30+ Books to Get Fifth Graders Reading

The Cat Kid Comic Club is in crisis! After learning that one of their comics will be published, the baby frogs are filled with anxiety and doubt. How will they get their creative groove back? Will Naomi or Melvin emerge as a leader? Will Flippy convince them to finally straighten up and fly right?

Brimming with humor, wonder, mystery, and a profound sense of hope, Big Tree is a trailblazing adventure, illustrated with nearly 300 pages of breathtaking pictures. It is Selznick's most imaginative and far-reaching work to date and a singular reading experience for the whole family!

Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common, but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.

From the #1 bestselling author of RESTART, the story of a family of liars... and the son who wants to break the family tradition.

A bold graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Dave Shephard.

A funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic memoir about breaking out, battling puberty, and braving complicated friendships.

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

When boys from her community start harassing her, Ainy needs to figure out how to get them to stop--while still staying true to herself.

Sunny is starting to understand the ins and outs of middle school... but she still feels more out than in. It's about classes or homework, really. No, it's the fact that most kids have a thing they do outside of class. Like football or track or cheerleading. Sunny isn't quarterback material, and her cheer attempts are... not the best. So what can she do?

In this true coming-of-age story, Rex has his sights set on surviving sixth grade, but now he's got to find a way to do it with glasses, no friends, and a family that just doesn't get it!

The next innovation in the book and gaming space is here: Zombie Season! Read the book. Play the game. Fight the undead.

First-generation Filipino siblings JJ and Althea are sick of their mom always sharing lessons from Filipino folklore — annoying tales they've heard again and again. But when witches, ogres, and other creatures from those same stories threaten their family, JJ and Althea realize that the folklore may be more real that they'd suspected. Can they embrace who they really are and save their family?

Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 Clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

Spring semester is here and Maggie is killing it! But all of Maggie's plans for an unforgettable trip with her two best friends fall apart as everyone gets carried away with the upcoming dance instead. The three best friends have been inseparable for years, but everything is changing as everyone splits into twos, leaving Maggie unsure of where ― and with who ― she still fits.

Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter have once again teamed up to tell a funny, heartfelt, and charming story of family, friendship, and growing up.

Dreamer tells the incredible story of Akim Aliu, a Ukranian-Nigerian-Canadian pro hockey player, from being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice.

How many problems can a delicious cup of bubble tea cause? Plenty, if you're Chloe Wong. Those yummy cups of boba cost money. And the incorrigible Henry Lee is the bobamaster at Tea Palace, and when he's not annoying Chloe, he's usually coming up with the perfect drink for every occasion. For Chloe, lover of neatness and control, the arrival of bubble tea is nothing but trouble!

In this thrilling historical adventure set during World War II, Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) and his young sidekick, Bucky Barnes, encounter threat like none they've ever seen -- a Ghost Army. The dead of this war and wars past are coming back to life, impervious to bullets, flames, or anything else the Allies can throw at them. The armies rise from the ground in the night and seem to disappear without a trace.

During the New Year break, Plum and her friends travel to fancy, fashionable Nakhon City. At first, Plum is dazzled by how big and exciting Nakhon City is. She's never experienced anything like it! But under the glittering surface, secrets lurk. A storm is brewing, and Plum will have to harness all of her growing powers to survive it.

Natalie is having a rough start to the school year. Each student has been asked to join an extracurricular activity, and Nat's two best friends have no trouble finding activities that interest them. Zoe even makes the volleyball team... with Nat's ex-BFF, Lily! Nat's feeling betrayed, and still hasn't found a club to join. But when Nat meets a new student who's having the same difficulty choosing a club, they decide to create one together. 

When an infection threatens to turn everyone into mindless, dangerous monsters, it is up to a few desparate survivors to get survive long enough to find a cure. But can they hold on long enough to get to the bottom of this mysterious illness, or will PIGGY and her new minons find them first?

Princesses don't break the rules, but they may rewrite them...

With text in English and Spanish, Invisible features a groundbreaking format paired with an engaging, accessible, and relatable storyline. This Breakfast Club-inspired story by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of Concealed, and Gabriela Epstein, illustrator of two Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel adaptations, is a must-have graphic novel about unexpected friendships and being seen for who you really are.

When Regan, Sofia, Bennett, and Darius unfairly get put into detention, they know something is wrong. And they're right: This detention is far from ordinary. Their science teacher, Ms. Stein, believes that by using these kids' DNA she can create an army of "perfect" students who have Sofia's smarts, Regan's heart, Bennett's likeability, and Darius's loyalty. Soon the clones are wreaking havoc around town and getting the real kids in trouble!

Boundless is a story that will move anyone who's ever had a big dream, ever dared to hope for a better future, and ever believed that nothing was impossible. In her own words, Chaunte presents her remarkable and inspiring story of loss and survival, perseverance and hope.

Eddie ends up grounded until he can get his clothes clean. While left home alone to do his laundry, the power goes out mid-cycle. Eddie sets out to explore the seemingly empty neighborhood in just his swim trunks and flip-flops. As he meets up with other kids to find out what happened, they realize that their families aren't coming back anytime soon. As night falls, the crew realizes they aren't just the only people left in the neighborhood — they might be the only people left . . . anywhere.

Full of humor and heartbreak, this story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world is perfect for fans of Alex Gino and Kyle Lukoff.

Get ready for more magic, mayhem, and monstruos! From Claribel A. Ortega, author of Frizzy and Ghost Squad, comes the sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling and #1 Indie bestselling Witchlings.

Pam Muñoz Ryan's fast-paced prose and Brian Selznick's beautiful drawings bring the extraordinary life of Charlotte Parkhurst, a top-notch horse rider and the first woman to vote in the state of California, to life in this historical novel.

Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck: He and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George's life changes forever.

Feng-Li can't wait to discover America with her family! But after an action-packed vacation, her parents deliver shocking news: They are returning to Taiwan and leaving Feng-Li and her older siblings in California on their own. Suddenly, the three kids must fend for themselves in a strange new world — and get along. As tensions escalate — and all three kids get tangled in a web of bad choices — can Feng-Li keep her family together?

Mia Tang is living the dream: attending journalism camp at the San Francisco Tribune! But when her story ideas keep getting shot down, she"ll have to work with her friends
to get back on top. The beloved New York Times bestselling Front Desk series continues, with all the heart and energy that Mia brings to everything she does!

Dive into Katherine Applegate's work with this selection of her books. Examine and discuss the themes, characters, and writing styles; or simply expand your classroom library and provide more independent reading opportunities by providing more of what your students want to read.

The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy, a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice.

From Eisner Award-winning creator Aron Nels Steinke, a vibrant, funny new series that charmingly captures the everyday antics of a fourth-grade classroom!

Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series takes on vivid new life in full-color graphic novel editions. Perfect for readers who prefer the graphic novel format, or for existing fans of the I Survived chapter book series, these graphic novels combine historical facts with high-action storytelling that's sure to keep any reader turning the pages.