Books
for Fifth Graders
Fifth Grade Fiction
Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston

Amari has never stopped believing her missing brother Quinton is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she's certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton--if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers
The Eyes & the Impossible
by Dave Eggers

Free dog Johannes' job is to observe everything that happens in his urban park and report back to the park's three bison elders, but changes are afoot, including more humans, a new building, a boatload of goats, and a shocking revelation that changes his view of the world.
Freestyle: A Graphic Novel by Gale Galligan
Freestyle: A Graphic Novel
by Gale Galligan

Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd... until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II
by Adam Gidwitz

To find his way back home to his family in Germany during WWII, Max Bretzfeld, with a kobold named Berg on one shoulder and a dybbuk named Stein on the other, sets out to do the impossible--become a British spy--
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
by Aubrey Hartman

An undead fox serving as the Usher of souls has his life upended when a mysterious badger soul appears--
The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
The First State of Being
by Erin Entrada Kelly

When Ridge, a time-traveling teenager from the future, gets trapped in 1999, he befriends Michael, a lonely twelve-year-old boy, changing the course of their lives forever.
Chickenpox by Remy Lai
Chickenpox
by Remy Lai

All big sister Abby wants is to spend more time with her friends, far away from the sticky fingers and snooping eyes of her annoying brothers and sisters. But when a case of the chickenpox leaves the Lai kids covered in scratchy red spots and stuck at home together for two weeks of nonstop mayhem, Abby thinks this might be the end--of her sanity--
The Academy by T. Z. Layton
The Academy
by T. Z. Layton

A twelve-year-old boy from a small Midwestern town earns an invite to try out for one of the world's top soccer teams in London, England.
Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina
Graciela in the Abyss
by Meg Medina

In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela -- once an ordinary girl -- now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep.
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
The Last Mapmaker
by Christina Soontornvat

In a fantasy adventure every bit as compelling and confident in its world building as her Newbery Honor Book A Wish in the Dark, Christina Soontornvat explores a young woman's struggle to unburden herself of the past and chart her own destiny in a world of secrets. As assistant to Mangkon's most celebrated mapmaker, twelve-year-old Sai plays the part of a well-bred young lady with a glittering future. In reality, her father is a conman--and in a kingdom where the status of one's ancestors dictates their social position, the truth could ruin her Sai seizes the chance to join an expedition to chart the southern seas, but she isn't the only one aboard with secrets. When Sai learns the ship might be heading for the fabled Sunderlands--a land of dragons, danger, and riches beyond imagining--she must weigh the cost of her dreams. Vivid, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, this tale of identity and integrity is as beautiful and intricate as the maps of old.--
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Clean Getaway
by Nic Stone

For the life of him, William Scoob Lamar can't seem to stay out of trouble--and now the run-ins at school have led to lockdown at home. So when G'ma, Scoob's favorite person on Earth, asks him to go on an impromptu road trip, he's in the RV faster than he can say FREEDOM. With G'ma's old maps and a strange pamphlet called the 'Travelers' Green Book' at their side, the pair takes off on a journey down G'ma's memory lane. But adventure quickly turns to uncertainty: G'ma keeps changing the license plate, dodging Scoob's questions, and refusing to check Dad's voice mails. And the farther they go, the more Scoob realizes that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--G'ma included --
Fifth Grade Nonfiction
The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It by Dee Romito
The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It
by Dee Romito

A history of the technological advancements behind the straw, how modern plastic straws harm the environment, and what is being done to solve the problem of plastic pollution--
The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nick Day
The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity
by Nick Day

A narrative nonfiction about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world-and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all--
Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry by Neil Degrasse Tyson
Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry
by Neil Degrasse Tyson

From the basics of physics to big questions about the nature of space and time, celebrated astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks down the mysteries of the cosmos into bite-sized pieces. Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry describes the fundamental rules and unknowns of our universe clearly--and with Tyson's characteristic wit, there's a lot of fun thrown in, too.This adaptation by Gregory Mone includes full-color photos, infographics, and extra explanations to make even the trickiest concepts accessible. Building on the wonder inspired by outer space, Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry introduces an exciting field and the principles of scientific inquiry to young readers.
Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens
by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Mountain of Fire is the narrative nonfiction account of the violent volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, the story of the people who died, those who survived, and the heroes who fought to raise an alarm. For weeks, the ground around Mount St. Helens shuddered like a dynamite keg ready to explode. There were legends of previous eruptions: violent fire, treacherous floods, and heat that had scoured the area. But the shaking and swelling was unlike any volcanic activity ever seen before. Day and night, scientists tried to piece together the mountain's clues--yet nothing could prepare them for the destruction to come. The long-dormant volcano seethed away, boiling rock far below the surface. Washington's governor, Dixie Lee Ray, understood the despair that would follow from people being forced from their homes. How and when should she give orders to evacuate the area? And would that be enough to save the people from the eruption of Mount St. Helens? Includes a QR code for a website featuring eye-catching photos of the eruption.
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Lin
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods
by Grace Lin

The origin stories of each Chinese dish told using the framework of Chinese cuisine-oftentimes based in folklore, both ancient and contemporary--
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