A Classical Christian School Reading List: 4th-5th Grades

There are hundreds of thousands of books written for children. The challenge is discerning what is best for them to read, given so many options.

Last week I published a reading list for grades 1-3 provided by Calvary Classical School—a classical Christian school in Hampton, VA.

Below is the list for grades 4-5.

For outside reading, the books are divided into three levels. Books with a “+” denote that any title in that series would be acceptable. At times I’ve linked to a box set of paperbacks if available—at other times I’ve just linked to the lead-off book in a series.

I’ve done my best to link to the paperback or cheapest version at Amazon. One interesting thing I’ve discovered in trying to provide these links is how hard it is to find well-done critical editions, rather than self-published efforts that take advantage of the text being in the public domain in order to turn a quick buck. A good rule of thumb is to look for the “Puffins Classic” versions, which seem to be well done.

I hope this proves helpful for a lot of parents and teachers!

As time permits, I’ll pull together the final list for the middle school years of grades 6-8.

Fourth Grade Literature List

Read in class or assigned for outside reading:

Blackwood, Gary. The Shakespeare Stealer

Burnett, Frances Hodgson. The Secret Garden

Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

D’Aulaire, Ingri & Edgar. Leif the Lucky

Daugherty, James. The Magna Charta

de Angeli, Marguerite. The Door in the Wall

Du Bois, William Pene. Twenty-one Balloons

Estes, Eleanor. Ginger Pye

Henry, Marguerite. King of the Wind

Green, Roger Lancelyn. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table

Konigsburg, E. L. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basel E. Frankweiler

Lewis, C. S. Prince Caspian

Norton, Mary. The Borrowers

Prum, Deborah M. Rats, Bulls, and Flying Machines

Rebsamen, Frederick. Beowulf

Sis, Peter. Starry Messenger: Galileo

Stanley, Diane and Peter Vennema. Bard of Avon

Stanley, Diane. Joan of Arc

Vernon, Louise A. Thunderstorm in the Church

White, E. B. The Trumpet of the Swan

Level 1

Alexander, Lloyd. The Book of Three +

Armstrong, William. Sounder

Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting

Burnett, Frances H. A Little Princess

Carlson, Natalie. The Family Under the Bridge

Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses

Knight, Eric. Lassie Come-Home

L’Engle, Madeliene. A Wrinkle in Time +

Lenski, Lois. Prairie School +

Lenski, Lois. Strawberry Girl

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars

McSwigan, Marie. Snow Treasure

Seredy, Kate. The Good Master

Speare, Elizabeth. The Sign of the Beaver

Taylor, Sydney. All-of-A-Kind Family

Thurber, James. Many Moons

Verne, Jules. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Wilson, N. D. 100 Cupboards +

Level 2

Farley, Walter. The Black Stallion +

Funke, Cornellia. Inkheart +

George, Jean C. My Side of the Mountain

Grahame, Kenneth. The Reluctant Dragon

Hanes, Mari. Two Mighty Rivers

Jacques, Brian. Redwall +

Lofting, Hugh. The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle +

Morey, Walt. Gentle Ben

Peretti, Frank. The Cooper Kids Adventure +

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief +

Smith, Dodie. The 101 Dalmations

Street, James. Good-bye My Lady

Travers, P. I. Mary Poppins +

Wilson, N. D. Leepike Ridge

Level 3

Adamson, Joy. Born Free

Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women +

Burnford, Sheila. The Incredible Journey

Field, Rachel. Calico Bush

Lawson, Robert. Ben and Me

Robertson, Keith. Henry Reed, Inc. +

Robinson, Barbara. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Sewell, Anna. Black Beauty

Sidney, Margaret. Five Little Peppers +

Fifth Grade Literature List

Read in class or assigned for outside reading:

Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe

Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain

Lathan, Jean. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Lewis, C. S. The Silver Chair

Lewis, C. S. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Speare, Elizabeth. The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels (excerpts)

Level 1

Beatty, Patricia. Turn Homeward, Hannalee

Brink, Carol. Caddie Woodlawn

Byars, Betsy. The Summer of the Swans

Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw

De Jong, Meindert. The Wheel on the School

Enright, Elizabeth. Thimble Summer

Gates, Doris. Blue Willow

Gipson, Fred. Old Yeller

Hanes Mari. Two Mighty Rivers

O’Brien, Robert. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Rawls, Wilson. Where the Red Fern Grows

Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square

Level 2

Cameron, Eleanor. Mushroom Planet +

De Jong, Meindert. The House of Sixty Fathers

George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves

Montgomery, Lucy. Anne of Green Gables

O’Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphin

Pearce, Philippa. Tom’s Midnight Garden

Porter, Eleanor. Pollyanna +

Rawks, Wilson. Summer of the Monkeys

Spyri, Johanna. Heidi

Wyss, Johann. Swiss Family Robinson

Level 3

Alcott, Louisa. Little Men

Burnett, Frances. Little Lord Fauntleroy

De Jong, Meindert. Journey from Peppermint Street

Dodge, Mary. Hans Brinker

Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows

MacDonald, George. The Princess and Curdie

MacDonald, George. The Princess and the Goblin

North, Sterling. Rascal

Seredy, Kate. The White Stag

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island

Terhune, Albert. Lad: A Dog

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit

Verne, Jules. Around the World in Eighty Days

Verne, Jules. Journey to the Center of the Earth