Even More Great Books for Fourth Graders

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt

JFIC APPELT True (AR Pts: 8.0; Lexile: 810L)
Twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn, ancient Sugar Man, and his raccoon-brother Swamp Scouts Bingo and
J'miah try to save Bayou Tourterelle from feral pigs Clydine and Buzzie, greedy Sunny Boy Beaucoup, and
world-class alligator wrestler and would-be land developer Jaeger Stitch.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
JFIC APPLEGATE One OR JNBRY APPLEGATE One (AR Pts: 4.0; Lexile: 570L)
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby
elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

The Illuminated Adventures of Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
JFIC DICAMILLO Flora OR JNBRY DICAMILLO Flora (AR Pts: 5.0; Lexile: 520L)
Flora, a self-proclaimed sceptic, has had her heart broken by her parents divorce. Floras cynical
worldview is turned upside down when an incident with her neighbor, a vacuum, and a squirrel produce
Holy unanticipated occurrences!

The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman
JFIC GAIMAN Wolves (AR Pts: 0.5; Lexile: 500L)
Lucy is sure there are wolves living in the walls of her house, although others in her family disagree, and
when the wolves come out, the adventure begins.

How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks
JFIC JINKS How (AR Pts: 9.0; Lexile: 790L)
In 1870s London, a young orphan girl becomes the apprentice to a man who traps monsters for a living.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
JFIC KINNEY OR JS KINNEY (AR Pts: 3.0; Lexile: 950L)
Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley,
undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley
grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.

Mister Orange by Truus Matti
JFIC MATTI Mister (AR Pts: 5.0; Lexile: None)
When Linus Muller takes over making deliveries for his family's Manhattan grocery store in 1943,
including bringing a crate of oranges every other week to an artist from Europe, the two become friends
as they discuss war, the future, freedom, and imagination.


Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz
JFIC RYAN Esperanza (AR Pts: 6.0; Lexile: 750L)
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in
the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing
Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
JFIC SELZNICK Wonderstruck (AR Pts: 4.0; Lexile: 830L)
Wonderstruck tells two intertwined tales set almost 50 years apart - one in words and the other in
pictures.

P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia
JFIC WILLIAMS-GARCIA P.S. (AR Pts: 8.0; Lexile: 770L)
The Gaither sisters return to Brooklyn, where they adapt to new feelings of independence while
managing changes large and small, from Pa's new girlfriend to a very different Uncle Darnell's return
from Vietnam.

Nonfiction & Informational:

Locomotive by Brian Floca
JE FLOCA Locomotive or JCALD FLOCA Locomotive (AR Pts: 0.5; Lexile: 840L)
Learn what it was like to travel on the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s.

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Cindy Trumbore. Illustrated by Susan L. Roth
JNF 597.7097 R845p (AR Pts: 0.5; Lexile: 960L)
A combined history of the Puerto Rican parrot and the island of Puerto Rico, highlighting current efforts
to save the Puerto Rican parrot by protecting and managing this endangered species.

Look Up! Bird Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate
JNF 598.0723 C357L (Not rated; Lexile: 810L)
This conversational, humorous introduction to bird-watching encourages kids to get outdoors with a
sketchbook and really look around. Quirky full-color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about
their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types, while tongue-
in-cheek cartoons feature banter between birds, characters, and the reader.

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children selected and introduced by Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated
by Arnold Lobel.
JNF 811 R159 (Not rated; Lexile: None)
With more than 550 poems by American, English, and anonymous authors, this is an excellent collection
for any blossoming poetry lover.

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd
JBIO FRANKLI,B B995e (AR Pts: 2.0; Lexile: NC1050L)
A true Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin was the first American celebrity. The witty, wise, and
endlessly curious Franklin is the perfect subject for Byrd's lively style and vibrant art. The pages pulse
with facts, quotes, and captions, while the inventive design and intricately detailed illustrations make a
striking tribute to the brilliant American.