This summer reading list for our grades 4 and 5 students has something for everyone, even our most reluctant readers. From adventures, to graphic novels, to high drama, and even a few fun non-fiction books, kids will want to read their summer away.  Stock up on a few titles before the kiddos head out for trips and camp and keep the literacy-train chugging along all summer.

Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol

Be careful what you wish for…

After everything they’ve been through, Oliver and his mom finally have a place to call home. But Oliver’s fresh start feels more like a dead-end at his fancy new private school, where kids fly in on helicopters, wear the latest and most expensive sneakers, and go on luxury vacations. Oliver is only there because his mom’s the school custodian.

Oliver wishes his life could be easier. And then one day, after slipping a wish into a mysterious mail slot, it suddenly comes true. Pizza for dinner? Yes! The rarest sneakers in the world? Yes! Everything he could ever want, without spending a cent? Yes, yes, yes!

Oliver’s dreams are finally within his grasp… but what happens when he discovers that his wishes don’t come for free?

 

I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshis

One of the strangest disasters in U.S. history is brought to vivid life in this graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis’s bestselling I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Karen De La Vega.

It’s been four years since Carmen and Papa moved from Italy to Boston. Life here is exciting, but not always easy. And then there’s the massive metal tank that rises up over their crowded North End neighborhood. The ugly tank, filled with sticky brown molasses, has always leaked. But nobody imagined that it could one day explode apart, sending a tsunami of molasses into the streets.

Caught in the flood, Carmen must fight for her life — the life that she and Papa built together in America. But where will she find the strength?

Lauren Tarshis’s New York Times bestselling I Survived series comes to vivid life in graphic novel editions. Perfect for readers who prefer the graphic novel format, or for existing fans of the I Survived chapter book series, these graphic novels combine historical facts with high-action storytelling that’s sure to keep any reader turning the pages. Includes a nonfiction section at the back with facts and photos about the real-life event.

A Wolf Called Fire by Rosanne Parry

The stand-alone companion to Rosanne Parry’s New York Times bestseller A Wolf Called Wander tells the story of a wolf named Warm. Warm is not the strongest or biggest in his pack, but when he needs it most, he finds within himself the heart of a true leader. This Voice of the Wilderness Novel is an animal survival story illustrated in black and white throughout. Features educational back matter, including a map.

Warm is the smallest pup, the one his father calls the heart of the pack. But all Warm sees is his bigger brothers Sharp and Swift, even his sisters Pounce and Wag, winning all the wrestling matches. Warm finds his place in the pack helping take care of the young pups, a role he is assured is important, but doesn’t always feel like it is.

When enemy wolves attack, the pack is forced to defend themselves. Instead of joining the fight, Warm leads the pups away to safety, only to find himself alone on the mountain with four helpless pups. His pack has scattered. The pups are his responsibility now. Fearful and uncertain, Warm and the pups climb higher and higher into the mountains. Their journey is grueling, lonely, and full of danger, and they face hunger, storms, fire, and enemy wolves nipping at their heels. Will Warm have the courage to be the leader his pack needs when the fiercest enemy of all comes to challenge him? Will Warm and the pups ever find a place to call home?

A Wolf Called Fire is a stand-alone companion novel to A Wolf Called Wander. The story is inspired by Wolf 8, a real Yellowstone wolf who was the smallest of his pack and was constantly bullied by his bigger brothers. Wolf 8 survived a tumultuous first year and grew up to be a different sort of leader—one who fought many rival wolves to submission but never killed any. He became the patriarch of the largest wolf pack in Yellowstone, not by being the biggest or strongest, but by choosing to be collaborative and generous. Features black-and-white illustrations throughout and extensive back matter, including a map.

Rosanne Parry’s stand-alone Voice of the Wilderness novels include A Wolf Called Wander, A Whale of the Wild, A Horse Named Sky, and A Wolf Called Fire.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

Everyone tells Sophie that she was orphaned in a shipwreck – found floating in a cello case on the English Channel on her first birthday. But Sophie is convinced her mother also survived.

When the Welfare Agency threatens to separate her from her guardian and send her to an orphanage, Sophie takes matters into her own hands, starting with the only clue she has – the address of a cello-maker in Paris. On the run from the authorities, Sophie finds Matteo and his network of rooftoppers – urchins who walk tightropes and live in the sky. In a race across the rooftops of Paris, will they be able to find her mother before it’s too late?

Hopeful, inspiring and thrilling in equal measure, this is a classic adventure story about pursuing your dreams and never ignoring a possible.

The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

Twelve-year-old Modesty “Mo” Seto dreams of being a Taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he’s been lately.

When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo’s dad disappears—and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy.

The book contains information on Xiaoxi Fu, a secret dance-like martial art developed by Mo’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with these secret moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy in being small.

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

Demigods Nico di Angelo and Will Solace must endure the terrors of Tartarus to rescue an old friend in this thrilling adventure co-written by New York Times #1 best-selling authors Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro.

Percy Jackson fans, rejoice! Nico and Will have a book of their own!

A Kirkus Reviews’ Best Middle Grade Book of 2023

As the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo has been through so much, from the premature deaths of his mother and sister, to being outed against his will, to losing his friend Jason during the trials of Apollo. But there is a ray of sunshine in his life—literally: his boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo. Together the two demigods can overcome any obstacle or foe. At least, that’s been the case so far…

Now Nico is being plagued by a voice calling out to him from Tartarus, the lowest part of the Underworld. He thinks he knows who it is: a reformed Titan named Bob whom Percy and Annabeth had to leave behind when they escaped Hades’s realm. Nico’s dreams and Rachel Dare’s latest prophecy leave little doubt in Nico’s mind that Bob is in some kind of trouble. Nico has to go on this quest, whether Mr. D and Chiron like it or not. And of course Will insists on coming with. But can a being made of light survive in the darkest part of the world? and what does the prophecy mean that Nico will have to “leave something of equal value behind?”

Nico will have to face demons both internal and external as his relationship with Will is tested to the core in this standalone adventure featuring two of the most popular characters in the Percy Jackson saga.

Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith

Set sail for adventure! Dive in to this hilarious and moving middle grade graphic memoir about friendship, growing up, and life at sea.

Janey’s family is about to set sail for the adventure of a lifetime! The only problem? Janey must leave her school, her life, her best friend, the entire country behind for new adventures — coral reefs, colorful markets, and new cultures. Life at sea is exhilarating, but there’s a major downside: when you’re raising anchor every few days with sights on a new harbor, it’s almost impossible to make new friends.

Finally, Janey meets the cool and aloof Astrid — a fellow boat kid who’s equally starved for friendship. But Astrid can be a challenging friend to navigate, and beyond that, hurricane season has only just begun . . . .

At turns laugh-out-loud hilarious and heartbreakingly poignant, this stunning middle grade graphic memoir charts both the turbulence and joys of growing up.

Tyger by SF Said

In this thrilling fantasy, two kids and a mystical tyger must save a divided world on the brink of destruction. A thought-provoking alternate history adventure with the epic sweep and imaginative wonder of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series.

2023 British Book Awards Children’s Fiction Book of the Year

There are three doors that I may show you. You will find a different kind of power behind each one…

Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump in London. A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A tyger. And the tyger is in danger.

Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn’t just the tyger’s life at stake. Their whole world is on the verge of destruction. Can they learn to use their powers before it’s too late?

With stunning black-and-white illustrations from award-winning illustrator Dave McKean, this compelling and thoughtful story is set in an alternate world where the British Empire still exists.

Uprooted by Ruth Chan

Perfect for fans of New Kid and A First Time for Everything, a joyful and tearful debut middle grade graphic memoir about one girl being uprooted when she moves to Hong Kong, a place where her family fits in but, for her, it’s nothing like home.

Ruth Chan loves her hometown in Toronto, hanging out with her best friends for life, and snacking on ketchup flavored potato chips, which are the best. What Ruth doesn’t love is having to move to Hong Kong after her dad gets a new job there.

Her mom is excited to reunite with her family, but it’s not the same for Ruth. In Hong Kong, her classes are harder, her Cantonese isn’t good enough, and her parents are never around. Ruth feels lonely and completely uprooted.

But as Ruth’s dad tells stories about her family, about how they relied on their strength, courage, and each other to survive the most difficult times, Ruth realizes that she too can be strong. Gradually, she puts down roots, knowing that home will always be where her heart is.

Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien

A vibrant, evocative and magical debut which centres a positive, empowered disabled character at the heart of a reimagining ofLittle Red Riding Hood.

The woods are hiding a secret… but then so is Red…

Red is not allowed to go into the woods. Everyone knows that they are dangerous – because of their strange magic and the wolves that lurk there… But Red finds herself increasingly drawn to the woods and the place where her grandmother disappeared without a trace three years ago. When the woodcutter fails to return home one night and wolves are spotted close to the village boundary, fear drives a deep and dangerous divide between the villagers and the nature they live alongside.

Only Red seems to hold the key – but she has a secret, and exposing it could ruin her family forever …

Tig by Heather Smith

A new, heartwarming middle-grade story from the critically acclaimed author Heather Smith featuring Tig, a young girl struggling to find peace within herself and in her new family. For fans of Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

After months of living without electricity or parents, Tig and Peter are forced to move in with their Uncle Scott and his partner, Manny. The transition from down-and-out to picture-perfect isn’t easy, especially in pristine Wensleydale with the idyllic couple and their beautiful home.

Tig, with Peter’s support, decides to make their new life messy, starting with daily arguments and her plans to become a competitive cheese racer. She’ll run circles around her new guardians, outrun a wheel of cheese, and leave the past buried in her dust.

But things don’t always go as planned, and Tig must decide what to truly leave behind in order to move forward.

The Mystery of the Haunted Dance Hall by Charis Cotter

Set in the ’60s at a summer camp, The Mystery of the Haunted Dance Hall is a spooky, atmospheric middle-grade story for fans of classic ghost stories, unlikely friendships and intriguing mysteries.

Bee’s mom has a job in New York City for the summer, so Bee is being sent to summer camp. She’s not excited about it. Being around other people is hard for her, plus she knows nothing about campfires, she’s not a good swimmer and she’s never even been in a canoe.

When she first arrives, things go pretty much as she expected. The other girls either make fun of her or ignore her, and the woods surrounding the camp give her the creeps: she keeps hearing elusive music coming from somewhere in the distance, and there’s something unearthly about it.

But then Zippy comes on the scene — an oddball like Bee, but with a lot more confidence and hard-won knowledge gleaned from many summers spent at this exact camp. And most importantly, Zippy has also discovered mysterious behavior going on at the camp: the older girls from the Hawks cabin are sneaking out to do . . . something. They’re always exhausted, and their flashlight batteries are running out at an alarming rate. But their counselors are never woken up by girls sneaking out, no one on staff doing nightly rounds ever sees them outside the cabin, and even when they start doing a bed check at night, the girls all seem to be in their bunks.

Zippy and Bee are on the case, and with the help of an unlikely ally, they try to figure out what the Hawks are up to. But they soon discover there’s more going on than just the usual summer-camp hijinks. How are the Hawks getting out at night? What is the deal with the (very cute) mysterious boy who seems to be working with the groundskeeper? Where is the distant music coming from? And what does the reclusive camp founder know about all of it?

Chronicles of Whetherwhy by Anna James

In Whetherwhy, everyone has magic inside them – grown from the changing seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. But a rare few are Enchanters: people born with magic in their bones, who can wield all four seasons of magic.

When Juniper discovers she is an Enchanter, she is invited to study at Thistledown Academy. Unwilling to be left behind, her twin brother, Rafferty, follows her to the capital city of Stormgrove and takes up an apprenticeship at a bookbindery.

As Juniper learns to wield enchantment, Rafferty becomes involved with a mysterious secret society that meets after dark. Monsters are creeping out of the shadows and dangers lurk in unexpected places. Amid night markets and magic lessons, the twins realise there is more to enchantment than they ever imagined – and the adventure that follows brings their paths together again in ways they could never have expected …

One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a brand-new, spine-tingling adventure about two kids and their fight for survival on the unforgiving trails of Mount Everest. Jennifer Nielsen’s storytelling climbs to new heights in this epic about loss, letting go, and the most important lesson a climber can learn: where the eye goes, a person follows.

For a climber, letting go means certain death. For Atlas, it means something even worse. But he’ll have to learn how to let go and look up if he ever wants to see the top…

Twelve-year-old Atlas Wade has been trying to forget the memory of his mother by climbing mountains ever since she died when he was nine years old. When his father signs them up for an expedition group hoping to be the first to ever summit the unconquerable Mount Everest, Atlas can’t wait for the chance to prove himself to his father, and maybe finally he can leave his mother behind him on the mountain.

But this time, Atlas is the one left behind, as well as a young American girl named Maddie and their sturdy yet injured Sherpa, Chodak. When news breaks out that war has returned to Europe, and that Nazis are attempting their own summit dangerously nearby, Atlas and Maddie plead with the expedition to come back down.

Their warnings come too late. Atlas looks up that same morning to see an avalanche and when they receive no word from the group, Maddie and Chodak join Atlas as he begins a dangerous journey up the mountain in the hopes of finding survivors.

Atlas, Maddie, and Chodak will have to rely not just on their own wits for survival, but on each other as well, especially as sickness, bad weather, and their fears of a Nazi spy watching them puts their mission — and lives — at risk in the brutal terrain. And Atlas will have to learn how to let go if he wants any chance of finding his father and fixing the rift between them caused by his mother’s death, before it’s too late.

Using one of the world’s greatest — and most infamous — mountains as a backdrop, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen’s storytelling climbs to new heights in this touching, thrilling epic about grief, letting go, and the bonds that keep us alive.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman

Soar into a breathtaking world of heroes and unicorns as you’ve never seen them before in this “unexpected, suspenseful, and heartwarming” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade debut perfect for fans of the Percy Jackson and Eragon series!

Skandar Smith has always yearned to leave the Mainland and escape to the secretive Island, where wild unicorns roam free. He’s spent years studying for his Hatchery exam, the annual test that selects a handful of Mainlander thirteen-year-olds to train to become unicorn riders. But on the day of Skandar’s exam, things go horribly wrong, and his hopes are shattered…until a mysterious figure knocks on his door at midnight, bearing a message: the Island is in peril and Skandar must answer its call.

Skandar is thrust into a world of epic sky battles, dangerous clashes with wild unicorns, and rumors of a shadowy villain amassing a unicorn army. And the closer Skandar grows to his newfound friends and community of riders, the harder it becomes to keep his secrets—especially when he discovers their lives may all be in graver danger than he ever imagined.

Severe and Unusual Weather by Jessie Ann Foley

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. 

Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid:

1. Keep your head down.
2. Mind your own business.
3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.

Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago.

But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM.

Try as they might, they can’t figure out two things: Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?

An Immense World by Ed Yong

The New York Times bestseller now available with beautiful full-color illustrations for young readers! Explore the amazing ways animals see, hear, and feel the world, with Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Yong.

Did you know that there are turtles who can track the Earth’s magnetic fields? That some fish use electricity to talk to each other? Or that giant squids evolved their enormous eyeballs to look out for whales?

The world is so much BIGGER and more “immense” than we humans experience it. We can only see so many colors, we can only feel so many sensations, and there are some senses we can’t access at all.

Exploring the amazing ways animals perceive the world is an excellent way to help understand the world itself. And this young readers adaptation of the mega-bestseller An Immense World is perfect for curious kids and their families. Sure to capture young readers’ interest it is filled amazing animal facts and stunning full-color illustrations.

Along the way are tons of amazing animals facts: Did you know that leopard pee smells like popcorn? That there is a special kind of shrimp whose punches are faster than a bullet? That it’s important to take your dog for dedicated “smell walks?” Want to know the real reason zebras have stripes? (hint: it’s not for camouflage)? Pick up this enthralling and enormously entertaining book to find out!

The Burning Season by Caroline Starr Rose

In this riveting coming-of-age survival story in verse perfect for fans of Alan Gratz, a fire lookout-in-training must find her courage when a wildfire breaks out on her watch.

Twelve-year-old Opal has a secret: she’s deathly afraid of fire. Still Opal is preparing to become a fourth-generation lookout on Wolf Mountain, deep in the New Mexico wilderness. She, Mom, and Gran live at ten thousand feet in a single room at the top of a fire tower. They are responsible for spotting any hint of smoke before it becomes an uncontrollable blaze.

Instead of training for the lonely life of a lookout, Opal wishes she could be starting seventh grade in Silver City, attending real classes with kids her own age and even going to afterschool clubs like FFA. But Wolf Mountain has other ideas. When Mom makes the long trek to town for supplies and Gran goes missing, Opal is the only one to spot a tell-tale spiral of smoke moving up the mountainside. She’ll have to be braver than she’s ever been as she heads into the woods, beyond Wolf Ridge’s old blackened burn scar, to face down a fire on her own. But when a fire is what took her father away, and Opal herself knows the sting of smoke and lick of flames, how can she be brave enough when it really counts?

Don’t Mess With Math by Anna Claybourne

Think you’ve got math all figured out? Think again!

Young readers can discover the wacky, weird and incredible side of math with this hands-on, inspirational and accessible guide, written by award-winning author Anna Claybourne.

This book will show children math from a completely new angle – and we’re not just talking about geometry! Inside you will find genius number tricks, secret shortcuts, impossible shapes, cool codes and awesome experiments. Readers will be ditching their preconceptions about math and sketching, writing, and drawing directly into the book. And if they make a mistake? That’s just part of the fun!

• Explore how art and math intersect by exploring subjects such as symmetry and tessellation.
• Create and crack clever codes.
• Explore math illusions.
• Play an ancient shape game!
• Rediscover subjects such as geometry, pi, and measurement in a completely new light.

This book covers key mathematical concepts in new ways, including angles, percentages, trigonometry, symmetry and even Pi numbers, and will open children’s eyes to a new world of fun and possibilities!

Delightfully illustrated in full-color, it’s perfect for readers aged 8+

The Bell woods Game by Celia Krampien

Perfect for fans of Doll Bones and Hocus Pocus, this “beautifully creepy” (Kirkus Reviews), highly illustrated middle grade novel follows a girl who hopes to fix her outcast status through a game in the haunted woods, only to discover that some legends shouldn’t be played with.

Everyone knows Fall Hollow is haunted. It has been ever since Abigail Snook went into the woods many years ago, never to be seen again. Since then, it’s tradition for the sixth graders at Beckett Elementary to play the Bellwoods Game on Halloween night. Three kids are chosen to go into the woods. Whoever rings the bell there wins the game and saves the town for another year, but if Abigail’s ghost captures the players first, the spirit is let loose to wreak havoc on Fall Hollow—or so the story goes.

Now that it’s Bailee’s year to play, she can finally find out what really happens. And legend has it the game’s winner gets a wish. Maybe, just maybe, if Bailee wins, she can go back to the way things used to be before her grandma got sick and everyone at school started hating her. But when the night begins, everything the kids thought they knew about the game—and each other—is challenged. One thing’s for sure: something sinister is at play…waiting for them all in the woods.