5th grade reading list

5th grade students (ages 10–11) in US schools are commonly assigned 1623 books from state ELA curricula and national sources: the Common Core State Standards (ELA), plus awards such as the Golden Kite Award, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and the Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction. Each title links to its grade citations.

Your state’s 5th grade list:

Most assigned for 5th grade: Wonder by R.J. Palacio — on 29 reading lists

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Reading difficulty: the typical 5th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 88 titles here with a Lexile score, 49 are grade-level, 38 are more accessible (often chosen for theme over reading challenge), and 1 is a stretch text. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.

Most-assigned on state lists: across every US state’s official reading and award lists, the Elementary (K–5) titles appearing in the most states are Wonder (29 states), Because of Winn-Dixie (26 states), and Shiloh (25 states). From our 2026 study of 13,258 source-cited assignments (as of 2026-07-13).

Our pick to start — the most-cited 5th grade titles

Ranked by how many curricula actually cite each title for this grade, then read against the Common Core Appendix A complexity band. Reading level is not the same as thematic maturity — several of these sit below the band and are assigned for discussion.

  1. Wonder

    R.J. Palacio

    Cited in 29 curricula across 30 states, taught from grade 3 to 7. Covers facial difference, kindness and bullying. At 790L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  2. Because of Winn-Dixie

    Kate DiCamillo

    Cited in 28 curricula across 30 states, taught from grade 3 to 5. Covers loss, friendship and mother absence. At 610L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  3. Shiloh

    Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    Cited in 24 curricula across 26 states, taught from grade 3 to 6. Covers animal welfare, morality and family. At 890L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  4. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

    Chris Grabenstein

    Cited in 24 curricula across 25 states, taught from grade 4 to 6.

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  5. Holes

    Louis Sachar

    Cited in 21 curricula across 21 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers fate vs choice, friendship and justice. At 660L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  6. Maniac Magee

    Jerry Spinelli

    Cited in 19 curricula across 19 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers race, homelessness and family. At 820L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  7. New Kid

    Jerry Craft

    Cited in 18 curricula across 19 states, taught from grade 4 to 8. Covers race and identity, code-switching, middle school adjustment.

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  8. The Tale of Despereaux

    Kate DiCamillo

    Cited in 17 curricula across 18 states, taught from grade 3 to 6. Covers courage, forgiveness and light vs dark. At 670L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  9. Superfudge

    Judy Blume

    Cited in 16 curricula across 20 states, taught from grade 3 to 6.

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  10. There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

    Louis Sachar

    Cited in 16 curricula across 20 states, taught from grade 4 to 6.

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  11. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

    Rick Riordan

    Cited in 16 curricula across 13 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers Greek mythology, neurodivergence (dyslexia, ADHD) and friendship. At 740L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  12. El Deafo

    Cece Bell

    Cited in 15 curricula across 16 states, taught from grade 4 to 6. Covers disability, friendship and self-acceptance. At 420L it reads well below the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  13. 11 Birthdays

    Wendy Mass

    Cited in 14 curricula across 15 states, taught from grade 3 to 5.

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  14. Out of My Mind

    Sharon M. Draper

    Cited in 14 curricula across 12 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers disability, inclusion and intelligence. At 700L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  15. The War That Saved My Life

    Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

    Cited in 14 curricula across 11 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers war, resilience and disability. At 580L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  16. Frindle

    Andrew Clements

    Cited in 13 curricula across 17 states, taught from grade 3 to 7. Covers creativity, language and thought, intelligence. At 830L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  17. Diary of a Wimpy Kid

    Jeff Kinney

    Cited in 13 curricula across 16 states, taught from grade 3 to 7. Covers school, friendship and family. At 950L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  18. Refugee

    Alan Gratz

    Cited in 13 curricula across 16 states, taught from grade 5 to 9. Covers refugees, survival and family. At 800L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  19. Restart

    Gordon Korman

    Cited in 13 curricula across 13 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers identity, bullying and memory. At 730L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  20. Smile

    Raina Telgemeier

    Cited in 13 curricula across 11 states, taught from grade 4 to 8. Covers growing up, friendship and self-acceptance. At 410L it reads well below the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  21. Roller Girl

    Victoria Jamieson

    Cited in 12 curricula across 15 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers friendship, perseverance and growing up. At 440L it reads well below the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  22. When Stars Are Scattered

    Victoria Jamieson

    Cited in 12 curricula across 15 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers refugees, family and hope.

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  23. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

    J.K. Rowling

    Cited in 12 curricula across 12 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers friendship, courage and good vs evil. At 880L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  24. Odder

    Katherine Applegate

    Cited in 12 curricula across 11 states, taught from grade 3 to 5.

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  25. The Crossover

    Kwame Alexander

    Cited in 12 curricula across 10 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers family, brotherhood and basketball. At 750L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  26. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

    Kate DiCamillo

    Cited in 11 curricula across 14 states, taught from grade 3 to 6. Covers love, loss and journey.

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  27. Wait Till Helen Comes

    Mary Downing Hahn

    Cited in 11 curricula across 14 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers ghosts, family and jealousy.

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  28. Mick Harte Was Here

    Barbara Park

    Cited in 11 curricula across 10 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers grief, family and safety.

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  29. Matilda

    Roald Dahl

    Cited in 11 curricula across 9 states, taught from grade 3 to 6. Covers intelligence, overcoming neglect and teacher-student bond. At 840L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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  30. Number the Stars

    Lois Lowry

    Cited in 11 curricula across 9 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers courage, friendship and Holocaust. At 670L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

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1623 books with a 5th grade citation

Titles whose grade range covers 5th grade in a state ELA curriculum or a national list (the Common Core State Standards (ELA), the Golden Kite Award and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award).

Show all 1623 titles

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Narrow by curriculum

Full curriculum guides: Common Core State Standards (ELA)

101 books on this list won the Newbery Medal. What the Newbery Medal is

Grade lists overlap more than they look: the median assigned book is taught across four grade levels, so a title here may well appear a year either side.

Cross-check by state

Some titles are cited nationally, others only in one state’s standards. These 49 states have cited 5th grade assignments:

Browse 5th grade by theme

Browse 5th grade by genre

Browse 5th grade by decade

When a book was written changes what it asks of a reader. These 11 decades have cited 5th grade assignments:

Readers who liked…

Books like these 5th grade favorites:

34 more “books like” lists for 5th grade
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Frequently asked questions

What books do 5th grade students read in US schools?

1623 books are commonly assigned to 5th grade students across US schools. They come from state curricula and national sources: the Common Core State Standards (ELA), plus awards such as the Golden Kite Award, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and the Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations.

How many books are on the 5th grade reading list?

This page lists 1623 5th grade titles, of which 1623 have a verified state or national curriculum citation at the 5th grade level.

Are these 5th grade books in Common Core?

Many 5th grade books on this list appear in the Common Core State Standards Appendix B exemplar texts. Each book card links to its full citation history including which states + curricula reference it. Look for the "Common Core" tag on individual book pages.

How do I pick a 5th grade book for my student?

Narrow the list using the curriculum and state links above. Each book page shows its grade range, themes, and which curricula list it. For homeschool or differentiation, books with overlapping grade ranges (±2 grades) work for 5th grade students.

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