5th Grade Book Suggestions 2015

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The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jenni-fer Holm Ellie's scientist grandfather has discovered a way to reverse aging, and consequently has turned into a teenager--which makes for compli-cated relationships when he moves in with Ellie and her mother, his daughter.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacque-line Woodson The author tells the story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, she always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 60s and 70s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing aware-ness of the Civil Rights movement.

Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington "Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy of Texas wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fiction, she'd know how to solve her prob-lems at school; take care of her family when her dad has to spend time in the hospital; and deal with her family's secret: that her mother is agoraphobic and never leaves the house"-

Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler Warriors meets Redwall in this epic animal adventure set in the subway of Brooklyn. Hopper is just an ordinary pet shop mouse before he escapes. Soon he finds himself below the bustling streets of Brooklyn, deep within the untamed tangles of transit tunnels, and in Atlantia, a glorious utopian rat civilization. Soon, he is caught in the crosshairs of a battle that crosses generations and species. As the clashes rage, he learns terrible se-crets: Deadly secrets about Atlantia. Painful secrets about his friends, and one powerful secret about his destiny...

Rain Reign by Ann Martin Struggling with Asperger's, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes missing during a storm, Rose is forced to confront the limits of her comfort levels, even if it means leaving her routines in order to search for her pet.

Greenglass House by Kate Milford At Greenglass House, a smuggler's inn, twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his winter holidays relaxing but soon guests are arriving with strange stories about the house sending Milo and Meddy, the cook's daughter, on an adventure.

El Deafo by Cece Bell The author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing loss at a young age, includ-ing using a bulky hearing aid, learning how to lip read, and determining her "superpower."

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy Relates the adventures of a family with two fathers, four adopted boys, and a variety of pets as they make their way through a school year, Kindergarten through sixth grade, and deal with a grumpy new neighbor.

Lucky Strike by Bobbie Pyron Nathaniel Harlow lives with his grandfather in a trailer park in Frank-lin County, Florida, and he has always been unlucky--but when he is struck by lightning on his eleventh birthday and survives, it seems like his luck starts to change.

Children’s Book of Magic by Anne Hildyard Traces the history of magic from its origins in Ancient Egypt through the perform-ances of today, sharing step-by-step instructions for how to learn twenty tricks in such areas as transformation, levitation, and prediction.

Animal Stories: Heartwarm-ing True Tales from the Animal Kingdom by Jane Yolen Presents a collection of true animal stories from different historical periods, including the tales of Balto the Alaskan sled dog, Smoky the Bear, and Internet sensation Christian the lion.

Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill Tells the story of the shipwreck of the Endurance in a sea of ice en route to Antarctica, and the survival of all 28 members of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Sea Turtle Scientist by Stephen Swinburne Explores the leatherback sea turtle's natural history and recounts the efforts being made by scientists

The Robot Book by Bobby Mercer "The 20 easy-to-build robots in this project book can be constructed for little or not cost using common house-hold objects and repurposed materials."

The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford

"Imagines an alternate 1826 London, where Ada Lovelace (the world's first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet as girls and form a secret detective agency.

westportlibrary.org/kids (203) 291-4810

FICTION Hero by Mike Lupica Liar, Liar: the theory, practice, and destructive properties of deception by Gary Paulsen The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart Heart of a Samurai: based on the true story of Nakahama Manjiro by Margi Preus The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt Wild Wings by Gill Lewis The Thing about Georgie a novel by Lisa Graff With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo Wonder by R. J. Palacio Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos Junonia by Kevin Henkes The Other Felix by Keir Graff Middle School, the worst years of my life by James Patterson Explorer: the mystery boxes by Kazu Kibuishi Troubletwisters by Garth Nix Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms: magic, mystery & a very strange adventure by Lissa Evans Eep! by Joke van Leewen The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani Homesick by Kate Klise Gingersnap by Patricia Reilly Giff The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck by Emily Fairlie Pickle: the (formerly) anonymous prank club of Fountain Point Middle School by Kim Baker The Universe of Fair by Leslie Bulion Cake: love, chickens, and a taste of peculiar by Joyce Magnin On the Road to Mr. Mineo’s by Barbara O’Connor Legends of Zita The Space Girl by Ben Hatke The Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas About Average by Andrew Clements The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng NON-FICTION Meadowlands: a wetlands survival story by Thomas F. Yezerski Greek Myths by Ann Turnbull The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg Can I See Your I.D.? by Chris Barton Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan Lincoln’s Flying Spies by Gail Jarrow How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg The Giant and how he humbugged America by Jim Murphy Hope and Tears: Ellis Island Voices by Gwenyth Swain Miss Etta and Dr. Claribel: Bringing Matisse to America by Susan Fillon Baby Mammoth Mummy Frozen in Time by Christopher Sloan The Worst-Case Scenario Survive-o-pedia by David Borgenicht For the Birds: The life of Roger Tory Peterson by Peggy Thomas

www.westportlibrary.org/kids (203) 291-4810

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