Big Nate Flips Out
by Lincoln Peirce
Sixth-grader and self-proclaimed genius Nate Wright's sloppiness is getting out of
hand and getting Francis in trouble.
Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great
Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he
believes to be his father—the renowned bandleader H. E. Calloway.
Clementine
By Sara Pennypacker
While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret,
eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her
father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
by Rachel Renée Russell
Fourteen-year-old Nikki Maxwell writes in her diary of her struggle to be popular
at her exclusive, new private school. First in a series.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter, a young orphan living with his horrible aunt and uncle, discovers he
is a wizard and is taken away to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. First in a series.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
In this highly illustrated novel, Hugo Cabret, a Parisian orphan, clockmaker, and
thief, tries to fix the automaton that his father discovered.
The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, Book 1)
by Rick Riordan
At the reading of their grandmother’s will, Amy and Dan are given a choice: take
a million dollars and walk away, or take the first of thirty-nine clues and begin a
quest to discover the source of their family’s power. First in a series.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a
secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for
the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.
No Talking
by Andrew Clements
It’s the boys against the girls— who can win the no-talking bet? But as silence
falls over the school, chaos ensues.
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
When Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a down-and-out circusthemed mall, meets Ruby,
a baby elephant new to the menagerie, he decides that he must find her a better
life.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very
Interesting Boy
by Jeanne Birdsall
The Penderwick sisters enjoy a series of adventures as they vacation at the
Arundel estate and make the acquaintance of Jeffrey, who lives next door.
Savvy
by Ingrid Law
When Mibs turns thirteen and gets a savvy, a special power, she goes on a quest
in hopes of saving her Poppa.
Battle Bunny
by Jon Scieszka
Gran Gran gave Alexander a beautiful book about Birthday Bunny, but Alexander
decides to “create” his own book about Battle Bunny, which suits his tastes much
better.
Doll Bones
by Holly Black
Three friends set off for an adventure to bury a haunted doll made of the bones
of a long-ago girl.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
by Chris Grabenstein
Kyle, a huge lover of games, Grades 3–5 gets to spend the night in Mr.
Lemoncello’s amazing new library and join in the biggest game of all—with a
prize beyond his imagination.
Inside Out and Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Hà escapes South Vietnam with her family and finds that life is very different in
the United States.
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin
by Liesl Shurtliff
Twelve-year-old Rump goes on a quest to discover his true identity and to break
a magical curse in this humorous take on the classic fairy tale.
The Wanderer
By Sharon Creech
Thirteen-year-old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing
aboard the Wanderer, a forty-five foot sailboat, which, along with uncles and
another cousin, is en route to visit their grandfather in England.
Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a
living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters
abducts them and tries to force him into service.
The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater
Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck
Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, both trying to
keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to make it to the finish
line.
Missing May
by Cynthia Rylant
After the death of the beloved aunt who has raised her, twelve-year-old Summer
and her uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go
on living.
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in
Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must
adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the
Great Depression.