5th Grade Reads

Cooper is lost. Ever since his father left their family three years ago, he has become distant from his friends, constantly annoyed by his little sister, Jess, and completely fed up with the pale, creepy rich girl who moved in next door and won’t stop staring at him. So when Cooper learns of an unsolved mystery his sister has discovered online, he welcomes the distraction.

Author: Rebecca K. S. Ansari

Call Number: J FICTION ANS

When twelve-year-old Edie finds letters and photographs in her attic that change everything she thought she knew about her Native American mother's adoption, she realizes she has a lot to learn about her family's history and her own identity

Author: Christine Day

Call Number: J FICTION DAY

For "Slathbog's Gold": When fifteen-year-old orphan Alex Taylor sees an odd sign in a shop window and goes inside to investigate, he is sent on a quest to defeat an evil dragon, and in the process he confronts his fears and learns about his future and his past.

Author: M. L. Forman

Call Number: J FICTION FOR

Biracial sixth-grader Stephen questions the limitations society puts on him after he notices the way strangers treat him when he hangs out with his white friends and learns about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Author: Torrey Maldonado

Call Number: J FICTION MAL

Struggling with ADHD, loneliness, and connecting with his divorced father who would rather see him embrace sports instead of cooking, sixth-grader Elliott finds an unlikely friend in popular, perfect Maribel when the two are paired in a school-wide contest.

Author: Gillian McDunn

Call Number: Y FICTION MCD

When eleven-year-old Abi moves with her father and new stepfamily into an eerie old house, something magical makes her books more real and brings a not-so-imaginary friend to stepbrother Louis.

Author: Hilary McKay

Call Number: J FICTION MCK

The Rylance family is stuck. Dad's got writer's block. Ethan promised to illustrate a group project at school--even though he can't draw. Sarah's still pining for a puppy. And they all miss Mom. So much more than they can say. Enter Inkling. Inkling begins life in Mr. Rylance's sketchbook. But one night the ink of his drawings runs together--and then leaps off the page! This small burst of creativity is about to change everything. Ethan finds him first. Inkling has absorbed a couple chapters of his math book--not good--and the story he's supposed to be illustrating for school--also not good. But Inkling's also started drawing the pictures to go with the story--which is amazing! It's just the help Ethan was looking for! Inkling helps the rest of the family too--for Sarah he's a puppy. And for Dad he's a spark of ideas for a new graphic novel. It's exactly what they all want. It's not until Inkling goes missing that this family has to face the larger questions of what they--and Inkling--truly need.

Author: Kenneth Oppel

Call Number: J FICTION OPP

Ellen, an autistic thirteen-year-old, navigates a new city, shifting friendships, a growing crush, and her queer and Jewish identities while on a class trip to Barcelona, Spain.

Author: A. J. Sass

Call Number: J FICTION SASS

When strange and seemingly unrelated events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

Author: Blue Balliett

Call Number: J MYSTERY BAL

Samantha's uncle mysteriously disappears, leaving behind extravagant gifts for her siblings and an old, rusty umbrella for Samantha with clues that lead Sam and her brother, Nipper, on adventures. Includes "amazing true facts," a list of "super-secret secrets" found in the book, and "super-secret answers."

Author: Russell Ginns

Call Number: J MYSTERY GIN

Like everyone else, twelve-year-old Cleo and her parents are sealed in an apartment without windows or doors. They never leave. They never get visitors. Their food is dropped off by drones. So they're safe. Safe from the disease that nearly wiped humans from the earth. The trade-off? They're alone. Thus, when they receive a package clearly meant for someone else--a package containing a substance critical for a stranger's survival--Cleo is stuck.

Author: Jake Burt

Call Number: Y SCIENCE FICTION BUR

Min, a thirteen-year-old girl with fox-magic, stows away on a battle cruiser and impersonates a cadet in order to solve the mystery of what happened to her older brother in the Thousand World Space Forces.

Author: Yoon Ha Lee

Call Number: Y SCIENCE FICTION LEE

Days before his thirteenth birthday, science-lover Finn learns that the women of his family are time travelers and he is expected to help locate his missing mother.

Author: Nicole Valentine

Call Number: J SCIENCE FICTION VAL

When Luno's dad FINALLY gives him the responsibility of delivering pizza orders all over the galaxy, Luno is excited, mostly. He knows that delivering pizza is no walk on the moon. There are hostile customers, and there's always the threat of his deliveries being intercepted by Quantum Pizza, the fast growing chain restaurant that will do anything to put indies like Zorgoochi Intergalactic out of business. Luno is joined by his best friend Clive, a super smart, talking clove of garlic, and Chooch, a not so smart, talking pizza oven. Their deliveries are often dangerous (try landing on a fire planet) and sometimes frustrating. All Luno wants to do is help his dad keep the family business afloat. He realizes that the owner of Quantum Pizza wants the Zorgoochi family recipe, and only Luno can protect it.

Author: Dan Yaccarino

Call Number: J SCIENCE FICTION YAC

The first LGBTQA+ anthology for middle-graders featuring stories for every letter of the acronym, including realistic, fantasy, and sci-fi stories by authors like Justina Ireland, Marieke Nijkamp, Alex Gino, and more!

Author: edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby

Call Number: J STORY COLL THI

Scout joins her middle school's band in order to go on the band's annual trip and meet her favorite author, but she is forced to face the music when the trombone section leader realizes Scout does not know how to play.

Author: Jade Armstrong

Call Number: J FICTION ARM (Graphic Novel)

Growing up in the same Chinese-American suburb, perfectionist Christine and artistic, confident, impulsive Moon become unlikely best friends, whose friendship is tested by jealousy, social expectations, and illness.

Author: Jen Wang

Call Number: J FICTION WAN (Graphic Novel)

A look at how human migration has changed the world. Part of the nonfiction Orca Think series for middle-grade readers, with photographs and illustrations throughout.

Author: Jen Sookfong Lee

Call Number: J304.873 LEE

America's most celebrated astrophysicist invites young readers to explore the mysteries of the universe.

Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Call Number: J523.01 TYS

The true story of how a city rose up from one of the worst catastrophes in American history, and how this disaster forever changed how homes, buildings, and communities are constructed. A deadly blaze engulfs Chicago for two terrifying days! A brother, a sister, and a helpless puppy must race through the city to stay one step ahead of the devilish inferno. But can they reunite with their lost family before it's too late?

Author: Kate Hannigan

Call Number: J977.3041 HAN

The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11

Author: Katherine Johnson

Call Number: J BIO JOHNSON

A National Book Award Finalist for Non-Fiction, Never Caught is the eye-opening narrative of Ona Judge, George and Martha Washington's runaway slave, who risked everything for freedom. Young Readers Edition.

Author: Erica Armstrong Dunbar

Call Number: J BIO JUDGE

When a teacher asks Sylvie's class what they want to be when they grow up, Sylvie is the only one without an answer. In this funny, perceptive graphic memoir, a girl who works very hard to be the perfect student, daughter, and friend must figure out who she is to the least demanding person in her life: herself.

Author: Sylvie Kantorovitz

Call Number: J BIO KANTOROVITZ

Trevor Noah, the funny guy who hosts The Daily Show, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist--and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his keen smarts and humor to navigate a harsh life under a racist government.

Author: Trevor Noah

Call Number: J BIO NOAH

Amid the horrors of World War II, Irena Sendler was an unlikely and unsung hero. While many people lived in fear of the Nazis, Irena defied them, even though it could have meant her life. She kept records of the children she helped smuggle away from the Nazis' grasp, and when she feared her work might be discovered, she buried her lists in jars, hoping to someday recover them and reunite children with their parents. This gripping true story of a woman who took it upon herself to help save 2,500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust is not only inspirational; it's unforgettable.

Author: Jennifer Roy

Call Number: J BIO SENDLEROWA