5th grade reading list

5th grade students in US schools are commonly assigned 1215 books across Common Core Appendix B, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA curricula. Each title links to its grade citations.

Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Reading difficulty: the typical 5th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 88 titles here with a Lexile score, 49 are grade-level, 38 are more accessible (often chosen for theme over reading challenge), and 1 is a stretch text. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.

Most-assigned nationally: across every US state’s official reading and award lists, the Elementary (K–5) titles appearing in the most states are Wonder (29 states), Because of Winn-Dixie (26 states), and Shiloh (25 states). From our 2026 study of 13,258 source-cited assignments (as of 2026-07-13).

Start here — the most-assigned 5th grade titles

Ranked by how many curricula actually cite each title for this grade, then read against the Common Core Appendix A complexity band. Reading level is not the same as thematic maturity — several of these sit below the band and are assigned for discussion.

  1. Wonder

    R.J. Palacio

    Cited in 27 curricula across 28 states, taught from grade 3 to 7. Covers facial difference, kindness and bullying. At 790L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  2. Because of Winn-Dixie

    Kate DiCamillo

    Cited in 24 curricula across 26 states, taught from grade 3 to 5. Covers loss, friendship and mother absence. At 610L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  3. Shiloh

    Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    Cited in 23 curricula across 25 states, taught from grade 3 to 6. Covers animal welfare, morality and family. At 890L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  4. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

    Chris Grabenstein

    Cited in 22 curricula across 23 states, taught from grade 4 to 6.

    Get it on Amazon

  5. Holes

    Louis Sachar

    Cited in 20 curricula across 21 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers fate vs choice, friendship and justice. At 660L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  6. New Kid

    Jerry Craft

    Cited in 18 curricula across 19 states, taught from grade 4 to 8. Covers race and identity, code-switching, middle school adjustment.

    Get it on Amazon

  7. Maniac Magee

    Jerry Spinelli

    Cited in 18 curricula across 18 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers race, homelessness and family. At 820L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  8. The Tale of Despereaux

    Kate DiCamillo

    Cited in 16 curricula across 17 states, taught from grade 3 to 6. Covers courage, forgiveness and light vs dark. At 670L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  9. There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

    Louis Sachar

    Cited in 15 curricula across 19 states, taught from grade 4 to 6.

    Get it on Amazon

  10. Out of My Mind

    Sharon M. Draper

    Cited in 14 curricula across 12 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers disability, inclusion and intelligence. At 700L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  11. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

    Rick Riordan

    Cited in 14 curricula across 12 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers Greek mythology, neurodivergence (dyslexia, ADHD) and friendship. At 740L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  12. The War That Saved My Life

    Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

    Cited in 14 curricula across 11 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers war, resilience and disability. At 580L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  13. Diary of a Wimpy Kid

    Jeff Kinney

    Cited in 13 curricula across 16 states, taught from grade 3 to 7. Covers school, friendship and family. At 950L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  14. Refugee

    Alan Gratz

    Cited in 13 curricula across 16 states, taught from grade 5 to 9. Covers refugees, survival and family. At 800L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  15. Restart

    Gordon Korman

    Cited in 13 curricula across 13 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers identity, bullying and memory. At 730L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  16. 11 Birthdays

    Wendy Mass

    Cited in 12 curricula across 13 states, taught from grade 3 to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  17. El Deafo

    Cece Bell

    Cited in 12 curricula across 13 states, taught from grade 4 to 6. Covers disability, friendship and self-acceptance. At 420L it reads well below the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  18. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

    J.K. Rowling

    Cited in 12 curricula across 12 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers friendship, courage and good vs evil. At 880L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  19. Smile

    Raina Telgemeier

    Cited in 12 curricula across 10 states, taught from grade 4 to 8. Covers growing up, friendship and self-acceptance. At 410L it reads well below the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  20. The Crossover

    Kwame Alexander

    Cited in 12 curricula across 10 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers family, brotherhood and basketball. At 750L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  21. Frindle

    Andrew Clements

    Cited in 11 curricula across 15 states, taught from grade 3 to 7. Covers creativity, language and thought, intelligence. At 830L it falls inside the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  22. Roller Girl

    Victoria Jamieson

    Cited in 11 curricula across 14 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers friendship, perseverance and growing up. At 440L it reads well below the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  23. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

    Kate DiCamillo

    Cited in 11 curricula across 14 states, taught from grade 3 to 6. Covers love, loss and journey.

    Get it on Amazon

  24. When Stars Are Scattered

    Victoria Jamieson

    Cited in 11 curricula across 14 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers refugees, family and hope.

    Get it on Amazon

  25. Superfudge

    Judy Blume

    Cited in 10 curricula across 14 states, taught from grade 3 to 6.

    Get it on Amazon

  26. Ghost

    Jason Reynolds

    Cited in 10 curricula across 9 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers running, family violence and mentorship. At 730L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  27. Mick Harte Was Here

    Barbara Park

    Cited in 10 curricula across 9 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Covers grief, family and safety.

    Get it on Amazon

  28. Number the Stars

    Lois Lowry

    Cited in 10 curricula across 9 states, taught from grade 4 to 7. Covers courage, friendship and Holocaust. At 670L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.

    Get it on Amazon

  29. Odder

    Katherine Applegate

    Cited in 10 curricula across 9 states, taught from grade 3 to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  30. The City of Ember

    Jeanne DuPrau

    Cited in 10 curricula across 9 states, taught from grade 4 to 6.

    Get it on Amazon

1215 books with a 5th grade citation

Titles whose grade range covers 5th grade in a state ELA curriculum or a national reference (Common Core Appendix B, AP, IB).

Show all 1215 titles

Reading the whole 5th grade reading list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Know a parent or teacher who needs this? Share it:FacebookPinterest

Narrow by curriculum

Full curriculum guides: Common Core State Standards (ELA)

Grade lists overlap more than they look: the median assigned book is taught across four grade levels, so a title here may well appear a year either side.

Cross-check by state

Some titles are cited nationally, others only in one state’s standards. These 45 states have cited 5th grade assignments:

Browse 5th grade by theme

Browse 5th grade by genre

▸Embed this list on your site

Copy + paste this snippet into any school newsletter, classroom blog, library site, or homeschool resource page. The embed shows the top 12 titles and links back to the full list. Updates automatically when ReadingList’s data changes.

<iframe src="https://readinglist.school/embed/grade/5" width="100%" height="540" style="border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);border-radius:6px;max-width:640px" loading="lazy" title="5th grade reading list — ReadingList.school"></iframe>

Preview: /embed/grade/5 · License: CC BY 4.0 (please credit “ReadingList.school”).

Frequently asked questions

What books do 5th grade students read in US schools?

1215 books are commonly assigned to 5th grade students across US schools — sourced from Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and 50 state curricula. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations.

How many books are on the 5th grade reading list?

This page lists 1215 5th grade titles, of which 1215 have a verified state or national curriculum citation at the 5th grade level.

Are these 5th grade books in Common Core?

Many 5th grade books on this list appear in the Common Core State Standards Appendix B exemplar texts. Each book card links to its full citation history including which states + curricula reference it. Look for the "Common Core" tag on individual book pages.

How do I pick a 5th grade book for my student?

Filter by curriculum using the pivots above (Common Core, AP, IB, Cambridge, state-specific). Each book page shows its grade range, themes, and which curricula list it. For homeschool or differentiation, books with overlapping grade ranges (±2 grades) work for 5th grade students.

Reading guides for parents

Was this page helpful?

Browse by another angle

Canonical URL: https://readinglist.school/grade/5