I’ve collected some of my favorite books for a fourth grader to read. Enter your email address below and I’ll send this printable book list straight to your inbox!

Amari and the Brothers of the Night by BB Alston
This is a fantasy book that stuck on many best of the year lists when it came out. I didn’t want to miss this story about a girl who is determined to find her missing brother and discovers that magic is real in the process. We all loved this!

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
During World War II, four brothers are sent to the London countryside where they must be kept safe from the war. One of the children finds a wardrobe that has the ability to transport them to a completely different world called Narnia. This series is full of excitement and adventure and is loved by generations.

Count the Stars by Lois Lowry
This WWII historical fiction book was the first chapter I read on my own and I still love it after all these years. It’s a quick read – we got through it in about a week, and it definitely deserves the Newbery sticker.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
My older girls listened to it several times last summer. Moving is never fun, but it’s especially unpleasant for Aven who was born without arms. A new city and a new school mean she will have to repeatedly explain herself to a group of strangers. But in her new town, she befriends Conner, who also feels like an outsider at their school. And together, they embark on solving a mystery at the dilapidated theme park run by his parents.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
This series is quite new (within the last ten years), but it has the feel of a classic and we all loved these stories about four sisters and their summer vacation. There is a reason these books are LOVED. We have listened to many of the books in the road trip series and love them all.

Bud, no friend of Christopher Paul Curtis
Winner of the Newbery Medal, this unforgettable novel follows ten-year-old Bud Caldwell, a motherless boy on the run during the Great Depression with a suitcase full of treasures and a set of rules for life. Armed with a big clue about the father he never met (flyers from musician Herman E. Calloway and his band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression), Bud sets off on a fun and hopeful journey to discover his place.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowl
Ella listened to the entire series and loved every second of it. My sister has three boys and they are obsessed with it too. There are 13 books in the series and these stories of Vikings and dragons are fast-paced and delightful. Don’t miss the audio version!

The Lemonade Wars by Jacqueline Davies
I read this years ago when I was a school librarian and it was so popular with my students. Two brothers, Evan and Jessie, are both intelligent, but in different ways: one is smart with people, while the other is smarter at math. When each of them brings their talents to a competition to sell the most lemonade, it will be an all-out battle.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
This is one of those middle grade novels that has taken the world by storm – it’s been so popular, and for good reason. Mr. Lemoncello is a world-famous game manufacturer AND designed the new city library. And during the opening night, there will be a lock-in for children where they will have to solve puzzles to find the hidden escape route. (You can see why it spent 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list). (Full review here)

Aaron Johnson National Park Mystery Series
This 10-book series is perfect for readers who love exploring the great outdoors, treasure hunts, and coded messages! Jake, Wes, Amber and their families embark on a two-month journey to explore ten national parks. But when Jake receives a scrapbook of a mystery to solve from his late grandfather, he must decide whether to solve it himself or entrust the secret to his friends.

Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
I’m pretty sure at this point that Bart and I could recite the entire book by heart since Star listened to it repeatedly the year she was 3. Beverly Clearly is a master and if you like the audiobook version, hers are simply a delight.

From Sid Fleischman’s Big Horn Spoon
We just listened to this book on our trip to Disneyland about a butler and a little boy who sneak aboard a ship from Boston bound for the gold fields of California and our whole family was obsessed with it.

I love that dog Sharon Creech
I am absolutely obsessed with this book and its companion book, I hate that cat. If you think you don’t like poetry, this book will probably convince you otherwise. Jack’s teacher presents the class with some famous poems and asks them to write responses in blank verse and then write their own versions of the poems they liked. The entire book contains Jack’s responses to what they read or heard in class and sometimes his responses to his teacher’s criticism and encouragement (which you never see, as these are only Jack’s words in the book).

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Bart read it aloud to Ella when she was about four and a half, and they both loved it. It was also one of my favorites as a kid, but Bart had never read it, so it was fun to see him try it for the first time.

Johnnie Christmas swim team
This is a very well done graphic novel, with beautiful illustrations, great characters, and a fun plot. It’s a definite winner! Bree is excited for her first day at her new middle school, until she discovers that the only major left open is the swim team. But how can he tell his friends and coach that he can’t swim?

Ghost by Jason Reynolds
This made the 2025 Daily Read Book Club list! I read the first book in this series years ago and have been meaning to go back for years and read all four books in the series about four boys chosen for an elite middle school track team. This is a team that could qualify for the Junior Olympics, but only if they can get their act together. Super readable and wonderful. We’ll only discuss the first one in book club, but I plan to read all four!

1. Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
   I still remember my mother reading it to us on a little playground in a park in Las Vegas when I was a child. It’s just fun and short (keep in mind that it might take a chapter or two to delve into it).