good books for 5th graders?

Shiloh might be good. (I’m going to blank on the author’s name.) It’s a lovely story and a pleasant read for 5th graders who are not too far behind. It appeals to both boys and girls.

Sara, Here is a list of some of the books my last year 5th grader son loved. “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” series by C.S. Lewis. He couldn’t wait to read all of these books. “Maniac Magee” by Jerry Spinelli. “My Side of the Mountain” by Jean George. “King of the Wind” by Marguerite Henry. “There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom” by Louis Sachar. These books have boys for the main charactor. He also really liked and still is reading “Little House on the Praire” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Hope this gives you a start.
Donna

I team teach with the fifth grade teacher in our school. When we did Reader’s Workshop last year, all the students in the classroom who were reading below grade level, but not necessarily L.D. loved the Captain Underpants books. They are great for humor and the kids think they are cool. The students wrote their own comics after we were done reading. The books that have the titles If I Lived … . During the Civil War, Revolutionary War, etc. are great to use alongside the social studies curriculum and boys usually enjoy nonfiction more than fiction. You might want to try having the boys listen to Harry Potter on tape and make a comprehension unit to go with it. I’ve heard the tapes are wonderful to listen to. Stone Fox is a great book and you can even buy a unit to go with it at a Teacher’s store. Matt Christopher writes sports books, and on that same line kids can be open to biographies and poetry. Shel Silverstein has funny poetry that most 5th grade boys would find funny. Poetry is also shorter, therefore more motivating to read for the reluctant reader. I don’t know who the author is but one 5th grade boy last year loved the Bunnicula books, and I think there are 3 in the series.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.

I agree heartily with the previous suggestions - especially Maniac Magee. I would add Tolkien’s The Hobbit, (who can forget Harry Potter?), and use the world of short stories in my endeavors.

Take a look at Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events. There are seven thus far and it helps to read them in order, starting with The Bad Beginning. They are mildly perverse in a way kids enjoy and he drops in a lot of explanations of words and literary terms like dramatic irony. You can check out the website at lemonysnicket.com.