new books 5th grade

26 of the Best Books for 5th Graders

P.N. Hinton

Born into a family of readers, P.N. gained a love reading as a sort of herd mentality. This love of reading has remained a life long passion, resulting in an English Degree from The University of Houston in Houston, Texas. She normally reads three to four books at any given time, in the futile Sisyphean hope of whittling down her ever growing to be read pile of no specific genre.

View All posts by P.N. Hinton

For me 5th grade is one of those precipice years, a time when books for 5th graders are so important. You’re about to move from elementary school to middle school. Sixth grade is arguably the first year where you are your own captain, as it’s up to you to get your assignments in on time, as your teachers won’t constantly remind you to turn in work, like they do in elementary school. You’re also thrown into a sea of like-minded peers who are swimming through the onslaught of being the small fish in a new pond of like-minded peers who are also dealing with the onslaught of new responsibilities and hormones.

It’s a lot.

My own experience was especially difficult due to going to a brand new school for my 5th grade year, which I do not recommend. As previously mentioned, though, books helped me through this as they have helped me through other difficult situations. There are books for 5th graders that can help your young ones enjoy their new position as the big people on campus, brief as though it may be. The ones that can help you prepare for the new world of middle school. Then there are books you just read to enjoy them. Below are a few books that may interest your own 5th grade book dragons.

As a quick side note, some of these books do have protagonists that are above 5th grade. My own tendency to read ‘above my grade level’ shone through in that regard. As I mentioned, I feel the 5th grade is a level that straddles a lot of lines. Some of the books for 5th graders mentioned here really highlight that. Ultimately, though, you know what reading material is best for the young book dragon in your life and can plan and gift accordingly.

General Fiction Books For 5th Graders

Nothing’s fair in fifth grade by barthe declements.

This book was first published 1981, although the more modern cover may lead you to think otherwise. However, it is still a relevant coming-of-age tale about Jenny and Elsie. Jenny has to learn a lesson about not judging by appearances alone. While many people compare this to Judy Blume’s Blubber , it stands out in that we get to know more about Elsie personally, which we didn’t get with Linda. There are other books in this series as well, but this one is a good choice for 5th graders as they prepare for the new world of middle school.

President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston

Brianna has dreams of owning her own cupcake company. Her first step towards this is becoming her class president. When she is faced with competition for this role from her classmate Jasmine, she has to decide if she is going to win fairly or use underhanded tactics. This is a good moral lesson for all of us, regardless of age and shows that as determined as we may be, being a good person should overrule everything else.

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Nicholas Allen is a boy of many ideas that have gotten him a bit of hot water in the past. Fifth grade will be different though; until he decides to rename ‘pen’ to ‘frindle’. What started as an innocent decision eventually spreads through the school, the town, and eventually across the country. Can Nick stop it before it possibly spreads to the world?

Fantasy Books For 5th Graders

Tristan strong punches a hole in the sky by kwame mbalia.

Tristan is sent to his grandparents’ house in Alabama for the summer to process the loss of his best friend. He takes along his friend’s journal, full of the stories that he wrote. One night it gets stolen and in the tussle to get it back, he ends up punching a hole in the universe. It’s up to him, Black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit, and trickster god Anansi to seal the chasm and save the world.

I’m putting this on the list because it sounds awesome. While technically the lead character is in 7th grade, if you have a 5th grader who reads above their level, they would enjoy this book.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

A mixture of fantasy and Chinese folklore, this book is about Minli who spends years listening to her father tell tales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man in the Moon. She in inspired to go on her own quest to find the latter, who knows the answer to everything, to help turn her family’s luck around.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Fair warning that Artemis is a bit of an antihero, and even that description is generous in my opinion. I mean, the first book involves him kidnapping a fairy for ransom to help store his family’s fortune and triggering a cross-species war. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that the stories involving this criminal mastermind are extremely engaging, with their marriage of fantasy and technology. That is one of the many things that fascinated me since you typically only find books that lean hard one way or the other.

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

Aru Shah is a girl who has a tendency to exaggerate her stories when speaking to her classmates. This trait leads her to light the Lamp of Bharata, which is said to be cursed, after three classmates call her bluff. Doing so releases an entity known as the Sleeper, who is duty-bound to awaken the God of Destruction. It’s up to Aru to save her classmates, her mother, and the world by finding the five reincarnations of the legendary Pandava brothers and trekking through the Kingdom of Death.

Mystery Books For 5th Graders

Escape from mr. lemoncello’s library by chris grabenstein.

Kyle loves games, but reading? Not so much. But when he finds out that world-famous game maker Luigi Lemoncello has designed the town’s new library? And that opening night is an invitation-only lock in? He’s determined to be there. Only to discover that getting out of the library is going to be tricky due to a puzzle hunt game that the designer has implemented that must be won before the kids can leave.

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Another mystery that involves puzzles and books, this stars Emily and her new friend James. After her move to San Francisco, home city of literary idol Garrison Griswold, Emily discovers that he has been attacked and left in a coma. This is all without anyone knowing about the epic new game he was supposed to launch. When an old book is discovered that the kids think is tied to his new game, they are on the case to find out what it is and who his attackers were.

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

This book is about Cass and Max Ernes, who somehow end up with a mysterious box of vials known as the Symphony of Smells. This sends them on the trail of a magician who has disappeared into thin (and stinky) air and onto the path of an adventure. That’s about all the information I can give you since the plot, much like the title, is a secret.

Graphic Novels For 5th Graders

The baby-sitter’s club graphix by ann m. martin and raina telgemeier.

I love that revitalization this series got with the release of these graphic novels. That plus the upcoming Netflix series? My inner child is squeeing hardcore. The first in this series is of course Kristy’s Great Idea , wherein Kristy correctly thinks how easier it would be for parents to call one number for a choice of multiple babysitters. The rest, as they say, is history.

Big Nate in a Class By Himself by Lincoln Peirce

The first book in a long-running series about Nate, a boy who is just trying to survive his dad’s toxic oatmeal and the pitfalls of schools. By no means the teacher’s pet, Nate is learning how to dodge bullies, his teachers, and his arch-nemesis Gina all while staying his pretty awesome self.

The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker hero by Rachel Renee Russell

This is one of the books where the main character is a bit above the 5th grade level. However, he is also facing the challenge of going into middle school for the first time, something I feel that a lot of 5th graders can sympathize with. It also doesn’t help that the school bully seems to have Max directly in his line of sight as his new victim. This spin-off from the Dork Diaries author is something I feel will speak to young readers who have middle school anxiety.

Horror Books For 5th Graders

The jumbies by tracey baptiste.

Corinne LaMer is fearless; She’s not even scared of the Jumbies that her parents tell tales about. Heck, she doesn’t even believe they exist! However, when one appears to follow her home one night and insinuates themself into her life, she begins to change her mind. Corinne and her friends have to reach deep inside themselves for courage, as well as magical ability they didn’t know they had, to save their island home from these tricksters.

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

This ghost story was one of my favorites growing up! Molly and her brother Michael are finding it difficult to adjust to their new stepfather and bratty stepsister Heather. When the family moves to an old church turned house in the country, it comes complete with a ghostly friend for Heather. However, Helen is not a friendly ghost. Molly and Michael wait in fear of what will happen if she actually comes for them.

The Dark-Thirty:Tales of the Supernatural by Patricia C. McKissack

This collection of original short stories is inspired by African American history and take place from the time of slavery through the civil rights movement. It isn’t to be missed as it will make a lasting impression on the reader. This is one that I read and I thoroughly enjoy and recommend for all readers, regardless of age.

Historical Fiction Books For 5th Graders

Bud, not buddy by christopher paul curtis.

After his mother’s death, 10-year-old Bud (not Buddy) sets off on a road trip to find his father. Nothing will stop him from this task. Set in 1936 Flint Michigan, this story will help open up discussion for a difficult time in our country’s history, and may help kids to realize how fortunate they may be in comparison to others.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

In 1943 Copenhagen, when Jewish people are being ‘relocated’, Ellen Rosen moves in with her friend Annemarie Johansen and pretends to be one of the family. Then Annemarie is tasked with a dangerous mission to help save her friend’s life. A staple of most elementary schools, this book will help to show the strength of friendship.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

This book is the first in the series about Cassie Logan and her family. The debut takes place in Mississippi during the Depression. Throughout it, Cassie learns the importance of her family owning their own land as well as struggles in the ugly face of racism, oppression, and social injustice. This one is a hard read so you may want to pre-read or buddy read. It will create an opportunity to answer any questions these complex topics. This is a book every person should read at least once in their life.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

This book is set during the Great Depression and tells the story of Esperanza, who lives a life of privilege on a Mexican ranch. After an unexpected tragedy, she and her mother move to a California Mexican Labor camp. Suddenly, her existence is unwelcome. Then her mother gets sick and the rest of the labor camp goes on strike for better working conditions. Esperanza has to discover her inner strength for both her mother and herself.

Funny Books For 5th Graders

There’s a boys in the girls’ bathroom by louis sachar.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure which Sachar book was going to the win a place on the list. All of them remind me of childhood. However I’m going with this one because it actually takes place in 5th grade. And I think kids will identify with Bradley, no matter what their personal circumstances are. Fifth grade can be a tough year. Especially if you’re the oldest in your class like Bradley is. And when it seems that everyone, except for the new school counselor, has given up on you. This book helps to show that believing in yourself, while difficult sometimes, is a great way to approach life.

11 Birthdays: A Wish Novel By Wendy Mass

Amanda was so excited for her 11th birthday, believing that the year was going to be so different from 10. Then she and her best friend Leo have a falling out. For the first time ever, they don’t celebrate their birthdays together. When she goes to sleep that night she’s happy that the day is over, only to wake up to her 11th birthday again! How long will this cycle go on and what is Amanda going to learn from it?

The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of School by Ken Derby

Anthony Madison, or Tony Baloney if you prefer, loves The Late Show with David Letterman . So much so that he will stop at nothing to get there. Putting his own spin on the Top Ten list, Tony goes all out with his antics in his desire to get to New York City. This book was originally titled The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of Fifth Grade.

Classic Books For 5th Graders

The westing game by ellen raskin.

A group of 16 people are gathered at the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. What follows is a puzzle hunt for his fortune in one final game from the eccentric millionaire. This one has been delighting readers for years and will no doubt continue to do so in the future.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Claudia and her brother Jamie decide to run away, and they have a very specific place in mind: the Metropolitan Museum in New York. They just happen to run away in the middle of the biggest mystery to make the headlines. This is a book most of us remember reading in 5th grade. I’m all for keeping the tradition alive.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson

I know. I know . This book is heartbreaking. However, there is a reason that it has stood the test of time since it was first published in 1977. It was also given new life with the big screen adaptation in 2007. This book deals with a very hard topic in a very good way that kids can understand. It’s one of the staples of childhood literature and will continue to be.

I hope that this helped you to think of some books for the 5th graders in your life. Once they progress past these books, check out our recommendations for the best middle grade graphic novels or fantastic middle grade books by black authors .

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Differentiated Teaching

The 20 Best Books for 5th Graders

Whether you're a homeschool mom looking for a great book for your 5th grader or a classroom teacher trying to build a great library, finding texts that are engaging and a great fit for your readers can be tough. I've compiled this list of the best books for 5th graders to help save you time and give you a starting place when you're looking for where to start when you're planning your next novel study or helping your learner find their next favorite book.

While there are a ton of great 5th grade books on this list, I can promise you there are even more amazing chapter books for 5th graders coming out every week so use this list as a jumping off point as you're planning for your learners this year. Ready to hop in?

20 Amazing 5th Grade Books You Need to Get Now

Whether you grab a single copy for your classroom library or read aloud or buy a whole class set for a large group novel study, these 20 novels are fantastic for fifth grade students.

For each chapter book for 5th graders I am sharing below, I've included a short plot summary to help you determine whether it fits your classroom well. I also shared links to the trifold novel study pack to help save you prep time and ensure you cover those essential comprehension standards.

I've included various 5th grade books to help you meet the needs and interests of your below, on-level, and above-level readers. I know your fifth graders will love these great stories, and you'll be ready to rock your year with a great 5th grade book list! 

1. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

I purposefully put this title first out of all the 5th grade books on this list because it is truly an AMAZING story. The kind that you just can't put down, and it is truly deserving of the awards it has received.

Embarking on a cross-country journey with her eccentric grandparents, 13-year-old Sal recounts the tale of her friend Phoebe's missing mother, all while grappling with the mystery of her own mother's disappearance. The winding roads are not just physical paths but are symbolic of Sal's journey of acceptance, understanding, and healing. Through Creech's poetic prose, this story beautifully illustrates the complexities of love, loss, and the bridges between generations.

Reading Level:

• Lexile: 770L
• Guided Reading: W

2. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Emotions surge and hope remains unwavering in this captivating story. Every page immerses readers in the resilience and determination of a young boy named Bud.

During the harsh realities of the Great Depression, 10-year-old Bud Caldwell sets off on a journey after being orphaned. Carrying only a suitcase filled with mementos of his mother, he's on a quest to find his long-lost father, whom he believes is a famous jazz musician. Bud encounters a tapestry of characters along the way, each shaping his journey unexpectedly. This tale paints a vivid picture of Bud's adventures and showcases the power of tenacity, belief, and the human spirit.

• Lexile: 950L
• Guided Reading: U

Get the No Prep Novel Study: Bud, Not Buddy Novel Study

3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Set in World War II, this historical fiction novel by Lois Lowry follows the story of a ten-year-old girl named Annemarie as her family attempts to help save their Jewish friends from the Nazis.

When her best friend is left to live with her and must pretend to be Annemarie's dead sister, they face the most dangerous challenge of their lives.

As a companion to your social studies standards, this story brings the challenges and hardships children and families faced during the Nazi regime to life while giving students relatable characters and high-level vocabulary exposure.

If you are looking for an amazing historical fiction novel, you won't find any more engaging and thought-provoking than this one! It is a definite must-read.

• Lexile: 670L

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Number the Stars Novel Study

4. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Another novel focused on kindness and being your true self, Fish in a Tree is the story of a girl named Ally who has mastered the art of hiding her inability to read…that is, until her new teacher, Mr. Daniels, figures it out and helps Ally see that she doesn't need to be ashamed of having dyslexia.

It is a great novel for talking about learning differences and individual talents. With likable characters and situations that could be happening in your own school or classroom, Fish in a Tree is sure to be a winner with your fifth graders.

• Lexile: 550L
• Guided Reading: X

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Fish in a Tree Novel Study

5. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

When two boys who might otherwise be considered misfits team up, they become unstoppable.

The topics built into the plotline of this story include physical disabilities and learning disabilities, making it a great chapter book for 5th graders to start discussions about inclusion and kindness toward others.

A great book about the development of a friendship against the odds, there is lots of action and adventure in this great novel, but there is also some sadness at the end…so be prepared.

• Lexile: 930L

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Freak the Mighty Novel Study

6. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Old Yeller is a classic novel set in the post-Civil War era. It is so popular that you probably already know the gist of the plot, but in case you don't, here are the (general) details.

After unsuccessfully trying to drive away the old golden retriever he found, Arliss ends up being saved by him. Despite the dog's naughty antics, this act of heroism endears him to the family and forms a bond between dog and owner. This act of heroism won't be Old Yeller's last.

With highs and lows throughout, this touching story is one that has held up over time. Strong writing and excellent characters make it a perfect novel study for your 5th grade class.

• Lexile: 910L
• Guided Reading: V

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Old Yeller Novel Study

7. Rules by Cynthia Lord

Another Newbery winner, this realistic fiction book is a great read and includes a cast of characters that could be the kid in the next seat over. The story focuses on Catherine, a twelve-year-old struggling with her brother's autism and her desire to have a “normal life.” As the story unfolds, Catherine realizes that normal isn't always what you think it is.

A great story for analyzing change across time, this story will connect with students on a number of levels and spark great discussions in your 5th grade classroom.

• Guided Reading: R

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Rules Novel Study

8. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Get your tissues ready because you're likely to cry reading this one. (No, seriously, be sure the tissue boxes aren't empty if you assign it to students.)

A great book for those animal lovers in your classroom, this novel is the story of Billy and his two hunting companions. A classic story full of adventure, emotion, and heartbreak, this book is a must-read for every student.

While tears will likely be shed, there will also be great discussions that help build students' skills in literature analysis, including characters and their relationships, how the setting impacts the plot, and more.

• Lexile: 700L

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Where the Red Fern Grows Novel Study

9. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Would you want to live forever?

This book makes students think about whether this is such a good thing as they read about the Tuck family as they explain their life challenges to a ten-year-old girl named Winnie Foster after she discovers their secret. However, when a stranger follows Winnie to locate the mystical spring that brings eternal life, they must face the challenges that arise.

This is such a great novel for discussion. With lots of amazing characterization and a plotline that pulls young readers in, your students will have so much fun discussing this story and deciding whether they want to live forever.

Learn more about the skills you can teach in a Tuck Everlasting Novel Study.

10. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

For starters, Jerry Spinelli writes some great books for 5th graders…so it was tough to decide which to include in this list. However, Maniac Magee rose to the top because it digs deep into a number of themes that are engaging and important to talk about with students.

After becoming an orphan, Jeffery Magee becomes a local legend due to his athletic ability and fearless nature. Despite this he still faces numerous conflicts (both internal and external) within the small town of Two Mills. From bullies to racism, this story covers many deep topics that are just as top of mind today as they were in the story.

Full of rich detail and opportunities to think beyond the text, this is a great choice for your fifth grade readers.

• Lexile: 820L

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Maniac Magee Novel Study

11. The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

This is the story of an unlikely friendship and coming of age.

While his father is away, Matt must learn to coexist with nature in order to survive. With the help of the Beaver clan, he begins to adapt to his new life on the frontier, but he also realizes the challenges the tribe is facing from the new settlers and the changing environment they bring.

A Newbery winner, this book is engaging and captures the reader's imagination with lots of great vivid details. Students can really imagine themselves in Matt's shoes as he learns to survive.

• Lexile: N/A
• Guided Reading: T

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  The Sign of the Beaver Novel Study

12. Holes by Louis Sachar

If you haven't read much Louis Sachar, prepare to laugh! He truly writes some funny children's books.This particular story has won numerous awards and is the tale of Stanley, a boy who is sent to a juvenile correction facility called Camp Green Lake.

Full of irony (the camp is in the middle of the desert) and some interesting characters, this story captures readers early on and takes them on a wild ride as Stanley begins to wonder if the holes they are being forced to dig to “build character” are really a hunt for something else.

• Lexile: 660L

Learn more about the No Prep Novel Study:  Holes Novel Study

13. The Giver by Lois Lowry

Another great science fiction story (and Newbery Medal winner), this is the story of Jonas, and while it seems his life is perfect, this all changes when he is given the job of Receiver of Memory. Soon he discovers that his colorless world is not the calm, peaceful place that he grew up knowing. Instead, he must consider whether this existence is really what is best for society and face the challenging decisions that lie ahead.

There are three companion books that go along with this great novel, and I guarantee your students will be hooked once they've read this story. With great plot twists and unexpected events, the discussions you can have about The Giver are truly limitless.

• Lexile: 760L
• Guided Reading: Y

Learn More About The Giver Novel Study .

14. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Tragedy transforms Esperanza's life from one of great riches to one of hard labor in this historical fiction novel.

A young girl faced with the death of her father ends up having to overcome great challenges as she learns to survive without all the things she had become accustomed to (including incredibly low paying migrant work).

A great novel with a multicultural lens, Esperanza Rising is beautifully told with many great opportunities to explore sensory details and other aspects of writer's craft.

• Lexile: 750L

Learn more about my No Prep Esperanza Novel Study .

15. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

A story of friendship and loss, this amazing novel is the story of a fifth grader (Jesse) who becomes friends with a girl from school after she beats him in a race.

Despite having very different life experiences, the pair is soon inseparable, and through the friendship, Jesse learns to be brave and manage his emotions.

The title comes from the kingdom they create for themselves in the woods, which they name Terabithia.

• Lexile: 810L

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Bridge to Terabithia Novel Study

16. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

One of the most fun on my list of books for fifth graders, this story follows a group of children who win an essay contest held by the nation's most famous game maker. As winners, the group gets the chance to be the first to see their town's new state-of-the-art library and the ability to compete in a contest for even bigger and better prizes.

Unlike the rest of the winners, Kyle Keeley, a fun-loving kid with a competitive streak, gets in on a last-minute entry. Lucky for him, he's Lemoncello's biggest fan and the ultimate gamer.

The best part about this book is students get to play along with the characters as they try to solve the puzzles that will win Mr. Lemoncello's contest and let them escape from the library.

Full of drama, excitement, and adventure, this story is great for even reluctant readers.

• Lexile: 720L

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Novel Study

17. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Hearts resonate deeply with this poignant story by Katherine Applegate. As you flip through the pages, you'll find yourself looking at the world through the eyes of a unique gorilla named Ivan.

Living in a cage at a shopping mall, Ivan has accepted his lot in life with humans watching his every move. However, his perspective shifts when he befriends a baby elephant named Ruby, realizing they both deserve better. This tale traces Ivan's heartwarming journey, his use of art to communicate, and his determined hope to create a better future for Ruby and himself.

• Lexile: 570L
• Guided Reading: S

Get the No Prep Novel Study

18. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

After surviving a plane crash in the rugged wilderness of Canada, Brian is in the fight of his life. This story is the ultimate in survival fiction as students follow Brian’s transformation from a scared, unsure boy to a strong, independent survivor. From making

From creating a fire to gathering food, Brian makes a lot of mistakes in his quest to survive, and Paulsen’s writing captures the imagination of readers, pulling them into Brian’s journey.

Reading Level: 

• Below-level
• Lexile: 1020L

Learn more about the no prep Hatchet novel study .

19. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

A fantasy tale about a widowed mouse and her small children. In this story Mrs. Frisby is faced with a move…or certain death. With a young son suffering from pneumonia and numerous other challenges, Mrs. Frisby lucks out when she encounters the rats of NIMH. These (as luck would have it) highly intelligent problem-solvers develop a brilliant answer to Mrs. Frisby's unfortunate situation.

A great read with lots of high-quality vocabulary!

• Lexile: 790L

Get the No Prep Novel Study:  Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH Novel Study

20. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Looking for some great fantasy books for 5th graders? Check out the Percy Jackson series.

This fantasy based on Greek mythology is a great novel that follows the story of Percy Jackson as he learns he is not just a typical 12-year-old boy. After discovering he is a demigod, Percy winds up on a quest to find Zeus' stolen lightning bolts.

Great for students who love the Harry Potter series, this book is just the first in a whole series.

With lots of action, excitement, and relatable characters, your students will be begging to read the rest of the series after they finish this one.

Learn more about The Lightning Thief Novel Study .

Now that you've got a 5th grade reading list…

While you're here, grab my free novel study planning roadmap to get step-by-step support to plan a high-quality literature unit for your fifth-grade students, whether you're in the classroom or homeschooling. Whether planning your first novel study or looking for new ideas, you'll love this great tool.

Have enough chapter books for 5th graders?

Need more great books to add to your classroom or home library? If you've got a broad range of reading levels or are trying to diversify your classroom library, here are some of my favorite books for other reading levels.

If you've already filled your book list for 5th grade, don't worry! I've got you covered. Check out the links below to access more great novels for other grade levels.

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37 Popular Books That 5th Graders Love To Read!

Looking for the very best and most popular books for fifth graders?

If you’re way over the graphic novels and you want your student to dig into some good books, then you’re in the right place!

I love putting together book lists to help teachers, parents, and homeschoolers find the next great book in their kid’s life.

Because as we adults know, books can be life-giving and even life-changing in these precipice years.

The below list of books is chock full of fantasy books, adventure books, survival stories, coming-of-age tales, and so much more that will bring even the reluctant readers running! 

Many are Newberry and/or national book award winners. I also carefully check each one to make sure it is appropriate for the grade levels it is suggested. Which is a harder job than you might think these days.

Stock your classroom library, start a book club, prepare your novel studies for the year, fill in your read aloud list, and get reading!

Ultimate List Of The Best Books for 5th Graders

1. inside out and back again.

Book : Inside Out And Back Again

Author : Thanhhà Lai  

Hà has only ever known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope—toward America.

2. Wingfeather Saga

Book : The Wingfeather Saga

Author : Andrew Peterson

After living for years under the occupation by the evil Fangs of Dang, the Igiby children find a map rumoured to lead to the lost Jewels of Anniera – the one thing the Fangs will do anything to find. The family is thrown headlong into a perilous adventure, uncovering truths about who they are that will change their world forever.

3. Where The Red Fern Grows

Book : Where The Red Fern Grows

Author : Wilson Rawls

This classic story is still good, year after year.

Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It doesn’t matter that times are tough; together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks. Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.

Book : Hoot

Author : Carl Hiaasen

Everybody loves Mother Paula’s pancakes. Everybody, that is, except the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the building site of the new restaurant. Can the awkward new kid and his feral friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the owls’ fate cemented in pancake batter?

5. Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

Book: Skandar And The Unicorn Thief

Author: A.F. Steadman

Skandar Smith has always yearned to leave the Mainland and escape to the secretive Island, where wild unicorns roam free. He’s spent years studying for his Hatchery exam, the annual test that selects a handful of Mainlander thirteen-year-olds to train to become unicorn riders. But on the day of Skandar’s exam, things go horribly wrong, and his hopes are shattered…until a mysterious figure knocks on his door at midnight, bearing a message: the Island is in peril and Skandar must answer its call.

Book : Holes

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

7. Fish In A Tree

Book : Fish In A Tree

Author : Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions.  She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

Book : Hatchet

Author : Gary Paulson

Breathtaking survival story that has become a classic book.

On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor in a single-engine plane crash. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness.

9. The Elephant’s Girl

Book : The Elephant’s Girl

Author : Celesta Rimington

An elephant never forgets, but Lexington Willow can’t remember her past. Swept away by a tornado as a toddler, she was dropped in a nearby Nebraska zoo, where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm. With no trace of her family, Lex grew up at the zoo with her foster father, Roger; her best friend, Fisher; and the wind whispering in her ear. Years later, Nyah sends the young girl a telepathic image of the woods outside the zoo. Soon, Lex is wrapped up in an adventure involving ghosts, lost treasure, and a puzzle that might be the key to finding her family. Can Lex summon the courage to discover who she really is–and why the tornado brought her here all those years ago?

10. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Theif

Book : Person Jackson Series: (Book #1) The Lightning Theif

Author : Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse–Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, god of the sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends–one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena–Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

11. FableHaven

Book : Fablehaven

Author : Brandon Mull

This is one of the best book series on the market, according to my sixth grade daughter. Full of excitement, magical powers, and classic themes – your 5th graders will love it!

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite… Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

12. The One And Only Ivan

Book : The One And Only Ivan

Author : Katherine Applegate 

Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

13. Redwall

Book : Redwall

Author : Brian Jacques

Welcome to Mossflower Wood, where the gentle mice have gathered to celebrate a year of peace and abundance. All is well…until a sinister shadow falls across the ancient stone abbey of Redwall. It is rumored that Cluny is coming—Cluny, the terrible one-eyed rat and his savage horde—Cluny, who has vowed to conquer Redwall Abbey! The only hope for the besieged mice lies in the lost sword of the legendary Martin the Warrior. And so begins the epic quest of a bumbling young apprentice—a courageous mouse who would rise up, fight back…and become a legend himself.

14. Maniac Mcgee

Book : Maniac Mcgee

Author : Jerry Spinelli

Jeffrey Lionel “Maniac” Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn’t made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run–and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.

15. The Westing Game

Book : The Westing Game

Author : Ellen Raskin

A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, on things for sure: Sam Westing may be dead…but that won’t stop him from playing one last game!

16. Shadow Jumper

Book : Shadow Jumper

Author : J.M. Forster

Jack Phillips’s allergy to sunshine confines him to the shadows, leaving him lonely and at risk of life-threatening burns every time he steps into the light. Shadow jumping on the rooftops at dusk makes him feel alive. And free. But Jack’s condition is suddenly worse than ever and only his missing scientist dad can save him. As Jack and his new friend, Beth, begin their frantic search and delve into his dad’s past for clues, they have no idea what they are about to uncover. Shocking rumours and dark secrets bombard them at every turn. Jack is brave on the roofs. But can he find the courage to face the truth?

17. The Midnight Children

Book : The Midnight Children

Author : Dan Gemienhart

In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse. Seven mysterious kids with suitcases step out of the vehicle and into an abandoned home on a dead-end street, looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren’t noticed. But Ravani Foster covertly witnesses their arrival from his bedroom window. Timid and lonely, Ravani is eager to learn everything he can about his new neighbors: What secrets are they hiding? And most mysterious of all…where are the adults? Yet amid this shadowy group of children, Ravani finds an unexpected friend in the warm and gutsy Virginia. But with this friendship comes secrets revealed―and danger. When Ravani learns of a threat to his new friends, he must fight to keep them safe, or lose the only person who has ever understood him.

18. Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Book : Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Author : Chris Grabenstein

When Kyle Keeley learns that the world’s world’s most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, Kyle is determined to be there! But the tricky part isn’t getting  into  the library—it’s getting  out.  Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must catch every clue and solve every puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

19. Half Upon A Time

Book : Half Upon A Time

Author : James Riley 

Jack lives in a fantasy world. Really. He’s the son of the infamous Jack who stole the magic beans from the giant, and he’s working hard to restore his family’s reputation. He finds the perfect opportunity when a “princess” lands in front of him, apparently from the land of Punk, as her Punk Princess t-shirt implies. May is from our world, and she’s utterly confused to find herself in the midst of the fairy tale characters she has read about. But Jack and May have more in common than they realize–and together, they embark on a hilarious and wild adventure in this highly accessible, modern middle grade fantasy novel.

20. The Magic Theif

Book : The Magic Theif

Author : Sarah Prineas

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery’s pocket and touched the wizard’s locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who—or what—is stealing the city of Wellmet’s magic.

21. Frindle

Book : Frindle

Author : Andrew Clements 

Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school — and he’s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever…the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn’t belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there’s nothing Nick can do to stop it.

22. Esperanza Rising

Book : Esperanza Rising

Author : Pam Munoz Ryan

The story of Esperanza is a modern classic and already loved by many! Don’t miss it!

Esperanza thought she’d always live a privileged life on her family’s ranch in Mexico. She’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances-because Mama’s life, and her own, depend on it.

23. Keeper Of The Lost Cities

Book : Keeper Of The Lost Cities

Author : Shannon Messenger

This was the first book that really sucked in my oldest daughter. She has been obsessed with the series for years and even wanted to be the main character for Halloween! We are waiting on pins and needles for the next book to be released!

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. The reason? Sophie’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret—at least, that’s what she thinks…

24. Flora & Ulysses

Book: Flora & Ulysses

Author: Kaite Dicamillo

Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo.

25. Peter Nimble And His Fantastic Eyes

Book : Peter Nimble And His Fantastic Eyes

Author : Jonathan Auxier

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher—a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue a people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick—a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of horse and cat—and the magic eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny.

26. Forgotten Five

Book : Forgotten Five

Author : Lisa McMann

Fifteen years ago, eight supernatural criminals fled Estero City to make a new life in an isolated tropical hideout. Over time, seven of them disappeared without a trace, presumed captured or killed. And now, the remaining one has died.   Left behind to fend for themselves are the criminals’ five children, each with superpowers of their own: Birdie can communicate with animals. Brix has athletic abilities and can heal quickly. Tenner can swim like a fish and can see in the dark and hear from a distance. Seven’s skin camouflages to match whatever is around him. Cabot hasn’t shown signs of any unusual power—yet. Then one day Birdie finds a map among her father’s things that leads to a secret stash. There is also a note:  Go to Estero, find your mother, and give her the map.   The five have lived their entire lives in isolation. What would it mean to follow the map to a strange world full of things they’ve only heard about, like cell phones, cars, and electricity? A world where, thanks to their parents, being supernatural is a crime?

27. Turtle in Paradise

Book : Turtle In Paradise

Author : Jennifer L. Holm

In Jennifer L. Holm’s New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn’t like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She’s smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it’s 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle’s mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn’t like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she’s never met. Florida’s like nothing Turtle’s ever seen before though. It’s hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what’s happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she’s spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart,  Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love.

28. The Unwanteds

Book : The Unwanteds

Author : Lisa McMan

A riveting middle grade dystopian novel from New York Times bestselling Wake author Lisa McMann that Kirkus Reviews calls ‘ The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.’

29. Winterborne Home For Vengeance And Valor

Book : Winterborne Home for Vengeance And Valor

Author : Ally Carter 

April didn’t mean to start the fire. She wasn’t the one who broke the vase. April didn’t ask to go live in a big, creepy mansion with a bunch of orphans who just don’t understand that April isn’t like them. After all, April’s mother is coming back for her someday very soon. All April has to do is find the clues her mother left inside the massive mansion. But Winterborne House is hiding more than one secret, so April and her friends are going to have to work together to unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a creepy legend, and a mysterious key before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever.

Book : Shiloh

Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

When Marty Preston comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it’s love at first sight—and also big trouble. It turns out the dog, which Marty names Shiloh, belongs to Judd Travers, who drinks too much and has a gun—and abuses his dogs. So when Shiloh runs away from Judd to Marty, Marty just has to hide him and protect him from Judd. But Marty’s secret becomes too big for him to keep to himself, and it exposes his entire family to Judd’s anger. How far will Marty have to go to make Shiloh his? 

31. Turn The Tide

Book : Turn The Tide

Author : Elaine Dimopoulos

Twelve-year-old Mimi Laskaris is inspired by the Wijsen sisters of Bali to turn her focus from classical piano to a new obsession: forming a grassroots, kid-led movement to ban plastic bags in her new island home in Florida.

32. A Long Way From Chicago (Perfect Read-Aloud!)

Book : A Long Way From Chicago

Author : Richard Peck

This quick read is full of short stories that will have your young readers laughing and asking for more!

Join Joey and his sister Mary Alice as they spend nine unforgettable summers with the worst influence imaginable-their grandmother!

33. Pages & Co. The Book Wanderers

Book : Pages & Co.: The Book Wanderers

Author : Anna James

Since her mother’s disappearance, eleven-year-old Tilly Pages has found comfort in the stories at Pages & Co., her grandparents’ bookshop. But when her favorite characters, Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Wonderland, start showing up at the shop,Tilly’s adventures become very real. Not only can she follow Anne and Alice into their books, she discovers she can bookwander into any story she chooses. Tilly’s new ability leads her to fun and exciting adventures, but danger may be lurking on the very next page…

34. Mango Delight

Book : Mango Delight

Author : Fracaswell Hyman

When seventh-grader Mango Delight Fuller accidentally breaks her BFF Brooklyn’s new cell phone, her life falls apart. She loses her friends and her spot on the track team, and even costs her father his job as a chef. But Brooklyn’s planned revenge—sneakily signing up Mango to audition for the school musical—backfires when Mango not only wins the lead role, but becomes a YouTube sensation and attracts the attention of the school’s queen bee, Hailey Jo.

35. Number The Stars

Book : Number The Stars

Author : Lois Lowry

An amazing true story about a girl helping her Jewish friends escape to safety.

The unforgettable Newbery Medal–winning novel from Lois Lowry. As the German troops begin their campaign to “relocate” all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.

36. Superfudge

Book : Superfudge

Author : Judy Blume

Farley Drexel Hatcher—otherwise known as Fudge—thinks he’s a superhero, but his older brother, Peter, knows Fudge is nothing but a big pain! Dealing with Fudge is hard enough, but now Peter’s parents have decided to move to New Jersey for an entire year! Even worse, Peter’s mom is going to have a new baby. And if this baby is anything like Fudge—help! How will Peter ever survive?

37. Wishtree

Book : Wishtree

Author : Katherine Applegate

Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood “wishtree”―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood. You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.

More Fifth-Grade Books!

More titles you might consider for your student include: The Secret Garden, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Phantom Tollbooth, and Where The Mountain Meets The Moon (amazing story!).

There is just so much out there for your middle school readers. I wish I could include every title, but this list would get out of control!

Please share in the comments your favorite 5th-grade books that didn’t make my list!

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16 Fantastic Chapter Books for Fifth Graders

By jennifer garry.

Looking for the perfect book for your fifth grader? You’ve come to the right place!

Fifth grade sits on the cusp of so many things: it marks the end of elementary school and the beginning of middle school. It’s an in-between zone, right in the middle of being a little kid and teen. And it’s a time when kids should just be kids — and dip their toes into deeper waters, too.

These 16 books include something for everyone: mystery, humor, sports, the intersection of thoughts and feelings, and so much more.

Black Boy Joy

edited by Kwame Mbalia

Seventeen Black male and non-binary writers share their stories of Black boyhood in this essential anthology. Authors like Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia share celebratory stories, comics, poems, and more—making it a must-have for every type of reader.

by Nic Stone

As captain of the only all-Black softball team in the league, Shenice is determined to lead her team to the championship. She gets distracted when she learns her great-grandfather’s baseball career-ending crime might have been a setup. Determined to uncover the truth about her ancestor, her focus on the game slips. Can she clear her great-grandpa’s name and help take home the championship?

The Many Meanings of Meilan

by Andrea Wang

After life-changes and encountering injustice Meilan discovers the power of embracing every part of herself. Before, her world revolved around her beloved gradnmother Nai Nai, the bakery in Boston's Chinatown that they run together, and her love for Chinese fairy tales. When Nai Nai passes away, the family falls apart, and Meilan, her parents, and her grandfather embark on a journey to find a new home. They end up in Redbud, Ohio, a town that couldn't be more different from Chinatown. Meilan struggles to fit in, and is even given a new name at school in this heart-felt story of self-acceptance.

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

by Fleur Bradley, illustrated by Xavier Bonet

A weekend away at a haunted hotel turns into a murder mystery when the guests learn of Mr. Barclay’s demise—and that they are all suspects. Three kids team up to figure out who the culprit is, uncovering secrets about the hotel and its guests along the way. This fun and fast-paced story is an excellent introduction to mystery novels.

by Lisa Fipps

This novel in verse is about Ellie, an 11-year-old girl who struggles with self-acceptance after years of fat-shaming. The criticism comes from everywhere: kids at school, her mom, and even strangers. As a result, she tries to fly under the radar and avoids attracting unwanted attention. With a new friend by her side and the support of a few caring adults, can she learn to accept herself?

The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story

by Charis Cotter

When Alice’s parents get divorced, her mom takes a job at Blackwood House as a live-in nurse to a wealthy older woman. After they move into the big, spooky house, things quickly turn strange. First, the housekeeper’s daughter tells her that her bedroom is haunted. Then, they find a dollhouse replica of Blackwood House filled with dolls that look like real girls. Soon, Alice becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of the girls in the dollhouse and what might have happened to them.

Maizy Chen's Last Chance

by Lisa Lee

Maizy is faced with unexpected change as she learns that Ohio will be her family's new home. The move is even more challenging as they are the only Asian Americans in their new town. At The Golden Palace, their family restaurant with generations of history, Maizy uncovers some surprising truths. However, with each discovery comes more questions, especially after a beloved family treasure goes missing and a racist note is left behind. Determined to find answers, Maizy embarks on a quest to uncover the truth.

by Jacqueline Woodson

In this book by National Book Award-winner Jacqueline Woodson, a diverse group of kids meets weekly to talk in a safe, adult-free space. They start off discussing bullying incidents and end up tackling significant, timely issues like immigration, incarceration, race, and identity. This hope-filled book is a fantastic starting point for many essential discussions.

The Night Diary

by Veera Hiranandani

Told through letters to the mother she lost as a baby, The Night Diary follows 12-year-old Nisha and her dad as they escape from Pakistan in 1947, after India’s partition. Half-Muslim and half-Hindu, home and identity become complicated concepts for Nisha almost overnight.

Merci Suárez Changes Gears

by Meg Medina

Merci and her brother are not like the other kids at Seaward Pines Academy. While their peers come from wealthy families, Merci and Roli are on scholarship. To complicate matters, Merci must put up with mean girls, boy problems, and friendship drama at school. At home, her grandfather’s behavior becomes erratic, and she knows that her family is keeping a secret from her. While touching on classic middle school issues, this book also tackles classism, family, and culture.

Flora and Ulysses

by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell

Flora and Ulysses is one of my all-time favorite middle grade books. Cynical, comic-loving Flora saves an unsuspecting squirrel from her neighbor’s vacuum — only for the critter to emerge with superpowers. Hilarious and heartfelt, it follows the two unlikely friends on an adventure with comic-style illustrations.

Fish in a Tree

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Ally never learned to read, but she has always hidden it by causing disruptions in class — until Mr. Daniels sees through her antics and meets her where she’s at. As Ally pushes through her shame and past bullies, her confidence grows, and she realizes she’s more than her dyslexia. This book is an uplifting read—especially for kids who struggle in school.

The Cardboard Kingdom

by Chad Sell

No “best of” list for kids is complete without a graphic novel that can pull in reluctant readers. The Cardboard Kingdom is a classic tale about kids being kids. Sixteen children from one neighborhood use cardboard and their imaginations to create an entire world for themselves. Through their play, the kids explore their identities and touch on friendship, divorce, bullying, and so much more.

by R.J. Palacio

Not quite a decade old, Wonder is already a classic that led to a movie, a graphic novel, and the Choose Kind movement. The story revolves around Auggie, a fifth-grader with a facial difference starting mainstream school for the first time. Told from different points of view, it’s a story of friendship, courage, and kindness.

The Apothecary

by Maile Meloy

After abruptly moving from sunny Los Angeles to London during the Cold War, Janie visits her local apothecary for a homesickness cure. The apothecary’s son, Benjamin (who dreams of being a spy) quickly becomes the most exciting thing in her new life. When his dad gets kidnapped, Janie and Benjamin must protect a 700-year-old book from Russian spies, save the apothecary, and prevent a nuclear disaster.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

by John Grisham

Theo Boone might be only 13, but he dreams of being a lawyer and even gives legal advice to kids at school. But when he gets involved in a murder trial, he must risk everything to expose the truth and deliver justice. The first in a series from John Grisham, this book will catch the attention of mystery lovers and aspiring lawyers alike.

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• Picture Book Brain

30 Best Read Aloud Books For 5th Grade Your Students Will Love

• April 25, 2021

Looking for the best read aloud books for 5th grade? These fun picture book read alouds for 5th grade elementary students are engaging. Fiction and nonfiction books with lesson plans and activities linked. These are the best diverse picture book read alouds for 5th graders. Many of these are award winning children’s books about diverse characters, friendships, relationships, and for the whole year of fifth grade!

If you’re a member of the  Picture Book Brain Trust Community , you already have access to EVERY lesson plan and activity for these books! Just click on the Lesson Plans button in the menu!

Read Aloud Books For 5th Grade:

These are just a few new student favorite read aloud books and some classic books that are annual favorites. That’s the key to keeping kids interested: mixing classics with the latest books.

Game Changers by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Venus and Serena Williams. Two peas in a pod. Best friends. Sisters. Six days a week they awoke before the sun came up to practice their serves and returns, to learn to run faster and hit harder. They were unstoppable. At age fourteen, Venus played her first professional match. Three years later, it was Serena’s turn. It wasn’t easy. Some tennis fans cheered for these two fresh faces, while those who were unhappy to see two black girls competing in a nearly all-white sport booed and taunted them. But they didn’t let it stop them. This is an amazing read aloud for 5th grade, especially for during Black History Month to study Black athletes and entertainers.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Game Changers HERE

You can try the first day of lessons and activities for Game Changers by signing up HERE:

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good. They participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America’s first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world. If you’re looking for a great read aloud for Women’s History Month to study Black scientists , this book is perfect!

Get the lesson plan and activities for Hidden Figures HERE

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

Originally performed for ESPN’s The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

Get the lesson plan and activities for The Undefeated HERE

Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North– one she can’t begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains.

Each leg of the trip brings new revelations as scenes out the window of folks working in fields give way to the Delaware River, the curtain that separates the colored car is removed, and glimpses of the freedom and opportunity the family hopes to find come into view. As they travel, Ruth Ellen reads from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, reflecting on how her journey mirrors her own– until finally the train arrives at its last stop, New York’s Penn Station, and the family heads out into a night filled with bright lights, glimmering stars, and new possiblity.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Overground Railroad HERE

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

Annie Taylor, a short, plump and fussy sixty-two year old widow, runs a charm school, right by Niagara Falls. When this starts to fail, she resolves to find fame and fortune by being the first person ever to go over the thundering waters of Niagara Falls in a barrel. Readers of all ages will warm to this inspiring story of bravery, as they take the roller coaster ride of a lifetime over the falls.

Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston

What have I to fear? My master broke every promise to me. I lost my beloved wife and our dear children. All, sold South. Neither my time nor my body is mine. The breath of life is all I have to lose. And bondage is suffocating me.

Henry Brown wrote that long before he came to be known as Box, he “entered the world a slave.” He was put to work as a child and passed down from one generation to the next — as property. When he was an adult, his wife and children were sold away from him out of spite. Henry Brown watched as his family left bound in chains, headed to the deeper South. What more could be taken from him? But then hope — and help — came in the form of the Underground Railroad. Escape! This is one of my new favorite read aloud books for 5th grade with the many connections you can make to poetry and perseverance .

Get the lesson plan and activities for Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom HERE

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code by Joseph Bruchac

As a young Navajo boy, Chester Nez had to leave the reservation and attend boarding school, where he was taught that his native language and culture were useless. But Chester refused to give up his heritage. Years later, during World War II, Chester―and other Navajo men like him―was recruited by the US Marines to use the Navajo language to create an unbreakable military code. Suddenly the language he had been told to forget was needed to fight a war. This powerful picture book biography contains backmatter including a timeline and a portion of the Navajo code, and also depicts the life of an original Navajo code talker while capturing the importance of heritage. This book would be a great book to read for Indigenous Peoples Da y or for Veterans Day .

Grand Canyon by Jason Chin

Rivers wind through earth, cutting down and eroding the soil for millions of years, creating a cavity in the ground 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and more than a mile deep known as the Grand Canyon. Home to an astonishing variety of plants and animals that have lived and evolved within its walls for millennia, the Grand Canyon is much more than just a hole in the ground. Follow a father and daughter as they make their way through the cavernous wonder, discovering life both present and past.

Weave in and out of time as perfectly placed die cuts show you that a fossil today was a creature much long ago, perhaps in a completely different environment. Complete with a spectacular double gatefold, an intricate map and extensive back matter. This is one of my favorite read aloud books for 5th grade because of the connections to science you can make as well as environmental studies for Earth Day .

Out of Wonder by Kwame Alexander

Out of gratitude for the poet’s art form, Newbery Award–winning author and poet Kwame Alexander, along with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, present original poems that pay homage to twenty famed poets who have made the authors’ hearts sing and their minds wonder. Stunning mixed-media images by Ekua Holmes, winner of a Caldecott Honor and a John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, complete the celebration and invite the reader to listen, wonder, and perhaps even pick up a pen.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Out of Wonder HERE

Mexique by Maria Jose Ferrada

On May 27, 1937, over four hundred children sailed for Morelia, Mexico, fleeing the violence of the Spanish Civil War. Home was no longer safe, and Mexico was welcoming refugees by the thousands. Each child packed a suitcase and boarded the Mexique, expecting to return home in a few months. This was just a short trip, an extra-long summer vacation, they thought. But the war did not end in a few months, and the children stayed, waiting and wondering, in Mexico. When the war finally ended, a dictator—the Fascist Francisco Franco—ruled Spain. Home was even more dangerous than before.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Mexique HERE

Saved By the Boats by Julie Gassman

September 11, 2001 was a black day in U.S. history. Amid the chaos, sea captains and crews raced by boat to the tragic Manhattan scene. Nearly 500,000 people on Manhattan Island were rescued that day in what would later be called the largest sea evacuation in history. In this rarely told story of heroism, we come to understand that in our darkest hours, people shine brightly as a beacon of hope. 5th graders can really begin to understand the importance of September 11th , and this book brings it to their level with its narrative form.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Saved By the Boats HERE

Shooting at the Stars by John Hendrix

Shooting at the Stars is the moving story of a young British soldier on the front lines during World War I who experiences an unforgettable Christmas Eve. In a letter to his mother, he describes how, despite fierce fighting earlier from both sides, Allied and German soldiers ceased firing that evening and came together on the battlefield to celebrate the holiday. They sang carols, exchanged gifts, and even lit Christmas trees. But as the holiday came to a close, they returned to their separate trenches to await orders for the war to begin again. One of the better Christmas read alouds for 5th grade.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Shooting at the Stars HERE

Boxes For Katje by Candace Fleming

After World War II there is little left in Katje’s town of Olst in Holland. Her family, like most Dutch families, must patch their old worn clothing and go without everyday things like soap and milk. Then one spring morning when the tulips bloom “thick and bright,” Postman Kleinhoonte pedals his bicycle down Katje’s street to deliver a mysterious box – a box from America! Full of soap, socks, and chocolate, the box has been sent by Rosie, an American girl from Mayfield, Indiana. Her package is part of a goodwill effort to help the people of Europe. What’s inside so delights Katje that she sends off a letter of thanks – beginning an exchange that swells with so many surprises that the girls, as well as their townspeople, will never be the same.

Ada’s Violin by Susan Hood

Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option…until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada—and her town—forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation. This is a truly inspiring diverse picture book that works for a variety of topics like Hispanic Heritage Month or Earthy Day .

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone’s crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library . . . and figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Persevering against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps, and thus became the local hero who harnessed the wind.

Get the lesson plan and activities for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind HERE

The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham

Alaa loves Aleppo, but when war comes his neighbors flee to safety, leaving their many pets behind. Alaa decides to stay–he can make a difference by driving an ambulance, carrying the sick and wounded to safety. One day he hears hungry cats calling out to him on his way home. They are lonely and scared, just like him. He feeds and pets them to let them know they are loved. The next day more cats come, and then even more! There are too many for Alaa to take care of on his own. Alaa has a big heart, but he will need help from others if he wants to keep all of his new friends safe.

The Next President by Kate Messner

Who will be the NEXT president ? Could it be you? When George Washington became the first president of the United States, there were nine future presidents already alive in America, doing things like practicing law or studying medicine. When JFK became the thirty-fifth president, there were 10 future presidents already alive in America, doing things like hosting TV shows and learning the saxophone.

And right now—today!—there are at least 10 future presidents alive in America. They could be playing basketball, like Barack Obama, or helping in the garden, like Dwight D. Eisenhower. They could be solving math problems or reading books. They could be making art—or already making change.

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan

Following the events of September 11, 2001, a beam from the World Trade Center Towers was given to the United States Navy. The beam was driven from New York to a foundry in Louisiana, where the seven and a half tons of steel, which had once been a beam in the World Trade Center, became a navy ship’s bow.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Seven and a Half Tons of Steel HERE

Storm Run by Libby Riddles

In 1985, Libby Riddles made history by becoming the first woman to win the 1,100-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. This brand-new edition of Riddles’s timeless adventure story is complete with updated narrative details, sidebars on all aspects of the race, photographs, and all-new illustrations by beloved illustrator Shannon Cartwright. An inspiration to children and adults everywhere, this is a compelling first-hand account of the arctic storms, freezing temperatures, loyal sled dogs, and utter determination that defined Riddles’s Iditarod victory. This is a truly inspiring story of perseverance and grit that would be great for winter time or the beginning of March to talk about the Iditarod.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Storm Run HERE

So Tall Within by Gary Schmidt

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but possessed a mind and a vision that knew no bounds. So Tall Within traces her life from her painful childhood through her remarkable emancipation to her incredible leadership in the movement for rights for both women and African Americans. Her story is told with lyricism and pathos by Gary D. Schmidt, one of the most celebrated writers for children in the twenty-first century, and brought to life by award winning and fine artist Daniel Minter. This combination of talent is just right for introducing this legendary figure to a new generation of children.

Get the lesson plan and activities for So Tall Within HERE

The Wall by Peter Sis

“I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side―the Communist side―of the Iron Curtain.” Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock ‘n’ roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band.

Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilities―creativity could be discouraged but not easily killed.

That’s Not Fair! / ¡No Es Justo! by Carmen Tafolla

A vivid depiction of the early injustices encountered by a young Mexican-American girl in San Antonio in the 1920’s, this book tells the true story of Emma Tenayuca. Emma learns to care deeply about poverty and hunger during a time when many Mexican Americans were starving to death and working unreasonably long hours at slave wages in the city’s pecan-shelling factories. Through astute perception, caring, and personal action, Emma begins to get involved, and eventually, at the age of 21, leads 12,000 workers in the first significant historical action in the Mexican-American struggle for justice. Emma Tenayuca’s story serves as a model for young and old alike about courage, compassion, and the role everyone can play in making the world more fair.

Get the lesson plan and activities for That’s Not Fair! / ¡No Es Justo! HERE

Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh

Funny Bones tells the story of how calaveras came to be. The amusing figures are the creation of Mexican artist José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada (1852–1913). Lupe learned the art of printing at a young age and soon had his own shop. In a country that was not known for freedom of speech, he drew political cartoons, much to the amusement of the local population but not that of the politicians. He continued to draw cartoons, but he is best known today for his calavera drawings. They have become synonymous with Mexico’s Día de Muertos festival.

Calaveras are skeletons performing all sorts of activities, both everyday and festive: dancing in the streets, playing instruments in a band, pedaling bicycles, promenading in the park, and even sweeping the sidewalks. They are not intended to be frightening, but rather to celebrate the joy of living as well as provide humorous observations about people.

Undocumented by Duncan Tonatiuh

Undocumented is the story of immigrant workers who have come to the United States without papers. Every day, these men and women join the work force and contribute positively to society. The story is told via the ancient Mixtec codex—accordion fold—format. Juan grew up in Mexico working in the fields to help provide for his family. Struggling for money, Juan crosses over into the United States and becomes an undocumented worker, living in a poor neighborhood, working hard to survive. Though he is able to get a job as a busboy at a restaurant, he is severely undercompensated—he receives less than half of the minimum wage! Risking his boss reporting him to the authorities for not having proper resident papers, Juan risks everything and stands up for himself and the rest of the community.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Undocumented HERE

Moses by Carole Boston Weatherford

I set the North Star in the heavens and I mean for you to be free…

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman hears these words from God one summer night and decides to leave her husband and family behind and escape. Taking with her only her faith, she must creep through woods with hounds at her feet, sleep for days in a potato hole, and trust people who could have easily turned her in. But she was never alone. This one can get a little preachy at times, but that was how Harriet Tubman was. Certainly a book worth of being one of the best read aloud books for 5th grade.

Sarah Gives Thanks by Mike Allegra

During the nineteenth century, Sarah Josepha Hale dedicated her life to making Thanksgiving a national holiday. She did all this while raising a family and becoming a groundbreaking writer and women’s magazine editor. Sarah Hale’s inspiring story, accompanied by luscious watercolor illustrations, tells the tale of one woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Get the lesson plan and activities for Sarah Gives Thanks HERE

Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter

Young Nasreen has not spoken a word to anyone since her parents disappeared. In despair, her grandmother risks everything to enroll Nasreen in a secret school for girls. Will a devoted teacher, a new friend, and the worlds she discovers in books be enough to draw Nasreen out of her shell of sadness?

Based on a true story from Afghanistan, this inspiring book will touch readers deeply as it affirms both the life-changing power of education and the healing power of love. What I love about this book and what makes it one of the best read aloud books for 5th grade is how it helps students understand how Nasreen felt.

Pies From Nowhere by Dee Romito

Georgia Gilmore was a cook at the National Lunch Company in Montgomery, Alabama. When the bus boycotts broke out in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, Georgia knew just what to do. She organized a group of women who cooked and baked to fund-raise for gas and cars to help sustain the boycott. Called the Club from Nowhere, Georgia was the only person who knew who baked and bought the food, and she said the money came from “nowhere” to anyone who asked.

When Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for his role in the boycott, Georgia testified on his behalf. Then her home became a meeting place for civil rights leaders. This picture book highlights a hidden figure of the civil rights movement who fueled the bus boycotts and demonstrated that one person can make a real change in her community and beyond. It also includes one of her delicious recipes for kids to try with the help of their parents!

Get the lesson plan and activities for Pies From Nowhere HERE

Thirty Minutes Over Oregon by Marc Tyler Nobleman

The devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, drew the United States into World War II in 1941. But few are aware that several months later, the Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita dropped bombs in the woods outside a small town in Oregon. This is the story of those bombings, and what came after, when Fujita returned to Oregon twenty years later, this time to apologize. This remarkable true story, beautifully illustrated in watercolor, is an important and moving account of reconciliation after war. This was a recent find that went straight to my list of the best read aloud books for 5th grade.

That Book Woman by Heather Henson

Cal is not the readin’ type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he’d rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain and in the snow. She comes right up the side of the mountain, and Cal knows that’s not easy riding. And all just to lend his sister some books. Why, that woman must be plain foolish—or is she braver than he ever thought? If you want to talk about the importance of libraries and reading , this book is perfect!

Best Read Aloud Books for 5th Grade

What are some of your favorite read aloud books for 5th grade? Are there any must read-read aloud books for 5th grade that I left out? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it!

Remember: You can try the first day of lessons and activities for one of my favorite read aloud books for 5th grade: Game Changers by signing up HERE:

Other Great 5th Grade Read Aloud Stories

Looking for other great 5th grade read alouds? Here are a few more to explore:

40 Narrative Nonfiction Books For 5th Grade

9 New Back to School Books for 5th Grade

27 Black History Month 5th Grade Books

32 Picture Books for 5th Graders

Summer Reading List for 5th Grade

Books for 5th Grade Reading

Realistic Fiction Books For 5th Graders

20 Earth Day Projects For 5th Graders

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33 Read Alouds for 5th Graders

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Looking for a good book to read aloud to your fifth grade readers, ages 10 and 11? I have so many good read alouds for 5th graders to share with you!

These are fabulous middle grade books that will teach things like reading strategies, literary devices, character arcs, and more while being engaging stories!

Don’t forget that you can integrate 5th grade read alouds that are historical and realistic fiction when you study current events and history!

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Read Alouds for 5th Graders

Realistic read alouds for 5th graders.

Front Desk  by Kelly Yang Mia and her parents have struggled ever since moving to America from China. When her parents take a new live-in job at a motel, they end up working around the clock for very little pay. Mia helps out by working at the front desk. She befriends the weekly tenants and uses her English skills to write letters advocating for other people in tough spots— like her uncle whose sweatshop boss has taken his passport and weekly, Hank, who needs a letter of recommendation to get a job. This book is more than a memorable coming-of-age immigrant story, it’s also about  tolerance, determination, and diversity.

Ghost Boys  by Jewell Parker Rhodes This book is brilliantly written for so many reasons. First of all, because it addresses the very real  issue of police violence against black children but it does not vilify or stereotype.  Second of all, the author shows us the complexity of issues and the humanity of a police officer from the perspective of his daughter. After Jerome is unjustly shot, he becomes a ghost. Sarah, the police officer’s daughter, is the only one who can see and talk to him except for the other ghost boys who were also killed in racially motivated violence. It’s a well-written, fast-paced read about important current issues.

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn  by Sally J. Pla Maudie is an  autistic  girl staying with her father for the summer, but a California fire forces them from their cabin. She and her dad head south to where her dad grew up. A friend sets them up in an old camper at a campground near the beach. While her dad looks for work, Maudie works up her courage to ask an older surfer woman for lessons. She spends the summer worrying about her big secret and learning to surf, hoping to win the beginning surfer competition at the end of the summer. Maudie makes a new friend who is friendly and neurodiverse like her. All of these things help her consider that she is more than what her mom and her abusive stepdad think of her.  This is a moving coming of age story of a girl who learns to thrive instead of survive.

How to Stay Invisible  by Maggie C. Rudd Raymond’s parents abandon him, so he takes his dog Rosie, and they camp in the woods behind his middle school. He survives on his own, foraging in dumpsters and fishing for food while attending school. When a playful coyote hurts Rosie, he meets an old man who helps them both. Raymond doesn’t want to tell anyone, including the old man or his two friends at school, what he’s surviving, but the truth comes out when another boy discovers his campsite, and a snake bite almost kills him.  HOW TO STAY INVISIBLE is a powerful story of grit,  survival , and longing for family.  

MORE Realistic Read Alouds

Louder Than Hunger  by John Schu After facing relentless bullying, middle schooler Jake’s mean Voice is the loudest thing he hears. Soon, Jake trusts the Voice and listens to it when it tells him he needs to be thinner, he shouldn’t eat, he shouldn’t trust anyone, and nobody loves him.  His  anorexia  gets so bad that he’s hospitalized for weeks and months. And it isn’t an easy fix because the VOICE won’t stop pushing Jake to starve himself. Jake doesn’t find an easy answer or a quick fix, but he does find a glimmer of hope that things could be different. Written in verse , this powerful story will hook you and stay with you.

Farther Than the Moon  by Lindsay Lackey Houston wants to find a way for his brother Robbie to go to space even though there’s never been an astronaut with CP. Houston leaves Robbie behind for space camp where he meets his astronaut grandfather for the first time –and is rejected. After a week of fighting with his fellow crewmates, Houston gets surprising advice from the person he least expects–about taking responsibility for his actions and putting the crew first.  This middle-grade gem is filled with wisdom, heartfelt writing, and relatable and interesting characters.

Historical Fiction Read Alouds

Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II  written by Adam Gitwitz HISTORICAL  FANTASY  SPY ADVENTURE Max in the House of Spies  is exceptional with suspense, excitement, danger, and a dash of humor.  Max is a super-smart   Jewish  boy sent from Germany to safety during WWII on the Kindertransport.  He’s joined by two personality-filled (grumpy) mythical creatures, a dybbuk and a kobold, living on his shoulders. Once in England, Max’s sole focus is returning to Germany to help his parents. But first, he must stand up to the antisemitic bullies at school and convince the British to let him into spy training. But the mythical creatures DON’T want to return to Germany, so they try to thwart Max’s training efforts. 

Refugee  by Alan Gratz Follow three distinct, alternating stories about being displaced from your country, on the run, and in danger.  First is a young Jewish boy who escapes from Nazi Germany on a ship to Cuba, only to be turned away from the Cuban port and sent back to Europe. Next is a Cuban girl in the 1990s who, with her family and neighbors, flees in a homemade raft to the United States at great peril. Finally, is a story about a Syrian boy whose home is bombed in a country at war. He and his family travel a great distance to find a country that will allow them shelter. Gatz skillfully connects all three stories with a satisfying, realistic conclusion.

Once In a Blue Moon  by Sharon G. Flake James Henry hasn’t left the house in months. His twin sister Hattie encourages him to start small so they can be ready for the upcoming blue moon and a visit to the Lighthouse. When James Henry eventually ventures outside to go to the lighthouse, their trip is fraught with dangers, including mean neighbor kids and racist men. Surprisingly, the perils draw James Henry farther and farther out of his shell, especially when his sister needs him, and we learn what happened that traumatized him.  This lovingly written verse novel set in the historical South is a masterpiece of forgiveness, healing, and family bonds. 

Mystery Read Alouds for 5th Graders

Winterhouse  by Ben Guterson, illustrated by Chloe Bristol Elizabeth, an orphan, is unexpectedly sent to a large, stately hotel with a kind, grandfatherly proprietor for Christmas vacation. There,  she discovers a magical book, a sinister couple, a family mystery, and a new friend who loves puzzles as much as she does.  The writing is mesmerizing, the mystery fascinating, and the characters, enchanting. This is a wonderful, atmospheric read.

Framed! A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery  by James Ponti Captivating from the first page, 12- year old Florian Bates uses his brilliant, observing brain to implement T.O.A.S.T. (the Theory of All Small Things) to notice things that others have missed.  Including the FBI when there’s an art heist at the museum his mother works at. The FBI hires him to help unravel a mysterious art heist which he does with the help of his best friend, Margaret. Fast-paced and interesting.

Ali Cross  by James Patterson If you want an enthralling adventure & mystery that you can’t put down, read this one next. It’s Christmas Eve and Ali’s friend Gabe is missing, his FBI agent dad is falsely  accused of murdering an old man, and someone broke into their house while they were at church and stole his dad’s service weapon. Ali knows he has to try to fix things, starting by finding his friend Gabe. Don’t miss book two,  Like Father, Like Son .

Fantasy Middle Grade Read Alouds for 5th Grade

Amari and the Night Brothers  by B.B. Alston Fantastic fantasy world-building, excellent writing, a strong female heroine of color, and a surprise plot twist ending are just a few of the reasons you’ll love this book.  On top of that, you’ll find an exciting action-packed, suspenseful story about Amari whose brother vanishes mysteriously. He sends her a message that she’s a magician and should attend a special school. There, she discovers she’s a magician with outlawed dark magic but she’s determined to stay in the school and find her brother.

The Adventurers Guild  by Zach Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos Zed and Brock don’t want to be chosen for the Adventurers Guild. Nobody does.  Unlike the mages or merchants guild, the adventurers must leave the safety of their walled city to fight the monsters who live on the outside.  Unfortunately, Zed and Brock are picked as Adventurers. And before they can finish training, Zed, Brock, and others are sent outside the city on a fact-finding mission that uncovers treachery, fiendish beasts, and Zed’s untapped magic. Imaginative world-building, intriguing plot twists, and complex characters kept me enthralled from page one!

Skyriders  by Polly Holyoke Kie is a courier for the kingdom, riding on her skyrider, a small but fast winged  horse .  Her Uncle taught her the old ways of fighting the chimerae. Fearing a full chimarae invasion, her uncle sends Kie to the capital to convince the leaders to use the old ways of fighting. But she’s dismissed by the leaders who insist on their new ways — which will eventually get them killed. Meanwhile, Kie learns she can mindspeak to all skyrider steeds which helps when she and her friends (including the prince and princess) must save the city themselves. Readers will love this exciting story with an interesting plot and a brave but reluctant heroine. (I couldn’t put it down!)

Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows   by Ryan Calejo Charlie Hernández’s house burns down, his parents go missing, and he is sent to a foster home. But it’s when he grows HORNS, the WINGS, and meets the MYTHS in real life he’s really freaked out. Fortunately, a persistent classmate named Violet Rey helps Charlie follow the clues to find the truth about his parents and if he’s the prophesied Morphling meant to save the world.  A perfect book series with a great balance of action, dialogue, & writing.

Sci-Fi Read Alouds

The Last Gate of the Emperor   by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen  Yared’s Uncle Moti moves them around frequently, so when Yared gives his real name during an augmented reality game, soldiers come after him. Everything he believed about his life turns out to be a lie…including his identity. Yared partners with another game player, the Ibis, to escape the troops and the giant monster and find the truth. The two clever, quick-witted kids face incredible danger, insurmountable odds, and a galaxy-spanning war but Yared has been trained for this and he is ready to fight.  Set in a futuristic Ethiopian empire, this exciting adventure grabs your interest and keeps it through wild twists and turns that feature heroic main characters!

Masterminds  by Gordon Korman My kids and I love this series. Eli and his friends are riding bikes when they accidentally discover that some of them are physically prevented from leaving their utopia-type town. But there’s more. Then Eli discovers that his “father” is the leader of a group of scientists who are using the town and some of the kids, in a secret and unapproved science experiment. And you won’t believe what that experiment is!! (Hint: the title gives you a big clue.) Will the kids escape and will they be more than their DNA?

KEEP READING

Best Book Series for 5th Graders

Norse Mythology Books

Science Fiction Books

Coding for Kids

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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20 Excellent Picture Books that Break the Fourth Wall

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Here’s a good book, 101 Ways To bug your teachers, forgot authors name but it’s a great book !!!

Thanks, Dellie!

I love your list. You should read and then add Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart. It’s funny and will keep your readers engaged and begging for more.

I love that book & author — great idea!

Welcome to class! Fifth grade is a brand-new and fun experience for you and your students. 

Here are a few things you’ll want to consider as you create your classroom for the year ahead: What genre of books should be included in the classroom library? Which workbooks would best advance your students’ skills during quiet time? What supplemental materials will you need?

If you’re unsure of how to answer those questions yet, we’ve got you covered. This comprehensive list includes all of the 5th grade teaching supplies you’ll need to successfully complete the year. 

Whether you're preparing your classroom for your very first year of teaching, you just switched grades, or you're an experienced teacher looking to restock your classroom, these books and supplies will make the upcoming school year run smoothly. 

Remember, you can also always raise funds for your classroom and students by starting a free  ClassroomsCount™ campaign . It only takes a few minutes to get started, and all the funds you raise are yours to spend across Scholastic. It's a great and easy way to put books and resources in kids hands. 

Book Sets & Collections for Fifth Grade

Book sets and collections are an important part of creating your classroom library. When you introduce students to fun new characters and worlds, you’ll soon find that they will want to keep reaching for a new book in the series — and book sets can make that happen.

With book sets, you’ll save on large-quantity purchases of leveled readers and more. 

Here are the most popular book sets and collections teachers choose for fifth grade:

Fiction Books for Fifth Grade 

Fiction will open up your students’ minds to all kinds of creative possibilities. This genre encourages students to think outside the box, get creative, and even learn to forge their own worlds. 

It’s also a great way to engage students in classroom read-alouds and book clubs. These books will capture and hold your students’ imaginations.

Here are the most popular fiction books teachers choose for fifth grade: 

Nonfiction Books for Fifth Grade

Nonfiction books teach your students about the world around them. Whether your students are learning about intrepid women, or their favorite artists or scientists, nonfiction books will complement your curriculum for science, math, history, and much more. 

Here are the most popular nonfiction books teachers choose for fifth grade: 

Fifth Grade Workbooks 

Finding the best workbooks has never been easier. When sharpening your students’ skills during quiet time or independent learning time (especially if you have fast finishers in the class), engaging workbooks are a must. 

Your students will love practicing their math, writing, and geography skills while they have fun with puzzles, maps, and more in these engaging workbooks.  

Here are the most popular workbooks teachers choose for fifth grade:  

Supporting Materials for Fifth Grade 

Supplementing your fifth grade curriculum is key to helping your students fully understand the subject matter.

Whether it’s organization, learning about themselves, or understanding math, these supplemental materials will help students along the way. 

Here are the most popular supporting materials teachers choose for fifth grade:  

Supplies for Fifth Grade Classrooms

Fun 5th grade classroom supplies make all the difference during the year. In your first year teaching, having the right supplies will provide students the tools they need to succeed. 

Here are the most popular supplies teachers choose for fifth grade:  

Storage for Fifth Grade Classrooms 

Something as simple as storage means more for keeping your books in excellent condition than you might think, as they protect delicate pages from dust, accidental tears, and more while not in use. 

Your classroom library — while it’s being built, and otherwise — needs the proper methods of storage to maintain books for many years to come. Experienced teachers typically stock up on library bins to help keep books in tip-top shape. 

Here are the most popular storage supplies teachers choose for fifth grade:  

Professional Development for Fifth Grade Teachers 

Even though you’re the teacher, it’s still important to keep learning and honing your craft. Keep yourself in the loop on the latest teaching trends with these professional development books. 

Here are the most popular professional development books teachers choose for fifth grade:  

Classroom Games & Manipulatives for Fifth Grade 

Games are a fun way for students to continue practicing their knowledge from their earlier lessons. While your students play and solve puzzles, they’ll be having fun learning about math concepts, the roots of words, and more. 

Here are the most popular classroom games and manipulatives teachers choose for fifth grade: 

Budget Books Under $5

A robust classroom library with a variety of books is a fundamental element of the classroom. 

Fifth graders are still building key literacy skills, and it is important to expose them to a wide range of books — like novels and nonfiction.

Start the year strong with these budget-friendly books under $5. 

Social-Emotional Learning Resources

It can sometimes be difficult for students to express their feelings and convey their emotions. Social-emotional books are a powerful tool and help teach important life lessons. Your students will learn valuable lessons from these inspiring stories!  

5 new mystery novels whisk readers around the globe

Whodunits from deanna raybourn, camilla trinchieri, nicholas george, john shen yen nee, s.j. rozan and jo piazza.

In this great new crop of whodunits, mystery fans can revel in being armchair detectives and armchair travelers to locations around the globe — London, Tuscany, Sicily and the English countryside.

‘A Grave Robbery,’ by Deanna Raybourn

In aristocratic Victorian society, women are expected to quietly remain in the background. Veronica Speedwell, though, is irreverent and outspoken; she’s a scientist (specifically a lepidopterist, or butterfly expert) who lives with her upper-class lover, Stoker, a natural historian who specializes in taxidermy. Veronica and Stoker also are amateur sleuths who have solved a number of crimes together. Their latest case begins when their patron, an inveterate collector named Lord Rosemorran, brings them his latest find: a glass-covered casket containing what looks like a waxen female form. Discovering to their horror that it’s actually the weirdly well-preserved body of a woman who died years ago, Veronica and Stoker set out to find who she is and how she was killed. Ably assisted by some friends — a maverick Scotland Yard detective and a female journalist determined to make a name for herself — Veronica and Stoker take death-defying risks in their quest to ensure that the dead woman’s murderer is brought to justice. Longtime fans of the series will rejoice in this newest adventure, but Raybourn ensures that “ A Grave Robbery ” also stands on its own. (Berkley, March 12)

‘The Road to Murder,’ by Camilla Trinchieri

When wealthy Italian widow Nora Salviati Lamberti is murdered at her Tuscany villa, and the sole person on the scene speaks only English, the local police call in Nico Doyle, a retired NYPD homicide detective now living in the nearby town of Gravigna. Doyle, who moved to Italy to be close to the family of his late wife, Rita, is charmed by the possible suspect — an Englishwoman named Laetitia Barron — and believes she’s innocent. The head of the local police isn’t so sure, but there are plenty of other suspects, including the victim’s two alienated daughters. Italian American author Camilla Trinchieri presents the engaging fourth volume in her “Tuscan Mystery” series, blending a mystery steeped in the culinary and cultural pleasures of Tuscany with the tale of Doyle’s efforts to build a new life there. Readers who relish talk of food and wine mixed with their mystery will be charmed. (Soho Crime, March 5)

‘A Deadly Walk in Devon,’ by Nicholas George

Rick “Chase” Chasen, a retired San Diego police detective whose partner died of cancer a year ago, joins a friend on an organized walking tour in southwestern England in hopes of moving past his grief. Instead, Chase finds himself in the midst of a murder inquiry when another walker, Ronald Gretz, is pushed off a cliff, dying instantly. The local police suspect Gretz’s much-younger wife, who inherits his wealth, but Chase’s detective instincts tell him she’s not the killer. Debut author George relates how Chase uncovers potential motives of other members of the walking group; in the process, Chase becomes a target for the murderer. George, whose own love of long-distance walking inspired the book, offers a satisfying mystery with a well-drawn, interesting protagonist. (Kensington Cozies, March 26)

‘The Murder of Mr. Ma,’ by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan

In post-World War I London, racism against “outsiders” is strong, so the police aren’t especially interested in solving the murder of a Chinese immigrant named Ma Ze Ren. Enter Chinese Judge Dee Ren Jie, who met Ma in the war and has come to London to track down his killer. Soon Dee finds himself with more murders to investigate as two other men who were part of the wartime Chinese Labor Corps with Ma also are found dead. The swashbuckling Dee teams up with a rather unlikely partner — a scholar named Lao She — and together they crisscross London looking for clues and employing their considerable martial arts skills when their lives are threatened. Co-authors Nee and Rozan (author of the Lydia Chin and Bill Smith P.I. novels) offer an appealingly unusual, action-packed Sherlock Holmes pastiche with deep roots in both Chinese crime fiction and the history of early-20th-century England. (Soho Crime, April 2)

‘The Sicilian Inheritance,’ by Jo Piazza

A year ago, Sara Marsala was on the cover of Philadelphia magazine for running the city’s best steakhouse. Now the restaurant is bankrupt, her marriage is ending, and her beloved great-aunt Rosie has just died. Then Sara discovers that Rosie has left her a parting gift: a trip to Rosie’s native village of Caltabellessa in Sicily to determine whether the family still has ownership rights to a parcel of land there. Sara’s research in Caltabellessa quickly stirs up old enmities, and she finds herself the target of longtime villagers who try to scare her off. Piazza (author of “ Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win ” ) pairs Sara’s present-day story with the early-20th-century saga of Serafina Forte, Rosie’s mother, who apparently was brutally murdered before she could join her husband and children in their new American home. Now, the long-forgotten story of her life and death holds the key to whether Sara can claim the family’s land. Moving back and forth in time, Piazza smoothly blends a mystery deep into the heart of a page-turning family chronicle . (Dutton, April 2)

Karen MacPherson, the former children’s and teen coordinator at the Takoma Park Maryland Library, is a lifelong mystery aficionado.

More from Book World

Best books of 2023: See our picks for the 10 best books of 2023 or dive into the staff picks that Book World writers and editors treasured in 2023. Check out the complete lists of 50 notable works for fiction and the top 50 non-fiction books of last year.

Find your favorite genre: These four new memoirs invite us to sit with the pleasures and pains of family. Lovers of hard facts should check out our roundup of some of the summer’s best historical books . Audiobooks more your thing? We’ve got you covered there, too . We also predicted which recent books will land on Barack Obama’s own summer 2023 list . And if you’re looking forward to what’s still ahead, we rounded up some of the buzziest releases of the summer .

Still need more reading inspiration? Every month, Book World’s editors and critics share their favorite books that they’ve read recently . You can also check out reviews of the latest in fiction and nonfiction .

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*Mac and Linux are compatible with Java Edition only.

Minecraft Snapshot 24w13a

A Minecraft Java Snapshot

This fine Wednesday brings 24w13a, a snapshot containing changes to the Mace, Trial Chambers, and introduces the new Ominous Trials!

You might just be inclined to try out the ominous new features of this snapshot. ...or else? Did I do that right?

Happy mining!

Note: some of the features below will only work in freshly generated Trial Chambers.

Experimental Features

• Changes to the Mace
• Tweaks to the Breeze and Wind Charges
• Redesigned Bad Omen
• Added Ominous Bottle
• Added 6 new mob effects
• Added Ominous Trial Spawner
• Added Ominous Vault
• Added Ominous Trial Key
• Added a new explosive particle effect when executing a smash attack with the Mace to really show the player's power
• Increased the power and range of the knockback effect from a smash attack
• Introduced an even stronger knockback when falling for more than 5 blocks before attacking
• When successfully striking a target, all vertical momentum will be reset in addition to negating any accumulated fall distance
• The baseline additional damage dealt by the Mace smash attack has been slightly reduced to 3 (1.5 hearts) per fallen block
• Bane of Arthropods
• Fire Aspect
• Curse of Vanishing
• Common Enchantment, accessible in the Enchanting Table and on Enchanted Books in loot
• Has 5 levels
• Damage dealt per fallen block is increased by 1 per level of Density
• Rare Enchantment, accessible in the Enchanting Table and on Enchanted Books in loot
• Has 4 levels
• The effectiveness of the armor is reduced by 15% per Breach level
• Unique enchantment which can only be found in Ominous Vaults
• Has 3 levels
• Maces enchanted with Wind Burst will emit a Wind Burst upon hitting an enemy, launching the attacker upward and enabling the linking of smash attacks one after the other
• Each level will bounce the attacker higher up in the air

Breeze & Wind Charges

• The Breeze now avoids jumping into dangerous blocks or air
• Wind Charges no longer collide with End Crystals

Ominous Events

• Bad Omen has been expanded to give access to an optional experience in Trial Chambers
• They are more challenging than usual, and are designed to shake up the experience in unique ways
• Illager Raids are an example of an existing Ominous Event
• It has a new, shadowy icon and a sound for being applied to the player
• Instead, it will transform into a Raid Omen variant with a duration of 30 seconds
• Once the Raid Omen expires, a Raid will start at the location the player gained the Raid Omen
• Like any other effect, players can drink a Bucket of Milk to clear the Raid Omen to prevent the Raid from starting
• Instead, players can gain access to Bad Omen by consuming a new Ominous Bottle
• Ominous Bottle
• Comes in 5 variations, one for each Bad Omen level
• The bottle breaks when consumed
• Can be stacked to 64
• Can be found uncommonly in any Vaults that are unlocked with Trial Keys, and is dropped by Raid Captains when defeated outside a Raid

Ominous Trials

• A new Ominous Event that can be accessed by exploring a Trial Chamber with Bad Omen
• This event will have players facing more powerful Trial Spawners if they dare!
• This occurs when the player is within detection range of a Trial Spawner that is not Ominous
• The Trial Omen has a duration of 15 minutes multiplied by the transformed Bad Omen's level
• Players that have Trial Omen are surrounded by ominous particles
• Ominous Trial Spawner
• Provides a more challenging experience that advanced players can opt into for better rewards
• It is not in cooldown
• Making it Ominous this way will bypass the cooldown
• Glow blue instead of orange
• Emit soul flames instead of normal flames
• The equipment these mobs wear have armor trims applied from the Trial Chambers
• Known issue: these mobs can currently drop their equipment on death, but they will not in the future
• Based on their location, spawners in an area will select a random set of projectiles to spawn
• These projectiles will always include a single type of Lingering Potion from a set of possible effects
• It will stay Ominous until it has been defeated and its cooldown has finished
• When defeated, it will eject a different set of loot to normal Trial Spawners

Ominous Trial Key

• A new variant of the Trial Key which can only be obtained by defeating an Ominous Trial Spawner
• They can be used to unlock Ominous Vaults
• Ominous Vault
• A variant of Vaults that have a different texture and emit soul flames instead of normal flames
• These Vaults hold a more valuable set of rewards than the standard Vaults unlocked by Trial Keys

Mob Effects

• Affected entities will emit a wind burst upon death
• Brewed with an Awkward Potion and a Breeze Rod
• Affected entities will spread Cobweb blocks upon death
• Non-player entities with this effect can walk through Cobweb at normal speeds
• Brewed with an Awkward Potion and a Cobweb block
• Affected entities will spawn two Slimes upon death
• Brewed with an Awkward Potion and a Slime Block
• Affected entities have a 5% chance to spawn 1-2 Silverfish when hurt
• Brewed with an Awkward Potion and a Stone block
• These effects can be encountered while taking on an Ominous Trial Spawner
• Slimes are immune to Oozing
• Silverfish are immune to Infested

Trial Chambers Loot

• The loot found within Trial Chamber Vaults has been adjusted
• Ominous Bottle I - II can be found
• Guster Banner Pattern and Bolt Armor Trim Smithing Template remain exclusive to standard Vaults
• In Heavy Core's place, standard Vaults will instead have a very rare chance of providing a Trident
• Ominous Bottle III - V
• Enchanted Golden Apple
• Flow Banner Pattern and Flow Armor Trim Smithing Template
• Wind Burst, Breach and Density Enchantments for the Mace
• It now has a focus on providing higher quality food more often to make replenishing between fights more safe
• Ominous Trial Keys have a 30% chance of ejecting from a defeated Ominous Trial Spawner, replacing the usual 50% chance to eject Trial Keys

Trial Spawner

• All spawners now increase the amount of mobs present at once by 0.5 for each additional player, down from 2
• Baby Zombie spawners now only have 2 mobs present at once for its baseline, down from 3 mobs
• Can now only activate when a player is in line of sight

Trial Chambers

• Remade chamber_5 with variations, and renamed it to eruption
• Reduced amount of Trial Spawners in corridors
• Updated layout and placements of Vaults
• Placed Ominous Vaults in chambers, intersections, at the ends of corridors
• Corridors will no longer generate endlessly
• Added an atrium to the corridors
• Made various layout changes in intersections and corridors

Known issues:

• Corner quadrants in slanted may still fail to generate correctly

Changes in 24w13a

• Added unique sounds for Cobwebs

Technical Changes in 24w13a

• The Data Pack version is now 37
• The Resource Pack version is now 31
• Client chat state is now preserved by default when entering configuration phase
• Changes to chat network protocol
• Client chat state (on-screen messages and chat input history) is now preserved by client when entering and exiting configuration phase
• Message signature chain handling remains unchanged - going into configuration phase starts new session
• If client has message delay configured, pending messages will be delivered immediately before leaving world
• Server can clear chat state by sending reset_chat packet in configuration phase

Network Protocol

• Commands that do not accept any signed arguments will use the unsigned packet, and will not pass any 'last seen' chat updates

Data Pack Version 37

• this_entity : the mob that is about to be given equipment
• origin : the position of the mob
• If present, rolled items from the specified loot table will be equipped to the mob that spawns
• Modified copy_components and set_name loot function arguments
• Added new set_ominous_bottle_amplifier loot function
• Added new item components
• Non-default components on item stacks are now stored when block entity is placed
• For example, {"type":"minecraft:uniform","value":{"min_inclusive":0.0,"max_inclusive":1.0}} becomes {"type":"minecraft:uniform","min_inclusive":0.0,"max_inclusive":1.0}
• New Damage Type Tag: minecraft:is_player_attack for attacks performed by the player
• immune_to_oozing For entities that cannot receive the Oozing mob effect
• immune_to_infested For entities that cannot receive the Infested mob effect
• Added raider sub entity predicate

Block entities

Non-default components on item stacks containing block items are now stored on block entities when placed

• Component removals from defaults are currently not preserved
• Placing and breaking non-block entity blocks remains unchanged - nothing is preserved
• Does not automatically cause preserved components to be restored on drops - this requires addition of copy_components function to loot table
• Some components (like custom_name ) are still handled by legacy serialization, which means they might not be present in there
• Contains map of component id to component value

New Item Stack Components

Minecraft:item_name.

• When present, replaces default item name with contained chat component
• item_name can't be changed or removed in anvil
• item_name is not styled with italics when displayed to player
• item_name does not show labels where applicable (for example: banner markers, names in item frames)

minecraft:ominous_bottle_amplifier

• Controls the amplifier amount for an Ominous Bottle's bad omen effect
• e.g. ominous_bottle_amplifier=3

Loot Functions

Copy_components.

Removed field components and replaced it with:

• if omitted, all components present are included
• if omitted, defaults to empty
• Only components that are included (explicitly or implicitly) but not excluded will be copied

Added optional field target to specify which name should be set

• custom_name - sets custom_name component (default)
• item_name - sets item_name component

Added set_ominous_bottle_amplifier

Sets the ominous_bottle_amplifier component on the target item according to a number provider.

• conditions : list of conditions to filter this function
• amplifier : a number provider used to generate the ominous_bottle_amplifier component

Entity sub-predicates

New raider sub-predicate has been added to match raidersFields:

• has_raid - Match whether the raider is in an active raid
• is_captain - Match whether the raider is a captain

Resource Pack Version 31

• item_cobweb
• trial_spawner_detection_ominous
• ominous_spawning
• block.cobweb.break
• block.cobweb.step
• block.cobweb.place
• block.cobweb.hit
• block.cobweb.fall
• block.trial_spawner.about_to_spawn_item
• block.trial_spawner.spawn_item
• block.trial_spawner.spawn_item_begin
• block.trial_spawner.charge_activate
• block.trial_spawner.ambient_charged
• item.ominous_bottle.dispose
• event.mob_effect.bad_omen
• event.mob_effect.trial_omen
• event.mob_effect.raid_omen
• Updated textures for normal Vault block
• wind_charged
• bad_omen_121
• Added new models for Ominous state of Vault block

Fixed bugs in 24w13a

• MC-123804 - Explorer map and Ominous banner names appear in item frames, draw in italics, and can be removed with an anvil
• MC-148057 - Ominous banners generated in outposts show the pattern list
• MC-166361 - GUI scale does not visually update when the option is changed using the keyboard and without the mouse
• MC-178410 - Banners don't support the HideFlags tag when placed down as blocks
• MC-268578 - Bogged mob sits wrong in boats
• MC-268627 - Slime spawns are incorrect
• MC-268716 - Magma Cubes spawn even if there's only 2 blocks in height
• MC-268882 - Same Enchantments in an item components crashes the game
• MC-268893 - Comparators require a block update to function properly, and droppers/observers receive false state changes
• MC-269015 - Wind charges can destroy end crystals
• MC-269143 - Attribute modifiers cannot exclusively target the "body" slot
• MC-269342 - The experimental features details menu is rendered incorrectly after resizing the game window
• MC-269371 - If the 'GUI Scale' option is on 'Auto', and if you try to scale it down using CTRL + mouse wheel, it shows as '-1'
• MC-269387 - Mace sounds use the neutral sound category
• MC-269388 - Mace falling damage increase is applied while using an elytra
• MC-269427 - Lingering potion particles are tinted black instead of the potion's color
• MC-269628 - Heavy cores delete water when placed into it
• MC-269635 - The game crashes when attempting to eat lily pads or frogspawn
• MC-269643 - Waterlogged heavy core does not update water flow correctly
• MC-269649 - Who Needs Rockets advancement is granted after launching yourself up 8 blocks instead of 7 blocks
• MC-269656 - Feeding parrots poison while holding mace grants Over-Overkill challenge
• MC-269659 - Parrots can now be fed carrots to kill them instead of cookies
• MC-269670 - Game crash when giving bundle with hide tooltip

Get the Snapshot

Snapshots are available for Minecraft: Java Edition. To install the Snapshot, open up the  Minecraft Launcher and enable snapshots in the "Installations" tab.

Testing versions can corrupt your world, so please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds.

Cross-platform server jar:

• Minecraft server jar

Report bugs here:

• Minecraft issue tracker !

Want to give feedback?

• For any feedback and suggestions on our upcoming 1.21 features, head over to the dedicated Feedback site category . You can also leave any other feedback on the Feedback site . If you're feeling chatty, join us over at the  official Minecraft Discord .

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Kate Banks, Children’s Author Who Wrote About Grief, Dies at 64

She became an award-winning author of children’s books and young-adult novels despite debilitating health issues and the murder of her father.

By Alex Williams

Kate Banks, who, despite personal tragedy and debilitating illness, became an award-winning author of children’s books and young-adult novels that captured the wonder of youth while also confronting fear and grief, died on Feb. 24 in Basel, Switzerland. She was 64.

The cause was medically assisted death, following a Stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis in 2022, her sister Amy Banks said.

Ms. Banks had mast cell activation syndrome, a disorder of the immune system, and had been unable to undergo standard cancer treatments or take most medications, including those for pain.

Despite the ailment, which she had suffered for decades, and the lingering trauma from the murder of her father when she was in college, Ms. Banks was prolific: She had published more than 50 books since the late 1980s.

A Maine native, she drew inspiration for her work from a childhood spent among the woods and rocky beaches of her home state.

“A Gift From the Sea” (2001), illustrated by Georg Hallensleben, follows a boy who finds a rock on a beach, leading him to ruminate on the geological and historical forces that led the rock to that spot. “That’s Papa’s Way” (2009), illustrated by Lauren Castillo, wistfully recounts the story of a young girl’s deepening relationship with her father during a languid day fishing together on a lake.

“This dialogue with nature has accompanied me through adulthood, and it’s an important theme running through many of my books,” Ms. Banks said in a 2013 interview with the blogger Melissa Buron. “I think that getting children to explore and engage in their natural habitat can help them to understand their place in the world, not only as residents but as part of a big, beautiful whole.”

Ms. Banks, with Mr. Hallensleben, won the picture book award from The Horn Book, a youth literature magazine, in 1998 for “And if the Moon Could Talk,” about a girl slipping into reveries of imagination as her father reads her a bedtime story. Two years later, her middle-grade novel “Howie Bowles, Secret Agent,” about a boy who adopts a dashing alter ego on his way to finding true self-acceptance, won the Edgar Award for best juvenile book from the Mystery Writers of America.

By all appearances, Ms. Banks lived a charmed life. When she was in her 30s, she lived in Rome with her Italian-born husband, Pierluigi Mezzomo, a civil engineer and entrepreneur, and their two sons, Peter and Max.

When she was in her 40s, the family moved to the Côte d’Azur in France. A 2008 article in The New York Times chronicled the couple’s renovation of their stately hillside house, Villa Bois Joli (Pretty Wood), with its sun-dappled white exterior and pale blue shutters, bountiful apricot and pear trees, and a stunning view of the sea.

“The colors, the smells, the views, that’s what makes inspiration come,” Ms. Banks told The Times. “And it comes a lot in that house.”

Things were far from perfect, however. As her sister Amy put it in an email: “From the outside looking in, Kate’s life seemed carefree, romantic, even enviable. But the hard stuff she endured was just below the surface.”

Katherine Anne Banks was born on Feb. 13, 1960, in Farmington, Maine, the second of four children of Ronald Banks, a history professor at the University of Maine, and Helena (Poland) Banks, who managed the home.

By her early teens, Kate was writing short stories and poetry about nature. “I had a vivid imagination from an early age,” she said in an interview with the blog The Picture Book Buzz, “and, for me, words were the ideal vehicle for connecting my inner and outer worlds.”

After graduating from Brewer High School in Maine in 1978, she enrolled in Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Her life took a devastating turn during her freshman year. On April 12, 1979, her father, who was attending a convention in New Orleans, was walking with a colleague back to his hotel from the French Quarter when two men tried to rob them. During a scuffle, one of the assailants fired a pistol at Professor Banks, killing him instantly.

A 16-year-old, Isaac Knapper, who lived in a nearby housing project, was charged with the crime and later convicted, but he was exonerated in 1991 and released from prison. Amy Banks, with Mr. Knapper, chronicled the tragic tale in the 2015 book “Fighting Time.”

The shooting left deep emotional scars, but Ms. Banks continued on, receiving a bachelor’s degree in history in 1982. She then moved to New York City, earned a master’s degree in history from Columbia University and took a job at Knopf Books for Young Readers in 1984. Four years later she published her first children’s book, “Alphabet Soup,” about a boy who refuses to eat his soup but who taps into a world of wonder by the words that appear in its floating letters.

The hollowness of loss eventually found its way into her work. “Many of my novels for older readers have dealt with death,” she once wrote. “And I suppose that represents my attempts to come to terms with love and loss of that magnitude.”

Ms. Banks’s young-adult novel “Dillon Dillon” (2002) centers on a boy who learns that the people whom he thought were his parents are actually his aunt and uncle, and that his actual parents died in an accident when he was young. He rediscovers a sense of freedom and wonder while paddling a red rowboat to an island on a lake , where he becomes enchanted with a pair of loons.

In “Walk Softly, Rachel” (2003), a young girl reads the diary of her dead brother, only to learn that he had died by suicide.

Ms. Banks managed to maintain a strict daily writing schedule for years, despite a chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis in her 20s and pain that was at times crippling from a botched medical procedure for a prolapsed uterus from childbirth.

With the complications of mast cell activation syndrome, including drops in blood pressure, flushing, severe itching and rashes, Ms. Banks relied on alternative therapies, including reiki, hypnosis, emotional freedom technique, quantum healing and regression therapy.

In addition to her sister Amy, she is survived by her husband, her sons and another sister, Nancy Banks.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Ms. Banks found another form of therapy — poetry. Her first anthology, “Into the Ether,” is to be published this fall.

One poem from the book, “What He Did to Me,” begins, “That guy pulled out of his pocket/a Saturday Night Special,” and then details the crushing emotional fallout from the bullet that killed her father. But the loss also led to a rebirth:

I began to see God everywhere, in my neighbor’s smoking chimney, the crackle of melting frost, the twist of a climbing vine, the leap of a cat. I saw God in every person who passed. That’s what that guy did to me. And I ought to be grateful.

Alex Williams is a reporter in the Obituaries department. More about Alex Williams