1970s books assigned in 5th grade
US schools assign 64 books written in the 1970s to 5th grade students, across 27 states, spanning 470L–920L. Every title below is cited from a state ELA standard, district reading list, or AP/IB syllabus.
Most widely assigned from the 1970s
Bunnicula
Deborah Howe · on 10 reading lists
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- Titles
- 64
- Written
- 1970–1979
- Lexile range
- 470L–920L
- States assigning
- 27
The list — 1970s, 5th grade
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A Gathering of DaysJoan W. Blos
Africa DreamEloise Greenfield
All the Money in the WorldBill Brittain
Alvin's Swap ShopClifford B. Hicks
And You Give Me a Pain, ElaineStella Pevsner
Anno's AlphabetMitsumasa Anno
Anno's JourneyMitsumasa Anno
Are You There God? It's Me, MargaretJudy Blume
Banana TwistFlorence Parry Heide
BigfootHal George Evarts
BlubberJudy Blume
Bridge to TerabithiaKatherine Paterson · 810L
BunniculaDeborah Howe
Charlie and the Great Glass ElevatorRoald Dahl
Child of the OwlLaurence Yep
CornrowsCamille Yarbrough
Danny, the Champion of the WorldRoald Dahl
DominicWilliam Steig
Don't Hurt LaurieWillo Davis Roberts
Duey's TalePearl Bailey
Escape to FreedomOssie Davis
Freaky FridayMary Rodgers
Harry Cat's Pet PuppyGeorge Selden
Help! I'm a Prisoner in the LibraryEth Clifford
Show all 64 books (tap a title to open its page)
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- How to Eat Fried Worms
- I Never Had It Made
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull
- Julie of the Wolves
- M.C. Higgins, the Great
- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
- My Robot Buddy
- One More Flight
- Ramona and Her Father
- Ray Charles
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
- Runaway Ralph
- Summer of My German Soldier
- Summer of the Monkeys
- Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
- The Butterfly
- The Cat Ate My Gymsuit
- The Dark Is Rising
- The Garden of Abdul Gasazi
- The Ghost on Saturday Night
- The Girl who Cried Flowers, and Other Tales
- The Goof that Won the Pennant
- The Great Brain Reforms
- The Great Christmas Kidnaping Caper
- The Great Gilly Hopkins
- The Grey King
- The Headless Cupid
- The Legend of Africania
- The Pinballs
- The Road from Home
- The Slave Dancer
- The Story of Stevie Wonder
- The Summer of the Swans
- The Trumpet of the Swan
- The Westing Game
- The Young Landlords
- Tristan And Iseult
- Tuck Everlasting
- Voyaging to Cathay
Most-assigned 1970s authors in 5th grade
Judy Blume (3) · Mitsumasa Anno (2) · Katherine Paterson (2) · Roald Dahl (2) · Beverly Cleary (2) · Susan Cooper (2)
Common questions
- How many 1970s books are assigned in 5th grade?
- 64 books written between 1970 and 1979 appear on 5th grade reading lists tracked by ReadingList. Each one is cited from a state department of education, district list, or AP/IB syllabus.
- What Lexile range do these 1970s books cover?
- Lexile measures for the 1970s titles assigned in 5th grade run from 470L to 920L. Poetry, drama, and graphic novels without a published Lexile measure are not counted in that range.
- Are these assigned nationally or in a few states?
- 27 states assign at least one 1970s title at 5th grade in the lists tracked here, so this is a broad pattern rather than a single state's canon. Per-state lists are on each state page.