The Best Books Ever!

"This is such a good book. Once you start reading it you will not be able to put it down. Literally. I sat at my table and didn’t get up until I was finished."

Looking for summer reading recommendations from real, live people? My 5th graders each compiled a #BestBookList, which could have an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

The Best Books Ever!

Recommended by Nathalie 

• Those Kids From Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly: This is such a good book. Once you start reading it you will not be able to put it down. Literally. I sat at my table and didn’t get up until I was finished. Lots of books by Erin Entrada Kelly are good but out of all of them this is my favorite. 

• Dress Coded and The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone: These aren’t two books from a series, but they come one after the other and have the same characters. They are both about issues that need solving, but they are interesting and make you feel like you are one of the people in the book campaigning to make the world a better place. Read this book! 

• City Spies by James Ponti: This series is AMAZING. It is about a family of spies, and it is so sweet but will also keep you hooked. There are so many twists and turns, you have to keep reading because otherwise you will only be able to think about what will come next. You have to read this! 

• Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger: This series is so good. It isn’t very realistic, but reading at least the first book is necessary. 

• Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan: This is a great series, and it follows Apollo as a mortal through the U.S. You should read the Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus first, but after that make sure to read this.

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts or click28iLoveMG for individual book recommendations. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

Hummingbird book review

"I looooooooove this book because it combines the real world with magic." Read on for the full review!

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Hummingbird

Recommended by Carina

My book is called Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd and the genre is fantasy. This book is about an eleven-year-old girl named Olive, who has osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) and has been homeschooled her whole life long. When she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Middle School, a traditional school that looks straight out of Olive's favorite fantasy books, she is super excited! Unfortunately, her first day goes… not so well. 

The next day, she hears about a magical hummingbird that can grant wishes, and believes it might solve all her problems. Teaming up with a new friend who also wants to find the magical bird, she starts collecting clues and looking for it, and discovers it is real. 

I looooooooove this book because it combines the real world with magic. I think it’s very well-written (THANK YOU Natalie Lloyd), I couldn't put it down! I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy with a little mystery. I definitely rate this book 5/5 stars because I love both realistic fiction and fantasy (and a little mystery to make things interesting).

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

12 Awesome Books I've Read in Fifth Grade

Not content to only share 5 books, Elsa brings you TWELVE awesome books plus six of her favorite graphic novels.

Looking for summer reading recommendations from real, live people? My 5th graders each compiled a #BestBookList, which could have an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

12 Awesome Books I've Read in Fifth Grade

Recommended by Elsa

• Myth of Monsters series - After she freezes a kid in her class by glaring at him, Ava goes to a boarding school in Venice and finds out she is descended from a Greek “monster.” 

• Masterminds - Once Eli’s friend moves out of his town, he notices really weird – even screwy – things all around him. Plus, his dad is acting really weird… 

• Dreamslinger - Aria tries to destroy the league that killed her mother and make it through the DreamslingerTrials. 

• The Gauntlet: When her aunt accidentally gives them an ancient game that takes kids as prisoners, Farah, her friends, and her brother are sucked inside. 

• Witchlings: A story about three girls who must defeat the legendary nightbeast or be turned into frogs forever. 

• Star Crossed - A story about a girl navigating school, friends, and trying out for the Shakespeare play. 

• Dragon Fire: Ocean Mist - Jaxon and Alli become friends with the Shi Shi dragons, but they need to outsmart the mean dragon named Zorg. 

• Daughters of the Lamp - A girl named Sahara finds out that magic is real while in Egypt for a wedding. 

• Tear This Down - A story about a girl named Freya who finds out the truth about the person their town’s named after, and even sneaks out in the night in secret with her friend to put signs on his statue. 

• The Girl Who Drank The Moon - A story about a girl and her witch, monster, and dragon. 

• A Duet For Home - A sweet book about two kids who live at Huey House, which is a homeless shelter, and become friends (I didn’t include the ones for graphic novels.

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts or click #iLoveMG for individual book recommendations. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

Luck Uglies review

This is part of my continuing series, #iLoveMG , where I share middle grade books that my fifth graders recommend. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) Or check out #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Luck Uglies

Recommended by Anonymous

My book is called The Luck Uglies, by Paul Durham. It is about tween Riley O’Chanter, AKA Rye, who needs to be told about her true family, and stop monsters who threaten the village she lives in. It is a very good book, and apparently, part of a trilogy. I rate this 5 stars out of 5, and please get the series if you like this book as much as i did. 

When mysterious monsters from the bogs threaten Rye’s village, it seems like the right time to call upon the old protectors , the Luck Uglies, to help, but the earl doesn’t want them back in the village. But if Rye can help, she must help. 

So She Does…

[Katie note: book two is called Luck Uglies 2: Fork-Tongued Charmers.]  

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

Inspired ... by books!

One of my fifth grade students, Ash, has been making a paper chain in honor of the people who died from WWII. “My grandfather was a veteran half a centimeter from death,” they say. “I’m making this chain in honor of him and who fought beside him.” Their idea came from one of their favorite books, Linked, and they decided to do something similar. [insert cheer]! #LinkProjectWI

Have you ever had students be inspired by a book and take action?

5 Books to Read This Summer

"It is a great book for readers who like to read realistic fiction novels."

Looking for summer reading recommendations from real, live people? My 5th graders each compiled a #BestBookList, which could have an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

5 Books to Read This Summer

Recommended by Ezra

• A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga A Rover’s Story is a realistic fiction book that takes place on Mars. It is told from the perspective of the fictional rover Resilience, who learns through the plot of the story. I would recommend it mainly for realistic fiction readers. 

• The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill The Ogress and the Orphans is in the genre of fantasy. It has a very lyrical tone and is told from the perspective of the narrator. I would recommend it for people who enjoy reading fantasy and realistic fiction. 

• Restart by Gordon Korman Restart is an amazing book told in multiple perspectives. It is about a boy who loses his memory to amnesia. But as he starts to gain his memories again, he realizes that he wants to change his personality. It is a great book for readers who like to read realistic fiction novels. 

• Mixed Up by Gordon Korman is told in multiple perspectives and is one of my favorite books of all time. It is told in the perspectives of two ordinary people who don’t know each other. One day, though, they start losing their memories and gaining the other person’s. I would recommend it for realistic fiction readers. 

• The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman is a great book told in multiple perspectives. One day in Oliver Zahn’s school, there is a new teacher. Quickly, though, the students start to realize that he knows—almost everything. How could that be? This is a great novel for people who like reading mysteries.
  
  Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts or click #iLoveMG for individual book recommendations. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?
  

Coyote Sunrise Review

This is part of my continuing series, #iLoveMG , where I share middle grade books that my fifth graders recommend. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) Or check out #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Recommended by Fiona

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is a very eventful, and charming chapter book that involves accidental passengers. Animal and human. And warm friendships that last forever. But when they decide to head back to the town, a police car pulls them over and takes the dad to jail. Coyote has to get back to that town and quick! To save the memories of her mom and sister who are gone forever but still need to be remembered. Can she save those memories or do the memories slowly fade away?

Bonus: the sequel is now out - Coyote Lost and Found.   

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?