4th Grade

Summer Reading List

The following books are only suggestions, with varying reading levels appropriate to this age level to encourage our students to laugh, learn, and love reading. Feel free to browse other reading lists for more suggestions.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

By Beverly Cleary

A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.

Just Harriet

By Elana K. Arnold

Harriet Wermer is unhappy about having to spend her summer with her grandmother on Marble island until she discovers a mystery involving her Dad from when he was a boy living on the island.

The Lemonade Crime
(Book #2 of Lemonade Wars Series)

By Jacqueline Davies

When money disappears from fourth-grader Evan's pocket and everyone thinks that his annoying classmate Scott stole it, Evan's younger sister stages a trial involving the entire class, trying to prove what happened.

A Week in the Woods

By Andrew Clements

The fifth grade's annual camping trip in the woods tests Mark's survival skills and his ability to relate to a teacher who seems out to get him.

Mishka

By Edward van de Vendel

Roya, her three brothers, and their parents have a new family member — Mishka, a bunny rabbit. He soon becomes a beloved part of their new home and gradually, the rabbit — and also Roya — get to hear the story of the family's journey from Afghanistan to the Netherlands. Told from different perspectives every time: big Bashir, gentle Hamayun, tough Navid, and sometimes Mom and Dad. Mishka and Roya listen.

Saucy

By Cynthia Kadohata

When eleven-year-old Becca, a quadruplet, finds a sick piglet on the side of the road, her life is changed forever.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

By Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.

The Boy Who Grew Dragons

By Andy Shepherd

When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandpa's garden, he doesn't think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house - and gets the shock and delight of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragonfruit tree, and Tomas has got his very own dragon, Flicker ...Tomas soon finds out that life with Flicker is great fun, but also very ... unpredictable. Yes, dragons are fiery, fantastical and dazzling, but they also set fire to your toothbruth, singe your porridge, and leave your pants hanging from the TV aerial. Tomas has to learn how to look after Flicker - and quickly. And then something extraordinary happens - more dragonfruits appear on the tree. Tomas is officially growing dragons...

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

By Judy Blume

Two is a crowd when Peter and his little brother, Fudge, are in the same room. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle, Dribble, know the truth. From throwing temper tantrums to smearing mashed potatoes on the wall, Fudge causes mischief wherever he goes!

Carter Avery's Tricky Fourth-Grade Year

By Rob Buyea

Having a hard time sitting still and not blurting stuff out, Carter Avery finally gets a teacher who understands him, but when people try to get Ms. Krane fired, he embarks on a secret mission to save her while navigating an especially tricky school year.

Ban This Book

By Alan Gratz

It all started the day Amy Anne Ollinger tried to check out her favorite book in the whole world, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, from the school library. That's when Mrs. Jones, the librarian, told her the bad news: her favorite book was banned! All because a classmate's mom thought the book wasn't appropriate for kids to read.

Amy Anne decides to fight back by starting a secret banned books library out of her locker. Soon, she finds herself on the front line of an unexpected battle over book banning, censorship, and who has the right to decide what she and her fellow students can read.

Fifty-Four Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers

By Caela Carter

When she discovers she has 54 things wrong with her after reading a confidential school report, Gwendolyn Rogers is determined to get these things under control so she can go to horse camp and gets some help from an unexpected source.

Framed!

(Book #1 of T.O.A.S.T. Series)

By James Ponti

In Washington, D.C., twelve-year-old Florian Bates, a consulting detective for the FBI, and his best friend Margaret help thwart the biggest art heist in United States history.

The Chocolate Touch

By Patrick Skene Catling

In this zany twist on the legend of King Midas and his golden touch, a boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate! Can you ever have too much of your favorite food? John Midas is about to find out...

J vs. K

By Alexander Kwame

Two ten-year-olds must decide whether they should join forces to create an unbeatable duo that is sure to win their school's annual creative storytelling contest.

The Great Treehouse War

By Lisa Graff

Winnie's last day of fourth grade ended with a pretty life-changing surprise. That was the day Winnie's parents got divorced, the day they decided that Winnie would live three days a week with each of them and spend Wednesdays by herself in a treehouse smack between their houses, to divide her time perfectly evenly between them. It was the day Winnie s seed of frustration with her parents was planted, a seed that grew and grew until it felt like it was as big as a tree itself.

By the end of fifth grade, Winnie decides that the only way to change things is to barricade herself in her treehouse until her parents come to their senses and her friends decide to join her. It s kids versus grown-ups, and no one wants to back down first. But with ten kids in one treehouse, all with their own demands, Winnie discovers that things can get pretty complicated pretty fast! Even if they are having the most epic slumber party ever.

Trapped in a Video Game
(Book #1 of Trapped in a Video Game Series)

By Dustin Brady

After getting sucked in the new game Full Blast with his friend Eric, Jesse starts to see the appeal of being in the game, but pretty soon, a mysterious figure begins following Eric and Jesse, and they discover they cannot leave the game.

Camp Average

By Craig Battle

A group of 11-year-olds arrives to spend six weeks playing sports at Camp Avalon—which they affectionately call Camp Average, because they never win at any sport. And that’s the way they like it. But this summer, new camp director Winston—who hates losing—has some hyper-competitive ideas about how to improve their performance, whether they want to or not!

Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers

By Angela Dominguez

Gabby Torres is nine years old and ready to conquer the world. She's already joined the Sea Musketeers, the environmental protection club founded by her idol, Stella Díaz, and plans to be their best (and youngest) member ever. Gabby’s latest and greatest idea: start a social media page for her club. But her parents think she’s too young! Nothing stops Gabby though… until some online meanies get her in some serious trouble! But she’s totally got everything under control all on her own. Right?

Speak up, Santiago!: a Hillside Valley graphic novel

By Julio Anta

Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting local kids, eating his Abuela's delicious food and exploring, but Santi doesn't speak Spanish and it seems everyone he meets does, in a story about friends, community and identity.

Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure

By Megan Wagner Lloyd

When her beloved human and rescuer becomes too sick to care for her, Haven decides to seek another human for help and finds herself on a perilous journey that gives her a newfound confidence to see her mission through.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

By Chris Grabenstein

Twelve-year-old Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of 12 children chosen to stay in the new town library--designed by his hero, the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello--for an overnight of fun, food and games, but in the morning, the kids find all the doors still locked and must work together to solve secret puzzles in order to discover the hidden escape route.

Stand up, Yumi Chung!

By Jessica Kim

On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her "Yu-MEAT" because she smells like her family's Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she's reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage.

Instead of spending the summer studying her favorite YouTube comedians, Yumi is enrolled in test-prep tutoring to qualify for a private school scholarship, which will help in a time of hardship at the restaurant. One day after class, Yumi stumbles on an opportunity that will change her life: a comedy camp for kids taught by one of her favorite YouTube stars. The only problem is that the instructor and all the students think she's a girl named Kay Nakamura--and Yumi doesn't correct them.

As this case of mistaken identity unravels, Yumi must decide to stand up and reveal the truth or risk losing her dreams and disappointing everyone she cares about.

The Myth of Monsters: Medusa

By Katherine Marsh

A descendant of Medusa, Ava is sent to the Accademia del Forte in Venice after an altercation with a classmate, where she must learn to control her emotions, especially when she unearths a terrible secret that could change the world forever.

Fall in Love With These Nonfiction Books

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team

By Christina Soontornvat

Combines firsthand interviews with scientific and cultural insights in a middle grade account of the 2018 Thai cave rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team and the critical, sophisticated engineering operation that saved the lives of 13 young people.

How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee

By Carole Boston Weatherford

MacNolia Cox was no ordinary kid.
Her idea of fun was reading the dictionary.
In 1936, eighth grader MacNolia Cox became the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee. And with that win, she was asked to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, where she and a girl from New Jersey were the first African Americans invited since its founding. She left her home state a celebrity—right up there with Ohio’s own Joe Louis and Jesse Owens—with a military band and a crowd of thousands to see her off at the station. But celebration turned to chill when the train crossed the state line into Maryland, where segregation was the law of the land. Prejudice and discrimination ruled—on the train, in the hotel, and, sadly, at the spelling bee itself.

The Young Adventurer's Guide to (almost) Everything: Build a Fort, Camp Like a Champ, Poop in the Woods--45 Action-Packed Outdoor Activities

By Ben Hewitt

Calling all adventurers! Want to know how to build a fort from nothing but sticks? Or find your way through the forest? This survival guide is your ticket to getting down and dirty in nature and learning to make the coolest things with your own two hands. Look inside to learn how • Use a knife without bleeding • Sleep in the woods without freezing • Escape a bear without getting eaten • Poop in the woods without falling down • Find your way home without a GPS • Eat bugs without throwing up • And so much more!

Build Your Reading Stamina With a Series!