Great Books for 5th Grade Advanced Readers
My 10-year-old daughter is a voracious reader. She is working through the Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Program, interspersed with other books that catch her interest. Since I’m always hunting down book recommendations for her next read, today I’m sharing her favorite book recommendations for 5th-grade girls.
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The Best Books To Read (From a 10 Year-Old Girl)
Book Series recommendations for 5th grade
- The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall
#1 // The Penderwicks
#2 // The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
#3 // The Penderwicks at Point Mouette
#4 // The Penderwicks in Spring
#5 // The Penderwicks at Last
My daughter enjoyed this series so much that she has read all five books twice. The story details the adventures of the Penderwick sisters and their “honorary Penderwick” friend Jeffrey. Shenanigans, rescues, and run-ins with the strict and disagreeable Mrs. Tifton create an absorbing tale your daughter will love.
*** Jeanne Birdsall owns the film rights to The Penderwicks, and she says there are no plans for a movie. ***
- The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart
#1 // The Mysterious Benedict Society
#2 // The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
#3 // The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma
#4 // The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict
The puzzles and riddles aspect of this series is what most appealed to my daughter. We got a set that included a companion book, Mr. Benedict’s Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums.” She spent a bit of time solving these puzzles.
*** Hulu plans to create a series adaptation of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Read about that HERE. ***
- Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series by Chris Grabenstein
#1 // Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
#2 // Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics
#3 // Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race
#4 // Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game
Are you detecting a theme here? Again, the puzzle aspect was engaging for my 10 year-old. She also specifically enjoyed the competitive element of this book.
*** Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library has been made into a movie and is available to watch on Netflix. ***
- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
#1 // Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
#2 // Starry River of the Sky
#3 // When the Sea Turns to Silver
These books are more fantasy than my daughter typically enjoys, but she loved them because of the adventures experienced by the main character. The fact that the main character is a girl makes the magical mystery even more appealing to our family of three girls!
- Orphan Train Adventure series by Joan Lowery Nixon
#1 // A Family Apart
#2 // Caught in the Act
#3 // In the Face of Danger
#4 // A Place to Belong (this is as far as we’ve gotten in the series, but there are 3 more books)
#5 // A Dangerous Promise
#6 // Keeping Secrets
#7 // Circle of Love
This series was a read-aloud for us. There are seven books, and we have read the first four. The fifth book concentrates on one male character and his experience during wartime. My girls started losing interest, so I decided to revisit the remaining three books when they are slightly older.
The story of the Kelly children, who are sent west by train from New York to Missouri in 1856, is a fictional retelling of real-life events that are almost incomprehensible to us today. Read the history of the “orphan trains,” along with accounts of real-life orphan train riders at orphantraindepot.org.
- The Borrowers by Mary Norton
#1 // The Borrowers
#2 // The Borrowers Afield
#3 // The Borrowers Afloat
#4 // The Borrowers Avenged
Published in 1952, The Borrowers is the oldest book on this list, but my 10 year-old really enjoyed this story of a miniature-sized family living beneath the floorboards of an old house and their interactions with the human inhabitants.
*** The Borrowers movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime video. ***
Printable reading logs are available in my shop!
Individual Book Recommendations For 5th Grade
- Bird by Crystal Chan
My daughter read this book in school, and because of her descriptions and the reviews I have read about this novel, I plan to add it to my personal reading list. The author seems to touch on all the big emotions of anger, grief, love, and heartbreak in a way that is relatable to kids and with words that resonate deeply with all ages. “Joy is like a child…you feed it or it dies.” A sentence like that is one you read, come back to, and turn around in your mind for days.
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
I loved this book as a child, and insisted my daughter read it. If your child intrigued by words, this is full of puns, idioms, and playful word usage. The book’s main character, Milo, is perpetually bored until he receives a package with a note reading, “For Milo, who has plenty of time.” Give this book to your child the next time they complain of boredom!
- The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
This Newbery Medal winner is the story of a gorilla named Ivan, told from the first-person point of view. Animal stories are popular with kids and this one is a sharp and affecting read. It is a fictional tale, but the inspiration came from the true story of a gorilla named Ivan who lived for 27 years alone in a small enclosure.
- Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller
This is the first-person story of Anne Sullivan, the woman who famously taught Helen Keller to communicate. Anne Sullivan is an astounding person in her own right, though often overshadowed by her famous student. High recommendations for this book.
My daughter reads at a 7th-8th grade level, so a few of these have a little more advanced reading level, but are still age appropriate for a 5th grader. If there is a book or series that I think my kids would enjoy, but they seem resistant to trying it, I will start reading it to them, or get the audio version. More often than not, their interest is piqued.
We listened to the audiobook version of A Hundred Horses by Sarah Lean and my girls loved it. Just one more recommendation thrown in there for anyone with a horse-crazy tween!
Next Up…
- Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
On Our List To Read Soon
- The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
- The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertmann
- The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton
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Printable List of Book Recommendations for 5th Grade Girls
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Book Recommendations for 5th Grade Girls
