This post is in honor of one of the girls that I mentor. She wanted to know what I recommended for her to read. She loves The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and some other fantasy-style books. This list is skewed toward that kind of book, because that seems to be her favorite genre. I have created a few other lists with some other styles of books, for middle schoolers, for girls, and for boys.
So, without further ado, a non-comprehensive list of great books for 5th graders:
Artemis Fowl
What do you do if you are a genius, millionaire teen who has absent parents? Become a criminal of course. This is one of my favorite modern fantasy series.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Why are these smart kids called together? What is the purpose of the society, and how can intelligence save the world? Children who are intimidated by longer stories may not want to read this series at first, but the story is very engaging and should hold the interest of any kid who sticks with it!
The Chronicles of Narnia
If your children like adventure and fantasy, then they will love this classic series. The Chronicles of Narnia has something about it that appeals to children of all ages.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
One unfortunate event after another afflict this poor family. I love how it ends. Plus, it builds vocabulary!
The Chronicles of Prydain
Classic children’s fantasy at its finest. This series was first published in 1964 and has all of the hallmarks of classic fantasy and adventure from pig-keeper to adventurer.
The Inkheart Trilogy
Another good modern fantasy series. Maggie is a girl who can bring stories to life just by reading them out loud. But when some bad characters are brought to life, the talent becomes a curse. Some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
What happens to all those rats they experiment on in labs? A possible story for what would happen if super-intelligent rats escaped and started their own society.
Books of Ember
An interesting series about an underground society. What will happen when they run out of electricity?
The Underland Chronicles
Another story based on an underground world. This universe is full of giant bats, rats, roaches, mice, and other creatures. Rather violent, in some spots.
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Children discover they live in a house with fairies, sprites, goblins, and all manner of fantastic creatures. A little on the young side, but I enjoyed it as an adult as well.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Humorous fantasy at it’s best. This series follows the adventures of a girl named Sophie and a manic depressive wizard and a fire demon. Mostly in its own universe, but does have a tiny amount of crossover to real life.
The Redwall Series
Formulated fantasy stories about animals living in a monastery. Love the imagery in this series. The books are even better on CD with the author reading it. You won’t be able to read it without getting inspired to cook.
The Silverwing Trilogy
This series follows the adventures of a bat family as they fight in an epic battle against bats and have to face the challenges of migrating from one end of the country to the other. The coolest thing about this series is that there is no mention of color.
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The Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo!