Good book for 4th grade boy: My Son’s 4th Grade Reading List

Best 4th Grade Books for the Classroom

Fourth graders know what they like but are still willing to give new things a chance. A classroom library full of fun, diverse books will keep them exploring and growing as readers. We looked at tons of fourth grade books and chose 65 of our favorites to share with you. From beautiful picture books and poetry to hilarious tales to heart-wrenching coming-of-age stories, you’re sure to find something for every curious reader in your group.

Note: You know your students and their emotional maturity levels best. A few of these books may be best as read-alouds so that you and your kids can discuss them together.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Nightsong by Ari Berk

A beautiful picture book just waiting for a class read-aloud. As Chiro, a young bat, is sent out into the night by himself for the first time, his mother gives him some good advice. Navigating the world around him will be easy, as long as he uses his good sense. Chiro soon realizes no matter how far away you go, with good sense, you can always find your way back home.

Buy it: Nightsong at Amazon

2. Crossover series by Kwame Alexander

In this Newbery Medal–winning middle grade novel in verse, 12-year-old twins and basketball stars Josh and Jordan Bell must learn to deal with problems on and off the court as they navigate homework, first crushes, family, and, of course, basketball.

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Buy it: Crossover series at Amazon

3. Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

Historical fiction at its finest! Echo Mountain tells the story of Ellie, whose family moves to the wilderness of Echo Mountain after losing everything in the Great Depression. When her father falls ill, Ellie has to learn the secrets of the mountain to heal him. This book is a celebration of finding your own path and discovering your truest self.

Buy it: Echo Mountain at Amazon

4. Front Desk series by Kelly Yang

This delightful series follows the adventures of Mia Tang, who lives in a motel with her immigrant parents. As her parents clean the motel and help other immigrant families, Mia dreams of being a writer. A timely collection of fourth grade books with a contemporary Chinese twist.

Buy it: Front Desk series at Amazon

5. Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Ghost, Lu, Patina, Sunny—four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.

Buy it: Ghost at Amazon

6. City Spies series by James Ponti

In this thrilling series that Stuart Gibbs called “a must-read,” Edgar Award winner James Ponti brings together five kids from all over the world and transforms them into real-life spies. It’s wonderful for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls.

Buy it: City Spies series at Amazon

7. Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj

An uplifting story, told through the alternating voices of two middle schoolers, in which a community rallies to reject racism.

Buy it: Count Me In at Amazon

8. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

The classic tale of nine-year-old Peter and his two-year-old brother, Fudge, is frequently listed as the book that first made kids readers. This makes it an easy choice to share with your collection of fourth grade books. (Check out more of our favorite Judy Blume books for the classroom!)

Buy it: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing at Amazon

9. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

In 1899, 11-year-old Calpurnia lives with her grumpy grandfather, six brothers, and a lot of curiosity about the world around her.

Buy it: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate at Amazon

10.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

The poignant story of a porcelain rabbit who goes on a extraordinary journey through many lifetimes and in the end learns the true meaning of love.

Buy it: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane at Amazon

11. I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis

When there’s an action-packed series that kids find super-exciting, it’s great when the titles just keep coming. There’s no shortage of edge-of-your-seat moments in these historical fiction adventures.

Buy it: I Survived series at Amazon

12. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

A beautiful collection of poems about the author’s life as a Black girl growing up in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s and 1970s.

Buy it: Brown Girl Dreaming at Amazon

13. Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander

Before he was a household name, Cassius Clay was a kid with struggles like any other. Written in prose and verse, the book looks at his life from birth to age 17. Becoming Muhammad Ali captures the budding charisma and youthful personality of one of the greatest sports heroes of all time.

Buy it: Becoming Muhammad Ali at Amazon

14. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

A little bit sci-fi, a little bit whodunit, and a whole lot of fun. Your students will love this thought-provoking take on a sixth-grader who starts receiving anonymous notes that predict the future.

Buy it: When You Reach Me at Amazon

15. Gold Rush Girl by Avi

Wanting to stay with her father, Tory stows away on a ship heading west to search for gold in 1848. Spot-on details and high suspense make this a vivid, absorbing historical adventure for your collection of fourth grade books.

Buy it: Gold Rush Girl at Amazon

16. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

The Newbery Award–winning story of 13-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, who goes on a road trip with her eccentric grandparents and finds the answers her heart has been longing for.

Buy it: Walk Two Moons at Amazon

17. The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill

Sixth graders Rufus and Kate develop and sell toothpaste to become millionaires in just one year! This fun, breezy story includes many real-life mathematical problems that the characters must solve to succeed in their budding business.

Buy it: The Toothpaste Millionaire at Amazon

18. Shuri: A Black Panther Novel by Nic Stone

Add this to your fourth grade book list for students who love the Marvel Universe. This story, written by award-winning YA author Nic Stone, takes readers on an adventure with Shuri, the younger sister of T’Challa (aka the Black Panther).

Buy it: Shuri: A Black Panther Novel at Amazon

19. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh

A quick, fun historical fiction story about a young man discovering that, unlike what he has been told throughout his life, there are definitely bears on Hemlock Mountain.

Buy it: The Bears on Hemlock Mountain at Amazon

20.

Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan

A beautifully written fantasy novel about a young man setting out on a perilous quest. This book, written by the author of Esperanza Rising, is sure to be well-loved by your fourth grade students.

Buy it: Mañanaland at Amazon

21. New Kid by Jerry Craft

Winner of the Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature, New Kid is a graphic novel about the struggles of being the new kid in school.

Buy it: New Kid at Amazon

22. Matilda by Roald Dahl

Introduce your fourth grade students to characters they’ll never forget. The story of Matilda, the Trunchbull, and Miss Honey is a delight as a read-aloud or to put into the hands of students to discover the story for themselves.

Buy it: Matilda at Amazon

23. Weird Little Robots by Caroline Crimi

When two science-savvy girls create an entire robot world, they don’t expect the robots to come alive. But life may be a bit more magical than they thought.

Buy it: Weird Little Robots at Amazon

24. The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney

This is not Disney or the Hans Christian Andersen original! Jerry Pinkney’s breathtaking update to a classic tale stars a main character of color and has affirming themes of friendship, family, and identity.

Buy it: The Little Mermaid at Amazon

25. Love by Matt de la Peña

This moving title is ageless, but we particularly love how it can get fourth graders talking in more depth about a complex topic.

Buy it: Love at Amazon

26. Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem by Jude Isabella

This book is a science unit unto itself! In systematic sections, it explores what happened when wolves disappeared from—and then came back to—Yellowstone National Park. Build kids’ understanding of vocabulary about relationships within an ecosystem with this
memorable real-world story.

Buy it: Bringing Back the Wolves at Amazon

27. Two Truths and a Lie books by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson

Make discussions about responsible research practices memorable and fun. This innovative series asks readers to separate fact from fiction in short sections ideal for classroom discussion.

Buy it: Two Truths and a Lie books at Amazon

28. Pumpkin Falls Mysteries by Heather Vogel Frederick

These stories follow the adventures of Truly Lovejoy, a young girl whose family has moved from Texas to a tiny town in New Hampshire to take over their family’s century-old bookstore. Left largely to her own devices, Truly finds herself chasing down clues found in old books.

Buy it: Pumpkin Falls Mysteries at Amazon

29. Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Included on the National Book Award Longlist, this poignant tale follows the growing pains of a relationship between a boy and his fox.

Buy it: Pax at Amazon

30.

Dragons in a Bag series by Zetta Elliott

Want to breathe some new life into your classroom library? Try this diverse, young, urban fantasy series. The action-packed series begins in Dragons in a Bag, when Jaxon finds out the mean old lady next door is a witch who asks him for his help delivering baby dragons to a magical world where they’ll be safe.

Buy it: Dragons in a Bag series at Amazon

31. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Some of your students may have seen the old movie based on this classic book. Others may have seen the new versions. Introduce your entire class to the book that started it all.

Buy it: Jumanji at Amazon

32. Sound: Shhh … Bang … Pop … Boom! by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv

Here’s a perfect example of artistry in informational writing. A neon color scheme and tons of visual features give readers a primer on the topic of sound. Share as part of a science unit on sound or to simply help students up the cool factor in their own nonfiction writing.

Buy it: Sound: Shhh … Bang … Pop … Boom! at Amazon

33. She Was the First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm by Katheryn Russell-Brown

This biography chronicles the bold achievements of the first Black person to run for president as a major party candidate. While short in stature, Shirley Chisholm was a strong, influential leader and advocate who made a lasting impact. Your students deserve to be inspired by her!

Buy it: She Was the First! at Amazon

34. Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

When an unlikely pair works on a poetry project together, they think they have nothing in common. The effective back-and-forth format will get kids thinking.

Buy it: Can I Touch Your Hair? at Amazon

35. Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, and Marjory Wentworth

Award-winning authors Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, and Marjory Wentworth have compiled this collection of poems that celebrates poets who have touched their lives and influenced their work.

Buy it: Out of Wonder at Amazon

36. I’m Trying to Love Math by Bethany Barton

After convincing arguments heralding bees and spiders in her previous titles, Bethany Barton uses her powers of persuasion to demonstrate the wide reach, usefulness, and coolness of math. Read this to quell any groans about the relevance of math in the real world.

Buy it: I’m Trying to Love Math at Amazon

37. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

This multi-award winner is a classic story for middle graders. Three sisters learn about the bonds of family and the importance of racial identity when they travel to California to visit their long-missing mom.

Buy it: One Crazy Summer at Amazon

38. Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented by Tanya Lee Stone

It’s a history lesson from a completely unique angle. This is our favorite new narrative nonfiction mentor text. Of course, after reading, you’ll need to break out the board game during indoor recess or invite your students to design their own.

Buy it: Pass Go and Collect $200 at Amazon

39. Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went From the Football Field to the Art Gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace

This isn’t your typical athlete’s biography. Everyone thought Ernie Barnes should play professional football, but he never gave up on his dream of being an artist.

Buy it: Between the Lines at Amazon

40. So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt

Introduce students to this fascinating and influential woman who worked tirelessly to fight against both racial and gender inequality.

Buy it: So Tall Within at Amazon

41. Flight for Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape From East Germany by Kristen Fulton

A family secretly builds a hot-air balloon for a nighttime crossing over the Berlin Wall. This compelling story is a perfect-sized slice of history to captivate students. The information provided about the actual construction of the hot-air balloon, both in the text and extensive back matter, could also spark interesting STEM conversations about the design process.

Buy it: Flight for Freedom at Amazon

42. The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman

Maria Merian was a brave and passionate scientist who was well ahead of her time. This beautifully written and illustrated chapter book biography offers so many discussion opportunities.

Buy it: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies at Amazon

43. Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! by Marley Dias

Marley Dias, creator of the #1000blackgirlbooks movement, is an amazing peer role model to teach kids about activism.

Buy it: Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! at Amazon

44. Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night by Rob Laidlaw

Great nonfiction challenges readers’ thinking with a clear focus. This fascinating title about bat conservation does just that.

Buy it: Bat Citizens at Amazon

45. 2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow’s Kids by Amy Zuckerman and James Daly

From cool new gadgets to thoughtful discussions about how environmental change might impact the way we do things in the future, this easy-to-read book is excellent for your classroom futurists.

Buy it: 2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow’s Kids at Amazon

46. Locomotive by Brian Floca

A Caldecott Award–winning look at riding America’s first transcontinental railroad in 1869. The pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.

Buy it: Locomotive at Amazon

47. Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

Inspired by her childhood love of books like A Secret Garden and The Chronicles of Narnia, bestselling author Tahereh Mafi crafts a spellbinding new world where color is currency, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places.

Buy it: Furthermore at Amazon

48. Mighty Jack series by Ben Hatke

Kids love the intense action and adventure in this three-part, modern-day retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk from a fan-favorite graphic novelist.

Buy it: Mighty Jack series at Amazon

49. Sanity and Tallulah by Molly Brooks

This sci-fi graphic novel is such fun. BFFs Sanity and Tallulah struggle to contain an overzealous three-headed kitten before it causes chaos in their space station home. The selection of diverse, admirable female characters is “out of this world.”

Buy it: Sanity and Tallulah at Amazon

50. Maker Comics series by various authors

These graphic novel riffs on procedural texts are great for hooking reluctant readers or simply expanding kids’ concept of informational text. With tons of engaging topics from baking to costume creation to auto repair to robot building, there is something to fit every interest in these fourth grade books.

Buy it: Maker Comics at Amazon

51. Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

There are so many levels to this story of an 11-year-old boy and his grandmother’s unconventional road trip. The story packs in tons of background about the Civil Rights era without being preachy.

Buy it: Clean Getaway at Amazon

52. The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

Finally! This follow-up to the fan favorite The One and Only Ivan does not disappoint. Ivan’s funny canine friend Bob is equally endearing as a main character, especially for dog lovers—teachers and kids alike!

Buy it: The One and Only Bob at Amazon

53. The Nerviest Girl in the World by Melissa Wiley

Pearl lives on a cattle and ostrich ranch and dreams of following in her brothers’ footsteps as a stunt double in silent films. This historical fiction title is full of fun and spunk and is great for learning about a storyteller’s voice.

Buy it: The Nerviest Girl in the World at Amazon

54. On These Magic Shores by Yamile Saied Méndez

When Minerva’s mother doesn’t come home from her night shift, Minerva takes care of her younger sisters. Amid grave uncertainty, unexplained events bring bits of comfort. This Peter Pan spinoff layers magical thinking with real themes of resilience, responsibility, and family bonds. It’s a fantastic class discussion novel or one to add to a list of fourth grade books to push independent readers toward deeper comprehension.

Buy it: On These Magic Shores at Amazon

55. Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

Jingwen has lots to cope with between his recent move to Australia and his father’s death, but there’s still room for plenty of humor in this highly readable Own Voices graphic novel. It will particularly resonate with ELL students and those who’ve had to navigate a move to a new place.

Buy it: Pie in the Sky at Amazon

56. Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh by Uma Krishnaswami

Part sports novel, part WWII-era historical fiction—with a strong dose of girl power—readers will be cheering for Maria.

Buy it: Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh at Amazon

57. Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

This story of a young Latina student trying to find her place in the world gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school—and the steadfast connection that defines family.

Buy it: Merci Suárez Changes Gears at Amazon

58. Moo by Sharon Creech

A wonderful story for those looking to add a blend of prose and poetry to their library of fourth grade books. When Reena moves with her family to Maine, the last thing she expects is to have to work hard on a farm and form an unlikely friendship with an ornery cow named Zora.

Buy it: Moo at Amazon

59. Beautiful Blue World by Suzanne LaFleur

A moving story of two friends who are caught in a war-torn world. When the army begins to recruit children, will Mathilde lose her best friend Megs?

Buy it: Beautiful Blue World at Amazon

60. The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner

The fantastical story of a girl who finds friendship in the unlikeliest of companions—a young member of the Bigfoot clan.

Buy it: The Littlest Bigfoot at Amazon

61. The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

This acclaimed title is an ultimate classroom read aloud option for 4th grade books. The puzzle will hook kids’ attention, but the historical context of the end of segregation offers plenty of compelling discussions.

Buy it: The Parker Inheritance at Amazon

62. Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

We’re predicting it here: This will become a new classic for kids. It’s a fable that stars a young chimney sweep girl during Victorian times who meets tragic circumstances, but the themes of friendship, acceptance, and resilience are timeless. If you have sensitive kiddos, preview it first before reading aloud.

Buy it: Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster at Amazon

63. A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry

Based on information collected by the real tracked wolf, OR-7, this story of a young wolf separated from his pack is a breathtaking tribute to both the power of family and animal instinct. Read it aloud, then add extra copies to your stack of fourth grade books for students who want to reread it on their own.

Buy it: A Wolf Called Wander at Amazon

64. Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell

When the U.S. government passes a law declassifying her family’s tribe, Regina must grapple with tough questions about what that means for her identity—is she Indian, American, or both? This discussion-worthy novel, rooted in the author’s own experiences, is ideal for advanced readers or as a compelling class read-aloud.

Buy it: Indian No More at Amazon

65. We’re Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey

This book asks students to imagine they were sent to a completely different planet where they were the outcasts. When it happens to the main character, the situations range from funny to potentially dangerous, but the overall message is timely and meant to make your students think. And isn’t that what the best fourth grade books do?

Buy it: We’re Not From Here at Amazon

Looking for more great book lists? Subscribe to our newsletters to receive notifications when we post new ones!

Plus, check out our other elementary grade–level book lists:

• Best Kindergarten Books

• Best 1st Grade Books

• Best 2nd Grade Books

• Best 3rd Grade Books

• Best 5th Grade Books

25 Must-Read Books for 4th Graders They’ll Absolutely Love

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Choosing books for 4th graders can be difficult. After all, they can be as different as any other group of readers! There are 4th graders who enjoy stories in The New Yorker, and there are 4th grade readers who struggle to read independently.

This list of the best books for 4th graders aims for the 9- and 10-year-old’s sweet spot. Not too old, not too young; not too serious, not too silly.

1) Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

This award-winning novel is a book for all ages. It’s a perfect road-trip fantasy, and it’s a crowd pleaser for kids and adults.

The novel is inspired by Chinese folklore. It opens in the Village of Fruitless Mountain, where 10-year-old Minli lives with her family. Minli sets off from home in a series of nested adventures, something like a journey through 1001 Nights, but for kids.

Grace Lin is worth following anywhere.

My fourth grader also recommends Lin’s 2) When the Sea Turned to Silver and 3) Starry River of the Sky. All are family favorites.

4) Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

My 4th grader can’t stop reading this series. In the opening book, a telepathic 12-year-old has never quite fit in. Finally, she meets Fitz and discovers a different world. She must leave her old life and figure out a new one before things go very wrong.

There are currently eight books in this compulsively readable series.

5) Camp by Kayla Miller

This book would make a fun gift for a kid going off to summer camp for the first time.

It follows Miller’s popular Click, and it sees protagonists Olive and Willow nervously head off to camp.

Olive makes friends right away, but Willow struggles. This book gets both the stress and the excitement of sleep-away camp.

6) Encyclopedia Mythologica: Fairies and Magical Creatures Pop-Up by Matthew Reinhart (Author) and Robert Sabuda (Illustrator)

“Open this entrancing book and meet Shakespeare’s Queen Titania, springing up with her silver wings aflutter. ” This is a delight for fans of elves, castles, hobgoblins, and trolls. It is a 3D book with both facts and fancy, brownies and menfolk and more.

7)

Wildwitch: Wildfire by Lene Kaaberbøl, Translated by Charlotte Barslund

Eleven-year-old Clara is an ordinary girl, so-called. But everything changes after an encounter with a huge and frightening black cat. It scratches her, and Clara is wracked with fever. Clara’s mother knows there is only one solution, and it’s with Aunt Isa in the wild woods. A wondrous Danish fantasy, now in English.

There are currently four Wildwitch books.

8) Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliot

After his mom leaves him in Brooklyn with grouchy “Ma,” 9-year-old Max finds a mysterious package on her table. This sets in motion a series of magical events.

As it turns out, Ma just might be a real witch who must return three dragons to their magical realm.

This is an enthralling city-based fantasy for kids.

9) Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle by Hilda Eunice Burgos

Ana Maria is living in a two-bedroom in Washington Heights with her parents and three sisters. Then her parents announce a new baby is on the way! All Ana Maria wants is to practice piano and get good enough for a new school. But it’s not easy to practice with so many competing needs in one small space.

10)

Wolf and Dog by Sylvia Vanden Heede, Translated by Bill Nagelkerke

Wolf and Dog are cousins. Wolf is wild and lives in a forest on top of a hill. Dog is tame and has a basket and an owner. In these nine funny short stories by the popular Flemish children’s writer Sylvia Vanden Heede, Dog and Wolf discuss the important things in life. Food, for instance, and also family and fleas.

11) The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Mya in the Middle by Crystal Allen and Eda Kaban

This third and final book in a series focuses on middle child Mya.

Like many middle children, Mya struggles to get the attention of her sleep-deprived parents. Mya’s baby sister is too cute, and her older brother is too smart. Her struggles will be familiar to many middle kids.

12)

Who Can Crack the Leonardo da Vinci Code? By Thomas Brezina, Translated by Hannah Sartin

This an excellent book for the mystery-oriented 4th grader! It’s a children’s adventure book. In it, accompanied by a little dog Pablo, readers start their journey in a Museum of Adventures. From there, they travel back in time to meet the artist himself.

Using the tools provided, readers can solve seven riddles hidden inside Da Vinci’s paintings. When they do, they can save the museum from cunning villains.

13) Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya

Emilia is having a tough time. At school, she can’t focus. At home, her dad is newly home from deployment. He’s spending a lot of time alone in his studio, welding.

Eventually, Emilia and her father begin to weld together. The shared experience brings them together and helps them heal.

14) Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

This book is a heartbreaker. In it, Jingwen has immigrated to Australia after the death of his father, along with his mother and brother. Jingwen struggles to learn English and feel motivated in class. The only thing that still makes him happy is baking pies, something he shared with his bakery owner father.

15) The Last-Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles and Dapo Adeola

This is a quirky adventure novel about cousins Sheed and Otto Alston, legendary heroes in their hometown. This book has everything that you might for a rollicking adventure: time travel, robots, time freezing, magic mirrors and familial bickering. Overall, this strange tale kept me on my toes and left me with a smile on my face.

16) Max & The Midknights by Lincoln Peirce

This half-book, half-comic hybrid is set in the Middle Ages. In it, Max is a troubadour wandering 14th century Europe in the hopes of finding an epic quest. He needs just such a quest to make him a knight.

17) Blended by Sharon M. Draper

Isabella is struggling to deal with her parents’ divorce. She’s torn between the worlds of her white waitress mother and her Black lawyer father.

Both are in serious relationships with other people and have a hard time being around each other.

Isabella’s parents finally find a way to make common cause after Isabella and her half-brother are stopped by police.

18) 

The Case of the Missing Auntie by Michael Hutchinson

On the list of the American Indians in Children’s Literature list of “Best Books of the Year” in 2019.

In The Case of Windy Lake, Hutchinson introduced four mystery-solving Cree cousins: Atim, Chickadee, Samuel, and Otter. The four of them are known as the Mighty Muskrats. In this book, the Muskrats head for the city to visit even more cousins.

19) The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi

In this book, a trio of friends find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game, something like a giant Rubik’s cube. They must take it apart, and defeat the game’s architect, to save themselves and other children.

More than anything, 12-year-old Farah and her two best friends must save Farah’s baby brother Ahmed.

They do this with the help of a lizard guide named Henrietta Peel and an aeronaut Vijay. They battle camel spiders, red scorpions, grease monkeys, and sand cats.

20) Farah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan Muaddi Darraj

Farah is finding 5th grade difficult. A new girl shows up and starts bullying Farah’s younger brother. Farah decides she wants to deal with it on her own.

For 4th graders who are looking forward to 5th, and especially those who enjoy cooking. This book also includes the author’s recipe for hummus.

21) The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

“The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.”

This is the first book in a best-selling series, and it follows Sophie and Agatha as they make their way into their new lives. Sophie thinks she’ll be headed for the School for Good. Agatha, it seems, will be going to the School for Evil. The two girls are surprised as their assignments are reversed.

22) Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

One of the many delights by Funke, along with her Inkheart series and her wonderful The Thief Lord.

In this book, a young dragon named Firedrake gets a frightening warning. Humans are planning to destroy his valley. All the dragons must flee, and Firedrake needs to help them look for a new home. With a lonely boy named Ben on his back, Firedrake might have a chance.

23) Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power! by Mariko Tamaki (Author) and Brooklyn Allen (Illustrator)

The Lumberjanes is a fun adventure series. In this book, April leads her friends up a mountain. Except…they didn’t plan to run into the Cloud People.

The characters are bright and quirky, fun to spend time with, both for 4th graders and their adults.

24) The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko

“Claire Martinson still worries about her older sister Sophie, who battled a mysterious illness last year. But things are back to normal as they move into Windermere Manor…until the sisters climb a strange ladder in a fireplace and enter the magical land of Arden.

“There, they find a world in turmoil. The four guilds of magic no longer trust each other. The beloved unicorns have gone, and terrible wraiths roam freely. Scared, the girls return home. But when Sophie vanishes, it will take all of Claire’s courage to climb back up the ladder, find her sister, and uncover the unicorns’ greatest secret.”

25) 

Arnica, the Duck Princess by Ervin Lazar, Translated by Anna Bentley

A classic Hungarian’s children’s story. In it, clever Princess Arnica loves Poor Johnny. Both are cursed by the Witch of a Hundred Faces. One must always be a duck, one must be human.

The Seven-Headed Fairy must help them, but will she come in time?

A story of friendship for children of all ages.

Find even more books for 4th graders in our list of the best chapter books for kids.

Extracurricular reading grade 4: read fairy tales, stories for literary reading grade 4

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Fairy tales for children > Extracurricular reading Grade 4

1. Alexei Tolstoy – Ivan Tsarevich and the gray wolf

2. Anton Chekhov – White-fronted

3. Anton Chekhov — Boys

4. Vsevolod Garshin – About the toad and the rose

5. Konstantin Paustovsky – Hare paws

6. Mikhail Zoshchenko – Yolka

7. Mikhail Zoshchenko – The Most Important

8. Boris Zhitkov – About the monkey

9. Boris Zhitkov – How I caught little men

10. Boris Zhitkov – Pudya

11. Viktor Dragunsky – Childhood Friend

12. Viktor Dragunsky – What Mishka loves

13. Sadko (Bylina)

14. Vitaly Bianchi – Whose nose is better

15. Rudyard Kipling – Ricky Tikki Tavi

16. Pavel Bazhov – Blue snake

17. Pavel Bazhov – Mistress of the copper mountain

18. Hans Christian Andersen – Little Mermaid

19. Hans Christian Andersen – Nightingale

20. Hans Christian Andersen – Wild Swans

21. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak — Gray neck

22. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak – The Tale of the Brave Hare

23. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak – The Tale of Komar Komarovich

24. Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich (Bylina)

25. Dobrynya Nikitich and Serpent Gorynych (Bylina)

26. Anton Chekhov – Fugitive

27. Antony Pogorelsky – Black Hen, or Underground Inhabitants

28. Georgy Skrebitsky – Kot Ivanych

29. Leonid Panteleev – Honestly

30. Ivan Turgenev – Mumu

31. Alexander Kuprin – Barbos and Zhulka

32. Alexander Kuprin — White Poodle

33. Alexander Kuprin – Elephant

34. Battle on the Kalinov Bridge

35. Boris Zhitkov – About the elephant

36. Boris Zhitkov – Stray cat

37. Arkady Gaidar – Pokhod

38. Victor Dragunsky – Fire in the wing, or a feat in the ice

39. Victor Dragunsky – My sister Xenia

40. Mikhail Prishvin — Inventor of

41. Mikhail Prishvin – Gadgets

42. Mikhail Prishvin – Forest owner

43. Tricky Science

44. Konstantin Paustovsky – Residents of the old house

45. Vitaliy Bianchi – Anyutkina duck

46. Vitaliy Bianki – Hare, kosach, bear and Santa Claus

47. Vitaly Bianchi – How I wanted to put salt on the hare’s tail

48. Vitaly Bianchi – Whose legs are these

49. Konstantin Ushinsky – Children in the grove

50. Konstantin Ushinsky – Wind and Sun

51. Alexey Tolstoy – Rooster and millstones

52. Leo Tolstoy – Liar (Fable)

53. Leo Tolstoy – Already

54. Leo Tolstoy – Squirrel and Wolf

55. Leo Tolstoy – The Lion and the Mouse (Fable)

56. Leo Tolstoy – Father and Sons (Fable)

57. Leo Tolstoy – How a man divided geese

58. Leo Tolstoy – Two brothers

59. Hans Christian Andersen – Ole Lukoye

60. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak – The Tale of Sparrow Vorobeich

61. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak – The Tale of Voronushka

62. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak – The Tale of How the Last Fly Lived

63. Andrey Nekrasov – The Adventures of Captain Vrungel

64. Alexei Tolstoy – The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water

65. Leo Tolstoy – The dog and its shadow (Fable)

66. Leo Tolstoy – Prisoner of the Caucasus

67. Ilya Muromets: Illness and healing of Ilya

68. Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise

69. Parable of the sower

70. Parable of the Prodigal Son

71. Parable of the Pharisee and Publican

72. The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen

73. Birth and education of Hercules

74. Daedalus and Icarus (Myth)

75. Orpheus and Eurydice (Myth)

76. Andrey Platonov — Nikita

77. Andrey Platonov – Another mother

78. Victor Hugo – Cosette

79. Victor Hugo – Gavroche

80. Nikolai Leskov – fiat ruble

81. Dmitry Grigorovich — Gutta-percha boy

82. Alexei Tolstoy – Snowdrifts

83. Valery Medvedev – Barankin, be a man

84. Leo Tolstoy – Fire

85. Leo Tolstoy – Eagle

86. Leo Tolstoy – How a boy told how a thunderstorm caught him in the forest

87. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak – Priemysh

88. Victor Astafiev – Belogrudka

89. Reuben Fraerman – Girl with a stone

90. Vladimir Soloukhin — Knife with bone handle

91. Leo Tolstoy – Two comrades (Fable)

92. Leo Tolstoy – Old grandfather and granddaughter (Fable)

93. Vladimir Zheleznikov — History with ABC

94. Vladimir Dal – You have your own mind

95. Ksenia Dragunskaya – The cure for obedience

96. Anatoly Aleksin – The happiest day

97. Leo Tolstoy – Dragonfly and ants (Fable)

98. Leo Tolstoy – The Raven and the Fox (Fable)

99. Leo Tolstoy – The Ant and the Dove (Fable)

100. Leo Tolstoy – Donkey and Horse (Fable)

101. Leo Tolstoy – Rusak

102. Leo Tolstoy – The Tsar’s son and his comrades

103. Fedor Knorre – Salty Dog

104. Ivan Shmelev – Russian song

105. Georgy Skrebitsky – Fluff

106. Konstantin Paustovsky – Farewell to Summer

107. Konstantin Paustovsky – Storyteller (Christian Andersen)

108. Mikhail Zoshchenko – Adventures of a monkey

109. Mikhail Zoshchenko – Poor Fedya

110. Mikhail Prishvin – Dead tree

111. Mikhail Prishvin – Hawk and Lark

112. Irina Pivovarova – Young Lady Lucy

113. Irina Pivovarova – Secrets

114. Irina Pivovarova – How I was taught music

115. Irina Pivovarova – Seliverstov is not a guy, but gold

116. Sasha Cherny — Lucky carp

117. Victor Astafiev – Grandmother with raspberries

118. Alexandra Ishimova – History of Russia in stories for children

119. Konstantin Ushinsky – Cheerful cow

120. Konstantin Ushinsky — Postman’s bag

121. Yuri Sotnik – Swimming teacher

122. Yuri Sotnik – Viper

123. Viktor Golyavkin — Traveler

124. Valentina Oseeva — Why

125. Valentina Oseeva — In class

126. Vitaliy Bianki – Plavunchik

127. Boris Zhitkov – Myshkin

128. Anton Chekhov – I want to sleep

129. Leo Tolstoy – Peter the Great and a man

130. Alexander Raskin – How dad chose a profession

131. Sasha Cherny – Fox Mickey’s Diary

132. Alexander Kuprin – Poor Prince

133. Alexander Kuprin – Four beggars

Extracurricular reading Grade 4: read online popular, best folk tales for children, boys and girls, and their parents about love and Motherland, nature, animals. If you did not find the desired fairy tale or theme, we recommend using the search at the top of the site.

Anton Chekhov – White-browed: read a story for children, text completely online in RuStikh

The hungry wolf got up to go hunting. Her wolf cubs, all three of them, were fast asleep, huddled together, and warmed each other. She licked them and went.

It was already the spring month of March, but at night the trees cracked from the cold, as in December, and as soon as you stick out your tongue, it begins to pinch strongly. The she-wolf was in poor health, suspicious; she shuddered at the slightest noise and kept thinking about how someone at home without her would offend the wolf cubs. The smell of human and horse tracks, stumps, piled firewood and a dark manured road frightened her; it seemed to her as if people were standing behind the trees in the darkness, and somewhere behind the forest dogs were howling.

She was no longer young and her instincts had weakened, so that it happened that she mistook a fox’s track for a dog’s and sometimes even, deceived by her instincts, lost her way, which had never happened to her in her youth. Due to poor health, she no longer hunted calves and large rams, as before, and already far bypassed horses with foals, but ate only carrion; she had to eat fresh meat very rarely, only in the spring, when, having come across a hare, she took away her children or climbed into the barn where the lambs were with the peasants.

Four versts from her lair, by the postal road, there was a winter hut. Here lived the watchman Ignat, an old man of about seventy, who kept coughing and talking to himself; he usually slept at night, and during the day he wandered through the forest with a single-barreled gun and whistled at hares. He must have been a mechanic before, because every time he stopped, he shouted to himself: “Stop, car!” and before going any further: “Full speed!” With him was a huge black dog of an unknown breed, named Arapka. When she ran far ahead, he shouted to her: “Reverse!” Sometimes he sang, and at the same time he staggered strongly and often fell (the wolf thought it was from the wind) and shouted: “I went off the rails!”

The she-wolf remembered that in summer and autumn a ram and two ewes were grazing near the winter hut, and when she ran past not so long ago, she thought they were fading in the barn. And now, approaching the winter hut, she realized that it was already March and, judging by the time, there must certainly be lambs in the barn. She was tormented by hunger, she thought about how greedily she would eat the lamb, and from such thoughts her teeth clicked and her eyes shone in the darkness like two lights.

Ignat’s hut, his shed, barn and well were surrounded by high snowdrifts. It was quiet. The arapka must have been sleeping under the shed.

The she-wolf climbed up the snowdrift to the barn and began to rake the thatched roof with her paws and muzzle. The straw was rotten and loose, so that the she-wolf almost fell through; she suddenly smelled warm steam and the smell of manure and sheep’s milk right in her face. Down below, feeling cold, a lamb bleated softly. Jumping into the hole, the she-wolf fell with her front paws and chest on something soft and warm, probably on a ram, and at that moment something suddenly squealed in the stable, barked and burst into a thin, howling voice, the sheep shied against the wall, and the she-wolf, frightened, grabbed the first thing that caught her in the teeth, and rushed out . ..

She was running, straining her strength, and at that time Arapka, who had already sensed the wolf, howled furiously, disturbed chickens clucked in the winter hut, and Ignat, coming out onto the porch, shouted:

— Full speed ahead! Went to the whistle!

And he whistled like a machine, and then — ho-ho-ho-ho!.. And all this noise was repeated by the forest echo.

When, little by little, all this calmed down, the she-wolf calmed down a little and began to notice that her prey, which she held in her teeth and dragged along the snow, was heavier and, as it were, harder than lambs usually are at this time; and it seemed to smell differently, and some strange sounds were heard … The she-wolf stopped and put her burden on the snow to rest and start eating, and suddenly jumped back in disgust. It was not a lamb, but a puppy, black, with a large head and high legs, of a large breed, with the same white spot all over his forehead, like Arapka’s. Judging by his manners, he was an ignoramus, a simple mongrel. He licked his rumpled, wounded back and, as if nothing had happened, waved his tail and barked at the wolf. She growled like a dog and ran away from him. He is behind her. She looked back and clicked her teeth; he stopped in bewilderment and, probably deciding that she was playing with him, stretched out his muzzle in the direction of the winter quarters and burst into ringing joyful barking, as if inviting his mother Arapka to play with him and with the she-wolf.

It was already dawn, and when the she-wolf was making her way towards her in a dense aspen forest, each aspen tree could be clearly seen, and the black grouse was already waking up and beautiful roosters were often fluttering, disturbed by the careless jumps and barking of the puppy.

“Why is he running after me? thought the wolf with annoyance. “He must want me to eat him.”

She lived with wolf cubs in a shallow hole; about three years ago, during a strong storm, a tall old pine tree was uprooted, which is why this hole was formed. Now at the bottom of it were old leaves and moss, bones and bull horns, which the wolf cubs used to play, lay right there. They had already woken up and all three, very similar to each other, stood side by side on the edge of their pit and, looking at the returning mother, wagged their tails. Seeing them, the puppy stopped at a distance and looked at them for a long time; noticing that they, too, were looking at him attentively, he began to bark at them angrily, as if they were strangers.

It was already dawn and the sun had risen, the snow was sparkling all around, but he still stood at a distance and barked. The cubs sucked their mother, shoving her with their paws into her thin stomach, while she gnawed at the horse bone, white and dry; she was tormented by hunger, her head ached from the barking of dogs, and she wanted to rush at the uninvited guest and tear him apart.

Finally the puppy got tired and hoarse; seeing that they were not afraid of him and did not even pay attention to him, he began timidly, now crouching, now jumping, to approach the cubs. Now, in daylight, it was already easy to see him … He had a large white forehead, and a bump on his forehead, which happens in very stupid dogs; the eyes were small, blue, dull, and the expression of the whole muzzle was extremely stupid. Approaching the cubs, he stretched out his broad paws, put his muzzle on them and began:0003

— My, my… nga-nga-nga!..

The cubs did not understand anything, but wagged their tails. Then the puppy hit one wolf cub on the big head with its paw. The wolf cub also hit him on the head with his paw. The puppy stood sideways to him and looked askance at him, wagging his tail, then suddenly rushed from his place and made several circles on the crust. The cubs chased him, he fell on his back and lifted his legs up, and the three of them attacked him and, squealing with delight, began to bite him, but not painfully, but as a joke. The crows sat on a tall pine tree and looked down on their struggle, and were very worried. It got noisy and fun. The sun was already hot in the spring; and the roosters, now and then flying over a pine tree that had been felled by a storm, seemed emerald green in the glare of the sun.

Wolves usually teach their children to hunt by letting them play with prey; and now, looking at how the cubs were chasing the puppy across the crust and wrestling with him, the wolf thought:

“Let them get used to it.”

Having played enough, the wolf cubs went into the pit and went to bed. The puppy howled a little with hunger, then also stretched out in the sun. When they woke up, they started playing again.

All day and evening the she-wolf recalled how the last night the lamb bleated in the barn and how it smelled of sheep’s milk, and from appetite she kept clicking her teeth and did not stop greedily gnawing at the old bone, imagining that it was a lamb. The cubs suckled, and the puppy, which wanted to eat, ran around and sniffed the snow.

“Take him off…” the wolf decided.

She came up to him, and he licked her face and whined, thinking that she wanted to play with him. In the old days, she ate dogs, but the puppy smelled strongly of dog, and, due to poor health, she no longer tolerated this smell; she felt disgusted and moved away. ..

It got cold by nightfall. The puppy got bored and went home.

When the cubs were fast asleep, the she-wolf went hunting again. As on the previous night, she was alarmed by the slightest noise, and she was frightened by stumps, firewood, dark, solitary juniper bushes that looked like people from a distance. She ran away from the road, along the crust. Suddenly, far ahead, something dark flashed on the road … She strained her eyesight and hearing: in fact, something was moving ahead, and measured steps were even audible. Isn’t it a badger? She carefully, breathing a little, taking everything aside, overtook the dark spot, looked back at him and recognized him. This, slowly, step by step, was returning to his winter hut a puppy with a white forehead.

“No matter how he interferes with me again,” the wolf thought, and quickly ran forward.

But the winter hut was already close. She again climbed onto the barn through a snowdrift. Yesterday’s hole had already been patched up with spring straw, and two new slabs were stretched across the roof. The she-wolf began to quickly work her legs and muzzle, looking around to see if the puppy was coming, but as soon as she smelled warm steam and the smell of manure, a joyful, flooded bark was heard from behind. It’s the puppy back. He jumped to the wolf on the roof, then into the hole and, feeling at home, warm, recognizing his sheep, barked even louder … , then the frightened wolf was already far from the winter hut.

– Whoa! Ignat whistled. – Fuyt! Drive at full speed!

He pulled the trigger – the gun misfired; he lowered it again – again a misfire; he fired for the third time and a huge sheaf of fire flew out of the barrel and there was a deafening “boo! boo!” He was strongly given in the shoulder; and, taking a gun in one hand and an ax in the other, he went to see what was causing the noise…

A little later he returned to the hut.

— What is there? asked in a hoarse voice the wanderer who spent the night with him that night and was awakened by the noise.