Fourth Grade Recommended Reading List
Beezus and Ramona (Beverly Cleary)-Beatrice Quimby has so much trouble with her little sister Ramona, that she
decides she does not like Ramona at all.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Beverly Cleary)-A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in
room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.
Runaway Ralph (Beverly Cleary)-Ralph runs away looking for freedom, but winds up a prisoner at a summer camp.
Ralph S. Mouse (Beverly Cleary)-Presents the further adventures of a motorcycle-riding mouse who goes to school
and becomes the instigator of an investigation of rodents and the peacemake for two lonely boys.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Richard Tupper Atware)-The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic
penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions. Newbery
Honor.
Strawberry Girl (Lois Lenski)-Set in a little-known backwoods region of Florida, Strawberry Girl is the first of the Lenski
regional books. Newbery Medal.
Heidi (Johanna Spyri)-A Swiss orphan is heartbroken when she must leave her beloved grandfather and their happy
home in the mountains to go to school and to care for an invalid girl in the city.
Stuart Little (E.B. White)-The adventures of the debonair mouse Stuart Little as he sets out in the world to seek out his
dearest friend, a little bird who stayed a few days in his family’s garden.
Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine)-In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the
childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her. Newbery Honor.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures (Brian Selznick)-When twelve-year-old Hugo,
an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his
goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Kate DiCamillo)-Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit,
loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners
and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.
Tale of Despereaux (Kate DiCamillo)-The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the
princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
Newbery Medal.
The Magician’s Nephew (C.S. Lewis)-When Digory and Polly try to return the wicked witch Jadis to her own world, the
magic gets mixed up and they all land in Narnia where they witness Aslan blessing the animals with human speech.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Jeanne
Birdsall)-
While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through
twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.
Shiloh (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)-When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to
hide it from his family and the dog’s real owner, a mean-spirited man. Newbery Medal.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Judy Blume)-Peter finds his demanding two-year-old brother an ever increasing
problem.
The Swiss Family Robinson Illustrated Classics (Johann David Wyss)-An abridged version of the story that
relates the fortunes of a shipwrecked family as they imaginatively adapt to life on an island with abundant animal and plant life.
Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse, Amos (Robert Lawson)-
Benjamin Franklin’s companion, Amos the mouse, recounts how he was responsible for Franklin’s inventions and discoveries.
The School Story (Andrew Clements)-After twelve-year-old Natalie writes a wonderful novel, her friend Zoe helps her
devise a scheme to get it accepted at the publishing house where Natalie’s mother works as an editor.
Janitor’s Boy (Andrew Clements)- Jack turns his anger onto his father, the school janitor, after the fifth grader is
ridiculed by the students.
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Last Holiday Concert (Andrew Clements)-Life is unusually easy for popular sixth grader Hart Evans, but when his
music teacher puts him in charge of the holiday concert, Hart must use all of his leadership skills to unite the other students.
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The Wheel on the School (Meindert DeJong)-Six schoolchildren face many obstacles to try to bring back the storks
who never come to their little Dutch village anymore. Newbery Medal.
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The Cricket in Times Square (George Selden)-The adventures of a country cricket who unintentionally arrives in
New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. Newbery Honor.
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Earthquake Terror (Peg Kehret)-When an earthquake hits the isolated island in northern California where his family had
been camping, twelve-year-old Jonathan Palmer must find a way to keep himself partially paralyzed younger sister and their
dog alive until help arrives.
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Trapped (Peg Kehret)-When his owner, Alex, finds an illegal animal trap in the woods, Pete the cat faces grave danger as
he tries to help his human friends find the culprit who set the trap.
My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George)-A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends
living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his
ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.
Family Under the Bridge (Natalie Savage Carlson)-An old tramp, adopted by three fatherless children when their
mother hides them under a bridge on the Seine, finds a home for mother and a job for himself. Newbery Honor.
The Arrow Over the Door (Joseph Bruchac)-In the year 1777, a group of Quakers and a party of Indians have a
memorable meeting. Told in alternating viewpoints of Stands Straight and Samuel Russell, this is based on a historical
meeting during the Revolutionary War.
Sky Memories (Pat Brisson)-When ten-year-old Emily learns that her mother has cancer, the two of them begin a ritual
that will help prepare Emily for what is to come and to remember her mother long after she is gone.
Bear Dogs: Canines with a Mission (Ted Wood)-These 50-pound bundles of energy and courage routinely take on
400-pound grizzlies to steer problem bears away from trouble. Non-fiction.
The Christmas Barn (C.L. Davis)-In 1930, when a snowstorm destroys their home in the Appalachian Mountains, Roxie
and her family move into the barn and celebrate Christmas there.
Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman (Louise Borden)-This book discusses the life of the determined African
American woman who went all the way to France to earn her pilot’s license in 1921.
Fur-ever Yours, Booker Jones (Betsy Duffey)-Booker Jones turns to his writing once again to deal with the stress of
this parents’ decision to vacation together, leaving family and laundry behind.
The Good Dog (Avi)-McKinley, a malamute, is torn between the domestic world of his human family and the wild world of
a wolf named Lupin, as he tries to increase his wolf pack.
Ark in the Park (Wendy Orr)-Sophie and Mr. and Mrs. Noah, owners of a pet store, become special friends as they
share their love for animals.
Love, Ruby Lavender (Deborah Wiles)-While her grandmother spends the summer in Hawaii, Ruby learns selfreliance
by writing letters and befriending a new girl in town.
Stopping to Home (Lea Wait)-In 1806, orphaned Abigail and her brother Seth find a home with a young widow, and they
help her find a way to support them all.
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Becoming Joe DiMaggio (Maria Testa)-The highlight of Joseph Paul’s growing up years was listening to baseball
games on the radio and learning the rules of the game at his grandfather’s knee.
The Confessions and Secrets of Howard J. Fingerhut (Esther Hershenhorn)-A fourth grade entrepreneur
competes with his classmates to win a contest and writes a book about the experience.
Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot (Margot Theis Raven)-To relieve the hunger in Germany in 1948, pilots began
airlifting supplies including candy and gum for the children, which gave them a reason to hope for a better life.
Runt (Marion Dane Bauer)-Deep in the woods, four normal-sized pups-Leader, Sniffer, Runner, & Thinker- are born.
Then comes one last, very small pupages. For him there is no name but Runt and he struggles for acceptance.
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When the Circus Came to Town (Laurence Yep)-An Asian cook and a Chinese New Year celebration help a tenyear-
old girl at a stagecoach station regain her confidence after smallpox scars her face.
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Escaping the Giant Wave (Peg Kehret)-When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is
babysitting his sister during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save his sister and a boy who has bullied him
for years.
It Can’t Be Done, Nellie Bly! (Nancy Butcher)-In 1888, a young, female reporter for New York World newspaper sets
out to travel around the world in fewer than eighty days, while a Cosmopolitan magazine reporter tries to beat her to the goal.
Seaward Born (Lea Wait)-In 1805, a thirteen-year-old slave and his friend make a dangerous escape from Charleston,
South Carolina and stow away to head north toward freedom.
The Greatest Skating Race (Louise Borden)-During WWII in the Netherlands, a ten-year-old boy’s dream of skating
in a famous race allows him to help two children escape to Belgium by ice-skating past German soldiers and other enemies.
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Dad, Jackie, and Me (Myron Uhlberg)-In Brooklyn, New York, in 1947 a young boy learns about discrimination and
tolerance as he and his deaf father share their enthusiasm over baseball and the Dodger’s first baseman, Jackie Robinson.
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Friendship According to Humphrey (Betty G. Birney)-When Humphrey returns to Mrs. Brisbane’s class after the
winter break, a new class pet and some other surprises give him the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of friendship.
Sequel to
The World According to Humphrey.
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Trouble According to Humphrey (Betty G. Birney)-Humphrey, the classroom hamster, relates the adventures and
misadventures of the students in room 26 when they begin the assignment to build a model town.
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The Liberation of Gabriel King (K.L. Going)-In Georgia, during the summer of 1976, Gabriel, a white boy who is being
bullied, and Frita, an African American girl who is facing prejudice, decide to face their fears together as they enter the fifth
grade.
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The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs (Betty G. Birney)-Eben McAllister searches his small town to see if he
can find anything comparable to the real Seven Wonders of the World.
The Jade Dragon (Carolyn Marsden)-Drawing on her own life story Virginia Shin-Mui Loh joins Carolyn Marsden to
poignantly capture a young girl’s dilemma as she navigates between her culture and her friendship.
Julia’s Kitchen (Brenda A . Farber)-When her mother and younger sister are killed in a house fire, eleven-year-old
Cara struggles to find a way to deal with her emotions and to reach out to her grieving father.
Trading Places (Claudia Mills)-When fifth-grade twins, Amy and Todd, tackle a school project, they also have to cope
with issues of friendship at school and problems at home, including their father’s unemployment.
Nim’s Island (Wendy Orr)-Nim loves her island and her animals, but when her father does not return as expected from
his scientific experiments, Nim’s only source of help may be the new friend she’s made via e-mail.
Morris and Buddy: The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog (Becky Hall)-Morris Frank and a German shepherd
named Buddy develop a relationship that leads to the establishment of programs for training seeing eye dogs and laws
supporting their use in public places in America.
Annie’s War (Jaqueline Levering Sullivan)-After WWII ends, ten-year-old Annie is hospitalized with appendicitis and
has imaginary conversations with President Truman which help her cope with the post-war stresses that fill Annie’s life at her
grandmother’s house.
The Aurora County All-Stars (Deborah Wiles)-Recently recovered All-Star pitcher House Jackson is desperate to
play ball again, but he may have to reveal a secret about himself to restore harmony, and baseball, to Aurora County,
Mississippi.
Paint the Wind (Pam Munoz Ryan)-When her grandmother dies, Maya, a sheltered orphan from California, is forced to
move to a family ranch in Wyoming, where she discovers a connection with her mother through a love of horses.