[LM_NET] HIT: 5th Grade Titles

[Billie Esser <billie.esser@GMAIL.COM>]

Thanks to all of you who responded to my need for information on 5th
graders.  I've compiled a hit and have tried to get rid of duplicate titles,
but I'm sure there are some.

FYI...I did have many people recommend a historical graphic novel series
from Capstone...no titles, just the "oh, and Capstone has a great graphic
novel series involving historical fiction."

Thanks again!


---5th graders, like most elementary students, love non-fiction! Mine really
enjoy the graphic novels I have that are related to social
studies--biographies, historical events. I think the series I have is from
Capstone. They like to read ghost stories and books about UFOs. Mine enjoy
extreme weather, fast cars, sports, the military, dancing, origami and
cookbooks.



---Don't freak out. It changes the dynamic a bit and there is a world of
difference between a fifth grader and an eighth grader but it can be a
positive. Though I will admit to it making librarianship a challenge. My
present school is a grade 5 - 8 middle school and I'm in my second year
here. The librarian that I replaced was here for a long time, way before it
was changed from 6-8 to 5-8. I don't want to criticize his collection
decisions, but... So, congratulations to you for recognizing the shift in
the needs of your collection. I had ten years of experience in a K - 8
school, so I came to this school fairly familiar with elementary titles.



---I am a firm believer that picture books belong in the middle school AND
high school library and that below age level novels can be used in the
language arts classes to focus on things like POV and voice, writing
prompts, and just plain fun. One of my favorite book of 2009, The Small
Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, a book the author herself told me is more for
elementary students, is a book I am pushing on all the language arts
teachers and telling them that it beautifully teaches tons of elements of
writing AND tells an wonderful, engaging story. The support teacher is going
to use it with all her struggling readers.



Popular 5th Grade Books



·        Franny K. Stein books (believe it or not it's more popular with my
boys, than girls)

·        Meg Cabot's Allie Finkel books

·        Clementine books by Sara Pennypacker

·        The Spiderwick Chronicles

·        The Magic Tree House books

   - Lisa Yee's Bobby books, Bobby vs. the girls, Accidentally, etc
   - The Shakespeare Stealer series by Gary Blackwood (character development
   and moral decision-making)
   - Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo ( WWII and Asian topics,
   geography and sailing, trust and honor)
   - The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix (speculative
   fiction)
   - The Moraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (on the value
   of suffering)
   - City of Ember series
   - Lightning Thief series
   - Clementine series
   - all the Fudge books
   - "Buttosaur" books by Andy Griffiths
   - Captain Underpants
   - Magic Tree House books
   - Wimpy Kid books
   - Collins--Gregor the Overlander series--5-6 books in the series
   - Horowitz-Alex Rider novels
   -  JunieB. Jones books
   - Babysitters Club books
   -  Narutographic novels
   - Yu-Gi-Oh novels
   - American Girl series (Meet Kit, Meet Abby, etc.)
   - Captain Underpants
   - anything by Shel Silverstein
   - anything by Dave Pilkey
   - anything by Gary Paulson
   - mystery novels by Mary Downing Hahn
   - scary stories like More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
   - Series of Unfortunate Events
   - Diary of a Wimpy Kid
   - anything by Dr. Seuss
   - The Hank Zipzer series, by Henry Winkler, is very funny & popular.
   -  Matt  Christopher series are popular with the boys.
   - Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children.
   - the Percy Jackson Series
   - 39 Clues
   - Lemony Snicket
   - Sammy Keyes mysteries
   - The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Series #1) by Suzanne Collins
   - FANG (Maximum Ride Series #6) by James Patterson
   - Star Wars : Clone Wars Adventures, Volume 2
   -  by Haden Blackman, Welles Hartley, Dave Marshall ( Editor) , Randy
   Stradley ( Editor) , Jeremy Barlow ( Editor)
   - Mister Monday (Keys to the Kingdom Series #1)  by Garth Nix, Garth
   Nixon
   - The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2)
   - Poseidon's Peak (Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow Series #11)
   - Lanie (American Girl Today Series) by Jane Kurtz
   - Pendragon : The Pilgrims of Rayne by D. J. MacHale
   - Pony Pals, Volume 2 by Jeanne Betancourt
   - Avi.  Who Stole the Wizard of Oz?
   - Bailey, Linda.  The Stevie Diamond mysteries.
   - Birdsall, Jeanne.  The Penderwicks and The Penderwicks on Gardam
   Street.
   - Coombs, Kate.  The Runaway Princess.
   - Cottonwood, Joe.  Quake!
   - Creech, Sharon.  Heartbeat.
   - Funke, Cornelia.  Igraine the Brave.
   - Giff, Patricia Reilly.  Nory Ryan’s Song; Maggie’s Door; and House of
   Tailors (sequels).

   ”          ”           ”       Pictures of Hollis Woods.

   - Gutman, Dan.  The Kid Who Ran for President and The Kid Who Became
   President.
   - Ibbotson, Eva.  The Secret of Platform 13.
   - Kehret, Peg.  Earthquake Terror.
   - Koller, Jackie French.  The Keepers trilogy.
   - Lord, Cynthia.  Rules.
   - MacDonald, Amy.  No More Nice; No More Nasty; and Too Much Flapdoodle.
   - Marsden, Carolyn.  Silk Umbrellas.
   - Marvin, Isabel R.  A Bride for Anna’s Papa.
   - Snyder, Zilpha Keatley.  Black and Blue Magic.
   - Stanley, Diane.  The Mysterious Matter of I.M. Fine and The Mysterious
   Case of the Allbright Academy (sequel).
   - Sullivan, George.  Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures.
   - Urban, Linda.  A Crooked Kind of Perfect
   - Ghostville Elementary by Marcia Thorton
   - Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
   - My Weird School & Weird School Daze by Dan Gutman
   - Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott
   - Scooby Doo! Chapter books
   - Star Wars by Various authors (they have a lower level chapter books
   set)
   - Matt Christopher books
   - Zack Files by Dan Greenberg
   - Captain Underpants by Pilkey
   - 39 clues by various authors
   - Hank the cowdog by John Erickson.
   - Andrew Clements books
   - Roald Dahl books
   - Will Hobbs books
   - Gary Paulsen books



* = includes books written at 3rd and 4th rgade level

Roald Dahl *

Andrew Clements *

Louis Sachar *

Jerry Spinelli *

Eileen Spinelli *

Katharine Hannigan

Sarah Weeks

Debbie Wiles

Richard Peck *

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor *

Bill Wallace *



Popular series:

Star Wars*

Artemis Fowl*

The Boxcar Children*

Nancy Drew

The Hardy Boys

The Redwall Series

Underland Chronicles

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Harry Potter

also look at state lists for this age. Texas has the Bluebonnet list at
http://www.txla.org/groups/tba/masters/TBA%20ML%2010-11%20annotated.doc









Popular 5th grade books for lower level readers

   - the Jake Maddox (pen name) books. This author writes about sports
   themes with teen protagonists.
   - graphic history books from Capstone
   - Magic Tree House
   - A-Z Mysteries
   - Chet Gecko
   - Patricia Polacco
   - Funke's Ghosthunters
   - Spiderwick
   - Geronimo Stilton
   - Casanova, Mary.  Chrissa and Chrissa Stands Strong.
   - Creech, Sharon.  Granny Torrelli Makes Soup.
   - Creel, Ann Howard.  Nicki and Thanks to Nicki (sequel).
   - Danziger, Paula.  The United Tates of America.
   - Orr, Wendy.  Nim’s Island and Nim At Sea (sequel).
   - Prelutsky, Jack.  My Dog May Be a Genius and other titles.
   - Winkler, Henry.  Niagara Falls, or Does It? and other Hank Zipzer
   novels.
   - Yep, Laurence.  Mia and Bravo, Mia! (sequel)
   -    ”          ”            When the Circus Came to Town.
   - Diary of a Wimpy Kid;
   - Bone graphic novels;
   - Babymouse graphic novels



 Billie Esser

Jefferson West Middle/High School

Meriden, KS  66512

billie.esser@gmail.com

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