Book Suggestions

 
     
     In past years, parents have asked me to recommend grade-appropriate 
books to their children for nightly reading. 

     Therefore, I am posting this list of book titles that your child may 
enjoy. I hope this list comes in handy the next time you and your child 
visit the public library. 

                    Sincerely, Mr. Thaler



___________________________________________________________________________ 
(special thanks to the Highland Park Public Library of Illinois for 
compiling this list)
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BOOKS ON A FIFTH GRADE LEVEL:
----------------------------
 

Adventure & Survival

Aiken, Joan             The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. 
Blackwood, Gary         Wild Timothy. 
Bodett, Tom             Williwaw! 
Campbell, Eric          The Place of Lions. 
Creech, Sharon          The Wanderer. 
Edwards, Julie Andrews  Dragon: Hound of Honor. 
Fenner, Carol           The King of Dragons. 
Fleischman, Sid         The Giant Rat of Sumatra. 
George, Jean C.         My Side of the Mountain. 
Haddix, Margaret        Running Out of Time. 
Harrison, Michael       It's My Life. 
Hesse, Karen            The Music of Dolphins. 
Hobbs, Will             The Big Wander. 
Hyde, Dayton            Island of the Loons. 
Ibbotson, Eva           Journey to the River Sea. 
Kehret, Peg             Earthquake Terror. 
Konigsburg, E.L.        From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. 
                        Frankweiler. 
Korman, Gordon          Shipwreck. 
Lawrence, Iain          The Wreckers. 
Matthews, L.S.          Fish. 
Mazer, Harry            The Cave Under the City. 
Moeri, Louise           Save Queen of Sheba. 
Neale, Jonathan         Himalaya. 
Paulsen, Gary           Hatchet. 
Phleger, Marjorie       Pilot Down, Presumed Dead. 
Ruckman, Ivy            Night of the Twisters. 
Sachar, Louis           Holes. 
Shahan, Sherry          Frozen Stiff. 
Smith, Roland           The Cryptid Hunters. 
Snicket, Lemony         The Bad Beginning. 
Stone, Jeffery S.       Tiger. 
Taylor, Theodore        The Cay. 
Whitesel, Cheryl        Blue Fingers: A Ninja's Tale. 

Animal Stories

(Real Animals)

Adler, C.S.             The No Place Cat. 
Bagnold, Enid           National Velvet. 
Boston, L.M.            A Stranger at Green Knowe. 
Burnford, Sheila        The Incredible Journey. 
Casanova, Mary          When Eagles Fall. 
Corcoran, Barbara       Wolf at the Door. 
Cross, Gillian          The Great American Elephant Chase. 
Eckert, Allan           Incident at Hawk’s Hill. 
Farley, Walter          The Black Stallion. 
Garfield, James         Follow My Leader. 
Harlow, Joan Hiatt      Thunder From the Sea. 
Henry, Marguerite       Misty of Chincoteague. 
Hobbs, Will             Jackie’s Wild Seattle. 
Knight, Eric            Lassie Come Home. 
Lester, Allison         The Snow Pony. 
Mowat, Farley           Owls in the Family. 
Rorby, Ginny            Dolphin Sky. 
Springer, Nancy         Colt. 
Taylor, William         Agnes the Sheep. 
Zucker, Naomi Fink      Benno’s Bear. 

(Talking Animals)

Baker, E.D.             The Frog Princess. 
Bauer, Marion Dane      Runt. 
Collins, Suzanne        Gregor the Overlander. 
Finney, Patricia        I, Jack. 
George, Jean            Frightful’s Mountain. 
Gleitzman, Morris       Toad Rage. 
Hunter, Erin            Into the Wild. 
Jacques, Brian          Redwall. 
James, Mary             Shoebag. 
Jarvis, Robin           The Dark Portal. 
Lasky, Kathryn          The Capture. 
Leonard, Elmore         A Coyote’s in the House. 
Lowry, Lois             Stay! Keeper’s Story. 
Naylor,Phyllis Reynolds The Grand Escape. 
Oppel, Kenneth          Silverwing. 

Biographies

Berenstain, Stan        Down a Sunny Dirt Road:  An Autobiography. 
Brewster, Hugh          Anastasia's Album. 
Bridges, Ruby           Through My Eyes: The Autobiography of Ruby Bridges. 
Codell, Esme Raji       Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: Hard-to-Swallow Stories 
                        From the Fifth Grade. 
Dahl, Roald             Boy: Tales of Childhood. 
Fleischman, Sid         The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life. 
Freedman, Russell       Lincoln: A Photobiography. 
George, Jean C.         A Tarantula in My Purse: And 172 Other Wild Pets. 
Goodall, Jane           My Life with the Chimpanzees. 
Hargrove, Jim           Steven Spielberg: Amazing Filmmaker. 
Lawlor, Laurie          Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit. 
Mah, Adeline Yen        Chinese Cinderella. 
Paulsen, Gary           How Angel Peterson Got His Name. 
Stine, R.L.             It Came From Ohio: My Life as a Writer. 
Szabo, Corrine          Sky Pioneer: A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart. 
Warren, Andrea          Escape From Saigon: How a Vietnam War Orphan Became 
                        an American Boy. 

Fantasy

Balliet, Blue           Chasing Vermeer. 
Barrie, J.M.            Peter Pan. 
Barry, Dave             Peter and the Starcatchers. 
Bell, Hilari            The Wizard Test. 
Byng, Georgia           Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism. 
Colfer, Eoin            Artemis Fowl. 
Cooper, Susan           The Dark is Rising. 
Crossley-Holland,Kevin  The Seeing Stone. 
Curry, Jane             The Black Canary. 
Dale, Anna              Whispering to Witches. 
Di Terlizzi, Tony       The Field Guide. 
Drake, Emily            The Magickers. 
Duane, Diane            So You Want to be a Wizard. 
Ferris, Jean            Once Upon a Marigold. 
Friesner, Esther        Wishing Season. 
Funke, Cornelia         Dragon Rider. 
Gliori, Debi            Pure Dead Wicked. 
Haptie, Charlotte       Otto and the Flying Twins. 
Hobbs, Will             Kokopelli's Flute. 
Jones, Diana Wynne      Witch Week. 
Langrish, Katherine     Troll Fell. 
Levine, Gail Carson     The Wish. 
Morris, Gerald          The Squire's Tale. 
Nesbit, E.              Wet Magic. 
Nimmo, Jenny            Midnight for Charlie Bone. 
Nix, Garth              Mister Monday. 
Paul, Donita K          Dragonspell. 
Pearce, Philippa        Tom's Midnight Garden. 
Pierce, Tamora          Alanna: The First Adventure. 
Sage, Angie             Magyk. 
Service, Pamela         Being of Two Minds. 
Stewart, Paul           Beyond the Deep Woods. 
Thompson, Kate          Switchers. 
Turner, Megan           The Thief. 
Winthrop, Elizabeth     The Castle in the Attic. 
Wrede, Patricia         Dealing with Dragons. 

Ghost & Horror Stories

Adler, C.S.             Ghost Brother. 
Alphin, Elaine          The Ghost Cadet. 
Avi                     Something Upstairs. 
DeFelice, Cynthia       The Ghost of Fossil Glen. 
Gaiman, Neil            Coraline. 
Hahn, Mary D.           Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story. 
Ibbotson, Eva           Dial-a-Ghost. 
Naylor, Phyllis         The Witch’s Sister. 
Pullman, Phillip        Count Karlstein.  
Schnur, Steven          The Shadow Children. 
Snyder, Zilpha          The Trespassers. 
Stine, R.L.             Beware! R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories. 
Vande Velde, Vivian     There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around. 
Wilson, Jacqueline      Vicky Angel. 
Zindel, Paul            Raptor! 

Historical Fiction
 
Blackwood, Gary         The Shakespeare Stealer. 
Cannon, A.E.            Charlotte’s Rose. 
Choldenko, Genniger     Al Capone Does My Shirts. 
Curtis, Christopher     The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963. 
Ellis, Deborah          A Company of Fools. 
Erickson, John          Moonshiner’s Gold. 
Giff, Patricia Reilly   Nory Ryan’s Song. 
Goodman, Joan           The Winter Hare. 
Hahn, Mary D.           The Gentleman Outlaw and Me-- Eli: A Story of the 
                        Old West. 
Hale, Marian            The Truth About Sparrows. 
Hesse, Karen            Letters from Rifka. 
Hilgartner, Beth        A Murder for Her Majesty. 
Ibbotson, Eva           The Star of Kazan. 
Lasky, Kathryn          The Night Journey. 
Lawrence, Iain          The Wreckers. 
Lester, Julius          Pharaoh's Daughter. 
Levine, Gail Carson     Dave at Night. 
Magorian, Michelle      Good Night, Mr. Tom. 
Namioka, Lensey         Ties That Bind, Ties That Break. 
Napoli, Donna Jo        Daughter of Venice. 
Nixon, Joan Lowery      A Family Apart. 
Paulsen, Gary           Mr. Tucket. 
Reeder, Carolyn         Shades of Gray. 
Salisbury, Graham       Under the Blood-Red Sun. 
Stolz, Joelle           The Shadows of Ghadames. 
Weil, Sylvie            My Guardian Angel. 
Whelan, Gloria          Once on This Island. 
Wise, William           Nell of Branford Hall. 
Woodruff, Elvira        The Ravenmaster’s Secret: Escape from the Tower of 
                        London. 

Holocaust

Auerbacher, Inge        I am a Star: Child of the Holocaust. 
Baylis-White, Mary      Sheltering Rebecca. 
Drucker, Malka          Jacob’s Rescue: A Holocaust Story. 
Levine, Karen           Hana’s Suitcase. 
Lowry, Lois             Number the Stars. 
Morpurgo, Michael       Waiting for Anya. 
Orlev, Uri              Run, Boy, Run. 
Richter, Hans Peter     Friedrich. 
Spinelli, Jerry         Milkweed. 
Vos, Ida                Anna is Still Here. 
Williams, Laura         Behind the Bedroom Wall. 
Yolen, Jane             The Devil's Arithmetic. 

Humor

Avi                     Never Mind: A Twin Novel. 
Cooney, Doug            Beloved Dearly. 
Cresswell, Helen        Ordinary Jack. 
Dahl, Roald             The Witches. 
Dickinson, Peter        Chuck and Danielle. 
Fitzgerald, John        The Great Brain. 
Gutman, Dan             Funny Boy Meets the Chitchatting Cheese from 
                        Chattanooga. 
Hiaasen, Carl           Hoot. 
Kennemore, Tim          Circle of Doom. 
Klise, Kate             Letters From Camp. 
Korman, Gordon          No More Dead Dogs. 
Lowry, Lois             The One Hundredth Thing About Caroline. 
Maguire, Gregory        Seven Spiders Spinning. 
McMullan, Kate          Have a Hot Time Hades! 
Naylor, Phyllis         The Boys Start the War. 
Paulsen, Gary           Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered. 
Peck, Richard           A Year Down Yonder. 
Pinkwater, Daniel       Borgel. 
Roberts, Dianne         Made You Look. 
Selden, George          Harry Cat's Pet Puppy. 
Taylor, William         Knitwits. 

In Other Lands

Camri, Daniella         Samir and Yonatan. 
Carris, Joan            Hedgehogs in the Closet. 
Creech, Sharon          Bloomability. 
Dhami, Marinder         Bindi Babes. 
Ellis, Deborah          The Breadwinner. 
Holt, Kimberly Willis   Keeper of the Night. 
Honey, Elizabeth        Don’t Pat the Wombat. 
Mahy, Margaret          Underrunners. 
McKay, Hilary           Dolphin Luck. 
Morgenstern,Susie Hoch  Sixth Grade. 
Nitz, Kristin           Defending Irene. 
Ryan, Pam Munoz         Becoming Naomi Leon. 
Sheth, Kashmira         Blue Jasmine. 
Stewart, Jennifer       Close Encounters of a Third World Kind. 
Yumoto, Kazumi          The Friends. 

Misfits & Outcasts

Blume, Judy              Blubber. 
Byars, Betsy             The Pinballs. 
Cassedy, Sylvia          Behind the Attic Wall. 
Choldenko, Gennifer      Notes from a Liar and Her Dog. 
Dowell, Frances          Where I’d Like to Be. 
Fenner, Carol            Randall’s Wall. 
Hahn, Mary D.            Daphne's Book. 
Hayden, Torey            The Very Worst Thing. 
Holt, Kimberly           When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. 
Lisle, Janet             Afternoon of the Elves. 
McNamee, Graham          Sparks. 
Perkins, Lynne           All Alone in the Universe. 
Sachar, Louis            There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom. 
Spinelli, Jerry          Loser.  
Wallace, Bill            Never Say Quit. 
Wilhelm, Doug            The Revealers. 

Mysteries & Thrillers

Anderson, Janet          The Last Treasure. 
Bailey, Linda            How Come the Best Clues are Always in the Garbage? 
Bellairs, John           The House with a Clock in Its Walls. 
Broach, Elise            Shakespeare’s Secret. 
Bunting, Eve             Is Anybody There? 
Hahn, Mary D.            The Dead Man in Indian Creek. 
Hamilton, Virginia       The Mystery of Drear House. 
Hart, Alison             Shadow Horse. 
Hoeye, Michael           Time Stops for No Mouse. 
Howe, James              Eat Your Poison, Dear. 
Hoobler, Dorothy         The Ghost in the Tokido Inn. 
Horowitz, Anthony        The Falcon’s Malteser:  A Diamond Brothers Mystery. 
Lawrence, Caroline       Thieves of Ostia: A Roman Mystery. 
Naylor,Phyllis Reynolds  Bernie Magruder and the Bats in the Belfry. 
Nickerson, Sara          How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found. 
Patneaude, David         Someone was Watching. 
Raskin, Ellen            The Westing Game. 
Roberts, Willo Davis     What Could Go Wrong? 
Skurzynski, Gloria       Wolf Stalker. 
Smith, Roland            Zach’s Lie. 
Van Draanen, Wendelin    Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief.  

School, Family & Growing Up

Baskin, Nora Raleigh     What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows. 
Brooks, Bruce            Vanishing. 
Byalick, Marcia          Quit It. 
Carney, Janet            The Double Life of Zoe Flynn. 
Cassidy, Cathy           Dizzy. 
Clements, Andrew         Frindle. 
Cooper, Ilene            Sam I Am. 
Danziger, Paula          P.S. Longer Letter Later. 
Dowell, Frances          The Secret Language of Girls. 
Feiffer, Jules           The Man in the Ceiling. 
Fenner, Carol            Yolonda's Genius. 
Fine, Anne               Step by Wicked Step. 
Fletcher, Ralph          Flying Solo. 
Gantos, Jack             Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. 
Giff, Patricia           Pictures of Hollis Woods. 
Jiménez, Francisco       The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant 
                         Child. 
Konigsburg, E. L.        The View from Saturday. 
Koss, Amy                The Girls. 
Martin, Ann              Here Today. 
McKay, Hilary            Indigo’s Star. 
Naylor, Phyllis R.       The Agony of Alice. 
Park, Barbara            Mick Harte Was Here. 
Voigt, Cynthia           Bad Girls. 
Warner, Sally            Dog Years. 
White, Ruth              Belle Prater's Boy. 
Yee, Lisa                Millicent Min: Girl Genius. 

Science Fiction

Asimov, Janet            Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot. 
Butts, Nancy             The Door in the Lake. 
Christopher, John        The White Mountains. 
Ciencin, Scott           Dinoverse. 
Duprau, Jeanne           The City of Ember. 
Fox, Helen               Eager. 
Haddix, Margaret         Among the Hidden. 
Key, Alexander           Escape to Witch Mountain. 
Klause, Annette          Alien Secrets. 
L'Engle, Madeleine       A Wrinkle in Time. 
Lowry, Lois              The Giver. 
Mackel, Kathy            Can of Worms. 
Nix, Garth               Shade’s Children. 
Peck, Richard            Lost in Cyberspace. 
Pfeffer, Susan           Rewind to Yesterday. 
Pinkwater, Jill          Mister Fred. 
Seidler, Tor             Brainboy and the Deathmaster. 
Skurzynski, Gloria       The Virtual War. 
Sleator, William         The Night the Heads Came. 
Waugh, Sylvia            Space Race. 
Williams, Mark           Ancient Fire. 

Short Stories

Coville, Bruce           A Glory of Unicorns. 
Dahl, Roald              The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, and Six More. 
Hearne, Betsy            The Canine Connection: Stories About Dogs and 
                         People. 
Jacques, Brian           Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales. 
Jennings, Paul           Unreal! Eight Surprising Stories. 
Kipling, Rudyard         Just So Stories. 
Maguire, Gregory         Leaping Beauty and Other Animal Fairy Tales.  
Wrede, Patricia          Book of Enchantments. 
Wynne-Jones, Tim         Some of the Kinder Planets. 
Yourgrau, Barry          Nastybook. 

Sports

Avi                      S.O.R. Losers. 
Baskin, Nora Raleigh     Basketball (Or Something Like It). 
Christopher, Matt        Nothin’ but Net. 
Cooper, Ilene            Choosing Sides. 
Fitzgerald, Dawn         Getting in the Game. 
Fogelin, Adrian          Crossing Jordan. 
Gantos, Jack             Joey Pigza Loses Control. 
Gutman, Dan              Babe and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure. 
Hicks, Betty             Busted! 
Korman, Gordon           The Zucchini Warriors. 
Mackel, Kathy            MadCat. 
Mauser, Pat              A Bundle of Sticks. 
Riddell, Ruth            Ice Warrior. 
Ritter, John             The Boy Who Saved Baseball. 
Slote, Alfred            Finding Buck McHenry. 
Telander, Rick           String Music. 
Wallace, Rich            The Roar of the Crowd. 
Zirpoli, Jane            Roots in the Outfield. 

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some choices that are a little easier...

BOOKS ON A  FOURTH GRADE  READING LEVEL:
---------------------------------------
 

Adventure & Survival

Baillie, Allan           Adrift. 
Bledsoe, Lucy            Tracks in the Snow. 
Blumberg, Rhoda          Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy. 
Christopher, Matt        Stranded. 
Fleischman, Sid          Jim Ugly. 
George, Jean             My Side of the Mountain. 
Hughes, Carol            Jack Black and the Ship of Thieves. 
Kehret, Peg              Earthquake Terror. 
Mazer, Harry             The Wild Kid. 
Myers, Edward            Hostage. 
Patneaude, David         The Last Man's Reward. 
Petersen, P.J.           White Water. 
Snicket, Lemony          The Bad Beginning. 

Animals

Auch, Mary Jane          The Latchkey Dog. 
Byars, Betsy             Wanted ... Mud Blossom. 
Carnell, Suzanne         A Treasury of Pet Stories. 
Carris, Joan             Just a Little Ham. 
Clifford, Eth            Harvey's Horrible Snake Disaster. 
Dickinson, Peter         Chuck and Danielle. 
Duffey, Betsy            Lucky on the Loose. 
Feldman, Eve B.          That Cat! 
George, Jean C.          There's an Owl in the Shower. 
Grover, Wayne            Dolphin Freedom. 
Haas, Jessie             Runaway Radish. 
Hearne, Betsy            Eliza's Dog. 
Hesse, Karen             Sable. 
Howe, James              Morgan's Zoo. 
Johansen, Hanna          A Tomcat's Tale. 
Kenah, Katharine         Eggs Over Easy. 
King-Smith, Dick         Ace, the Very Important Pig. 
King-Smith, Dick         Animal Stories. 
King-Smith, Dick         Lady Lollipop. 
Knight, Dawn             Mischief, Mad Mary, and Me. 
Manes, Stephen           The Great Gerbil Roundup. 
McKay, Hilary            Dog Friday. 
Naylor, Phyllis          Shiloh. 
Pollock, Penny           Stall Buddies. 
Rodowsky, Colby F.       Not My Dog. 
Shura, Mary              Mister Wolf and Me. 
Thomas, Jane             The Comeback Dog. 
Wallace, Bill            Watchdog and the Coyotes. 

Biography

Armstrong, Jennifer      Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: Shackleton's
                         Amazing Voyage. 
Byars, Betsy             The Moon and I. 
Cheng, Chen-Sun          A Young Painter: The Life and Paintings of Wang  
                         Yani--China's Extraordinary Young Artist. 
Coerr, Eleanor           Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. 
Dolan, Ellen             Susan Butcher and the Iditarod Trail. 
Emmerich, Elsbeth        My Childhood in Nazi Germany. 
Fleischman, Sid          The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life. 
George, Jean C.          A Tarantula in My Purse: And 172 Other Wild Pets. 
Kehret, Peg              Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. 
Mitchell, Barbara        CLICK! A Story About George Eastman. 
Paulsen, Gary            My Life in Dog Years. 
Peet, Bill               Bill Peet: An Autobiography. 
Polacco, Patricia        Betty Doll. 
Spinelli, Jerry          Knots in My Yo-Yo String: The Autobiography of a 
                         Kid. 
Stanley, Diane           Leonardo da Vinci. 
Tillage, Leon            Leon's Story. 
Uchida, Yoshiko          The Invisible Thread. 

Fantasy

Avi                      Poppy. 
Banks, Lynn Reid         The Fairy Rebel. 
Brock, Betty             No Flying in the House. 
Coatsworth, Elizabeth    Pure Magic. 
Cooper, Susan            The Boggart. 
Coville, Bruce           Into the Land of the Unicorns. 
Dillon, Barbara          A Mom by Magic. 
Evans, Douglas           Apple Island, or, the Truth About Teachers. 
Fine, Anne               Bad Dreams. 
Gray, Luli               Falcon's Egg. 
Hesse, Karen             The Music of Dolphins. 
Jocelyn, Marthe          The Invisible Harry. 
King-Smith, Dick         The School Mouse. 
Levine, Gail Carson      The Princess Test. 
Lindgren, Astrid         Pippi Longstocking. 
MacDonald, Betty         Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. 
Maguire, Gregory         Seven Spiders Spinning. 
Martin, Ann M.           The Doll People. 
Mayne, William           Hob and the Goblins. 
McGraw, Eloise           The Moorchild. 
Meddaugh, Susan          Lulu's Hat. 
Morgan, Helen            The Witch Doll. 
Napoli, Donna Jo         Soccer Shock. 
Norton, Mary             The Borrowers. 
Paterson, Katherine      The King's Equal. 
Pierce, Tamora           First Test. 
Pullman, Philip          I was a Rat! 
Seabrooke, Brenda        The Vampire in My Bathtub. 
Seidler, Tor             The Wainscott Weasel. 
Sommer-Bodenburg, Angela My Friend the Vampire. 
Venokur, Ross            The Cookie Company. 
Waugh, Sylvia            The Mennyms. 
Wells, Rosemary          Through the Hidden Door. 
Whybrow, Ian             Little Wolf's Book of Badness. 
Yolen, Jane              The Dragon's Boy. 

Funny Books

Blume, Judy              Superfudge. 
Doyle, Roddy             The Giggler Treatment. 
Erickson, John           The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog. 
Korman, Gordon           Why Did the Underwear Cross the Road? 
Manes, Stephen           Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days. 
Manes, Stephen           Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday! 
Pilkey, Dav              The Adventures of Captain Underpants. 
Pinkwater, Daniel        Fat Camp Commandos. 
Roberts, Ken             The Thumb in the Box. 
Rockwell, Thomas         How to Eat Fried Worms. 
Sachar, Louis            Sideways Stories from Wayside School. 
Venokur, Ross            The Amazing Frecktacle. 

Ghosts & Scary Stories

Carusone, Al             Don't Open the Door After the Sun Goes Down. 
Coville, Bruce           The Ghost in the Third Row. 
Dahl, Roald              The Witches. 
Gorog, Judith            In a Messy, Messy Room. 
Hague, Michael           Kate Culhane: A Ghost Story. 
Hahn, Mary Downing       Time for Andrew. 
Jacques, Brian           Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales. 
Jennings, Paul           Uncanny: Even More Surprising Stories. 
Lehr, Norma              The Shimmering Ghost of Riversend. 
Mahy, Margaret           The Horribly Haunted School. 
Martin, Ann              Ma and Pa Dracula. 
Naylor, Phyllis          Bernie and the Bessledorf Ghost. 
Pinkwater, Daniel        Attila the Pun. 
Wright, Betty            Haunted Summer. 

Historical Fiction

Anderson, Joan           Joshua's Westward Journal. 
Baylis-White, Mary       Sheltering Rebecca. 
Bradley,Kimberly Brubaker  One-of-a-Kind Mallie. 
Bruchac, Joseph          Children of the Longhouse. 
Craig, Ruth              Malu's Wolf. 
Cross, Gillian           The Great American Elephant Chase. 
Dorris, Michael          Sees Behind Trees. 
Erdrich, Louise          The Birchbark House. 
Fleischman, Paul         Bull Run. 
Giff, Patricia Reilly    Lily's Crossing. 
Harris, Carol Flynn      A Place for Joey. 
Lawlor, Laurie Addie     Across the Prairie. 
Lord, Bette              In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. 
Love, D. Anne            Dakota Spring. 
Love, D. Anne            A Year Without Rain. 
MacBride, Roger Lea      Little House on Rocky Ridge. 
Naylor, Phyllis          Maudie in the Middle. 
Nelson, Vaunda           Mayfield Crossing. 
Orlev, Uri               Lydia, Queen of Palestine. 
Propp, Vera              When the Soldiers Were Gone. 
Ransom, Candice F.       Ladies and Jellybeans. 
Stanley, Diane           Elena. 
Wallace, Barbara Brooks  The Twin in the Tavern. 

In Other Lands

Ada, Alma Flor           Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba. 
Ellis, Deborah           The Breadwinner. 
Huynh, Quang Nhuong      The Land I Lost. 
Lee, Marie G.            Night of the Chupacabras. 
Lester, Alison           Quicksand Pony. 
Morgenstern, Susie       Secret Letters from 0 to 10. 
Pullman, Philip          The Firework-Maker's Daughter. 
Schaeffer, Edith         Mei Fuh: Memories from China. 

Mystery
 
Clifford, Eth            Harvey's Marvelous Monkey Mystery. 
Corbett, Scott           The Trouble with Diamonds. 
Giff, Patricia Reilly    Kidnap at the Catfish Café. 
Gilson, Jamie            Soccer Circus. 
Hall, Lynn               The Mystery of the Caramel Cat. 
Hughes, Dean             Nutty and the Case of the Ski-Slope Spy. 
Naylor, Phyllis          The Bodies in the Bessledorf Hotel. 
Osborne, Mary            Pope Spider Kane and the Mystery Under the May-
                         Apple. 
Pfeffer, Susan Beth      The Pizza Puzzle. 
Sobol, Donald            Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Treasure 
                         Hunt. 
Stevenson, Drew          Terror on Cemetery Hill. 
Vigor, John              Danger, Dolphins, and Ginger Beer. 
Woodruff, Elvira         The Ghost of Lizard Light. 

School, Friends, & Family

Bulla, Clyde             Shoeshine Girl. 
Cleary, Beverly          Dear Mr. Henshaw. 
Clements, Andrew         The School Story. 
Clifford, Eth            The Remembering Box. 
Creech, Sharon           Love That Dog. 
DeClements, Barthe       The Fourth Grade Wizards. 
DiCamillo, Kate          Because of Winn-Dixie. 
Feiffer, Jules           The Man in the Ceiling. 
Fenner, Carol            Randall's Wall. 
Ferguson, Alane          Cricket and the Crackerbox Kid. 
Fine, Anne               Step by Wicked Step. 
Freeman, Martha          Fourth Grade Weirdo. 
Gantos, Jack             Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. 
Gardiner, John           General Butterfingers. 
Giff, Patricia           Fourth-Grade Celebrity. 
Gilson, Jamie            Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub. 
Graves, Bonnie B.        Taking Care of Trouble. 
Hill, Kirkpatrick        The Year of Miss Agnes. 
Hines, Anna              Cassie Bowen Takes Witch Lessons. 
Honeycutt, Natalie       The Best-Laid Plans of Jonah Twist. 
Hurwitz, Johanna         The Cold and Hot Winter. 
Lisle, Janet             The Lost Flower Children. 
Lowry, Lois              All About Sam. 
Martin, Ann              Me and Katie (the Pest). 
McDonald, Joyce          Mail-Order Kid. 
McDonald, Megan          Judy Moody. 
McHugh, Elisabet         Karen's Sister. 
Mead, Alice              Junebug. 
Miles, Betty             The Secret Life of the Underwear Champ. 
Naylor, Phyllis          Reynolds Boys Against Girls. 
Park, Barbara            Mick Harte was Here. 
Patron, Susan            Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe. 
Peck, Robert             Soup. 
Sachs, Marilyn           The Four Ugly Cats in Apartment 3D. 
Shreve, Susan            The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates. 
Smith, Roberts           The War with Grandpa. 
Soto, Gary               The Skirt. 
Spinelli, Eileen         Lizzie Logan Wears Purple Sunglasses. 
Spinelli, Jerry          Fourth Grade Rats. 
Spurr, Elizabeth         Mamá's Birthday Surprise. 
Stowe, Cynthia           Not-So-Normal Norman. 
Vail, Rachel             Daring to be Abigail! 
Walter, Mildred Pitts    Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World. 
Warner, Sally            Dog Years. 
Williams, Vera           Scooter. 
Willner-Pardo, Gina      Jumping Into Nothing. 

Science Fiction

Asimov, Isaac            The Heavenly Host. 
Becker, Bonny            My Brother, the Robot. 
Byars, Betsy             The Computer Nut. 
Cameron, Eleanor         The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet. 
Coville, Bruce           My Teacher is an Alien. 
Gardiner, John           Top Secret. 
Gauthier, Gail           My Life Among the Aliens. 
Greer, Gery              Max and Me and the Time Machine. 
Hoover, H. M.            Only Child. 
Mackel, Kathy            Can of Worms. 
Manes, Stephen           That Game from Outer Space. 
Pinkwater, Daniel        Slaves of Spiegel. 
Service, Pamela          Stinker from Space. 
Slote, Alfred            C.O.L.A.R.: A Tale of Outer Space. 

Sports

Bowen, Fred              Winners Take All. 
Christopher, Matt        The Fox Steals Home. 
Giff, Patricia           Left-Handed Shortstop. 
Glenn, Mel               Play-by-Play. 
Gutman, Dan              The Million Dollar Shot. 
Hughes, Dean             Now We're Talking. 
Hurwitz, Johanna         Baseball Fever. 
Jackson, Alison          My Brother the Star. 
Korman, Gordon           The Toilet Paper Tigers. 
Park, Barbara            Skinnybones. 
Schnur, Steven           The Koufax Dilemma. 
Slote, Alfred            The Trading Game. 
Stout, Glenn             On the Halfpipe with...Tony Hawk. 
Van Leeuwen, Jean        Benjy the Football Hero. 
Wallace, Barbara Brooks  Hawkins and the Soccer Solution.

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AND, if you're looking for a challenge....



BOOKS ON A SIXTH GRADE LEVEL:
----------------------------


Adventure & Survival

Arkin, Anthony           Captain Hawaii. 
Avi                      Beyond the Western Sea. 
Blackwood, Gary          Wild Timothy. 
Carter, Alden            Between a Rock and a Hard Place. 
Cooney, Caroline         Flash Fire. 
Cottonwood, Joe          Quake! 
Creech, Sharon           Ruby Holler. 
Dekkers, Midas           Arctic Adventure. 
French, Michael          Pursuit. 
George, Jean             Julie of the Wolves. 
Harrison, Michael        It's My Life. 
Hobbs, Will              Downriver. 
Horowitz, Anthony        Point Blank. 
Korman, Gordon           Shipwreck. 
Levin, Betty             Fire in the Wind. 
Myers, Edward            Climb or Die. 
O'Dell, Scott            Island of the Blue Dolphins. 
Paulsen, Gary            Brian's Winter. 
Petersen, P.J.           White Water. 
Smith, Roland            Zach's Lie. 
Southall, Ivan           Ash Road. 
Stevenson, Robert        Treasure Island. 
Thesman, Jean            When the Road Ends. 
Ullman, James            Banner in the Sky. 
Voigt, Cynthia           Homecoming. 

Animal Stories

Blatchford, Claire       Nick's Secret. 
Campbell, Eric           Papa Tembo. 
Corbin, William          A Dog Worth Stealing. 
Gipson, Fred             Old Yeller. 
Hall, Lynn               Danger Dog. 
Kehret, Peg              Cages. 
Kelleher, Victor         Rescue! 
Kipling, Rudyard         The Jungle Book. 
Mikaelsen, Ben           Rescue Josh McGuire. 
Morey, Walt              Gentle Ben. 
Mowat, Farley            Never Cry Wolf. 
Peyton, K.M.             Blind Beauty. 
Platt, Chris             Willow King. 
Rawls, Wilson            Where the Red Fern Grows. 
Wallace, Bill            Red Dog. 
Westall, Robert          Blitzcat. 

Biography

Aldrich, Dale            The Belly Gunner. 
Armstrong, Jennifer      Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World:  Shackleton's 
                         Amazing Voyage. 
Buchignani, Walter       Tell No One Who You Are: The Hidden Childhood of 
                         Regine Miller. 
Drimmer, Frederick       The Elephant Man. 
Fradin, Dennis           My Family Shall Be Free! The Life of Peter Still. 
Freedman, Russell        The Life and Death of Crazy Horse. 
Gilbreth, Frank          Cheaper by the Dozen. 
Lauber, Patricia         Lost Star, the Story of Amelia Earhart. 
Lawlor, Laurie           Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit. 
Lu, Chi Fa               Double Luck: Memoirs of a Chinese Orphan. 
Myers, Walter Dean       Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary. 
Partridge, Elizabeth     This Land was Made for You and Me: The Life and 
                         Songs of Woody Guthrie. 
Paulsen, Gary            Woodsong. 
Robinson, Sharon         Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By: 
                         Courage, Determination, Teamwork, Persistence, 
                         Integrity, Citizenship, Justice, Commitment, 
                         Excellence. 

Severance, John          Gandhi, Great Soul. 
Spinelli, Jerry          Knots in My Yo-yo String: The Autobiography of a 
                         Kid. 
Stine, R.L.              It Came from Ohio! My Life as a Writer. 
Ungerer, Tomi            Tomi: A Childhood Under the Nazis. 
Warren, Andrea           Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps. 

Fantasy

Barron, T. A.            The Lost Years of Merlin. 
Colfer, Eoin             Artemis Fowl. 
Crossley-Holland, Kevin  The Seeing Stone. 
Hanley, Victoria         The Seer and the Sword. 
Jacques, Brian           Mossflower. 
Jones, Diana Wynne       Dark Lord of Derkholm. 
Kindl, Patrice           Owl in Love. 
Lally, Soinbhe           A Hive for the Honeybee. 
Lee, Tanith              Wolf Tower. 
Levine, Gail Carson      Ella Enchanted. 
McCaffrey, Anne          Dragonsong. 
McDonald, Janet          Spellbound. 
McKinley, Robin          The Hero and the Crown. 
Murphy, Shirley          Nightpool. 
Napoli, Donna            Jo Zel. 
Naylor,Phyllis Reynolds  Sang Spell. 
Peck, Richard            The Ghost Belonged to Me. 
Pierce, Tamora           Wild Magic. 
Pratchett, Terry         The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. 
Pullman, Philip          The Golden Compass. 
Turner, Megan            The Thief. 
Voigt, Cynthia           On Fortune's Wheel. 
Wrede, Patricia          Dealing with Dragons. 
Yolen, Jane              Boots and the Seven Leaguers: A Rock-and-Troll 
                         Novel. 

Historical Fiction

Barrett, Tracy           Anna of Byzantium. 
Cadnum, Michael          Raven of the Waves. 
Clements, Bruce          I Tell a Lie Every So Often. 
Collier, James           Chipper. 
Cross, Gillian           The Great American Elephant Chase. 
Cushman, Karen           Catherine, Called Birdy. 
DeFelice, Cynthia        The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker. 
Dillon, Eilis            Children of Bach. 
Elliott, Laura           Under a War-Torn Sky. 
Fleischman, Paul         Saturnalia. 
Fox, Paula               The Slave Dancer. 
Hahn, Mary Downing       Stepping on the Cracks. 
Hesse, Karen             Stowaway. 
Hunter, Mollie           The King's Swift Rider: A Novel on Robert the 
                         Bruce. 
Lewin, Waldtraut         Freedom Beyond the Sea. 
Lyon, George             Ella Borrowed Children. 
Lyons, Mary E.           Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet 
                         Jacobs. 
Matas, Carol             Lisa's War. 
McCaughrean, Geraldine   The Pirate's Son. 
Napoli, Donna Jo         Stones in Water. 
Orlev, Uri               Lydia, Queen of Palestine. 
Park, Linda Sue          When My Name was Keoko. 
Ray, Karen               To Cross a Line. 
Rinaldi, Ann             In My Father's House. 
Rostkowski, Margaret     After the Dancing Days. 
Speare, Elizabeth        The Witch of Blackbird Pond. 
Talbert, Marc            Heart of a Jaguar. 
Taylor, Mildred          Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. 
Wilson, Diane            I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade. 
Yep, Laurence            Dragonwings. 

Humor

Avi                      Romeo and Juliet -- Together (and Alive!) at Last. 
Conford, Ellen           A Royal Pain. 
Danziger, Paula          Make Like a Tree and Leave. 
Gleitzman, Morris        Misery Guts. 
Howe, Norma              The Adventures of Blue Avenger. 
Korman, Gordon           No More Dead Dogs. 
Lowry, Lois              Anastasia at this Address. 
Mowat, Farley            Owls in the Family. 
Olsson, Soren            In Ned's Head. 
Peck, Richard            A Long Way from Chicago. 
Pinkwater, Jill          Buffalo Brenda. 
Strasser, Todd           How I Spent My Last Night on Earth. 
Taylor, William          Agnes the Sheep. 

In Other Lands

Ellis, Deborah           The Breadwinner. 
Gilmore, Rachna          A Group of One. 
Laird, Elizabeth         Kiss the Dust. 
Levitin, Sonia           Dream Freedom. 
Mikaelsen, Ben           Countdown. 
Moeri, Louise            The Forty-Third War. 
Mosher, Richard          Zazoo. 
Naidoo, Beverley         The Other Side of Truth. 
Nye, Naomi Shihab        Habibi. 
Quintana, Anton          The Baboon King. 
Staples, Suzanne         Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind. 
Whelan, Gloria           Goodbye, Vietnam. 
Yumoto, Kazumi           The Friends. 

Misfits & Outcasts

Anderson, Rachel         The Bus People. 
Brown, Susan             You're Dead, David Borelli. 
Cole, Brock              The Goats. 
Coleman, Michael         Weirdo's War. 
Koss, Amy                The Girls. 
Lubar, David             Hidden Talents. 
Mikaelsen, Ben           Petey. 
Philbrick, W. R.         Freak the Mighty. 
Sebestyen, Ouida         Out of Nowhere. 
Thesman, Jean            When the Road Ends. 
Vail, Rachel             Wonder. 
Woods, Ron               The Hero. 

Mysteries & Thrillers

Avi                      Something Upstairs. 
Apone, Claudio           My Grandfather Jack the Ripper. 
Bellairs, John           The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb. 
Cooney, Caroline         The Terrorist. 
Cray, Jordan             Most Wanted. 
Cross, Gillian           On the Edge. 
Dahl, Michael            The Horizontal Man: A Finnegan Zwake Mystery.  
Duncan, Lois             Don't Look Behind You. 
Ehrlich, Amy             Where it Stops, Nobody Knows. 
Garfield, Leon           Smith. 
Glenn, Mel               Foreign Exchange: A Mystery in Poems. 
Griffin, Adele           The Other Shepards. 
Hahn, Mary               The Dead Man in Indian Creek. 
Hilgartner, Beth         A Murder for Her Majesty. 
Hoeye, Michael           Time Stops for No Mouse. 
Hoobler, Dorothy         The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn. 
Johnson, Rodney          The Secret of Dead Man's Mine: A Rinnah Two 
                         Feathers Mystery. 
Lawrence, Caroline       The Thieves of Ostia: A Roman Mystery. 
Nickerson, Sara          How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found. 
Nixon, Joan              The Other Side of Dark. 
Qualey, Marsha           Thin Ice. 
Roberts, Willo           The View from the Cherry Tree. 
Shusterman, Neal         The Shadow Club. 
Vande Velde, Vivian      Never Trust a Dead Man. 
Westall, Robert          Ghost Abbey. 
Wynne-Jones, Tim         The Boy in the Burning House. 
Yep, Laurence            The Case of the Lion Dance. 

School, Friends & Family

Alcock, Vivien           A Kind of Thief. 
Baskin, Nora Raleigh     What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows. 
Bloor, Edward            Tangerine. 
Blume, Judy              Just as Long as We're Together. 
Bradley, Kimberly        Halfway to the Sky. 
Bunting, Eve             Blackwater. 
Cappo, Nan Willard       Cheating Lessons. 
Couloumbis, Audrey       Say Yes.  
Fleischman, Paul         Seek. 
Gantos, Jack             Jack's Black Book. 
Goldman, E. M.           Money to Burn. 
Gray, Dianne             Holding Up the Earth. 
Hopper, Nancy J.         What Happened in Mr. Fisher's Room. 
James, Mary              Frankenlouse. 
Kehret, Peg              I'm Not Who You Think I Am. 
Mazer, Norma Fox         Girlhearts. 
Myers, Walter Dean       Scorpions. 
Naylor, Phyllis          Reluctantly Alice. 
Paterson, Katherine      Bridge to Terabithia. 
Peters, Julie Anne       Define "Normal." 
Pevsner, Stella          Sister of the Quints. 
Pfeffer, Susan           The Year Without Michael. 
Sachar, Louis            Holes. 
Saldana, Rene            The Jumping Tree. 
Salisbury, Graham        Lord of the Deep. 
Sebestyen, Ouida         Out of Nowhere. 
Tashjian, Janet          Multiple Choice. 
Townsend, Sue            The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4. 
Trueman, Terry           Stuck in Neutral. 
Vail, Rachel             Daring to be Abigail. 
Van Draanen, Wendelin    Flipped. 
Williams, Lori Aurelia   When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune. 
Wood, June Rae           The Man Who Loved Clowns. 
Woodson, Jacqueline      I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This. 

Science Fiction

Butts, Nancy             The Door in the Lake. 
Card, Orson Scott        Ender's Game. 
Clements, Andrew         Things Not Seen. 
Farmer, Nancy            The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. 
Gilmore, Kate            The Exchange Student. 
Hautman, Pete            Hole in the Sky. 
Hoover, H.M.             The Winds of Mars. 
Hughes, Monica           Invitation to the Game. 
Klause, Annette          Alien Secrets. 
Lowry, Lois              Gathering Blue. 
Mackel, Kathy            Eggs in One Basket. 
Nelson, O. T.            The Girl Who Owned a City. 
Nix, Garth               Shade's Children. 
O'Brien, Robert          Z for Zachariah. 
Peck, Richard            The Great Interactive Dream Machine. 
Philbrick, W. R.         The Last Book in the Universe. 
Riding, Julia            Space Traders Unlimited. 
Rubinstein, Gillian      Galax-arena. 
Sheffield, Charles       The Billion Dollar Boy. 
Sleator, William         House of Stairs. 
Tolan, Stephanie         Welcome to the Ark. 
Ure, Jean                Plague. 
Weaver, Will             Memory Boy. 

Short Stories
 
Gordon, Ruth             It Takes a Dog to Raise a Village: True Stories of 
                         Remarkable Canine Vagabonds. 
Murphy, Jim              Night Terrors. 
Poe, Edgar Allan         Tales of Terror.  
Stine, R. L.             The Haunting Hour: Chills in the Dead of Night. 
Vande Velde, Vivian      Curses, Inc. and Other Stories. 

Sports

Adler, C. S.              Winning. 
Avi                       S.O.R. Losers. 
Crutcher, Chris           Ironman. 
Deuker, Carl              On the Devil's Court. 
Dygard, Thomas            Backfield Package. 
Glenn, Mel                Play-by-Play. 
Ritter, John              Over the Wall. 
Russo, Marisabina         House of Sports. 
Spinelli, Jerry           There's a Girl in My Hammerlock. 
Wunderli, Stephen         The Heartbeat of Halftime.

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