Favorites for 5th Graders | Oak Park Public Library

1) We dream of space

Author

Kelly, Erin Entrada

Series

Thorndike Press large print striving reader collection

Description

Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly transports readers to 1986 and introduces them to the unforgettable Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas in this pitch-perfect middle grade novel about family, friendship, science, and exploration. This acclaimed Newbery Honor Book is a great choice for readers of Kate DiCamillo, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Rebecca Stead. Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas are three siblings in...

2) Once upon a Tim

Author

Series

Once upon a Tim series volume 1
Once Upon a Tim
Once Upon a Tim volume 1

Description

With no knightly experience but plenty of pluck and an impressive vocabulary, a twelve-year-old peasant, hoping to improve his station in life, volunteers to help a cowardly prince and his not very powerful wizard rescue a princess from an evil, foul-smelling monster.

3) We're not from here

Author

Description

"Imagine being forced to move to a new planet where YOU are the alien! The first time I heard about Planet Choom, we'd been on Mars for almost a year. But life on the Mars station was grim, and since Earth was no longer an option (we may have blown it up), it was time to find a new home. That's how we ended up on Choom with the Zhuri. They're very smart. They also look like giant mosquitos. But that's not why it's so hard to live here. There's a lot...

4) Something like home

Author

Arango, Andrea Beatriz

Description

When a lost dog helps Laura find a way home to her family, they discover family in each other along the way.

5) A first time for everything: a true story

Author

Description

"A middle grade graphic memoir based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life. Dan's always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents...

6) All's faire in middle school

Author

Jamieson, Victoria

Description

Eleven-year-old Imogene (Impy) has grown up with two parents working at the Renaissance Faire, and she's eager to begin her own training as a squire. First, though, she'll need to prove her bravery. Luckily Impy has just the quest in mind-she'll go to public school after a life of being homeschooled! But it's not easy to act like a noble knight-in-training in middle school. Impy falls in with a group of girls who seem really nice-until they don't....

7) CatStronauts: Book 6, Digital disaster

Author

Brockington, Drew

Series

CatStronauts volume 6

Description

"Darby Fuzzelton, the world's richest cat, is determined to open the first-ever space hotel! Her first guests? The elite CatStronauts along with a few kittens who were top of their class at Space Camp. Their job? To prove that her space hotel is safe to the public. When the cats and kittens arrive, they're greeted by AVA, an advanced Artificial Intelligence system programmed to handle countless hotel operations. Upon seeing Cat-Stro-Bot and his ability...

8) Duel

Author

Bagley, Jessixa

Description

Sixth grader Lucy is brand-new to middle school, and when her older sister GiGi--the undisputed queen bee of eighth grade--humiliates her in the cafeteria, Lucy snaps and challenges her to a fencing duel.

9) Squished: A Graphic Novel

Author

Lloyd, Megan Wagner

Series

Description

From the Eisner-nominated duo behind the instant bestseller Allergic comes a fun new graphic novel about finding your own space... especially when you're in a family of nine!

Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood, school, and the end-of-summer fair she always goes to with her two best friends. But she's tired of feeling squished by her six siblings! They're noisy

...

Author

Christmas, Johnnie

Description

"Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees--until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help"-- Provided by...

11) The Tea Dragon Society

Author

Description

From the award-winning author of PRINCESS PRINCESS EVER AFTER comes THE TEA DRAGON SOCIETY, a charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends

...

12) Elf dog & owl head

Author

Series

Thorndike Press large print middle reader

Description

It's summer, but Clay has nothing to look forward to. For him, the sickness around the world means boredom, financial worries, and remote school., But the day he sees a peculiar young red-eared dog in the woods, Clay knows there's something special about her. There are other things in the woods, too--beautiful, ancient things, tucked in the invisible folds of the forest, where reality ripples and other worlds can be glimpsed. But as Clay and his mysterious...

13) Jumper: a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider

Author

Description

"What if you were as small as a bean and could walk on the walls and ceiling, sense vibrations through your elbows, jump five times your body length, see the world through eight eyes, and hear using tiny hairs all over your body? That is Jumper's world. Open this book and discover the fascinating hidden life of a backyard jumping spider."-- Front jacket flap.

14) Holding her own: the exceptional life of Jackie Ormes

Author

Description

"When Jackie Ormes sees an opportunity, she takes it. She's a journalist, cartoonist, fashionista, philanthropist, and activist -- and she wants to use her artistry to bring joy and hope to Black people everywhere. But in post-World War II America, Black people are still being denied their civil rights, and Jackie has a dilemma: How can her art remain true to her signature Jackie joy, while also staying honest about the inequalities Black people have...

15) Mexikid: a graphic memoir

Author

Description

"Pedro Martin's grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity in this moving and hilarious graphic memoir"-- Provided by publisher.

16) Cross my heart and never lie

Author

Series

Description

Tuva is starting seventh grade, and her checklist of goals includes: writing out a diary, getting a trendy look, building the best fort in the woods with her BFFs, and much more. But when she starts school, nothing is how she hoped it would be. Seventh grade has split her friends into rival factions: TEAM LINNEA and the girls who fall in love and TEAM BAO and the girls who NEVER fall in love. Linnea has a BOYFRIEND, Bao hates everything related to...

17) The dubious pranks of Shaindy Goodman

Author

Series

Thorndike Press large print middle reader

Description

Shaindy, a lonely twelve-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl, jumps at the opportunity to join in on a harmless prank with her classmate and neighbor Gayil, but as the pranks escalate, Shaindy realizes they are targeted at specific girls and fears she will be the next victim if she cannot find a way to stop them.

18) Finn and the intergalactic lunchbox

Author

Buckley, Michael

Series

Finniverse series volume 1
Finniverse

Description

"When Earth is threatened by an invading race of bugs called the Hunger, 11-year-old Finn, his arch-nemesis, Lincoln, his crush, Julep, and one pink unicorn lunchbox become Earth's last best hope against destruction"-- Provided by publisher.

19) Space case: a Moon Base Alpha novel

Author

Series

Moon Base Alpha
Moon Base Alpha novel volume 1

Description

"Dashiell Gibson, who lives on Moon Base Alpha, has to solve a murder of one of the moon's most prominent doctors"-- Provided by publisher.

20) Klawde: evil alien warlord cat

Author

Marciano, Johnny

Series

Klawde (Series) volume 1
Klawde Evil Alien Warlord Cat

Description

Klawde, the exiled ruler of the planet Lyttyrboks, and Raj, who just moved from Brooklyn to tiny Elba, Oregon, forge an unlikely friendship as they find their footing in a strange new world.