Classroom Recommendations 4th-5th

The Youth Services Librarians from Happy Valley, Milwaukie Ledding, and Oak Lodge Libraries have pulled together some of their favorite books that would be great additions to classroom libraries. Below are single titles, though most are linked to series. They are sorted by suggested grade level, but feel free to "shop" high and low!

You might also be interested in:
Classroom Recommendations K-1st
Classroom Recommendations 2nd-3rd

Updated July 26, 2023
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LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Happy Valley Library
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The wild robot
Brown, Peter
Paper Book
A gloriously illustrated story of a robot's adventures in the wild

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Cat Kid Comic Club
Pilkey, Dav
Paper Book
A pioneering new graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of the internationally bestselling Dog Man and Captain Underpants series. Naomi, Melvin, Pedro, and Poppy are just a few of the twenty-one rambunctious, funny, and talented baby frogs who share their stories in...
The Magic Misfits
Harris, Neil Patrick
Paper Book
The first in a funny and magical new children's books series from Emmy award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris.  'I  read this book with excitement, delight, and the increasing suspicion that it was going to make me disappear.' Lemony...

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Sue & Tai-chan. 1
Konami, Kanata
Paper Book
The adorable new odd-couple cat comedy manga from the creator of the beloved Chi's Sweet Home and Chi's Sweet Adventures, in full color and formatted for English readers, just like Chi! Sue is an aging housecat who's looking forward to living out her life in...

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Dragons in a bag
Elliott, Zetta
Paper Book
The dragon's out of the bag in this diverse, young urban fantasy from an award-winning author! When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she's not his grandmother--but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering...
Athena : the story of a goddess
Greenberg, Imogen
Paper Book
Discover the adventures of Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, war and courage. From her extraordinary birth - sprung from the head of her father, in the midst of a thunderous headache - to her refusal to take no for an answer. Find out how she inspired powerful gods, goddesses and...

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Max & the Midknights
Peirce, Lincoln
Paper Book
'Max is epic fun!' - Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. 'Fantastic! I loved it!' - Dav Pilkey, bestselling author of the Dog Man series. Join Max's quest to become a knight in this bestselling comic adventure! Max and...

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The fifth quarter
Dawson, Mike
Paper Book
Get ready to hit the court in this heartfelt, sporty, graphic novel, the first in Mike Dawson's middle-grade duology about a girl who deals with her insecurities through her love of basketball. Lori Block is dedicated to her fourth-grade basketball team, despite being...

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Mr. Wolf's class
Steinke, Aron Nels
Paper Book
From Eisner Award-winning creator Aron Nels Steinke, a vibrant, funny new series that charmingly captures the everyday antics of a fourth-grade classroom!Mr. Wolf has just started teaching at Hazelwood Elementary. He wants the first day of school to go well, but he's got his hands full with...

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Max Meow : cat crusader
Gallagher, John
Paper Book
A USA TODAY Bestseller! Meet a secret superhero with CAT-ITUDE--Max Meow, Cat Crusader--in this purr-fectly awesome, hiss-sterically funny graphic novel series just right for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators! Max is just a regular cat in Kittyopolis, trying to make...

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The Tea Dragon Society
O'Neill, Katie (Cartoonist)
Paper Book
The Tea Dragon Society is the two-time Eisner Award-winning gentle fantasy that follows the story of a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. Winner of the 2018 Eisner Award for...

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The 13-story treehouse
Griffiths, Andy
Paper Book
Andy and Terry live in a treehouse. But it's not just any old treehouse, it's the most amazing treehouse in the world! This treehouse has thirteen stories, a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a secret underground laboratory, and a marshmallow machine that follows you around...

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PAWS. 1, Gabby gets it together
Msassyk
Paper Book
Are you a fan of Raina Telgemeier or Shannon Hale? Then don't miss PAWS, a new graphic novel series about best friends, cute dogs, and all the fun (and trouble) that comes with them. Perfect for fans of Real Friends, Roller Girl, and Allergic, this funny and heartwarming...

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The Underground Railroad
Messner, Kate
Paper Book
Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Underground Railroad and Black Americans' struggle for freedom. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. Before the Civil War, there was a crack team of abolitionists who used quilts...
Sleuthing machine
Bowling, Dusti
Paper Book
Third-grader Aven Green has been solving mysteries for a really long time--a whole month!  She's solved many important cases like The Mystery of the Cranky Mom, The Mystery of the Missing Ice Cream, and The Mystery of the Smelly Feet. Her record is nearly 100%...
I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967
Tarshis, Lauren
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tackles the historic grizzly bear attacks in Glacier National Park in this latest installment of the groundbreaking I Survived series.No grizzly has ever killed a human in Glacier before . . . until tonight. Eleven-year-old Melody Vega and her...
Doodleville
Sell, Chad
Paper Book
For fans of Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward and Raina Telgemeier's Smile comes an inventive new story from Cardboard Kingdom creator Chad Sell about a group of young artists who must work together when one of their own creations becomes a monster. Drew is just a...
Sam Wu is not afraid of zombies
Tsang, Katie
Paper Book
The brilliantly funny fifth book in the SAM WU series, starring the bravest scaredy-cat in the world! Perfect for reluctant readers and fans of Tom Fletcher, Pamela Butchart and Humza Arshad's Badman. There's hardly anything that Sam Wu is afraid of. Unless you count ghosts, sharks, the...
The Secret Explorers and the desert disappearance
King, SJ
Paper Book
Learn all about life in the desert in this nature themed instalment of DK Books' new educational fiction series for children. Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world. Everyone in this diverse group of young experts has a speciality, from...
Skunk and Badger
Timberlake, Amy
Paper Book
When friendly, free-spirited Skunk moves in with solitary rock-scientist Badger, both are forever changed in this whimsical, emotionally rich story from Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake, illustrated in full-colour and black-and-white pictures by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen (I Want My Hat Back,...
Lights, camera, cook!
Harper, Charise Mericle
Paper Book
A zesty series for fans of kids' cooking competitions! It's "lights, camera, cook!" for four tween contestants--energetic Tate, charming Rae, worldly Caroline, and hyper-competitive Oliver--who are all about to enter a televised cooking competition.      What will...
Real friends
Hale, Shannon
Paper Book
"Fresh and funny." --New York Times Book Review Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to find your real friends--and why it's worth the journey. ...
The dragonet prophecy
Sutherland, Tui
Paper Book
Discover where it all began! The #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series takes flight in this epic adventure of five dragons destined and determined to save their world. Clay has lived his whole life under the mountain. The MudWing dragonet knows that war is raging...
Who was the greatest? : Muhammad Ali
Soria, Gabriel
Paper Book
"The Who HQ Graphic Novels series does an excellent job of quickly engaging readers by capturing the drama and immediacy of pivotal historic events." - Booklist Discover the story behind Muhammad Ali and the boxing match that captivated the world, the Thrilla In Manila, in...
The breakaways
Johnson, Cathy G.
Paper Book
Quiet, sensitive Faith starts middle school already worrying about how she will fit in. To her surprise, Amanda, a popular eighth grader, convinces her to join the school soccer team, the Bloodhounds. Having never played soccer in her life, Faith ends up on the C team, a ragtag group that's way...

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Nathan Hale's hazardous tales. 11. Cold War correspondent
Hale, Nathan
Paper Book
Discover the Korean War through the eyes of a journalist who covered it in author-illustrator Nathan Hale's Cold War Correspondent, a Hazardous Tale in the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series. In 1950, Marguerite Higgins (1920-1966) was made bureau...
The last kids on Earth
Brallier, Max
Paper Book
The first book in the New York Times bestselling series with over ten million copies in print! 'Terrifyingly fun! Max Brallier's The Last Kids on Earth delivers big thrills and even bigger laughs.' Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Now...

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https://alsc-awards-shelf.org/
Award-winning books, recordings, apps, & websites for children from the American Library Association.
https://ola.memberclicks.net/bccca-home

2nd-3rd grade reading level, but excellent ideas for all readers, students can vote on their favorite title each spring

https://oregonreaderschoiceaward.wordpress.com/

3rd-5th category has new selections each year; students can vote on their favorite title each spring

The nebula secret
Trueit, Trudi Strain
Paper Book
Adventure, danger, and a thrilling global mission await 12-year-old Cruz Coronado as he joins an elite school for explorers. Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world's leading scientists...

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