. Last year, her favorite book was Love, Ruby Lavender but she says this book is better and funnier. It’s about a 10-year-old girl named Comfort whose family runs a mortuary. Despite a spate of deaths in the family and other wacky adventures, the story is both hilarious laugh-out-loud, and poignant. [ages 8 and up]
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
My daughter loved Rules by Cynthia Lord, Because of Winn Dixie, Savvy and many of the other books on your list. I was excited to see “Umbrella Summer” on here because I *just* ordered that book…I have to look through with my daughter and see which of the books she has not read that interest her! Thanks!
To Therea,
I’m glad my list was helpful. Umbrella Summer didn’t win awards like Rules, Because of Winn Dixie or Savvy but I’m surprised that it didn’t. It’s an under-the-radar good book with the same feel as Rules.