Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: book list for 3rd, book list for 4th and 5th grade, independent, literature, reading

This topic has 14 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by Melissa Henson.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

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May 16, 2013 at 12:28 am
LindseyD
Participant
I’m needing ideas for what to do about Ds’s reading for next year. In the past, we’ve always used the Pathway Readers for beginning reading. He’s finished Grade 4, and the books are way too simple for him now. His reading level is at 7th-8th grade, so having him move on to a Grade 5 level reader seems a waste of his and my time. He is an excellent narrator, both oral and written. I feel it is necessary to begin keeping better record of the books he reads independently, and assigning this type of reading seems to be a good way to go about it. He reads voraciously in his free time (like, rarely wants to do anything else) and also listens to audio books like crazy. I don’t enter these books into the Organizer; maybe I should?
Occasionally, I need to give him some “busy work” to do while his sister finishes up an assignment and we’re waiting to move on to our next family subject. I thought some assigned independent reading could serve dual purposes: give him something to do that he enjoys and build his reading resume with a good track record of books.
Any thoughts or suggestions on this? Missceegee and Bookworm, I’d love to hear your opinions on this.
In his free time he’s already read several times:
Gentle Ben
The Indian in the Cupboard
Old Yeller
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Charlotte’s Web
Stuart Little
The Railway Children
All 19 Boxcar Children
All Little House books
The Cricket in Times Square
And this is not an exhaustive list by any means.
So, some good reading suggestions would be nice as well as maybe some other ideas of additional study for ds.
Blessings,
Lindsey
May 16, 2013 at 12:37 am
melindab72
Member
Wow, that’s a nice variety there. My younger dd reads all the time too, but I don’t record it all, just the non-twaddle. LOL
Some that he may like… Heidi (since he like the Little House books), Black Beauty, Narnia books. I’m hoping others chime in too, my girls are getting to be better readers and it excites me!
May 16, 2013 at 12:38 am
melindab72
Member
Oh, and we’re about to read “Brighty of Grand Canyon”. I’ve been wanting to read that one for awhile.
May 16, 2013 at 12:40 am
LindseyD
Participant
Thanks melindab72! As a family, we’ve read Heidi, Black Beauty, and all the Narnia books. In true Ryan-fashion, he has already gone back and re-read all of those too! We just finished Secret Garden yesterday, and I have no doubts that before the week is over, he’ll be re-reading it too. That’s just the way he is!
May 16, 2013 at 12:41 am
LindseyD
Participant
Also, to add to my original question, whatever I decide, should I have him do written narrations in addition to the reading or just do the reading?
May 16, 2013 at 3:27 am
ServingwithJoy
Participant
My independent reading for fourth graders (and thereabouts) includes:
Little Women
Little Men
The Door in the Wall
Sounder
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Crispin At the Edge of the World (Trilogy)
Peter Pan
The Book of Virtues
Hostage Lands
Caddie Woodlawn
The Secret Garden
A Little Princess
Little Lord Fountleroy
Robinson Crusoe
Shadrach
Children’s Stories from Dickens
Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates
The 21 Balloons
Johnny Tremain
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow
Cheaper By the Dozen
Old Yeller
Adam of the Road
Ten Boys Who Made a Difference
The Jungle Books
Tales from Shakespeare
The Chronicles of Narnia
Call of the Wild
White Fang
Hiawatha
Castle & Cathedral
Masada (read first & edit)
Anne of Green Gables (Series)
Little Britches Series
Five Children and It
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
The Black Pearl
The Island of the Blue Dolphins
Bruchko
The Master Puppeteer
Beorn the Proud
Pollyanna
Otto of the Silver Hand
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Bambi
The White Stag
Black Beauty
In His Steps
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Bronze Bow
Tanglewood’s Secret
Kidnapped
The Mysterious Benedict Society
The Silver Branch
The Eagle of the Ninth
Gulliver’s Travels
All-of-a-Kind Family
Mary Poppins
Tirzah
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Medallion
King Arthur and His Knights
Listening for Lions
Trumpet of the Swan
Forbidden Gates
Detectives in Togas
Swiss Family Robinson
These can be tweaked according to your historical studies, obviously, since many of them are set in specific historical periods.
I require written narrations on one fiction and one non-fiction book of their choice per month.
Hope that gives you some ideas!
May 16, 2013 at 4:00 am
melindab72
Member
What a list!! Something inside me just loves useful lists. Thanks!
Lindsay, what a joy is must be for you to watch your son devour good books. My older dd is 10 and she really just this year learned to read. Seriously. Now she’s reading easy chapter books on her own and she rushes in to tell me every time she finishes a chapter. I love watching her learn to love reading, learn to love the library, and lose herself in stories. I’m forming a list of possible future reads, so feel free to let us know when you guys find good ones.
May 16, 2013 at 4:03 am
melindab72
Member
Servingwithjoy, I look at your list and I’m still hit with old attitudes that formed in me when I was young…..”Little Women for a forth grader? Isn’t that a HARD book??”
LOL It’s not easy to let go of it. I hope I don’t inadvertently pass it on to them!
May 16, 2013 at 1:02 pm
missceegee
Participant
Lindsey, I’m still out of town and using my phone so this will be short. Yes, I assign independent reading as soon as they can manage. For ds9 that was this year (3rd). Here are the types of books ds9 reads independently for assigned reading. When I say reader, I simply mean he reads it to himself instead of me reading it. I assign these books to be read one chapter at a time and narrated.
History Reader – Caddie Woodlawn (actually audiobook since we’re on vacation)
Science Reader – any of my bunches of living science books, currently the CLP Nature Reader during this trip.
Literature Reader – a fun one, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
He also reads additional books on his own that I don’t assign or have him narrate. He isn’t my big reader, but does enjoy reading.
I have used HUFI to make my yearly reading list going forward. There are several scheduled books and a list of additional books. I’ve labeled the spines and put them on the proper year shelves. My kids can read the assigned books when they are scheduled and can read any additional lit. books at their level and below. This was necessary bc my oldest at 12 was reading EVERYTHING! I tired of having to reinvent the wheel when we’d pull out her next book and she would say, “I’ve already read that.” Now, I will say I allow myself flexibility. My youngest dd6 can already read most anything and will likely go through everything faster. No matter, I feel my organization allows for that without giving free reign to my girls.
May 16, 2013 at 3:03 pm
melindab72
Member
Out of the list above, which ones would you say are the easiest for those just getting into chapter books?
May 16, 2013 at 3:08 pm
LindseyD
Participant
LOVE that list, ServingWithJoy! We have read many on it, but it gives me a good starting place to plan his first 5-6 books. Our problem is that he often grabs books off our VERY accessible shelves around the house and reads without even telling me until he finishes! So, I’ll go to suggest something for him to read only to be met with, “I’ve already read that!”
@melinda, it is a joy to see my son so enthralled with reading. He’s been this way since he learned to read, around 5 years old. It’s not something we’ve ever had to force; rather, it’s the opposite. It’s not uncommon for me to say, “Ryan, it’s time to close the books and go play outside!”
Christie, did you have your ds do written or oral narrations for his reading? And did he do narrations by chapter? Several chapters? By book?
Thanks,
Lindsey
May 16, 2013 at 3:41 pm
missceegee
Participant
Lindsey, that is exactly why I have pulled all school books from our main shelves and put them in on off limits shelves. I tired of DD12 always saying, I’ve already read that! I have sticker labels on the spines with Y1, Y2, etc. If I didn’t have some different shelves, I’d put them in plastic bins and put them in our large walk in attic until kids were ready for them. I’ll show you my system in August when you come, if that might be helpful.
My ds9 gives oral narrations on all readings each day (3-4). Each reading is 1-2 chapters in length. He isn’t doing written narrations yet, but will next year.
May 16, 2013 at 3:46 pm
coralloyd
Participant

This list might be too girly in some respects, but here are just some that my 5th grader is reading:
Anne of Green Gables
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
The Swiss Family Robinson
Black Stallion
Caddie Woodlawn
Cheaper by the Dozen
Julie of the Wolves
Little Lord Flauntleroy
Secret Garden
Moffats
Twenty-One Balloons
Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates
Little Women
Incredible Journey
A Little Pincess
Ordinary Princess
In Grandma’s Attic series
Miracles on Maple Hill
Strawberry Girl
The Railway Children
Just So Stories
The Year of Miss Agnes
The Secret School
The Phantom Tollbooth
Island of the Blue Dolphin
The Great Turkey Walk
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Spider Sparrow
The Enchanted Castle
May 16, 2013 at 7:29 pm
LindseyD
Participant
Ok, here’s what I’ve decided to assign to ds for his reading/narration:
the Crispin trilogy (will go nicely with our history studies)
Caddie Woodlawn
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Mary Poppins
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Just So Stories
Little Men
Little Women
My Side of the Mountain

And for good measure, here is dd8’s assigned independent reading:
Betsy-Tacy
Betsy-Tacy and Tib
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Five Little Peppers
The Indian in the Cupboard
Old Yeller
Just So Stories
The Cricket in Times Square
Carolina’s Courage
Gentle Ben
Caddie Woodlawn
How does this look? Anything I MUST add?
May 17, 2013 at 1:31 am
Melissa Henson
Participant
Missceegee, I already live near you. May I see your system? 🙂