Books for 4th Graders That Our Kids Loved Most

Stanley Yelnats, wrongly accused of stealing, is sent to a juvenile detention camp where he befriends a ragtag group of boys who dig holes all day. But what are they looking for?

Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity that leaves him looking a lot different than the other kids, and Wonder chronicles his first experience attending school.

The Chronicles of Narnia are among C.S. Lewis' best known works and are absolute classics for kids. Set in the magical world of Narnia, children from the real world are transported to a world of magic, mythical beasts and talking animals.

Vanessa M.:  This series is a collaborative effort from favorite young adult authors (like Rick Riordan and Gordon Korman). The adventure fiction books star siblings that traverse across the globe searching for clues to piece together their family's mystery. This is a great book series for fourth graders to sink their teeth into as it will keep them engaged and reading for a long time!

Beth Wood:  This series about a brother and sister and their competition to have the best lemonade stand is one of my daughter's all-time favorite reads! It talks a lot about math, business and marketing ideas that kids will understand and is filled with lots of laughs along the way!

Kelly R:  My kids loved this one in fourth and fifth grade. A famous game maker designs a town's new library and opening night is celebrated with an escape room-style challenge.

Kelly R:  This is a fun book for 4th graders that inspires thought about how familiar words come to be, when a kid decides to make up a new word for the ordinary pen - and it catches on!

Kristy Pepping:  This is a great book for fourth graders and comes with a message of accepting people for who they are. Aven was born without arms and when she gets stares from strangers, she makes up silly stories as to how she lost them. But she doesn't let this stop her from doing anything. Aven moves to Arizona with her family and meets Connor who also has a disability. They learn despite their disabilities, they can do great things together and are capable of a lot more than they thought they were.

Tim Ponisciak:  These are popular books for 4th graders about cats and the clans they live with and the battles they take on against other clans. There are a lot of books.

christadiserio:  Matilda written by famous British author Roald Dahl is a classic book read by millions of children everywhere. It's about a sweet and very bright young girl who was born to some very disengaged parents. They sent Matilda to school run by a horrible principal who cannot stand children. Matilda never imagined the life outcome this school would provide for her, like meeting her incredible teacher Miss Honey, who ultimately shows Matilda a new world she never knew existed.

Kristy Pepping:  This fun graphic novel was a favorite of my fourth grade girl as the main character is super relatable and a Girl Scout just like she is. Raina, a 6th grader, falls and knocks two teeth out. This is followed by needing braces all while navigating the joys of middle school like boys and issues with friends.

Alexandra F.:  We are all huge fans of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, so we were excited to read this, her debut five book children's series, for our family book club. It's a great fantasy adventure story about a tween boy from NYC who falls down a mysterious chute in his apartment's laundry room into a fantastical land under the ground populated by gigantic mice, cockroaches, bats and other creatures, including a race of humans who have been there for centuries. Of course, he encounters many conflicts and adventures while he's down there - it's a fun read, and we enjoyed the whole series.

Kelly R:  My son and daughter both loved this book in 4th grade, a unique technology-meets-nature story with fantastic illustrations.

Kelly R:  These are great books for 4th graders about globe-trotting siblings hunting for treasure. Highly recommended by my book-loving son, but I think they'd be equally great for reluctant readers.

Kelly R:  A lonely ten-year-old girl finds a dog in the grocery store and has her summer transformed (a great pick for summer reading!). Winn Dixie the dog inspires her to make friends and seek answers to some tough questions about her life. There is a lot of depth in this book for fourth grade kids, with lessons about friendship, acceptance and loss.