Another school year equals another chance to get kids excited about reading. I have the usual mixed bag of students this year: Some of you already love to read and have checked out the books I recommended for you; some of you think reading is just O.K.; some of you loathe it. It makes me sad when a student dislikes reading, because I know what great joy books can bring to an adult's life. Not only will being a skilled reader help you in nearly any job you'll have, it helps while away time spent waiting in the doctor's office, dentist's office, driver's license office, etc. If you really use your imagination, reading can be even better entertainment than a movie can--and--if you check your books out from a library--they are free!
Just in case you threw away the yellow sticky notes I gave you Week 2 of school, here are some of my often-recommended books for fifth graders:
Adventure:
"Peak", by Roland Smith
"Cryptid Hunters", by Roland Smith
The "Everest" series, by Gordon Korman
Fantasy:
"Harry Potter" 1-7, J. K. Rowling
"Children of the Lamp", P.B. Kerr
Historical Fiction
"Standing in the Light", Dear America series
"The Great Brain Series"(which is also very funny), by Fitzgerald
Realistic Fiction
"Al Capone Does My Shirts", Gennifer Choldenko
Ghost Stories
"Wait Til Helen Comes", by Mary Downing Hahn
"All the Lovely Bad Ones", by Mary Downing Hahn
"Deep, Dark, and Dangerous"by Mary Downing--OK, you get the idea--anything by Mary Downing Hahn.
Hey--I just got an idea for my next post. You can't go wrong with some authors. My next post will list my favorites. Happy reading!
