by Lynn Murphy

Created on: May 31, 2008

Fifth grade readers tend toward eclectic tastes in their choice of books. They are too old for cute little books about trains and puppies, yet some are not quite on the reading level of Harry Potter( or simply don't want to tackle the 800 page tomes!). Having recently had a fifth grader in my house, I have found some good books, which the reader himself assures me are as good as I thought they were.

By far the most beloved books in this age group were the Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III books by Cressida Cowell. We first met Hiccup-a brave and clever Viking - in "How To Be A Pirate." Written in Hiccup's voice (Cowell is listed as the translator from the old Norse), it appeals to the silly side of the fifth grader,yet still tells a great adventure. There is a series of four books so far, with memorable characters including Snotlout, Fishlegs, Clueless,Dogsbreath the Duhbrain and Tootless the Dragon.
Another popular book sure to be a hit with this age group is the Boys or Girls Book of How to Be the Best at Everything.This witty and informative book teaches the readers such tricks as how to make a water bomb, read your freinds' minds, escape quicksand and speed read. For those who have not the inclination to sit down for a long read, these books are a great choice as they teach something fun and interesting and still require reading to find out the secret.
Another recommendation for this age group is "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas", which is a very moving book about The Holocaust, written in fable format. It is not graphic in anyway and should be read by parents too, as it will most likely bring on some questions as to what it is really about. It is told through the eyes of Bruno, a nine year old boy whose father is the commandant as Auschwitz (or "Outwith" as Bruno hears it) who meets a young inmate on the other side of the barbed wire fence. The two boys begin to meet and become friends. This is a great book about tolerance and would be a great read for families.
So far as classics go, some favorites in our house were The Hobbit, The Adventures of Dr. Doolittle, Tom Sawyer, and The Little Prince. A surprise hit with my older son at this age was Richard Bach's "Jonathon Livingston Seagull."
The best tip about fifth grade reading is to let the fifth grader discover what he or she likes to read. Visit the book store together or go to the library. Suggest the books you grew up with, but also encourage the child to choose books he or she is interested in. A child who is into sports would like Matt Christopher's sports series, for example. A child who likes history might enjoy the journal series written for this age group, which includes fictionalized journals that might have been written by people such as a boy in The Alamo or The Civil War, or the Grand Duchess Anastasia.
Reading is an adventure, after all, and the only way to get started on that journey is to start reading. Fifth grade is the perfect time to instill a love of books.

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