This document provides summer reading suggestions for 5th graders from the Berkeley School Libraries. It lists titles in several genres including exciting adventure and fantasy stories, fascinating nonfiction, funny stories, stories that touch your heart, and graphic novels. The list encourages visiting the local library this summer to check out these engaging book options for kids.

1. Reading is Fun!!
5th grade Summer Reading Suggestions
Berkeley School Libraries, 2014
Exciting Adventure and Fantasy
Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer
Doll Bones, by Holly Black
The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus
Jinx, by Sage Blackwood
The Mark of the Dragonfly, by Jaleigh Johnson
The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier
Peak, by Roland Smith
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan
Auxier
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu
Search for WondLa, by Tony DiTerlizzi
Zombie Baseball Beatdown, by Paolo Bacigalupi
Fascinating Nonfiction
The Animal Book: A collection of the fastest, fiercest,
toughest, cleverest, shyest--and most surprising--
animals, by Steve Jenkins
Almost Astronauts: 13 women who dared to dream, by
Tanya Lee Stone
Bomb: The race to build and steal the world’s most
dangerous weapon, by Steve Sheinkin
Can We Save the Tiger?, by Martin Jenkins
Courage Has No Color, by Tanya Lee Stone
Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the dawn of
liberty, by Tonya Bolden
The Frog Scientist, by Pamela S. Turner
Josephine: The dazzling life of Josephine Baker, by
Patricia Hruby Powell
Marching for Freedom, by Elizabeth Partridge
Treasury of Egyptian Mythology, by Donna Jo Napoli
Visit your local library this summer!
berkeleypubliclibrary.org

2. Funny Stories
The 26-Story Treehouse, by Andy Griffiths
The Adventures of Nanny Piggins, by R.A. Spratt
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to NOT Reading, by
Tommy Greenwald
Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf, by Jennifer
Holm
My Life as a Book, by Janet Tashjian
The Odd Squad: Bully bait, by Michael Fry
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, by Stephan
Pastis
Zorgamazoo, by Robert Paul Weston
Stories that Touch Your Heart
The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond, by
Brenda Woods
The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander
Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Ghetto Cowboy, by Greg Neri
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
One for the Murphys, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
P.S. Be Eleven, by Rita Williams-Garcia
Return to Sender, by Julia Alvarez
Rules, by Cynthia Lord
Serafina’s Promise, by Ann E. Burg
Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt
Graphic Novels We Love!
The Stonekeeper (Amulet series), by Kazu Kibuishi
Around the World, by Matt Phelan
Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity, by Dave Roman
Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Big Bad Ironclad! (Hazardous Tales series), by
Nathan Hale
Hera:The goddess and her glory (Olympians
series), by George O’Connor
Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon Hale
Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke
Find more recommendations at
Mary Ann Scheuer’s website
greatkidbooks.blogspot.com
BUSD Library Services
berkeley.net/school-libraries