Reading series for 4th grade: 40 Good Book Series for 4th Graders (That Will Keep Them Reading)

Best Book Series for Fourth Grade

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Fourth grade is a great year to be a reader. Once children reach a fourth grade reading level, the quality and complexity of the stories they can read really takes off. Whenever I do family read alouds, I love to choose books that have a fourth of fifth grade reading level, because they can often be fully understood by the younger kids and still thoroughly entertaining for the big kids and adults. Below are some suggestions based on what our family has found to be the best book series for fourth grade.

Note that these fourth grade books are targeted at 9 and 10 year olds. However, remember that all children are different. Whatever your child’s age, they will have the most success if you find books that are at or just above their current reading level.

Bear Grylls Adventures

I have a friend that sells Usborne books and we were lucky enough to have her introduce us to the Bear Grylls series. We definitely are a family that like nature and being outdoors, but I think any kid would enjoy this series. Not only does it involve fun, exciting, often dangerous adventures, but they indirectly teach kids survival skill as well.

Baby Sitters Club

When I was in elementary school, I read the entire Baby Sitters Club series. It is such an addictive book series for little girls. I LOVED these books as a kid. I know that they are not considered high quality literature, but they are wholesome and entertaining and I turned out just fine. When my daughter was a toddler, I purchased several of these books used from bookstores and off Ebay. It brings me great pleasure to watch my daughter enjoying these books in her bed at night. (If your daughter likes Baby Sitters Club, also be on the lookout for used copies of Sweet Valley Twins.)

Boxcar Children

The very first book in the Boxcar Children series was one of my favorite books as a kid. All my children enjoyed it as a read-aloud as well. I feel like this is one of those series that my oldest child skipped over just because he advanced so quickly and got completely sucked up by Harry Potter. However, if you are looking for books at this reading level, this is a fun, wholesome entertaining series definitely worth trying.

Percy Jackson

I am currently reading the first book in this Percy Jackson series as a read-aloud. My 8 and 10 year olds are completely mesmerized. They never want me to stop reading. My husband and I think it’s entertaining as well. It’s a little over my 5 year old’s head, but he sticks around when I read. I am combining it with D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths (a fantastic book). My plan was originally to pass off the rest of the box set to my oldest child after I finish, but my 8 year old likes it so much, I may end up reading the next book aloud as well.

Encyclopedia Brown

I loved Encyclopedia Brown as a kid. Before my oldest was quite up to this reading level, he and I used to read these stories together. Since each book contains multiple mysteries, you can get through a whole case in under 20 minutes. Some of the stories are a little dated and I would have to explain to him what certain things meant, but overall they hold up pretty well. My son outgrow his detective phase before he hit this reading level, but if you have a child interested in mysteries, this could be a perfect fit.

Catwings

The books in this Catwings series are relatively short, but the language is more complex than easy readers. It would be a great option for kids who have the ability to read at a fourth grade level, but haven’t really built up much endurance for long novels. I did the first book in this series as a read-aloud in only a couple sittings. Ursula K. Leguin is one of my favorite authors. I love her books for young adults and adults, so I was very happy to be able to introduce my kids to her at a young age.

Janie Johnson

I can still remember reading The Face on the Milk Carton as a kid. I think I might have been a little older than fourth grade, but I thought the story was riveting. Since this Janie Johnson series was being written as I was growing up, I never read past the second book, but I will definitely be introducing them to my daughter when the time is right. I might even read them along with her. After all these years, I want to know what happened to Janie Johnson!

Choose Your Own Adventure

When I was a little kid, my much older and much cooler cousin, Chris, introduced me to the Choose Your Own Adventure series. I can still remember sitting on his bedroom floor and him reading a story to me and explaining how the books worked. It blew. my. mind. When I was old enough to read, I loved these books as much as he did. I’ve picked up a number of these over the years at used bookstores and now my fourth grader can enjoy them as well. They aren’t necessarily high quality literature, but they are definitely fun. They can be read in any order.

Related Links:

Best Book Series for Kids
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Favorite Chapter Books for Kids in 4th and 5th Grades

Finding chapter books for kids to read that they have a high interest in is key. Listed here are some of our favorite chapter book series for kids in 4th and 5th grades. Most of these are ones that I either read as a kid or used as a reading tutor. Note that while these books are generally on a 4th and 5th grade reading level, the reading levels of kids can vary greatly (some reading below grade level and others reading above.) Please do not assume that just because you teach a 4th grader, that he/she will be able to read a text at this level. It is vital that we consider both the reader’s readiness and interest level when choosing “just right” texts for him/her.

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In our favorite chapter books for kids in 2nd/3rd grade, I explore more about why chapter book series are so powerful for kids, especially for struggling readers. If you have a struggling reader who is reading below grade level, you may want to check out the books in that 2nd/3rd grade book list.

Favorite Chapter Books for Kids in 4th and 5th Grades

These books are listed from easiest to hardest reading levels.

Big Nate is one of those series that you’ll probably  either love or hate. It’s similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid in that there is a bit of crude boy humor. Whether you agree with these or not, they can get kids hooked on reading. I think kids also like the comic book look of them. If you don’t care for the humor, you may want to check books such as Ready Freddy, Stink, George Brown, Captain Awesome, Roscoe Riley, & Galaxy Zack (these are mentioned in my chapter books for 2nd/3rd graders) as well as the Hank Zipzer series found later in this post, as they have a little less boy humor and are just as much fun to read.

The I Survived Series is a phenomenal historical fiction series. I almost put on the end of our Chapter Books for 2nd and 3rd graders because they are written on approximately a 3rd grade level, but the content of some of the books may not be appropriate for the younger ages (in my opinion). This is a great series for struggling readers!

These classic books written by Beverly Cleary follow the adventures of Ralph S. Mouse. We read these this past summer together and my 3rd grader, especially enjoyed them. While Cleary’s chapters are longer, I love how descriptive and vivid her language is, helping kids to visualize what they are reading. I think they are perfect for boys AND girls. The books in the mouse series are: 1- The Mouse and the Motorcycle, 2- Runaway Ralph, and 3- Ralph S. Mouse.

Henry Winkler just has a way with words in his Hank Zipzer series. Hank is a kid who struggles in school, making him the perfect character for struggling readers, too. He is always getting himself into predicaments that are comical. I had one particular 4th grade student I tutored who devoured this series. I always got a chuckle out of reading them myself. Even though the star of this book is a boy, girls would enjoy this series as well.

The Little House books have generally been seen as girl books, but with the newer hype of Minecraft (survival mode), maybe boys would enjoy learning of the in’s and out’s of surviving on the land. 🙂 Set back in the 1800’s, this classic series helps kids understand what it may have been like to live without all the amenities they have now.

The Fudge Books by Judy Blume are ones that I greatly enjoyed as a child. Because I wasn’t a terrific reader, I don’t remember many other books that I enjoyed as much as the Fudge ones. In this series, she has give books; and while you can read them out of order, I prefer to have kids read them in order: 1- Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing, 2-Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, 3- Superfudge, 4- Fudge-a-Mania, and 5-Double Fudge.

The Ramona books were another favorite of mine as a child. Ramona is a rambunctious little girl who is always up to mischief, similar to Junie B. Jones, but on a higher reading level. I can vividly remember watching a Ramona series that came on TV and loving every minute of that as well! Although my son and I haven’t read any Ramona books, yet, I used them as a reading tutor with kids.

Books by E.B. White are ones that I enjoyed having my mother read to me as a child. While they are not really a chapter book “series”, I’ve still included them in this list…because how could I not? 🙂 So far, we’ve only read Charlotte’s Web, but Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan will be read soon! His books are simply timeless. {And for what it’s worth, as much as I loved the older cartoon movie, I really do think the newer version is better than the older.}

As mentioned above, Diary of a Wimpy Kid books can also be a great hook for boys who really don’t get too excited over the classics. Are classics needed? Absolutely! But there’s something to be said for a chapter book series that can draw a boy into reading for enjoyment. I could say the same thing about struggling readers. If you’re skeptical about using these books, I really think Homegrown Learners’ perspective on using them is extremely helpful.

The Indian in the Cupboard series is a great one for boys especially, although girls might enjoy them just as much. Follow the adventures Omri and the magical cupboard. I have just recently enjoyed reading the first book in this series to my boys (3rd grade and Kindergarten.) Many times, they got upset when I wouldn’t go ahead and read the next chapter. There are more Indian in the Cupboard books, too.

I remember reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a child, but when the movie came out years ago, I told myself I would re-read the book before I saw the movie and I’m so glad I did. While this is probably the most well-known book in the series, it is part of a larger series called The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Well worth the read!

If you want a thrill-seeking series, the Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen would be it. They’re actually leveled at a 6th grade reading level, but kids late in 5th grade would enjoy them as well. I would even suggest you put at least the first book, Hatchet, on your list of read alouds for 4th graders. This is one book you will not want to put down. I have not read every book in the series, but I did read the next one and it was just as well written.

More Reading Resources

• Reading Resources for Older Readers {Pinterest Board}
• Struggling Readers {Pinterest Board}

Chapter Books for Kids in 2nd & 3rd grade

See all our favorites books in this series.

~Becky

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Summer reading list for grades 1-4

Summer reading list
for grades 1-4

In elementary school, it is useful to reread books that were read to you when you were young. Firstly, often parents choose literature that the child is too tough for. Secondly, by rereading the old, the young reader can discover something new in it. The “rediscovery” of a literary text is a very useful phenomenon. It allows you to meet your imperfect self in the past, to suspect that everything is not so smooth now, to be surprised at the depth of the text through: “Mom, dad, I didn’t notice this before!”

It is better to choose books not from the proposed list, but directly from the bookshelf. When a child chooses a book, he can orient himself:

– on the advice of a friend or on “I heard from someone somewhere”;
– for the cover and illustrations;
– for the title, abstract and table of contents.

If a child starts reading a book from the end or from the middle, do not stop him. If after “reading from the end” interest in the book disappears, do not be discouraged. There was just a fleeting meeting with the book, and the child did not get to know it. She is not his. There are many more books.

Do not force a child to read aloud, and certainly do not correct him when he reads aloud at the behest of his soul.

Often the history of the author of the text and the history of the illustrator do not coincide. Rejoice if your young reader finds inconsistencies. For example, Kipling, who illustrated his own fairy tales, allowed these inconsistencies on purpose to make the reader feel smarter.

If a child prefers books without pictures, then he has a good imagination and illustrations interfere with him. If he chooses exclusively comics, then he has well-built cause-and-effect relationships and a contextual understanding of life situations, the text may simply interfere with him. In the first situation, refer to the work of Dürer, in the second – offer short stories, draw together.

If a child categorically refuses to read, which is unlikely with our system of learning to read, read aloud to him, let him listen to audio books, if this does not help, throw the TV, tablet and smartphone in the trash. Live in silence.

With the help of a book, I would like to make a child happy or convey to him a non-trivial idea that stealing, for example, is not good. Do not deny yourself this joy, just do it easily, without edification, so as not to kill the artistic component of the text. A work on that and a work that affects the reader in a cunning and strange way. Without these: “you see” or “I told you so.”

Our elementary school and librarians have prepared guidelines for
(and beyond) summer reading for students in grades 1-4.
At first we collected a long list of 130 books, but we realized
that this is too much.
And they stopped only at the most favorite ones.

Grades 1-2 Grades 2-3 Grades 3-4 G. Dyadina and others

A. Anisimova “The Music of My Woodpecker”

Reading list for grades 5-11

This list is called “summer reading”.