Fun Summer Reads for Fifth and Sixth Graders

By Karen Cicero
Shutterstock
What can compete with texts, Minecraft, and listening to Taylor Swift? These books can. 
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Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone

Courtesy of Scholastic Inc.

By J.K. Rowling

Send your kid to Hogwarts for the summer! Late elementary- or early middle-school is a great time for your child to embark on this much-adored series full of magical potions and endearing characters. The writing is so good you might want to read along if you haven’t already.  

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Tuck Everlasting

Courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing 

By Natalie Babbett

This book explores the thought-provoking, conversation-starting theme: What if you could live forever? 

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Wonder

Courtesy of Random House Children’s Books

By R.J. Palacio

This blockbuster book, which sparked the “Choose Kind” movement in schools, centers on Auggie, a fifth-grader with a facial deformity who is going to a mainstream school for the first time. Most kids will relate to the broader theme of the book—choosing kindness as a way to combat bullying. 

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The School for Good and Evil

Courtesy of HarperCollins

By Soman Chainani

If your child likes fantasy books, this three-part series, about best friends who are seemingly placed in the wrong schools, is packed with plot twists.   

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Chomp

Courtesy of Random House Children’s Books

By Carl Hiaasen

Even though it has quirky characters and situations (a reality-TV show is part of the plot), this book tackles social and ecological issues. 

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Series of Unfortunate Events

Courtesy of HarperCollins Children’s Books

By Lemony Snicket

This series of 13 books follows the lives of three endearing children after their parents’ death in a fire. Hope and kindness are among the key messages.

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Courtesy of Scholastic Inc.

By Brian Selznick

Encourage your child to study the pictures—more than 250 pages of drawings are interspersed about the same amount of prose in this clever format. 

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Smile

Courtesy of Graphix

By Raina Telgemeier

In this popular graphic novel, sixth-grader Raina falls after a Girl Scout trip, hurting her two front teeth. Between that, an earthquake, and boy confusion, there’s plenty of middle-school drama going on. If your child likes this book, read Sisters by the same author.  

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Inside Out and Back Again

Courtesy of HarperCollins Children’s Books

By Thanhhi Lai

Written in narrative poetry, this account of a spirited 10-year-old fleeing Vietnam is a great book to read with your kids because you’ll enjoy it as much as they will.

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The Jumbies

Courtesy of Algonquin Young Readers

By Tracy Baptiste

For children who like supernatural books, this spellbinding adaptation of a Haitian folktale is just scary enough. 

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Fun Summer Reading for All Ages

MaskaRad/shutterstock.com

*Fun Summer Reads for First and Second Graders

*Fun Summer Reads for Third and Fourth Graders

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