To get my middle daughter to write this post, I had to do two things:
1) Plug her blog called Picky Kid Pix in which she reviews the few items in her life that make her cut.
2) Just type exactly what she says.
These are her words, not mine:
I think that every chapter book is boring in the beginning. Maybe the second or third chapter is when it starts getting good. Just keep reading.
This is her advice to any kids who read these books or any chapter book in general.
p.s. These books for kids in grades 2 through 4 are in no particular order.
Best Books for 4th Grade by my 4th Grade Daughter
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
I didn’t like the book until the kids got to Ruby Holler and then I loved it. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
It’s just a really good book. The beginning was very boring until they got to the vacation house and met a boy named Jeffrey. Then it started to get good. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
Once I knew the first book was good, I just read it because I knew this one would be good too. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
This was a very interesting book because it’s when Jeffrey finally meets his dad but doesn’t know it. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
The movie and the book are totally different. Nothing similar about it at all. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
It’s a lot of little books that make a big book and a talking monkey. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Matilda by Roald Dahl
This book was one of my favorites because Matilda had a very bad life and then a very good life after she gets adopted. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker
I like Clementine because this series is funny and she just made a new book called The Family Meeting. I bought it with my Christmas money and I know that it’s going to be good. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
No Cream Puffs by Karen Day
It’s interesting that a girl plays baseball on a boys’ team and she’s one of the best players, if not the best. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
p.s. Related posts:
Civil Rights Movement Books for 4th Grade and MLK Day
Diversity Picture Books for 4th Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 4th Grade
Rising 4th Grade Summer Reading Book List
Rising 4th Grade Summer Reading List
Chapter Books to Support 4th Grade or 5th Grade Immigration Unit
Olympic Chapter Books & Non-Fiction For 4th Grade & 2nd Grade
4th Grade Skype Author Visit: Sheela Chari of Vanished UPDATED
Who Owns the Money? Economics for 4th Graders
4th Grade Book Club: Smile by Raina Telgemeier
4th Grade Book Club: Savvy and GIVEAWAY
4th Grade Science Study Guides: Weather, Rocks & Minerals, Moon Phases
4th Grade Book Club: Retold Modern Fairy Tales
Books for 4th Grade and 5th Grade
Books for 3rd Grade & 4th Grade
Missing The Cut: 4th Grade Club Soccer Disappointment
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My books:
BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
Awesome post! I needed inspiration for my own daughter. She just recently asked for new chapter books, and I stumble across this. Perfect!
To Melanie,
Thanks so much! I told my middle daughter that you said this and she’s so excited to have comments, not to mention that you liked her post! Thank you so much for taking time to read the post and comment!!!
My daughter is in 5th grade now, but read all of these books and liked them a lot. Maybe your daughter would enjoy some of these other books that my daughter and her friends have read: Carl Hiaasen’s books Scat and Hoot; the book Savvy by Ingrid Law and the book The Manny Files by Christian Burch (the last two both have good sequels too). They like most of Sharon Creech’s books too.
To Alison,
Thank you for the great calls! She is reading Savvy right now for her book club! I bought her all 3 of the Hiaasan books (ok, they were really for me) Hoot, Scat and Flush but she’s hasn’t read them yet… The Manny Files is one that I don’t know about. THANK YOU for that! I told her that you left a comment and that your 5th grader liked these books last year and she got a HUGE smile on her face. Thank you so much for reading the post and taking time to comment! It means so much to her and keeps her motivated to read, read, read!!
Putting all of these on my to-read list for 9 year old. Awesome post!
To Craftwhack,
Thank you so much! Please let me what your your 9 year old thinks of any of these books! I’ll add to the post.
I love that your daughter wrote this herself. My 9 year old daughter is laying here reading it with me and might actually read one of them because the reviews are so honest. Thanks!
Nicole
2sunshinestreet.com