Fifth Grade Read Aloud List

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As my kids move into fifth grade the read alouds, and even their independent reading, becomes deeper. In other words, books begin to deal with the difficult things in life such as death, divorce, injustice, even murder. While these books might seem dark and depressing, they have inspired amazing conversations between all of us about right and wrong, dealing with emotions, and making difficult choices. Of course they are still light-hearted books on this list, as well as classic literature that I feel are must reads. This list of read aloud books was inspired by Jim Trelease’s Read Aloud Handbook and also some personal favorites that I added to it. I have also gone back and updated my other read aloud lists with printables so that you can print out my lists to have handy in your teacher planners or to carry with you to the library. Happy reading!

Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack (picture book)

Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights by Jim Haskins (picture book)

More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby (picture book)

Teammates by Peter Golenbock (picture book)

Run by William Sleator (out of print) 

Stars in My Crown by Joe David Brown (out of print) 

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer 

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine 

Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip 

Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood by Willie Morris 

My Dog Skip by Willie Morris 

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald (series)

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan 

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli 

No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt 

My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier 

The Fighting Ground by Avi 

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle 

Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman 

The Pinballs by Betsy Byars 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (series)

The Gold Cadillac by Mildred Taylor 

Christmas In The Big House, Christmas In The Quarters by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case by Chris Crowe 

Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks 

The Ruby in the Smoke: A Sally Lockhart Mystery by Philip Pullman (series)

The December Rose by Leon Garfield 

The Case of the Baker Street Irregular by Robert Newman

Sara Bishop by Scott O’Dell 

Slake's Limbo: 121 Days by Felice Holman 

Stormbreaker (Alex Rider Series) by Anthony Horowitz (series)

Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers Series) by Anthony Horowitz (series)

Thank You, Jackie Robinson by Barbara Cohen

When the Tripods Came by John Christopher (series)

Woodsong by Gary Paulsen 

Scary Stories, More Scary Stories, and Scary Stories 3 by Alvin Schwartz 

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

Sounder by William H. Armstrong

The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly 

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (This is a gorgeous illustrated version!)

The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge

Hitty Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon by S. S. Taylor (series)
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Fifth Grade Read Aloud List Download

What books are loved by the fifth graders in your house?

Chelli