Fifth Grade ELA Resources
Suggested Texts
Text Complexity Grade Band in the Standards (4-5)
Lexile Ranges Aligned to College and Career Readiness Expectations (770-980)
Stories (Myths, folktales, drama, poetry, novels, graphic novels, mysteries/adventure stories )
Title
Author
Lexile
Pandora’s Box-Online Resource: http://artsedge.kennedy- center.org/
/educators/lessons/grade-6-8/A_World_of_Myths.aspx#Preparation (myths)
Ancient Egypt Stories and Myths – lesson plan including links to stories to
use http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/06/g35/kingtut.
html (myths)
The Myth of Pocahontas – video located on KET Teacher’s Domain
htt://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/adlit08.ush.begin.pocamyth/ (myth)
Maui and the Creation of the islands-Video located on KET Teacher’s Domain
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/echo07.lan.stories.maui/
The voyages of Odysseus (series: Ancient Myths) Picture Book Windows,
Sue Reid
700
2005
The World of Mythology Series (Abdo Publishing ISBN: 978-1-61714-715Jim Ollhoff
800
9) African, Chinese, Greek, Egyptian, European, and Norse Mythology
(separate books)
Romeo and Juliet together (and alive) at last! (drama)
Avi
700
Out of the Dust (Poetry, but could count as historical fiction)
Dr. Mr. Henshaw (novels)
Tuck Everlasting (novels)
The Sign of the Beaver (novels)
Frindle (novels)
The Storm in the Barn (graphic novels)
My Side of the Mountain (mysteries/adventure stories)
Informational (technical, historic, scientific)
Title
Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland : a math adventure
(technical)
Sir Cumference and the dragon of pi : a math adventure (technical)
Acting and Theatre (Series: An Usborne introduction) (technical)
Cool Performances Series (Productions, Scripts/Acting, Costumes, Sets &
Props, Special Effects, Makeup) Checkerboard Library/Abdo Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60453-713-0 (technical)
Pirate’s Life (historical)
Karen Hesse
Beverly
Cleary
Natalie
Babbitt
Elizabeth
George
Speare
Andrew
Clements
Matt Phelan
Jean
Craighead
George
Author
Cindy
Neuschwander
Cindy
Neuschwander
Cheryl Evans
Lucy Smith
Various
John Hamilton
910
770
770
830
GN 430
810
Lexile
AD 450
AD 510
Various
(700ish)
925
World Mythology series (14 books) Capstone Press ISBN: 9780736827584 /
0-7368-2758-7 (historic)
Sacagawea.Apr.May2009, Vol.20 Issue 6, p14-15,2p; Available through
KYVL (historical)
Statesman…Scientist…Swimmer? Old Farmer’s Almanac for kids, 2007, Vol.
2, p144-147, 4p; Available through KYVL (historical)
“Lewis and Clark: Lost Missouri.” National Geographic
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.Com/ngm/0204/feature5/index.html and
related lesson
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/06/g35/challenges.html
(historic)
The Usborne science encyclopedia (scientific)
Suggested Read Alouds
Title
The alphabet theatre proudly presents the Z was zapped : a play in twentysix acts
The sign of the seahorse : a tale of greed and high adventure in two acts
B. A. Hoena
700
Doris
Hopscotch
Fisher
1050
880
Cathy Riggs
Salter
Annabel Craig
and Cliff
Rosney
1025
Author
Chris Van
Allsburg
Graeme Base
Lexile
600
915
*These are suggested lists based on KCAS-ELA. It is recommended that schools create their own
protected text list for each grade level.
Lexile Codes
AD: Adult Directed - Read to a child, rather than a child reading them independently.
NC: Non-Conforming - Books that have a lexile measure higher than the publisher’s intended
audience. Example: Seymour Simon’s Amazing Aircraft is coded NC710L. It’s spine reads
grades 1-3 but its lexile measure is higher than a typical early elem. school student’s ability
range. NC code is useful when matching high-ability readers with a book that’s still at an
appropriate developmental level.
HL: High-Low - Has a lexile measure much lower than the average reader. (high interest - low
readability) Useful when matching older (grade 7 and beyond) struggling or reluctant readers
with text at an appropriate difficulty level and an appropriate developmental level.
IG: Illustrated Guide - Books that consist of independent pieces or sections of texts such as
encyclopedia or glossary. These books are often used as a reference resource rather than read
in their entirety like a story book.
GN: Graphic Novel - Comic book that appears primarily in voice or thought bubbles.
BR: Beginning Reading - Lexile measure of OL or below that is appropriate for the emergent
reader and often not used for independent reading, but are read aloud by an adult or read with
the child.
NP: Non-Prose - Do not receive a lexile measure because they are not in complete sentences
and lacks punctuation (poems, plays, songs, recipes or text that is absent punctuation).