# 5th grade Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) books

**8** historical fiction (middle grade) books commonly assigned to 5th grade students in US schools. Every title's grade range covers 5th grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Sourced from Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and 50 state ELA curricula.

**Reading difficulty:** the typical 5th grade band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 7 titles here with a Lexile score, 4 are grade-level, 3 more accessible, and 0 a stretch.

**Grade:** 5th grade  ·  **Genre:** Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/genre/historical-fiction-middle-grade/grade/5
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.
**Primary source — Common Core ELA exemplars:** https://achievethecore.org/page/2699

## 5th grade Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) reading list

- [A Single Shard](https://readinglist.school/book/a-single-shard) by Linda Sue Park _(920L · Grades 5–8 · pub 2001)_
- [Bea and the New Deal Horse](https://readinglist.school/book/bea-and-the-new-deal-horse) by L. M. Elliott _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2023)_
- [Chains](https://readinglist.school/book/chains) by Laurie Halse Anderson _(780L · Grades 5–9 · pub 2008)_
- [Island of the Blue Dolphins](https://readinglist.school/book/island-of-the-blue-dolphins) by Scott O'Dell _(1000L · Grades 4–7 · pub 1960)_
- [Number the Stars](https://readinglist.school/book/number-the-stars) by Lois Lowry _(670L · Grades 4–7 · pub 1989)_
- [Sarah, Plain and Tall](https://readinglist.school/book/sarah-plain-and-tall) by Patricia MacLachlan _(660L · Grades 3–5 · pub 1985)_
- [The War That Saved My Life](https://readinglist.school/book/the-war-that-saved-my-life) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley _(580L · Grades 4–7 · pub 2015)_
- [The Witch of Blackbird Pond](https://readinglist.school/book/the-witch-of-blackbird-pond) by Elizabeth George Speare _(850L · Grades 5–8 · pub 1958)_

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