Thanks to all who gave suggestions! I consolidated the titles if
recommended more than once. I appreciate the responses and here is my
original request:
"A teacher asked me for suggestions of a good end of the year read aloud
for 5th grade. She is tired of the same old choices and is looking for
something new-- maybe a light hearted book that would end the year on a
positive note.
By far the most recommended books were No Talking by Andrew Clements and
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen.
Elizabeth Stitsinger
Media Specialist
Club Boulevard Humanities Magnet
Durham Public Schools
919-560-3918 ext. 18226
elizabeth.stitsinger@dpsnc.net <mailto:elizabeth.stitsinger@dpsnc.net>
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I think The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, No Talking, and A
Dog's Life are all good, somewhat shorter books. My kids have all liked
those.
The Teacher's Funeral by Peck -great fun, great writing.
One of my fifth grade teachers loves to end the year with this book
The liberation of Gabriel King / K.L. Going.
(not necessarily light hearted, but our kids move to Middle School in
6th grade and she connects it to that)
How about Summer Reading is killing me! by Jon Scieska (sp?) ?
The Jack Gantos books are such a HUGE hit when I read them aloud. Each
chapter is a journal entry, and boys LOVE it and girls enjoy it too.
Start with Jack on the Tracks.
You can't go wrong with HOw to Steal a Dog (reading this now to my 5th
graders) or Rules by Cynthia Lord. :)
I have been using some oldies: All About Sam by Lois Lowry- funny;
Lemonade Trick by Scott Corbett have been successful.
"Toys Go Out" was our 5th grader favorite book this year. I read it at
the beginning of the year and since we are just ending "Dark Hills
Divide", they have asked if we can read that one again. We are going to
try to make the chapter with going to a beach as a reader's theatre.
A fun read is "Lowji Discovers America" Newly immigrated from India,
Lowji is wide eyed at a superwalmart type of store, where the doors
really work - opening and closing by themselves. He shares wisdom of his
home country with the landlady, writes to his best friend in India, and
meets new friends in the new town. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes
poignant (but not too.)
Flying Solo/Fletcher is a great book, but not especially funny.
No More Dead Dogs/Korman
If the teacher can get into her best "Dude!" voice, Jordan Sonnenblick's
newest, Dodger and Me, (just out) is hilarious.
Not knowing how much time she has left, but here are a few (in order of
length):
Cinderella (as if you didn't already know the story) - definitely more
of a "girl" book, but if the class has done anything with fairy tales,
it's very cute and the pictures are all done as silhouettes
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
Skulduggery Pleasant
Peter and the Starcatchers
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
All of these are the first book in a series, so she might get a few kids
hooked. The second Skulduggery book is due out on the 6th of May, the
second Alcatraz book isn't due out until November, so they'd have a
while to wait.
And, of course, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. This is probably best
shared with a document camera so everyone can really see the pictures,
but my 4th grade teachers are just sharing it whole class and showing
the book to the group on the picture pages.
I am reading No Talking by Clements and Double Identity by Haddix to two
of my fifth grade classes. I've also read Ruby Hollar by Creech which
is very uplifting.
Bobby Baseball ... I don't recall the author
The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck; 190 pages long. It is a really
funny book -- I thought I'd have to ban our school's counselor from the
library because he kept coming in to read parts of the book aloud. Our
GT teacher used it with her elementary book club; it went over pretty
well.
There is always Holes by Sachar or Hoot by Hiassen--kids love both and
were even made into movies.
I read Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key with my 5th graders, they loved it.
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