Captain Nobody
Dean Pitchford
Hi, my name is Newton Newman, but most people call me Newt. I've always thought I couldn't be any more helpful than I already was. I woke up my big brother in the morning. I cooked breakfast for my dad. I found my mom's lost paperwork.
Then one day my brother got hurt, really, really hurt. And as he lay in a coma and my mom and dad worried I discovered I couldn't help them when it really mattered.
That made me feel bad, awful bad so I became Captain Nobody, a hero that might not be able to help his family but a hero who could help his community.
If you want to read about my adventures, see who I helped and find out what happened to my family read my book, Captain Nobody.
Published: 2009
Genre: Realistic Fiction (exaggerated)
Locations: Classroom, public library, and Amazon
Maniac Magee
by Jerry Spinelli
This is the story of Jeffrey Magee, an athlete, a rebel, a survivor, an orphan, a boy looking for a home.
After his parents die, Jeffrey lived with his Aunt and Uncle until he grew tired of watching them not get along and ran away. He spent 11 months on his own and traveled 200 miles to the town of Two Mills.
In Two Mills, Jeffrey Magee becomes Maniac Magee. He earns the new moniker as he disregards social norms, makes unlikely friends, and finds a home.
Published: 1990
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Locations: Classroom, school library, public library, and Amazon
Matilda
by Roald Dahl
Matilda is the most amazing five year old you'll ever meet or just read about. She can read classic novels, write, and multiply multiple digit numbers. What makes her even more amazing is that she has cruel and negligent parents who force her to watch TV and eat on the floor and didn't help her learn anything.
When Matilda gets to school, she meets the loving and caring teacher Miss Honey and the horrible headmistress Miss Trunchbull.
This book is all about how this sweet little genius strikes back at the adults who treat her poorly using her cleverness and one extra special power, all while building loving relationships with her teacher and classmates. Only read Matilda if you want to laugh and be touched all at the same time.
Published: 1988
Genre: Fantasy / Humor
Locations: Classroom, school library, public library, and Amazon
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
by Beverly Cleary
Ralph, a young mouse, is looking for speed and excitement, so he couldn't have been more excited when Keith, the newest visitor to his home "Room 215" at the Mountain View Inn, pulled a toy red motorcycle out of his suitcase. After Ralph and Keith, discovered they could talk due to their shared love of motorcycles, Keith allowed Ralph to ride his motorcycle at night.
The cool thing is that Ralph can actually make the motorcycle run by going "Pb-pb-b-b-b" when he sits on the seat. I mean it really runs like a gas powered motorcycle that humans ride even though it is jsut a toy. This new power leads to many death defying adventures for Ralph. Read The Mouse and the Motorcycle if you are ready for non-stop mouse and motorcycle excitement.
Published: 1965
Genre: Fantasy/ Talking Animals / Adventure
Locations: Classroom, school library, public library, and Amazon
Charlotte's Web
by E.B. White
If you were a pig growing up on a farm and had just discovered you were going to be butchered, what would you do? Would you run away?
Well, in Charlotte's Web, our innocent little pig Wilbur asks his friend Charlotte for help. The trouble is Charlotte's a spider. If you are wondering how a spider can keep a pig alive, this is the book for you. While you're reading you'll be amazed at just what Charlotte does in her attempt to save Wilbur.
Published: 1952
Genre: Fantasy/Animal Fiction
Locations: Classroom, school library, public library, and Amazon
Tiny Titans series
In this fun and cute collection of mini-comics, some of your favorite superheroes and superheroes's children are in elementary school. Despite their superpowers, the children are facing the same problems all kids face in school, like crushes and sharing, as bad kid and good kids share the same school.
The books do not need to be read in order, but some story lines are funnier and make more sense when the volumes are read in order.
Lunch Lady Graphic Novel Series
by Jarrett J. Krosockza
If you like James Bond, you'll enjoy this school based super agent series. Lunch Lady looks like a lunch lady but in all actually she is a super agent trying to protect the world from dangerous authors and crazy librarians. With help from her co-worker Betty, a technological wizard, and three students known as the "Breakfast Bunch," Lunch Lady takes on all comers.
In the second book in the series, Lunch Lady and the League of the Librarians, Lunch Lady, Betty, and the "Breakfast Bunch" need to stop a group of librarians from destroying video games.
Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novels
by Geronimo Stilton
In this series, Geronimo Stilton, editor of The Rodent Gazette, travels throughout time with his family to save historical events.
In the first book, The Discovery of America, Geronimo and his family travel back to 1492 and sail with Christopher Columbus. Their goal is to prevent the dreaded Pirate Cats from changing history.
BabyMouse Series
by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
In this inventive series of graphic novels, the authors use a white background to show Babymouse's actual life and a pink background to show her imagined life as she faces challenges that any fifth grader might encounter.
In the book Babymouse Our Hero, we see how Babymouse dreams of becoming a hero and what she does to actually become one.
Kindred Souls
by Patricia MacLachlan
Jake lives on the old family farm with his family and his 88 year old grandfather Billy. Jake and Billy are kindred souls and they spend as much time together as possible sharing stories as they walk.
One day while walking, Billy points out his old sod house to Jake and asks Jake to rebuild it. Jake doesn't believe he can take on such a difficult task and fails to get started.
Then when Billy get sicks and is hospitalized, Jake sets out to build the sod house believing its completion will make Billy better.
Can Jake build the sod house? Will Billy get better? Read this touching book to find out!
Published: 2012
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Locations: Classroom, Public Library, and Amazon
11 Birthdays
by Wendy Mass
Leo Fitzpatrick and Amanda Ellerby were born on the same day at Willow Falls Birthing Center. As their parents gaze at them through the nursery window, an old woman tells their parents "You will be sure to celebrate this day together every year, no? The day of their birth?"
Even though the parents find the advice odd, they end up celebrating Leo's and Amanda's first 10 birthdays together.
This book is about their 11th birthday though, the one they don't celebrate together because of a fight Leo and Amanda had at their 10th birthday party. Because they're not celebrating together, an enchantment starts to wreak havoc on their lives.
Read 11 Birthdays to find out happens when Leo and Amanda have to live their 11th birthday over and over again.
Published: 2009
Genre: Fantasy
Locations: Classroom, Public Library, and Amazon
Hound Dog True
by Linda Urban
This is the story of a soon to be fifth grader, Mattie, moving with her mother to live with her beloved Uncle Potluck and her fears of fitting in at a new school without any friends.
Published: 2011
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Locations: Classroom, public library, and Amazon
Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom
(book 1)
by Eric Wight
Little Frankie Pickle is one imaginative dude. This book tells the story of what happens when Frankie refuses to clean his bedroom and his mom actually lets him stop cleaning it. Told in a combination of comic strips, representing Frankie's imagination, and written text ,representing reality, this book is a fun ride.
Published: 2009
Genre: Humor/Graphic Novel-Text Combo
Locations: Classroom, public library, and Amazon
