Mrs. Wright's Reading Quest

Welcome to Mrs. Wright's Reading Quest!

Reading opens doors to new worlds, exciting adventures, unforgettable characters, and important life lessons. This challenge is designed to introduce students to some of the best children's literature ever written. The books on this list include classics, fantasy adventures, mysteries, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and stories that have inspired generations of readers.

Students are encouraged to choose books that interest them and set a personal reading goal for the year. Whether your goal is to read 5 books or all 40 books, every book completed is an accomplishment worth celebrating!

As students complete books from the list, they will track their progress in their Reading Passport and work toward different reading levels. Along the way, they will earn recognition and celebrate their growth as readers.

This list does not include the books that we will read together, or the books I will read aloud, throughout the school year.

The 40 Book Quest Reading List

1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis 🏰 

2. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning – Lemony Snicket 🔍 

3. Little House in the Big Woods – Laura Ingalls Wilder 🌎 

4. Charlotte's Web – E.B. White 🏰 

5. Holes – Louis Sachar 🏆 

6. Mr. Lemoncello's Library – Chris Grabenstein 🔍 

7. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan 🏰 

8. The Wild Robot – Peter Brown 🏰 

9. Sign of the Beaver – Elizabeth George Speare 🌎 

10. Bridge to Terabithia – Katherine Paterson 🏆 

11. Shiloh – Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 🏆 

12. Esperanza Rising – Pam Muñoz Ryan 🌎 

13. Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls 

14. Matilda – Roald Dahl

15. Wishtree- Katherine Applegate 🏰 

16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone – J.K. Rowling 🏰 

17. The Loser's Club – Andrew Clements

18. Walk Two Moons – Sharon Creech 🏆 

19. The Westing Game – Ellen Raskin 🏆🔍 

20. Spy School – Stuart Gibbs 🔍 

21. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell – Chris Colfer 🏰 

22. The Book Scavenger – Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 🔍 

23. Inside Out & Back Again- Thanhha La 🌎  

24. The Borrowers – Mary Norton 🏰

25. A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L'Engle 🏆🏰 

26. Tuck Everlasting – Natalie Babbitt 

27. The War That Saved My Life – Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 🌎 

28. Because of Winn-Dixie – Kate DiCamillo

29. Rules- Cynthia Lord

30. Maniac Magee- Jerry Spinelli 🏆 

31. The Incredible Journey – Sheila Burnford

32. Bud, Not Buddy – Christopher Paul Curtis 🏆🌎 

33. Because of Mr. Terupt – Rob Buyea

34. Wait Till Helen Comes – Mary Downing Hahn 🔍 

35. Running Out of Time- Margaret Peterson Haddix 🔍 

36. Front Desk – Kelly Yang

37. Fish in a Tree – Lynda Mullaly Hunt

38. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus- Dusti Bowling

39. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

40. City of Ember – Jeanne DuPrau 🏰 

Every book on this list has been carefully chosen because I believe it has something special to offer. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you think. Some may even make you cry. My hope is that along the way you'll discover new authors, new ideas, and maybe even a favorite book you'll remember for the rest of your life. Your adventure starts with the very first page 

🏆- Newberry Winners- September

🔍- Mystery or Scary- October

🌎- Historical Fiction- January

🏰- Fantasy

Reading Levels

Students may set their own reading goal and work toward the following achievement levels:

Explorer

Read 5 books

Adventurer

Read 10 books

Trailblazer

Read 15 books

Scholar

Read 20 books

Navigator

Read 30 books

Legend

Read 40 books

Remember: The goal is not to race through books. The goal is to discover great stories, develop a love of reading, and challenge yourself to become a stronger reader.

One Book. One Adventure. Endless Possibilities.