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2025 Summer Reading Suggestions from the TSC Library: Incoming 5th Grade

Welcome Incoming 5th Grade Readers and Families!

Welcome Incoming 5th Grade Readers and Families!undefined

Check out the lists below for summer reading ideas, including books recommended by TSC teachers and students. 

Explore the TSC Library To Go site to find even more summer resources for reading and learning. Don't forget: the TSC digital library with Sora is always open! Visit the Sora FAQ section of the TSC Library To Go site for more information about reading with Sora.  Happy reading!

* = Look for more books in the series.

Books to Support Conversations Around Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Empathy

undefinedTHE UNDEFEATED By Kwame Alexander

CARRY ON: POETRY BY YOUNG IMMIGRANTS Edited by Simon Boulerice

 THE NOTEBOOK KEEPER: A STORY OF KINDNESS FROM THE BORDER By Stephen Briseño

I AM NOT A LABEL: 34 DISABLED ARTISTS, THINKERS, ATHLETES AND ACTIVISTS FROM PAST AND PRESENT By Cerrie Burnell
 

WHO IS MALALA YOUSAFZAI? By Dinah Brown

RICK By Alex Gino

STRANGE FRUIT: BILLIE HOLIDAY AND THE POWER OF A PROTEST SONG By Gary Golio

TROUBLEMAKER FOR JUSTICE By Jacqueline Houtman, Walter Naegle, Michael G. Long

NOTABLE NATIVE PEOPLE: 50 INDIGENOUS LEADERS, DREAMERS, AND CHANGEMAKERS FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT By Adrienne Keene

CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? By Irene Latham & Charles Waters

CRACKING THE WALL: THE STRUGGLES OF THE LITTLE ROCK NINE By Eileen Lucas

POCKET CHANGE: PITCHING IN FOR A BETTER WORLD By Michelle Mulder

A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE By Lisa Moore Ramée

42 IS NOT JUST A NUMBER By Doreen Rappapor

THE HERO NEXT DOOR Edited by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

THE POWER BOOK: WHAT IS IT, WHO HAS IT, AND WHY? By Claire Saunders, Georgia Buckthorn, Minna Salami, Mik Scarlet, and Hazel Songhurst

A YOUNG PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES By Howard Zinn

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Books to Read Together

THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE* By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

OUT OF MY MIND By Sharon Draper

THE VANDERBEEKERS OF 141ST STREET* By Karina Yan Glaser

MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN* By Jean Craighead George

LALANI AND THE DISTANT SEA By Erin Entrada Kelly

DAVE AT NIGHT By Gail Carson Levine

THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK By Kristin Levine 

THE STARS BENEATH OUR FEET By David Barclay Moore

A SINGLE SHARD By Linda Sue Park

MY BRIGADISTA YEAR By Katherine Patterson

THE SEVENTH MOST IMPORTANT THING By Shelley Pearsall

undefinedLOOK BOTH WAYS IN THE BARRIO BLANCO By Judith Robins Rose

ESPERANZA RISING By Pam Muñoz Ryan

THE WEDNESDAY WARS By Gary M. Schmidt

WHEN YOU REACH ME By Rebecca Stead

SAME SUN HERE By Neela Vaswani and Silas House  

ONE CRAZY SUMMER By Rita Williams–Garcia

undefinedWATERSHIP DOWN By Richard Adam

THE CANYON’S EDGE By Dusti Bowling

LORETTA MASON POTTS By Mary Chase

WHAT KATY DID By Susan Coolidge

THE TRUTH AS TOLD BY MASON BUTTLE By Leslie Connerundefined

FINDING LANGSTON By Lisa Cline-Ranso​

TROPICAL SECRETS: HOLOCAUST REFUGEES IN CUBA By Margarita Engle

A WRINKLE IN TIME* By Madeline L'Engle​

TWERP By Mark Goldblatt

THE BROOKLYN NINE: A NOVEL IN NINE INNINGS By Alan Gratz

FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANWEILER By E.L. Konisburg

THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK By Kristin Levine 

THE DAY THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING By Michael Morpurgo

THE SEVENTH MOST IMPORTANT THING By Shelley Pearsall​

AS BRAVE AS YOU By Jason Reynolds

THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU By Wendy Wan-Long Shang

OTHER WORDS FOR HOME By Jasmine Warga

Spotlight on Mysteries: Can You Crack the Case?

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New and Notable

Fiction

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN By Katherine Applegate

undefinedTHE JUMBIES* By Tracey Baptiste

LUCKY BROKEN GIRL By Ruth Behar​

THE PENDERWICKS* By Jane Birdsall

YEAR OF THE BOOK* By Andrea Cheng

GREGOR THE OVERLANDER* By Suzanne Collins

BABE & ME* By Dan Gutman​

WAIT TILL HELENE COMES By Mary Downing Hahn

HERO ON A BICYCLE By Shirley Hughes

OPHIE’S GHOSTS By Justina Ireland

THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS* By R.L. LaFevers

IN THE YEAR OF THE BOAR AND JACKIE ROBINSON By Betty Bao Lord

RULES By Cynthia Lord

TEN RULES FOR LIVING WITH MY SISTER* By Ann M. Martin
BOB
 By Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead

PONY By RJ Palacio

undefinedTHE BRILLIANT WORLD OF TOM GATES* By L. Pinchon​ 

RACE TO THE SUN By Rebecca Roanhorse

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET By Brian Selznick

THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WILL NOT CHANGE By Rebecca Stead

WINGS OF FIRE: THE DRAGONET PROPHECY* By Tui T. Sutherland

I SURVIVED THE SHARK ATTACKS OF 1916* By Lauren Tarshis

THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: THE SHADOWS* By Jacqueline West

FRONT DESK By Kelly Yang

THE FAIRY REBEL By Lynn Reid Banks

THE NOT-JUST-ANYBODY FAMILY* By Betsy Byars

ZACH DELACRUZ: ME AND MY BIG MOUTH By Cecilia Cackley​

undefinedAL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS* By Gennifer Choldenko

DEAR MR. HENSHAW By Beverly Cleary

FERN' SCHOOL FOR WAYWARD FAE By Piper CJ

ABSOLUTELY NORMAL CHAOS By Sharon Creech

THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES By Julie Andrews Edward

HARRIET THE SPY By Louise Fitzhugh

A TALE DARK AND GRIMM By Adam Gidwitz

AMONG THE HIDDEN* By Margaret Peterson Haddix

THE LAST CUENTISTA By Donna Barba Higuera

BO AT BALLARD CREEK* By Kirkpatrick Hill

SHINJI TAKAHASHI AND THE MARK OF THE COATL By Julie Kagawa

SAVVY* By Ingrid Law

WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON* By Grace Lin

TOO BRIGHT TO SEE By Kyle Lukoff

THE DOLL PEOPLE* By Ann M. Martin

P.S. LONGER LETTER LATER By Ann M. Martin & Paula Danzinger

THE SKYLARK'S WAR By Hilary McKay

LIZARD MUSIC By Daniel Pinkwater

LUCKY: MARIS, MANTLE, AND MY BEST SUMMER EVER By Wes Tooke

CASTLE IN THE ATTIC* By Elizabeth Winthrop

Graphic Novels on Sora

undefinedEL DEAFO By Cece Bell

THE BAD GUYS* By Aaron Blabey 

THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH * By Max Brailler

NEW KID* By Jerry Craft

SWIM TEAM By Johnnie Christmas

RUTABAGA THE ADVENTURE CHEF* By Eric Colossal

CROSS MY HEART AND NEVER LIE By Nora Dåsnes

FLORA & ULYSSES: THE ANIMATED ADVENTURES By Kate DiCamillo

LUMBERJANES* By Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Shannon Watters

WITCHES OF BROOKLYN By Sophie Escabasse

PIE IN THE SKY By Remy Lai

SNAPDRAGON By Kat Lehy

CAMP* By Kayla Miller

THE WITCH BOY* By Molly Knox Ostertag

BIG NATE MAKES THE GRADE* By Lincoln Pierce

5 WORLDS: THE SAND WARRIOR* By Mark & Alexis Siegal

PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN* By Dana Simpson

GUTS* By Raina Telgemeir 

Non-fiction