Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson



RECOMMENDED READING LIST – GRADE 5

SGI LIBRARY

ADVENTURE

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws.

My Side of the Mountain by 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.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack.

Dive (Series) by Gordon Korman

An action-packed underwater trilogy.

Everest (Series) by Gordon Korman

The youngest expedition ever to attempt an Everest climb has begun.

Island (Series) by Gordon Korman

Six children try to survive on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean after a storm destroys their boat.

On the Run (Series) by Gordon Korman

Tells a story about two children who try to clear their parents' name.

Swindle by Gordon Korman

After unscrupulous collector S. Wendell Palamino cons him out of a valuable baseball card, sixth-grader Griffin Bing puts together a band of misfits to break into Palomino's heavily guarded store and steal the card back, planning to use the money to finance his father's failing invention, the Smart Pick fruit picker.

ANIMAL FICTION

Sounder by William Armstrong

Angry and humiliated when his sharecropper father is jailed for stealing food for his family, a young black boy grows in courage and understanding with the help of the devoted dog Sounder.

The Incredible Journey by Carl Burger

A Siamese cat, an old bull terrier, and a young Labrador retriever travel together 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to find their family.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by 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.

Ralph S. Mouse by 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 peacemaker for two lonely boys.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

With nowhere else to turn, a field mouse asks the clever escaped lab rats living under the rosebush to help save her son, who lies in the path of the farmer's tractor, too ill to be moved.

Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor Reynolds

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 known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

The adventures of a country cricket who unintentionally arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat.

Stuart Little by E. B. White

The adventures of the 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.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Presents humorous anecdotes from the author's childhood, including his summer vacations in Norway and life at an English boarding school.

Knots in My Yo-yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid by Jerry Spinelli

This Italian-American Newbery Medalist presents a humorous account of his childhood and youth in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION

The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain

When a strange little man comes to the Coven Tree Church Social promising he can give people exactly what they ask for, three young believers-in-magic each make a wish that comes true in the most unexpected way.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older.

Shadow Children (Series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, third-born Luke, a Shadow Child, has lived all of his life in fear and isolation.

Warriors (Series) by Erin Hunter

A fascinating feline fantasy--the struggle between ThunderClan, a group of feral cats, and the enemy, ShadowClan.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

After learning that humans are headed toward his hidden home, Firedrake, a silver dragon, is joined by a brownie and an orphan boy in a quest to find the legendary valley known as the Rim of Heaven, encountering friendly and unfriendly creatures along the way, and struggling to evade the relentless pursuit of an old enemy.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Four English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

HISTORICAL FICTION

Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady

During the Revolutionary War, a ten-year-old girl crosses enemy lines to deliver a loaf of bread containing a message for the patriots.

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 of Grand Rapids.

Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell

When her brother is sent to fight in Vietnam, twelve-year-old Jamie begins to reconsider the army world that she has grown up in.

The Birchmark House by Louise Erdich

Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.

Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff

During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.

Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff

Eleven-year-old Meggie Dillon shares her feelings and experiences on the homefront during World War II after her family moves from Rockaway, New York to Willow Run, Michigan.

Jason’s Gold by Will Hobbs

When news of the discovery of gold in Canada's Yukon Territory in 1897 reaches fifteen-year-old Jason, he embarks on a 10,000-mile journey to strike it rich.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

A Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Henry Mazer

After his father is killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Adam, his mother, and sister are evacuated from Hawaii to California, where he must deal with his feelings about the war, Japanese internment camps, his father, and his own identity.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

Fictionalizes the story of a Native American woman's eighteen years of solitary survival on San Nicolas Island, the most remote of California's Channel Islands, after being left there in 1835 when her tribe was removed to the mainland.

Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder

At the end of the Civil War, twelve-year-old Will, having lost all his immediate family, reluctantly leaves his city home to live in the Virginia countryside with his aunt and the uncle he considers a traitor because he refused to take part in the war.

Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury

Tomi Nakaji's biggest concerns are baseball, homework, and a local bully, until life with his Japanese family in Hawaii changes drastically after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

GHOST & HORROR STORIES

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

When thirteen-year-old Ali spends the summer with her aunt and cousin at the family's vacation home, she stumbles upon a secret that her mother and aunt have been hiding for over thirty years.

The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn

Ashley, who has recently moved from Baltimore to a new town with her widowed mother, finds an antique doll buried in old Miss Cooper's garden and discovers she can enter a ghostly turn-of-the-century world by going through a hole in the hedge.

The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Tired of the rules that have bound them ever since "the bad thing happened," twelve-year-old Diana ignores her brother's warnings and befriends the daughter of the new caretaker, setting in motion events that lead to the release of the spirit of an evil, crazy woman who once ruled the old Willis place.

HUMOROUS FICTION

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

From her upside-down house, the eccentric Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle issues to parents her marvelous cures for such common children's diseases as Won't-Put-Away-Toys-itis, Answerbackism, and Fighter-Quarrelitis.

Skinnybones by Barbara Park

Alex's active sense of humor helps him get along with the school braggart, make the most of his athletic talents, and simply get by in a hectic world.

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith

From eating too much chocolate, Henry breaks out in brown bumps that help him foil some hijackers and teach him a valuable lesson about self-indulgence.

MYSTERY

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright

A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night, and dolls that have moved from where she last left them, lead Amy and her mentally handicapped sister to unravel the mystery surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet

When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements

Ted Hammond, the only sixth grader in his small Nebraska town's one-room schoolhouse, searches for clues to the disappearance of a homeless family.

The House on the Gulf by Margaret Peterson Haddix

A sixteen-year-old boy arranges a housesitting job for the summer, but he starts acting strangely after his family moves in, and his sister begins to suspect they are not supposed to be there.

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-tale of a Mystery by James Howe

Though scoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire.

The Diamond Brothers Mysteries (Series) by Anthony Horowitz

A fast-paced mystery series featuring two brothers, many criminals, and lots of action and laughter.

Sammy Keyes (Series) by Wendelin Van Draanen

Exciting mysteries starring the feisty and funny, smart and spunky seventh-grade ace detective, Samantha Keyes.

REALISTIC FICTION

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements

Twin brothers Jay and Ray Grayson learn about friendship, honesty, and themselves after taking advantage of a clerical oversight in which their new school thinks there is only one Grayson boy.

Lunch Money by Andrew Clements

Twelve-year-old Greg, who has always been good at moneymaking projects, is surprised to find himself teaming up with his lifelong rival, Maura, to create a series of comic books to sell at school.

No Talking by Andrew Clements

The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.

The Report Card by Andrew Clements

Fifth-grader Nora Rowley has always hidden the fact that she is a genius from everyone because all she wants is to be normal, but when she comes up with a plan to prove that grades are not important, things begin to get out of control.

Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech

Thirteen-year-old Zinnia Taylor uncovers family secrets and self truths while clearing a mysterious settler trail that begins on her family's farm in Kentucky.

The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription meds wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.

The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman

Four fifth-grade students--a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker--as well as their teacher and mothers, each relate events surrounding a computer programmed to complete homework assignments.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

During the summer of 1971 in a small Texas town, thirteen-year-old Toby and his best friend Cal meet the star of a sideshow act, 600-pound Zachary, the fattest boy in the world.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with an young paraplegic.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

A boy recounts his annual summer trips to rural Illinois with his sister during the Great Depression to visit their larger-than-life grandmother.

Holes by Louis Sachar

As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.

Loser by Jerry Spinelli

Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

As Palmer grows up, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.

Bad Girls by Cynthia Voigt

After meeting on the first day in Mrs. Chemsky's fifth-grade class, Margalo and Mikey help each other in and out of trouble, as they try to maintain a friendship while each asserts her independence.

Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt

Now that the four abandoned Tillerman children are settled in with their grandmother, Dicey finds that their new beginnings require love, trust, humor, and courage.

SPORTS FICTION

The Million Dollar Goal by Dan Gutman

Twins Dawn and Dusk learn to admire their grandmother when they take on the task of training her to play hockey after she wins the chance to shoot a goal for one million dollars, but when she dies before the contest, the twins must decide who is going to take her place.

The Million Dollar Putt by Dan Gutman

Assisted by his neighbor, Birdie, blind thirteen-year-old Ed "Bogie" Bogard will win one million dollars if he can sink a ten-foot putt in Hawaii's fifth annual Angus Killick Memorial Tournament.

The Million Dollar Strike by Dan Gutman

Best friends Ouchie and Squishy, who love bowling and horror movies respectively, meet the eccentric owner of a local bowling alley and try to help him save Bowl-A-Rama from the wrecking ball and a destructive psychotic lunatic.

Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs

Fourteen-year-old Brady and his cousin Quinn love extreme sports, but nothing could prepare them for the aftermath of Brady's close encounter with a meteorite after it crashes into his Black Hills, South Dakota, bedroom.

Hot Hand by Mike Lupica

In the wake of his parents' separation, ten-year-old Billy seems to have continual conflicts with his father, who is also his basketball coach, but his quiet, younger brother Ben, a piano prodigy, is having even more trouble adjusting, and only Billy seems to notice.

Long Shot by Mike Lupica

Pedro, an avid basketball player, decides to run for class president, challenging a teammate who is also one of the most popular boys in school.

Safe at Home by Mike Lupica

Nick Crandall's new foster parents are both professors who know nothing about sports, and his new teammates feel he is too young to play varsity baseball; but Nick is out to prove that he belongs not only to his team, but to his parents as well.

Two-Minute Drill by Mike Lupica

Brainy Scott, a great kicker who otherwise struggles with football, and star quarterback Chris, who has dyslexia, team up to help each other succeed in both football and school.

Winning Season (Series) by Rich Wallace

Sport enthusiasts in this series learn how to play-and-win at their particular sport while learning positive character traits such as teamwork, sportsmanship, self-confidence, friendship, and self-control.

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