Realistic Fiction for Grades 3-5
The titles listed below are shelved in J Fiction alphabetically by the author's last name. Many of these books are also available in paperback. Click here for a print-friendly version of this list.
| Author | Title | Call Number |
|---|
| Balliett | Hold Fast Early's father has disappeared, and now she, her mother, and her brother have been forced to join the ranks of the homeless. (274 pp.) | J Balliett |
| Baskin | Anything But Typical Jason, a boy with autism, wants to become a writer. He relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world. (195 pp.) | J Baskin |
| Birdsall | The Penderwicks On vacation with their father, four sisters share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother. (262 pp.) | J Birdsall |
| Blume | Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Peter finds his demanding toddler brother to be an increasing problem. (120 pp.) | J Blume |
| Cabot | Moving Day Allie has rules for everything, but her world is turned upside-down when she learns that her family is moving across town. (228 pp.) | J Cabot |
| Cleary | Dear Mr. Henshaw In letters to his favorite author, Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce and finding his place in the world. (133 pp.) | J Cleary |
| Clements | No Talking The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest. (146 pp.) | J Clements |
| Couloumbis | Jake When Jake's widowed mother breaks her leg just before Christmas, a grandfather Jake barely knows must come help take care of him. (162 pp.) | J Couloumbis |
| Creech | Love That Dog In this novel-in-verse, Jack, initially skeptical of poetry, comes to love it and even writes his own inspired poem. (86 pp.) | J Creech |
| Dowell | The Secret Language of Girls Marylin and Kate have been friends since nursery school, but their relationship is put to the test when they start sixth grade. (247 pp.) | J Dowell |
| English | Nikki & Deja When an arrogant new girl arrives, Nikki and Deja decide to form a club that would exclude her but find unexpected results. (76 pp.) | J English |
| Fleischman | Seedfolks A number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled city lot into a productive and beautiful garden. (69 pp.) | J Fleischman |
| Fleming | Lowji Discovers America A nine-year-old boy from India adjusts to his new life in suburban Illinois. (152 pp.) | J Fleming |
| Greenwald | Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading Middle schooler Charlie Joe Jackson is proud of his success at avoiding reading, but eventually his schemes go too far. (220 pp.) | J Greenwald |
| Konigsburg | The View from Saturday Four students attract the attention of their teacher, who chooses them for the Academic Bowl competition. (163 pp.) | J Konigsburg |
| LaFleur | Love, Aubrey While living with her Gram, Aubrey writes to deal with the deaths of her father and sister, and being abandoned by her mother. (262 pp.) | J LaFleur |
| Levy | The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher A family with two fathers, four adopted boys, and a variety of pets navigates a school year. (260 pp.) | J Levy |
| Look | Ruby Lu, Brave and True Ruby spends time with her baby brother, goes to Chinese school, performs magic tricks, learns to drive, and has more adventures. (105 pp.) | J Look |
| Lowry | Anastasia Krupnik Anastasia falls in love, gets to know her grandmother, and finds out about an impending baby brother. (113 pp.) | J Lowry |
| Margolis | Boys Are Dogs While training her puppy, Annabelle applies some of the same techniques to tame the boys that are making her life miserable. (195 pp.) | J Margolis |
| Mills | Pet Disasters Mason's parents keep trying to get him a pet, but until he and his best friend Brody adopt a three-legged dog, he is not interested. (154 pp.) | J Mills |
| Myracle | Eleven The year between turning eleven and turning twelve brings many changes for Winnie and her friends. (201 pp.) | J Myracle |
| Palacio | Wonder Auggie, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities, goes from being home-schooled to entering a private middle school. (315 pp.) | J Palacio |
| Paratore | Sunny Holiday Even though her father is in prison, spunky Sunny and her mother count their blessings and manage to find joy in every day. (160 pp.) | J Paratore |
| Sovern | The Meaning of Maggie Maggie has big plans--and big problems, like starting middle school and helping her unemployed father, who is in a wheelchair. (220 pp.) | J Sovern |
| Woods | The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond A biracial girl finally gets the chance to meet the African American side of her family. (222 pp.) | J Woods |
Last Updated: 5/15
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