I’m excited to be moving from third grade to fifth grade. Whenever I think about the move, the first things I think about is reading aloud to them. I think that the books that fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade teachers read aloud to their students have the potential to be some of the most memorable books of a student’s childhood.
My summer is going to be filled with catching up on books to book talk and read aloud to my students. I’d love to know what books you think make great fifth-grade read alouds. Just leave a comment below, and I’ll add your recommendations to my ever growing to-read pile.
Thanks for your help!
I talk a little bit about the move to fifth in the video below.
sharpread 
This year, my students enjoyed Pax and The Scourge. Masterminds and The Honest Truth are popular in Lit Circles. Last year, The False Prince and Fuzzy Mud were well loved and in Lit Circles it was A Night Divided, The Blackthorn Key, and The Nest. I have also liked Wonder, The Ruins of Gorlan, Airborn, and A Long Walk to Water.
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Lots of love for Masterminds. I must read that book!
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Nine, Ten and Towers Falling
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Great pair!
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Some favorites:
Maniac Magee
The Watsons Go To Birmingham
Holes (most love even though they’ve seen the movie!)
The Tale of Despereaux
A Tale Dark and Grimm
Walk Two Moons
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I need to reread Walk Two Moons.
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A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Well crafted, great example of show, don’t tell, kids don’t want you to stop, I cry at the end (happy) every time!
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That Linda Sue Park is pretty darn talented.
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My 5ths love Home of the Brave. Also Fish In a Tree and Hatchet. We also love Steve Sheinkin’s King George: What Was His Problem and Two Misrerable Presidents for Rev. and Civil War in social studies. We’ve done Harry Potter (which might inspire the majority of your class to continue reading the entire series) and The False Prince for fantasy. BOY picture books include The Invisible Boy, anything by Peter Reynolds, Jackie Woodson, and Kathryn Otoshi, and so many more that I can’t think of before coffee. Shoot me an email if you want to talk more: I am more than happy to help a fellow fifthie!
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Hatchet was my book when I was a kid.
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It’s a hidden treasure and “old,” however for 18 years it has never failed to be an all time favorite: The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles – by Julie Andrews. I have created a set of voices that I use for all the fantastic characters. It starts a little slow, but it takes off and never stops. Words of the Wiser galore and some many important life lessons. Welcome to Fifth Grade!
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I must find out what a Whangdoodle is.
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Masterminds series by Gordon Korman
The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Genius Files series by Dan Gutman
The Losers Club (forthcoming book) by Andrew Clements
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I have a copy of The Losers Club. I need to read that one this summer.
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It’s a great one! What I liked about it is that it is full of book recommendations throughout the book and, at the end, it has a list of all the books the kids in the Losers Club read. A book that recommends other books is a winner for me!
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Colby, your kids are just SO precious–and getting so BIG!!! 🙂 How cool is it about your student and the whole 5th-grade thing 😀 I have to tell you, one of the books that always comes to mind is ONE FOR THE MURPHYS. It’s SUCH a powerful, beautifully written book. Maybe that can be one of your books. Depends on what you’re shooting for. Whatever you choose, it’ll be great because YOU are sure to “make that happen” 😀
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They grow up so fast. 🙂
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I liked pairing two set in Chicago Chasong Vermeer by Balliet and Sahara Special by Cordell.
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Ashamed to say that I haven’t read Chasing Vermeer.
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I loved reading Wonder and Number the Stars to 5th graders!
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Wonder has my heart.
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The summer after 5th grade, I remember reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Recently, I reread it. Still great!
A few years ago, the Pragmatic Mom Blog posted a thoughtful list. http://www.pragmaticmom.com/2014/10/10-perfect-read-alouds-5th-grade/
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Thanks for sharing the link!
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The False Prince
The War That Saved My Life
The City of Ember
Pax
Scar Island
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SO many people have said The False Prince. I just might need to read that one to my kids next year.
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11 Birthdays, The Gollywhopper Games, and The Summer of Riley.
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I need to read The Gollywhopper Games.
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Wonder, Esperanza Rising, One and Only Ivan, City of Ember, Gregor the Overlander, maybe Applegate’s new book The Wishtree (I’m in love with that book)
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I have read City of Ember in a while. That book would kill as a read aloud. Thanks for reminding me of it.
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Where the Red Fern Grows
Out of my Mind
Wonder
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I get teary eyed just thinking about these three books!
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Oooh! Wonder, Fish in a Tree, Out of My Mind, Three times Lucky, The Honest Truth, Snicker of Magic, (actually all of Dan & Natalie’s books) Tristan adds, The False Prince, and Noah is finishing 5th right now and says the Fighting Ground by Avi.
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I think The Honest Truth would be a pretty magical read aloud.
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Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, The Power of Un by Nancy Etchemendy, The Chasing Vermeer Trilogy by Blue Balliett, The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry, The Genius Files Series by Dan Gutman, A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup.
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Great list! I love Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, but I never thought about reading it aloud. Thanks for the tip!
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These are all great suggestions. One that you might miss bc its been out a while is Journey by patricia maclachlan very short but very good vehicle for discussion.
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I haven’t read Journey. I’m going to try and read it this summer. Thank you for reaching out.
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Wonder, Out of My Mind, any of Dan Gemeinhart’s books (Some Kind of Courage is a great intro to historical fiction), Holes, There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, Because of Mr. Terupt, and the list goes on!!
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I think Holes is pretty much perfect. Reading it aloud sounds like a blast!
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Jennifer Murdley’s Toad by Bruce Coville
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wreder
Rain Reign by Ann Martin
Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher
The students always love these books. Every year I read Jennifer Murdley’s Toad. The others I have read some years and not others. Good luck in fifth grade.
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I didn’t think about Rain Reign. I love that books! Thanks for the recs.
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Ralph Fletcher is my hero!
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I have read Bud, Not Buddy to every fifth grade class I’ve taught. They always laugh at the same places, and I always tear up at the same places!
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Loot
Pilfer Academy
Mr. Lemoncello Series
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I loved reading The Liberation of Gabriel King aloud to my students. I love that it has a boy-girl friendship, plenty of humor, and is historical fiction. A powerful read!
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The evolution of Calpurnia Tate (life sci); Space Case (earth sci and mystery); Zane and the hurricane (weather sci); Maniac Magee; Rules by Lord; the view from Saturday; the westing game.
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Westing Game is a classic. Love it!
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I have read Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix to fifth graders for fourteen years and have yet to find anything they like better. Many go on to read the entire series on their own. Make sure you read it advance, not everyone will feel comfortable with the violence.
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Another vote for WONDER which speaks so strongly to that age. BTW, how wonderful that you’re challenging yourself with this new and exciting change!
I would also recommend “MOST DANGEROUS” because of its relevance to everything that’s going on in our country. Regardless of one’s political beliefs, it shows what happens when power goes unchecked and how a few good people can change history.
Of course if they’re into Escape The Room Games, I can think of a book… 🙂
Most importantly, I do hope Margie will be making an appearance to help read!
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Congratulations on your move! I’m sure it will be full of challenges, but I know you’ll make it a joyful one. One of my favorite books from the past few years is Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I just read her newest book, Short, and liked it very much as well. I wrote a post about other new favorites that might be helpful. I especially liked Nest and The Thing about Leftovers. http://redcanoereader.com/5-memorable-middle-grade-chapter-books-not-be-missed/ Again, congratulations! – Susan
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I always read “Fever 1793″ (Laurie Halse Anderson) to my 5th graders. (historical fiction is my FAVE!) When we get through that, I like to end the year with The Whipping Boy” (Sid Fleischman) because as Sid said “History is alive with lunacies and injustices”!
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Circus Mirandus, Dead City, Small as an Elephant, anything by Gordan Korman, Land of Stories series
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Wonder
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
The Bat Poet
The War that Saved My Life
Anything by Kwame Alexander
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Long Walk to Water – sit in two different spots for the two perspectives.
Home of the Brave
Touching Spirit Bear
For fun and voices…Elvis and the Underdogs
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary- great for character study. I created a slideshow with the character pictures and shared through google classroom. The kids added character traits along the way. Will share if you’d like.
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Colby – this has been so fun to read, and all such great suggestions! One more to add, an oldie but goodie (and a Newbery Winner) – When You Reach Me. Such a multi-layered story.
Enjoy!!
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Bigger than a Breadbox by Snyder will leave them wanting to read more each day. I’ll second Out of My Mind and Because of Mr. Terupt. Happy Reading!
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Wonder, Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff, False Prince, One for the Murphys, All the Answers by Kate Messner, Hold Fast by Blue Balliett, Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Among the Hidden by Haddix, anything by Stuart Gibbs or Gordon Korman.
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