Massachusetts Children’s Book Award 2012
My elementary school has a reading challenge asking all 5th graders to read every book on the list during the school year. There are always great picks that include Newbery winners with a range of chapter books from 3rd grade through 8th grade. These are not all newly published books either, so you should be able to easily find them at your school or public library.
One mom that I know says that she will buy her child a book if he takes it out of the library five times. It’s a good reading strategy to know that the book will not collect dust. If you want a more specific age range, please see the book reviews on Amazon by clicking on the image of the book.
Please let me know what you think of any of these books, or feel free to suggest other favorites that your children enjoyed in this age range. What are your reading strategies with your kids? Thank you!!
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott
Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel by Ruth McNally Barshaw
If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
The Dodgeball Chronicles (Knights of the Lunch Table, No.1) by Frank Cammuso
Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman
The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Operation Redwoodby Susannah T. French
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
The Secret of Zoom by Lynne Jonell
Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Dying to Meet You: 43 Cemetery Road by Kate Klise
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Long Shot (Comeback Kids) by Mike Lupica
How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills
The Leanin’ Dog by K. A. Nuzum
Sunny Holiday by Coleen Paratore
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
I, Q: Independence Hall (I, Q. The Series) by Roland Smith
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston
Click on image of book to read reviews on Amazon.
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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
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- 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
I think the greatest challenge for me is finding books for a 3rd grader when he’s reading at a 6-7th grade level.
I actually checked out several of these books listed above but he craves the comic style books that you mentioned in another article you wrote about (reluctant 3rd grader reader updated). I just wonder if my son reads the Geronomo Stilton books and other easier books then he won’t be challenged enough and won’t want to read harder books when he is older. I’m probably worrying too much since he really likes reading. He’s now rereading all of the Diary of the Wimpy Kid which I’m not fond of because of the type of humor but atleast he’s reading to read! His twin brother has no interest in reading and still likes to be read too. ( both 3rd graders!) We are reading the 2nd Harry Potter book out loud. Thanks again for all your posts! I have gotten great ideas.
To Kim L.,
I think that it’s wonderful that your son is such a great reader! Kudos to you!!! Since you don’t have to worry about his ability to read, I’d let him read whatever holds his interest. Here’s some posts on graphic novels for boys:
Best Graphic Novels for Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise (ages 3-16) UPDATED4 http://www.pragmaticmom.com/?p=20929
NYTimes Top Selling Graphic Novels http://www.pragmaticmom.com/?p=8949