4th Grade Reads

Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk. He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son, Rion's father, is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool. Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover. He doesn't know how right he is.

Author: John David Anderson

Call Number: J FICTION AND

Twelve-year-old Xavier Moon gets the courage to step out of the shadows when his great-uncle gives him some outlandish socks and some even stranger requests.

Author: Kelly J. Baptist

Call Number: J FICTION BAP

In the late 1800s, a twelve-year-old nightspirit living in the Great Smoky Mountains despairs as homesteaders destroy her forest habitat, until a chance encounter with a "day-folk" man changes everything she thought she knew about her people -- and their greatest enemy.

Author: Robert Beatty

Call Number: J FICTION BEA

Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.

Author: Lesa Cline-Ransome

Call Number: J FICTION CLI

Beatryce, the key to a prophecy, ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of the one who wants her dead, knowing that if she loses her way, those who love her will never stop searching for her.

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Call Number: J FICTION DIC

Yusuf is excited to start middle school in his small Texas town, but with the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks coming up, suddenly it feels like the country's same anger and grief is all focused on his Muslim community.

Author: Saadia Faruqi

Call Number: J FICTION FAR

things seem a little weird, starting with the mysterious girl Matilda Sandoval who seems to know a lot about the boys, and continuing with a series of apparently random events that may not be random at all; somehow it all leads back to Preston Oglethorpe, a former student genius at their school who won the Nobel prize in Physics for his work in applied chaos theory at twenty-eight, and then mysteriously disappeared--and if the boys (and Matilda) can just connect the dots maybe they can figure out who or what is manipulating their lives, and why.

Author: Keith Calabrese

Call Number: J MYSTERY CAL

When a diamond goes missing from the Louvre, it is up to nine-year-old Julieta to identify the thief, exonerate her father, and return home to Boston before her baby brother is born. Includes glossary of French and Spanish words and notes about the Regent Diamond, Athena, and works of art mentioned in the book.

Author: Luisana Duarte Armendáriz

Call Number: J MYSTERY DUA

At an English boarding school in the 1930s, crime-solving friends Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells struggle to find an exciting mystery to investigate until Hazel discovers the dead body of Miss Bell, the science teacher.

Author: Robin Stevens

Call Number: J MYSTERY STE

Follows fifth grader Max as he searches for his best friend who disappeared, leaving behind a strange note.

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Call Number: J SCIENCE FICTION HAD

After bungling his audition to play the Scarecrow in The Wiz, fifth-grader Ailey is magically transported to 1930s Harlem where he meets his own grandfather and legendary tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

Author: Leah Henderson

Call Number: J SCIENCE FICTION HEN

In his Grandpa Al's garage workshop, child genius Frank Einstein tries to invent a robot that can learn on its own, and after an accident brings wisecracking Klink and overly expressive Klank to life, they set about helping Frank perfect his Antimatter Motor until his archnemesis, T. Edison, steals the robots for his doomsday plan.

Author: Jon Scieszka

Call Number: J SCIENCE FICTION SCI

Piper Pájaro is strong and longs to be a superhero while Sloane MacBrute puts her smarts to use for her villainous grandfather, but when a mission to steal an experimental technological device brings the two 13-year-old girls face to face with each other, the device sparks and the two girls switch bodies.

Author: Kate Karyus Quinn

Call Number: J FICTION DC (Graphic Novel)

Jen moves out to the country and has to put up with her mom and her mom's new boyfriend, as well as his kids. Suddenly part of a larger family in a new place, Jen isn't sure there is a place for her in this different world

Author: Lucy Knisley

Call Number: J FICTION KNI (Graphic Novel)

Yorick is a skeleton who was just dug up after a few hundred years of sleep. He speaks like it too. 'Forsooth, my joy, I barely can contain!' Bones is the hungry dog who did the digging. Though he cannot speak, he can chomp. What will become of these two unlikely companions? Will Yorick ever find the friend he seeks? Will Bones ever find a tasty treat that does not talk back? The course of true friendship never did run smooth.

Author: Jeremy Tankard

Call Number: J FICTION TAN (Graphic Novel)

A broad and varied collection of creative pieces resulting from a collaborative experiment: forty-four creators responded to a creative prompt provided by a co-contributor.

Author: Colby Sharp, editor

Call Number: Y STORY COLL CRE

Frustrated by the communication challenges of the hearing world as her school's only hearing-impaired student, a 12-year-old electronics whiz uses her tech skills to help a whale that has lost its ability to communicate.

Author: Lynne Kelly

Call Number: ASC J FICTION KEL

Not So Different offers a humorous, relatable, and refreshingly honest glimpse into Shane Burcaws life tackles many of the mundane and quirky questions that hes often asked about living with a disability, and shows readers that hes just as approachable, friendly, and funny as anyone else. Shane Burcaw was born with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which hinders his muscles growth. As a result, his body hasnt grown bigger and stronger as hes gotten olderits gotten smaller and weaker instead. This hasnt stopped him from doing the things he enjoys (like eating pizza and playing sports and video games) with the people he loves, but it does mean that he routinely relies on his friends and family for help with everything from brushing his teeth to rolling over in bed.

Author: Shane Burcaw

Call Number: ASC J BIO BUR

Around the world, people living with disabilities face barriers in the built environment, in employment and education, and in social attitudes and policies that can make it hard to live a full and satisfying life. The ten women we meet in this book face physical and mental health challenges, some from birth and some who became disabled later in life. But they all share the determination to make the world a better place, not just for themselves but for those who will come after them.

Author: Helen Wolfe

Call Number: J362.4 WOL

Based on the New York Times bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees, this interactive, illustrated book for ages 8-10 introduces kids to the forest through outdoor activities, quizzes, fun facts, photographs, and more!

Author: Peter Wohlleben

Call Number: J582.16 WOH

Shares recipes for young cooks of all skill levels, including options for breakfasts, snacks, beverages, dinners, and desserts, along with step-by-step photographs of tips and techniques.

Author: America's Test Kitchen

Call Number: J641.5 COM

A humorous guide explains the complexities of human behavior from the perspective of a dog, sharing advice for canines on choosing the right human pet, managing its diet, instilling an exercise regime, and deciphering human words.

Author: Maggie Mayhem; with help from Kim Sears

Call Number: J828.92 SEA

Amidst a complicated history of mistreatment by and distrust of the American government, the Navajo people--especially bilingual code talkers--helped the Allies win World War II.

Author: J. Patrick Lewis

Call Number: J940.545 LEW

This one-of-a-kind book explores the life and art of Keith Haring from his childhood through his meteoric rise to fame. It sheds light on this important artists great humanity, his concern for children, and his disregard for the establishment art world. Reproductions of Keith's signature artwork appear in scenes boldly rendered by Robert Neubecker. This is a story to inspire, and a book for Keith Haring fans of all ages to treasure.

Author: Kay A. Haring

Call Number: J BIO HARING

Presents the life of nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks who became the youngest known child to be arrested for picketing against Birmingham segregation practices in 1963.

Author: Cynthia Levenson

Call Number: J BIO HENDRICKS

Newbery-Honor winning author Joyce Sidman explores the extraordinary life and scientific discoveries of Maria Merian, who discovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented the science behind the mystery in this visual biography that features many original paintings by Maria herself.

Author: Joyce Sidman

Call Number: J BIO MERIAN