I have already shared Elijah's 7th grade reading list and 6th grade reading list. I want to share more–especially for those of you who have kids who read like crazy-cakes, so here is his 5th grade list (from 2012-2013). I am sure I have missed some of his selections because it is impossible for me to keep up with him, but many of these were on his 5th grade reading list.
Please don't use this list to compare your non-book-devouring child to mine. We don't use much curriculum because he chooses to read so, so much.
Biography and Nonfiction
George Washington Carver by David Collins
Francis Scott Key by David Collins
Johannes Kepler by John Hudson Tiner
Florence Nightingale by David Collins
David Livingston: Africa's Trailblazer by Janet and Geoff Benge
William Carey:Obliged to Go by Janet and Geoff Benge
Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer by Janet and Geoff Benge
Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold by Janet and Geoff Benge
Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime by Janet and Geoff Benge
The Land I Lost by Huynh Quang Nhuong
Poetry
All the Small Poems by Valerie Worth
Realistic Fiction
Water Sky by Jean Craighead George
Journey to Jo’Burg by Beverly Naidoo
Snow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard
Stormy by Jim Kjelgaard
Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
The Black Fawn by Jim Kjelgaard
Li Lun Lad of Courage by Carolyn Treffinger*
Historical Fiction
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen
The House of Sixty Fathers Meindert DeJong*
Daughter of the Mountains by Louise S. Rankin*
The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park
The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson
Winged Watchman Hilda Van Stockhum
Adam of the Road by Elizabet Gray*
The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates
Hue and Cry by Elizabeth Yates
Humor
Tales from Dust River Gulch by Tim Davis
More Tales from Dust River Gulch by Tim Davis
Adventure
Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
Viking Quest Series by Lois Walfrid Johnson
Red Sand, Blue Sky by Cathy Applegate
The Complete Adventures of Tintin (7 graphic novel books; please preview for content)
Folk and Fairy Tales
Beat the Story Drum, Pum Pum by Ashley Bryan
Tales of a Korean Grandmother by Frances Carpenter
The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth*
East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon by Gudrun Thorne-Thomsen
Classic Literature
The Black Stallion Walter Farley
The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare E. Nesbit
Stories of Robin Hood Told to Children Marshall
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter
Fantasy
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aikent
The Wouldbegoods by E. Nesbit
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
Do you have other books you would add to the list? Drop me a comment! I'd love to hear your suggestions.
If you are looking for more lists for kids who love to read, please check out my Reading Lists for Voracious Readers page.
Hi. I have a non-book-devouring daughter. She is in 6th grade but her reading level is between 4th-5th grade. She absolutely will not pick up a book unless she has to. I ask her why she says she gets bored. Can you suggest any books for her? Or anything I can do to get her to read more or at least to give it a try? I LOVE to read. I always read to all of my children when they were babies and while they were growing up. Idk why she is so behind and uninterested. Help
Hi Michelle,
The first task is to get her to love a story. Loving a story can turn the tide and create kids who want to read. I would use audio books to draw her in. (You can read more about my uber love for audio books here: https://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/audio-books-homeschool/).
What does she like? What is she interested in? Has she responded to any books in the past? If you are comfortable, you can answer here or shoot me an email. I am crazy-passionate about helping readers find the right book–the one that will get them reading (or listening!). 🙂