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50+ Books for a 5th Grader who Loves to Read

January 27, 2016 by ami 7 Comments

I have already shared Elijah's 7th grade reading list and 6th grade reading list. I want to share more–especially for those of you who have kids who read like crazy-cakes, so here is his 5th grade list (from 2012-2013). I am sure I have missed some of his selections because it is impossible for me to keep up with him, but many of these were on his 5th grade reading list.

Please don't use this list to compare your non-book-devouring child to mine. We don't use much curriculum because he chooses to read so, so much.

5th Grade Reading List

Biography and Nonfiction

George Washington Carver by David Collins 

Francis Scott Key by David Collins 

Johannes Kepler by John Hudson Tiner

Florence Nightingale by David Collins

David Livingston: Africa's Trailblazer by Janet and Geoff Benge

William Carey:Obliged to Go by Janet and Geoff Benge

Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer by Janet and Geoff Benge

Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold by Janet and Geoff Benge

Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime by Janet and Geoff Benge

The Land I Lost by Huynh Quang Nhuong

 

Poetry

All the Small Poems by Valerie Worth

 

Realistic Fiction

Water Sky by Jean Craighead George

Journey to Jo’Burg by Beverly Naidoo

Snow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard

Stormy by Jim Kjelgaard

Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard

The Black Fawn by Jim Kjelgaard

Li Lun Lad of Courage by Carolyn Treffinger*

 

Historical Fiction

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen 

The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen

The House of Sixty Fathers Meindert DeJong*

Daughter of the Mountains by Louise S. Rankin*

The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park

The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson

Winged Watchman Hilda Van Stockhum

Adam of the Road by Elizabet Gray*

The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates

Hue and Cry by Elizabeth Yates

 

Humor

Tales from Dust River Gulch by Tim Davis

More Tales from Dust River Gulch by Tim Davis

 

Adventure

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher

Viking Quest Series by Lois Walfrid Johnson

Red Sand, Blue Sky by Cathy Applegate

The Complete Adventures of Tintin (7 graphic novel books; please preview for content)

 

Folk and Fairy Tales

Beat the Story Drum, Pum Pum by Ashley Bryan

Tales of a Korean Grandmother by Frances Carpenter

The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth*

East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon by Gudrun Thorne-Thomsen


Classic Literature

The Black Stallion Walter Farley

The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare E. Nesbit

Stories of Robin Hood Told to Children Marshall

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter

 

Fantasy

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aikent

The Wouldbegoods by E. Nesbit

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
 

Do you have other books you would add to the list? Drop me a comment! I'd love to hear your suggestions. 

If you are looking for more lists for kids who love to read, please check out my Reading Lists for Voracious Readers page. 

Reading Lists for Voracious Readers from Walking by the Way

Filed Under: just read it, living books, read Tagged With: 5th grade reading list, book list for a child who loves to read, book list for a voracious reader, homeschool reading

Comments

  1. Angela says

    February 2, 2016 at 5:37 pm

    Thank you! My son loves to read (he is currently in 3rd grade). I have run out of ideas of books for him to read. Do you have lists for earlier years?

  2. ami says

    February 10, 2016 at 7:50 pm

    Yes! I do! If you just hang with me for a bit, they should be posting with the next month or two. I have a list of blog posts to write and the 4th grade list should be coming next! 

  3. MomOf2 says

    January 30, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    Thanks!

  4. Rochelle says

    August 26, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    Awesome list!! Do you have a list for a 5th grader that doesn’t like to read? Everyone else in the house loves to read. He does not like it. At the library the other day he said they had nothing there to read. He chose a book from the “I Survived” series, we shall see. Any suggestion would be great.

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Welcome! I’m a big believer in inspiring kids, cultivating curiosity, delight directed learning, living books, field trip adventures, and keeping your sanity while homeschooling. I hope you find something encouraging here today! You can learn a bit more about me here.

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